November 25, 2008
In this issue:

Missed the Fall Road Shows?
Tourism HR Survey - Your Opinion Is Needed! 
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Update
2010 Stories in Your Community
Community Content on Hellobc.com
Young People Still Travelling, Despite Economic Slowdown
RBC 2010 Legacies Now Speaker Series – Torch Relay Expert
Regional Media Relations Representative Position Available
Travel Trade Update
Statistics Canada Studies
The Current State of Travel Study by Travel + Leisure

Missed the Fall Road Shows?

After a successful week of travelling around the region to present the FY2010 Marketing Plan, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains staff are hard at work back at the office. The Fall Road Shows highlighted the upcoming projects in the marketing plan, as well as updates on Travel Trade, Travel Media Relations and Community Tourism initiatives.

If you couldn’t quite make it out last week, you are still in luck. Here is the link to the summary of upcoming Consumer Marketing opportunities in the plan (along with some rough pricing estimates to help with your budgeting). The projects will start to become available on-line in January 2009, so stay tuned. One quick reminder – our marketing plan is constantly changing and adapting throughout the year. The projects listed are only tentative, so please check www.vcmbc.com for updates throughout the year.

Tourism HR Survey - Your Opinion Is Needed! 

The human resource needs within the tourism and hospitality industry continue to grow along with  the demand for qualified staff. In response to these labour market challenges, Royal Roads University's Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management is working with industry professionals to develop and deliver new educational solutions that are designed to fit our industry. Our goal is to validate what we have been hearing 'in market', gauge the market demand and validate the most desirable options. We would like to know what you think!  

This survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. All respondents who complete the survey will be entered into a draw to win one of two prizes of $250! To participate, please click on the URL below or copy and paste it into the address/location bar in your browser.  

http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p262920039.aspx

This survey is being conducted by IPSOS Reid (Canada's leading market research company) during the month of November. You can be assured that all information you provide is strictly confidential. Your specific information will never be given to anyone outside of Ipsos Reid and we promise we will never to try to sell you anything.

A number of different tourism and hospitality organizations and associations have agreed to assist Royal Roads University in obtaining the best response possible to this research by inviting their members to participate. Let’s give a voice to the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region.

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Update

The WHTI is a U.S. law that requires all travellers to present a valid passport or another approved secure document(s) when travelling to, through, or from the U.S. The new WHTI document requirements to enter the U.S. via land and water will take effect on June 1, 2009.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) website has recently been updated to provide information about WHTI and its requirements, including the new enhanced driver's license program.

Click here to view the CBSA website.

2010 Stories in Your Community

With just over one year to go before the big 2010 event, the media relations teams both here at Vancouver, Coast & Mountains and at Tourism BC are in full swing, working with media from around the world.

How can you get your community to the forefront of all this media frenzy?

It is simple: Give us your unique 2010 story ideas. Do you have an Olympic athlete living or training in your community – past or present? Maybe they don’t live there anymore but were raised in your community? How about a training facility or a local shop who is feeding the athletes while in town? Whatever your connection to the Olympics is, large or small, we want to hear about it!

Story ideas don’t have to be complete or lengthy or in the form of a press release. Send a short email to jennifer@vcmbc.com or submit on-line via Story Starters (http://www.vcmbc.com/page.cfm/9712) and we will assist with the story development. Now is your chance to get noticed and generate valuable media coverage!

For more information on media opportunities for your community, contact Jennifer Rhyne (Jennifer@vcmbc.com) at 604-637-9046.

Community Content on Hellobc.com

You may notice a new face exploring your community in the coming months … his name is Lucas Aykroyd. Lucas is an experienced and articulate travel writer, and we are excited to have him updating and enhancing all community content on hellobc.com. Over the coming year, Lucas will be visiting your community in an effort to collect as much valuable visitor information as possible. This will be undertaken via community FAM tours and “mini” focus groups, organized in conjunction with each community's DMO and key tourism stakeholders. This updating process will significantly increase your community profile on hellobc.com with comprehensive information on Things to Do, Accommodations, Area Highlights, Dining, and with photos and user-generated content.

To see a sample of a completed community, visit the Mackenzie page on hellobc.com http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Mackenzie.htm. 

For more information on this project, please contact Jane Stark (jane@vcmbc.com) at 
604-484-5364.

Young People Still Travelling, Despite Economic Slowdown

According to a just-released survey by Global Gossip.com, young people won't be changing their travel ways anytime soon, despite the present global economic downturn.

Interviewing 1500 plus young people from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Spain and the UK, a whopping 87% of respondents polled plan to either travel more or said, "who cares, I'm sticking to my original plans", when asked if the current economic woes will affect their travel plans.

The results further document the resilience of the youth, student and the educational travel market and the uniqueness of our community.

When asked about the current global economic uncertainties, results from 1548 participants aged 19-29,
64% said: Who cares, I'm sticking to my original plans
23% said: Travel more until it blows over
12% said: Cut your budget and your trip shorter

Source: WYSTC Wire November 12, 2008

RBC 2010 Legacies Now Speaker Series – Torch Relay Expert

Discover world class opportunities in your community.

Discover how events like the 2010 Torch Relays can impact and benefit surrounding businesses and communities. Di Henry is one of the most experienced event managers and torch relay experts in the world. She has worked on 13 torch relays (involving 170 nations) 1,032 days of festivities, 30,000 runners and 50,000 volunteers. Di will share how businesses and communities throughout B.C. can leverage the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays when they come to B.C. in 2009 and 2010.

Kamloops – Monday, December 1
In partnership with the Kamloops Spirit of BC Community Committee and Venture Kamloops
Email info@venturekamloops.com or call 250.828.6818

Cranbrook – Tuesday, December 2
In partnership with the Cranbrook & District Chamber of Commerce and the Cranbrook Spirit of BC Community Committee
Email karin-penner@shaw.ca or call 250.426.5914

Vancouver – Wednesday, December 3
In partnership with The Vancouver Board of Trade
Visit www.boardoftrade.com Events & Activities

Live Webcast – Thursday, December 4
12:00 noon. PST
Log on to www.2010LegaciesNow.com

Victoria - Friday, December 5
In partnership with the Victoria Spirit of BC Community Committee
Email abacon@victoria.ca or call 250.361.0546
 
Visit www.2010LegaciesNow.com for more information.

Regional Media Relations Representative Position Available

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains is currently looking for a new Regional Media Relations Representative. The position requires 2 years minimum media relations/marketing experience or equivalent education in communications, marketing or tourism. The ideal candidate will possess excellent writing skills and demonstrate competencies with creative writing, researching, and Internet and PC software applications. Of course, this person is also media savvy, someone who loves to mix and mingle, but also understands the value of creating and maintaining a sense of urgency. The new Regional Media Relations Representative must be flexible as there is some travel required, as well as occasional evening and weekend hours. Previous experience working in a team environment and coordinating events is an asset, in addition to understanding and experience with not-for-profit organizations. Please send resumes and inquiries to Jennifer Rhyne via email only (jennifer@vcmbc.com).

Travel Trade Update

Wow, what a busy fall for travel trade. Here are a couple of tidbits to let you know what Vancouver, Coast & Mountains has been up to:

From the National Tourism Association Tuesday Newsletter (Oct 28th edition), here is a summary/thanks to everyone who participated on the NTA Product Development trip in October. 

"British Columbia Product Development Trip a Success

NTA would like to thank its partners in British Columbia who helped make the recent Product Development Trip to the southwestern section of the province a success. Tourism Vancouver Island and Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region put together the trip, which took place Oct. 6 to 11.

Participating tour operators headed north of Vancouver to British Columbia's Sunshine Coast and visited coastal cities along the Strait of Georgia in southeastern Vancouver Island. In addition to learning about the province's extensive First Nations heritage, the group went boating and kayaking in Desolation Sound, visited some of the area's arts and crafts attractions and took walking tours around some of the quaint towns and at Milner Gardens and Woodland."

And in the FAM world:
           
Gimme Golf Australia - Golf Fam Sept 29 - Oct 3 08

In conjunction with Tourism BC and Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains assisted in the planning of a "inter-regional" Golf Fam tour for influential Australian tour operator, Gimme Golf.  The focus of the trip was to experience key Golf Courses, and their destinations, to package into a full BC Golf holiday program. Courses visited in our Region included Westwood Plateau, Sand Piper Golf Resort and the new Falls Golf Resort in Chilliwack. Gimme Golf is also the travel affiliate to www.ausgolf.com.au, Australia's largest golf based internet site.

VIP RTO Fam Tour - Sept 23-24, 2008

Along with the Asia Sales Department of Tourism BC, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains hosted the first ever Mighty Fraser Country VIP familiarization tour for 6 representative from local Asian Receptive Tour Operators (RTO).

For this two day adventure, participants included CEO's, General Managers and Presidents of companies representing the Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean markets. The tour focused on easy day trip ideas with the first day devoted to wine tasting in Langley and a tour of Historic Fort Langley, followed by an afternoon of Sturgeon Fishing on the Mighty Fraser before relaxing at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort.

Day two consisted of visits highlighting the attractions along the "Scenic 7" highway. While the fish weren't biting, the VIP's gained a whole new perspective for the opportunities that await in the Fraser Valley.

If you have questions or comments about Vancouver, Coast & Mountains travel trade activities, contact Jason Knibbs (Jason@vcmbc.com) at 604-484-5363.

Statistics Canada Releases International Travel Statistics

Statistics Canada has released the International Travel Statistics for September, 2008. There was a 2.1% increase in the total number of visitors to Canada in September over August 2008 (to 2.26 million), though the figure is 12% lower than the 2.55 million overall visits recorded in September 2007. While overnight car travel from the U.S. increased 7.2% month-over-month, the September 2008 figure (606,000 visits) was still 9.9% lower than the number recorded in the same period in 2007. There was also 19.1% decrease in same-day car travel over 2007 - the 746,000 visits recorded in September 2008 were also 1.1% fewer than the number recorded in August 2008. On a more positive note, international travel (non-US) to Canada increased 2% over September 2007, though this figure represents only a small proportion of the overall figure.  There were increases in overall travel to Canada from France, Germany, Australia, Italy, Mexico and India year-over-year.

Click here for more information on the September 2008 International Travel Statistics

Statistics Canada Releases Statistics on Government Revenue Attributable to Tourism

According to Statistics Canada figures released last week, tourism generated $19.7 billion of revenue for governments in Canada in 2007, up 4.3% from 2006.The gain was driven by higher revenues from domestic tourism spending, which rose 6.1% to just over $14.5 billion, as the revenue related to spending by international visitors was down 0.6% to $5.1 billion.

Interestingly, it was noted that international visitors generated more revenue for governments, for every $100 of spending: Governments took in $31.58 for every $100 of tourism spending by non-residents in Canada in 2007, compared with $26.61 for every $100 of spending by resident tourists.

Overall, the federal government earned 50% of its tourism revenues ($4.7 billion) from taxes on products, such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Provincial/territorial governments collected $5.5 billion, with 60% of their tourism revenue, from sales taxes. These tax revenues rose 2.7% in 2007 despite a one-percentage point reduction in the GST that took effect on July 1, 2006. 

Income taxes directly attributable to tourism rose 9.4% in 2007, reflecting gains in both personal and corporate incomes and associated taxes. Other taxes such as property and capital taxes, levies, license fees and permits, were the chief source of tourism revenue for municipalities, generating $0.9 billion through these taxes for municipal governments - 78% of their overall tourism revenue.

Click here for more information on this study.

Source: TIAC Talk November 21, 2008 Issue

The Current State of Travel

For a little bedtime reading, here are some excerpts from a recent study by Travel + Leisure Magazine…

Background
Travel + Leisure commissioned Beta Research to conduct a Travel Trend Study to uncover tendencies and trends in the travel behavior of today’s consumer.

Between October 14 and November 3, 2008 Travel + Leisure readers and a sample of U.S. travellers, who are non-T+L readers, were contacted via email. When the survey closed, nearly 2,000 questionnaires were completed.

Going Global
Nearly half of T+L readers have travelled internationally within the past 6 months — over 70% in the last year.

Planning Ahead
75% of T+L readers are planning to travel outside of the US in the next year – nearly 25% more than the travel sample – and over half plan their trips three months or more in advance.

Where They Land
T+L reader’s top ten planned international destinations for the coming year:

10. Germany
9. South America
8. Spain
7. Canada
6. Hawaii
5. France
4. Great Britain: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales
3. Italy
2. Mexico
1. Caribbean Islands

Resilient Travellers
65% of T+L readers expect to travel as much or more as the previous year.

Poised to Spend
On average, T+L readers have budgeted nearly $9,500 for pleasure travel during the upcoming year — 50% more than the travel sample — and 64% expect to spend the same or more than they originally planned.

A Necessary Indulgence
70% of T+L readers rank travel the highest of the activities and items they will continue to spend money on.

                                                T+L Readers      Travel Sample
Home remodeling                      12.9%                13.3%
Consumer electronics                 13.6%                15.6%
Home decorating                       14.2%                14.1%
Gym/fitness center                    17.4%                13.3%
Apparel/fashion                         27.1%                19.5%
Going to the movies                  28.0%                25.8%
Entertainment                           31.5%                25.0%
Wine                                         31.8%                14.8%
Dining out                                 65.4%                62.5%
Vacation travel                          69.5%                55.5%

Travel Mindset
Even in the current economy, T+L readers still have a passion for travel.

54.2%    Despite the economy, I’m still able to travel the way I did before
58.7%    Travel is a necessity even in challenging times
75.0%    I’m still able to purchase luxury items, though more selectively
75.7%    I’m planning a more modest trip (i.e. a shorter stay) than I might have otherwise
86.6%    I’m still able to spend on travel, though I’m more selective
91.0%    Travel is well worth the expense
96.9%    Though the economy is tough, it would be great to get away for a while
98.0%    Despite the economy, I still want to travel

The Current State of Travel
Though cautious, travellers are still
• Planning to go
• Preparing to spend
• Viewing travel as an essential