November 26, 2010

CTC unveils 2011 Global Marketing and Sales Plan
Canada's Tourism Industry Supports Bay of Fundy's Bid for New7Wonders of Nature
Travel Trade Activity Update
Media Relations Update
Marketing Opportunity - ZMags - Interactive Digital Publications
"Like" Amtrak Cascades on Facebook
British Columbia's 2010 cruise season sees economic growth

CTC unveils 2011 Global Marketing and Sales Plan.

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has recently published its 2011 Global Marketing and Sales Plan. Acknowledging the many bumps in the road that the global economy has endured in the past two years, the plan reflects new realities in the tourism industry. It puts forward CTC’s businesslike and feasible solutions to boosting tourism export revenue for Canada.

Still in CTC’s main crosshairs: a focus on high-yield travellers, a consistent application of Canada’s Tourism Brand, and cultivating fast and flexible marketing programs. A high level of engagement with Canadian and international partners will still form a platform for success in the future. The plan is built on foundations of extensive market research that assessed past triumphs and tests in CTC’s key markets.

The plan outlines in detail CTC’s change in both investment in the US market and our operational footprint to free up investment dollars. The new business structure targets markets on established (Australia, France, Germany, UK and US) and emerging/transitional markets (Brazil, China, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea), where Canada’s brand is a top dog.

Each market is broken down into situation analysis; strategic considerations and opportunities; risks; execution; 2011 partnership opportunities; and 2011 highlights. Also under the microscope are the global marketing and sales strategy, execution and CTC’s five Unique Selling Propositions for Canada.

“As we approach new challenges and opportunities in tourism marketing in global markets, we must prepare with solid planning based on research and results,” says Charles McKee, CTC vice president, International, in the plan’s introduction. “Armed with a strategy that addresses both risks and potential, a streamlined and efficient Canadian Tourism Commission will achieve continued success in growing Canada’s tourism export revenue.”

Read the 2011 Global Marketing and Sales Plan.

Canada's Tourism Industry Supports Bay of Fundy's Bid for New7Wonders of Nature

Canada’s Tourism Industry Supports Bay of Fundy’s Bid for New7Wonders of Nature

The Canadian tourism industry recently threw its unconditional support behind the Bay of Fundy’s bid to be named as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. More than 400 of the country’s top tourism leaders came together during The Tourism Summit to endorse the only remaining Canadian finalist in the wildly popular global competition, and to call on Canadians to vote online for the Bay of Fundy.

“The Bay of Fundy is truly one of the most awesome natural wonders on the planet,” said David Goldstein, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. “We in the tourism industry are proud to endorse this initiative, and we hope that all Canadians will vote for Canada’s only finalist for this unique designation.”

Delegates were invited to support the Bay of Fundy at the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame luncheon in Gatineau, Quebec, as part of The Tourism Summit, TIAC’s annual convention.

The official New7Wonders of Nature competition is now in its third and final phase in which the wonders will be chosen by an estimated 1 billion votes.

The process began in 2007 and will wrap up with the official declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature on November 11, 2011. Only two of the remaining 28 finalists are located in North America.

Canadians can vote for the Bay of Fundy at www.votemyfundy.com.

For more information, please contact Kevin Desjardins, Director, Communications at 613-240-7225 or kdesjardins@tiac.travel

Travel Trade Activities Winter 2010

World Travel Market - London, UK - November 7-10, 2010
Staged annually in London, World Travel Market is a vibrant and hectic four-day business-to-business event presenting Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region to UK and International travel professionals. Over the 4 days, your VCM representative had the opportunity to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business directly to the UK travel trade and travel media.

National Tour Association – Montreal, QC - November 13-15, 2010
For only the 2nd time in history, the annual National Tour Association Convention & Marketplace was held north of the boarder in Montreal Quebec. Over 2 days dedicated solely to DMO’s, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains held pre-selected appointments in the newly designated “Destination Pavilion”. With each appointment lasting 10 minutes, your VCM representative met with over thirty Tour Operators from the United Sates to discuss new and existing regional product plus countless others at nightly networking events.

Eastern Canada Receptive Sales Calls – Montreal, QC - November 16-17, 2010
Together with Tourism BC and the other five Regions, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains participated in one-day training sessions for staff and agents of Montreal –based Receptive Tour Operators. VCM had the opportunity to present all our destination areas and highlight new product for the 2011 touring season. Your VCM representative then had the next day to do personal sales calls to select offices for one-on-one training about our Region.

Upcoming:
Alberta Receptive Sales Calls – Calgary & Banff, AB - November 24 - 26, 2010
Canada’s West Marketplace – Edmonton, AB - December 1 – 3, 2010
CITAP Winter Marketplace – Vancouver, BC - December 7, 2010

For more information about Vancouver, Coast & Mountains' Travel Trade activities please contact Jason Knibbs at jason@vcmbc.com or 604-484-5363.

Media Relations Update

Well it may be cold outside, but media attention for the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region is hot. Lisa just returned from the “Stay, Play, Shop & Dine along Metro Vancouver’s Transit Lines” press trip. Mijune from www.followmefoodie.com tweeted hundreds of posts for three days under the hashtag #shopndinetheline, as they ate and shopped across Metro Vancouver. Check out the first blog post on Surrey and be sure to keep checking back for more posts on shopping and dining in Richmond, Burnaby & New Westminster. Thanks to all those partners involved.

VCM on the silver screen
Set your PVR this Sunday for the final VCM (Fraser Valley) episode of Flavours of the West Coast. Click here for a sneak peak (and a glimpse of Lisa on the silver screen!) Find the season’s earlier episodes on YouTube: Steveston, Richmond and the Upper Sunshine Coast, which airs Sundays at 6:30pm on Chek TV.

Media Requests Protocol
VCM has been busier than ever with media requests, and we appreciate the support of our partners to host media. Please note that media requests often come in with very short notice. It is up to VCM to validate these requests and proceed forward with different levels of support depending on the quality of media and coverage guarantee. Requests are considered and matched to fit a writer's story and publication. A Travel Media Profile form is attached in every email request to give partners more information and we encourage you to please review the forms before committing to support. We understand that due to short notice, availability, high season etc. these requests may not always be accommodated and we respect that all media request support is completely up to your discretion. Please be aware that it is not uncommon for activities on press trips to change based on the desires of the attendees and occasionally we find that it is necessary to cancel press trips. If you have any questions regarding a request, please do not hesitate to ask questions or email lisa@vcmbc.com. As always we are committed to keeping partners up-to-date on when media are in region, as well as all other media activities as it pertains.

*Please Note* All media requests will now be posted to the Community Partners forum on Connect. Please adhere to deadlines, as anything submitted after deadline will not be selected and passed on to media.

For media related industry news, tips, updates, and to stay in the loop when Lisa is in the region with media, follow her on Twitter @mytraveljob.

For more information on Vancouver, Coast & Mountains' media relations activities please contact Lisa Clement at lisa@vcmbc.com or 604-484-5361.

ZMags - Interactive Digital Publications

Previously available only to Community Partners, this popular program is now available to all Vancouver, Coast & Mountains tourism partners.

Zmags enables you to inspire and engage your customers. Zmags transforms content into interactive digital publications, enriched with vivid graphics, video and interactive flash, that engage readers and inspire action.

Publish your guide or brochure on-line in a media-rich interactive environment and watch how consumers engage. What pages do they visit? How long do they stay? What links do they click on? Where are they from?

Zmags online publications:

• Are a familiar format that is effective at capturing--and keeping--the reader’s attention
• Are an immersive medium that inspires and entertains, and is accepted on social communities
• Are automatically optimized for best viewing experience on all devices
• Are fully indexable across search engines
• Drive loyalty and locks-in subscribers via routine delivery of fresh, high-quality content
• Track and benchmark against customer engagement

For a sample of a Zmags virtual guide, click here.

For more information about this program or to sign up please click here.

"Like" Amtrak Cascades on Facebook

Log on to Facebook and show your support for Amtrak Cascades and the second train. The second train service has been extended for one year until the fall of 2011 and with the support of the tourism industry and increased ticket sales we hope to have it extended indefinitely!

British Columbia's 2010 cruise season sees economic growth

The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) saw its 2010 cruise season contribute over $1.2 billion to the provincial economy and $43.4 million in business taxes.

More than one million revenue passengers visited British Columbia's four ports of call this year and spent over $149 million within the province. Cruise lines contributed an additional $320 million in spending.

According to a press release by Port Metro Vancouver, British Columbia is an integral part of the Alaska and Pacific Coastal cruise experience.

During the 2010 cruise season, 28 cruises featured multiple BC ports of call with three premier cruise lines calling at nearly all of BC's cruise-ready ports, adding a unique tourism opportunity not typically available on the majority of itineraries, according to Port Metro Vancouver.

"Ports in British Columbia are investing in the future growth of the cruise industry in this province," said Carmen Ortega, Chair of Cruise BC and Customer Relations Representative of Port Metro Vancouver. "We are looking forward to growth during the 2011 season," she said.

"In addition to enhanced customer programs and services, new cruise lines are entering this market next year, including Disney Cruise Lines, who will homeport the Disney Wonder in Vancouver for it family-friendly Alaska cruise itinerary," Ortega added.

BC's four ports of call included the Port of Nanaimo, Prince Rupert Port Authority, Port Metro Vancouver, and the Port of Victoria.

Published in www.portworld.com on November 23, 2010