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October 27, 2010 Tourism 2020 Strategy |
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The Tourism 2020 Strategy vision and goal development was generated by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Investment (formerly the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & the Arts) with input from staff, key ministries, industry advisory committees and industry (via survey). Last week, an industry workshop provided the opportunity for industry to discuss high level feedback on the objectives, strategies and tactics developed by strategy teams. Vision Story - Draft, October 2010 The world sees British Columbia as a welcoming place, untamed but also sophisticated, that presents sepctacular natural beauty enhanced by a unique mosaic of culturally-rich and vibrant communities. British Columbia's tourism experiences - made up of extraordinary settings, diverse and high-quality products, and unparalleled visitor service - provide exceptional value that inspires visitors to return again and again and again. British Columbia's tourism industry is thriving. Principles of collaboration, innovation and sustainability are demonstrated in everything that it does. British Columbia's leaders and citizens collectively embrace tourism for the benefits that it provides, sharing pride in what the province offers to the world, and recognizing that the industry is integral to the economic and social fabric of communities. British Columbia's natural, cultural and human tourism assets are well-cared-for, providing a sold foundation for the continued growth of the province's tourism industry. Draft - October 2010 Premier Campbell Announces Cabinet Changes On October 25, Premier Gordon Campbell announced changes to the provincial cabinet. Vancouver, Coast & Mountains would like to welcome the new Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment (Minister Responsible for the Intergovenmental Relations Secretariat) the Honourable Margaret MacDiarmid. We also welcome Martyn Brown as Deputy Minister. Social Media Pilot Project - What did we learn? In partnership with Think! Social Media, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains recently ran a pilot Social Media Campaign. Designed to stimulate the BC resident to vacation at home this summer and fall, the campaign focused on different experiences around the region. Each participating partner received customized social media promotion tactics, specific to their particular needs. Over the course of the campaign each participating partner was promoted to BC residents through online social channels and supplemented with highly targeted social advertisements. The campaign used a Life Points contest as a common theme to bond together diverse experiences offered by eight participating operators and wrapped up at the end of September with a contest winner being chosen on September 30. The objectives of the campaign were:
The primary lesson we learned from the pilot is the value of being connected to a strong network, finding the right influencers and collaborating with partners who are also engaged in social media. The campaign was successful in the amount of traffic that was directed towards partner websites. For future campaigns, these results could be amplified if each partner is able to develop their own online community of supporters. The following are some of Think Social Media’s overall recommendations:
As the campaign was run through VCM’s social channels, the reach on Twitter and Facebook has increased significantly. Over the two months, the @VCMBC account has gained over 500 fans and is now listed in an impressive 84 travel related lists. The Facebook account has grown to 380 fans. This growth has considerably increased the influence of VCM itself. Further suggestions from Think:
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains plan to take the lessons learned in the pilot program and apply them to an upcoming winter campaign. The winter campaign will focus on the BC resident and will run during January and February. Details will be released shortly If you have questions about Vancouver, Coast & Mountains’ social media strategies please contact Mary Ann Bell at maryann@vcmbc.com or 604-638-6927. Social Media Workshops - Abbotsford Vancouver Coast & Mountains is offering full
day social media workshops for accommodation and activity providers
on November 8 and 9 in Abbotsford. The intent of the course is
to increase awareness and understanding of social tools for tourism
businesses. The workshop will be conducted by Think! Social Media
and has been compiled in conjunction with, Paul Cubbon (UBC) and
William Bakker (Tourism BC).
Social Media Workshop for ACTIVITY providers - November 8, 2010 Social Media Workshop for ACCOMMODATION providers - November 9, 2010 Local Tourism Leader to Enter Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame Vancouver, Coast & Mountains would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Jim Storie, President & CEO of The Vancouver Trolley Company on his imminent induction into the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame. "The strength of our region comes from an involved, committed, knowledgeable Board Of Directors, who provide the governance and guidance to staff. Jim epitomizes the quality of our Board members, and has for so many years." said Kevan J. Ridgway, President & CEO of Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region. "Being new to the tourism industry when he purchased Vancouver Trolley, Jim was relentless in his pursuit of industry understanding that could help grow his business, and he worked tirelessly within his region and community. With much appreciation, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains is proud to be associated with Jim Storie and The Vancouver Trolley Company." Jim, and two others, will be inducted at a ceremony in Gatineau, Quebec on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Joining Jim will be Don Cudmore, President & CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island and Hubert Mesman, President & CEO of Travel Manitoba. “We are proud to welcome these tourism industry veterans to the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame,” said TIAC President and CEO David Goldstein. “All three have dedicated themselves to the success of Canada’s travel and tourism industry, and their contributions have helped to shape our sector as a vibrant contributor to our economy, and welcoming destination for visitors from around the world.” Created in 2006 by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame publicly recognizes those individuals that have made tourism an important part of their life’s work and whose actions have had a positive impact on the industry they serve. Honorees are voted on by TIAC’s Board of Directors, based on recommendations from TIAC’s membership You’re Invited - Travel Media Association of Canada Fall Event The BC chapter of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) is having a fall event on November 9 which is open to non-members. If you’ve ever considered joining TMAC, or if you are interested in increasing your network of local travel writers and public relations firms, you may be interested in attending, and learning more about the value of a TMAC membership. If you would like to attend the November 9 event as a guest of Vancouver, Coast & Mountains, please RSVP to Lisa Clement by October 29. What: Big Fall Event: “The Value of TMAC” Bonus: The hotel’s chic Preston’s Restaurant is offering TMAC-ers and guests 50% off dining entrees for the duration of the evening. Hotel room tours will also be available. Your TMAC Board:
Congratulations to the BC Tourism Industry Awards Winners A total of nine awards were given out at the BC Tourism Industry Awards on October 21st at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to recognize excellence, innovation and foresight in supporting BC’s tourism industry. Presented by the Council of Tourism Associations (COTA), the evening event paid tribute to some of BC’s best and brightest as it honoured individuals and organizations (large and small) that have made a positive impact on the local tourism industry. Vancouver, Coast & Mountains would like to extend congratulations to all the winners, but especially those from the VCM region!
FIT, Voucher, Tariff, FAM tour ... you’ve probably heard these terms and others used by industry partners or Vancouver, Coast & Mountains staff before. Often it can be an alphabet soup of abbreviations and acronyms that, those of us who use them daily, take for granted. Below is a list of the most commonly used “industry jargon” that you may already, or will, use when conducting business within the tourism industry.For industry veterans, feel free to use this list as a refresher course or for staff training. If you are relatively new to VCM or to the industry in general, hopefully these will help answer the question “What the heck does that mean”? Affinity group: A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity, or that are united through regular participation in shared outings. Also see preformed group. Block: A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages. Circle itinerary: A travel routing design that overnights in different locations and returns to the point of departure without retracing the travel route. Commission: A percentage of a travel product’s price that is returned to the distributor when the product is sold. Commissionable tour: A tour available through retail and wholesale travel agencies which provides for a payment of an agreed-upon sales commission to the retailer or wholesale seller. Complimentary (comps): Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, gifts, souvenirs, etc. Comp policy: Arrangements for free tickets, rooms, meals, etc. Driver-guide: A tour guide who does double duty by driving a vehicle while narrating. Escorted group tour: A group tour that features a tour director who travels with the group throughout the trip to provide sightseeing commentary and coordinate all group movement and activities. FAM (familiarization) tour: A free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to acquaint them with what a destination, attraction, or supplier has to offer. Frequent/Fully Independent travel (F.I.T.): A custom-designed, prepaid travel package with many individualized arrangements. F.I.T. are unescorted and usually have no formal itinerary. Fly/drive tour: An F.I.T. package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components. Net wholesale rate: A rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups of individuals when a hotel/attraction is specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers of tours to cover distribution and promotion costs. Packaged travel: A package in combination of two or more types of tour components into a product which is produced, assembled, promoted and sold as a package by a tour operator for an all-inclusive price. Receptive operator: A local tour company that specializes in services for incoming visitors, often for tour operator groups – ie) JAC Travel or Jonview Canada Scheduled tour: A tour that’s set in a tour operator’s regular schedule of tour departures and that’s often sold to the general public. Also called public tour or retail tour. Tariff: (1) Fare or rate from a supplier; (2) Class or type of a fare or rate; (3) Published list of fares or rates from a supplier; (4) Official publication compiling rates or fares and conditions of service. Tour director/escort: Also called tour manager, tour conductor, and tour escort. The person who is responsible for a group on tour and for most aspects of a tour’s execution. Tour operator: A person or company that contracts with suppliers to create and/or market a tour and/or subcontract their performance. Voucher: Documents that are exchanged for goods and service to substantiate payment that will be or already has been made. For all your travel trade questions please contact Jason Knibbs, jason@vcmbc.com or 604-484-5363. Attend Destination Canada 2010 Job Fairs and Meet Mobile Youth for Your Seasonal Openings Does your business need experienced cook or chefs, customer service reps, front desk clerks, or managers for permanent or seasonal work? Would you be interested in tapping into a talent pool of people with working holiday visas and multiple language skills for your seasonal positions? If your answers were yes, consider attending Destination Canada 2010, a series of European job fairs that BC's tourism and hospitality employers are invited to attend. Having attended these fairs in the past, go2 is impressed with the quality of applicants and high interest level of attendees who are very keen to work in BC tourism. Job Fair Dates/Locations
To participate The main costs for employers will be airfare, hotel and meals, transportation from the airport to the hotel at the beginning and end of the stay, and shipping of material for the fair to the Embassy. A travel package including hotel accommodation and breakfasts is offered by Megatour travel agency in France for €1075 (less than CAD$1500). Unable to attend? Send your job openings to go2 before Oct 29. Your job postings will be received in advance by partner organizations in France and Belgium. Their counselors will select applicants on the basis of the CVs submitted and among candidates registered in their databases. The earlier job offers are submitted, the better the counselors can find the right candidates. If you would like to send go2 your job openings, please email Lynne Henshaw at lhenshaw@go2hr.ca for more information. Questions? Tourism British Columbia Representative in Sydney, Australia Effective November 8, 2010,
Tourism BC’s new GSA in Australia is Global
Tourism Solutions, owned and operated by Joanne Motta.
"With Joanne’s past experience and more recent
tourism marketing experience in BC, the opportunity to
have Joanne represent BC will undoubtedly continue the
success we have experienced in the Australia/New Zealand
markets", says Maria Greene, Market Development Manager,
Europe & South Pacific. Vancouver Motorcycle Show - Booth Space Available The Vancouver Motorcycle Show is coming to the TRADEX in Abbotsford, January 20 to 23, 2011. Owned by the MMIC & COHV, presented by Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows, the Vancouver Motorcycle Show offers bike enthusiasts an unprecedented opportunity to immerse themselves in all things motorcycle and motorsport related. Vancouver, Coast & Mountains is offering booth space at a discount for those partners who would like to attend the show and market to this lucrative audience. For more information and a booking form please visit - http://partners.vcmbc.com/page.cfm/10793 |
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Your feedback is most welcome on any subject – please e-mail kevan@vcmbc.com. |
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