VCM
Partners Extranet

Recap from the Regional Tourism Leaders Forum

Okay, so you missed the recent Regional Tourism Leaders Forum in Gibsons and you have been hearing all about it from your industry partners. Here is a photographic glimpse at what really went on … to get you “in the know” and to possibly provide a few chuckles!

http://www.vcmbc.com/tourismforum/photogallery/RTLF2006/default.htm

Stay tuned for news about next years event – slated for Pemberton in June 2007!

Community Tourism Foundations in the News!

For communities that still have questions about the Community Tourism Foundations program, here is an article from the Agassiz Observer that might help you out! Please do not hesitate to call Shawna Leung (604-484-5360 or shawna@vcmbc.com) at any time if you have questions.

Agassiz Observer, Page 0001, 19-Jul-2006
Envisioning a tourist's dream

By Darla Dickinson
With warmer weather comes a horde of tourists, people that take up parking spaces, play on the beach, visit some farms and leave. But, with this influx also brings increased profit and revenue to the community. It is the recognition of just how important tourism is to both Harrison and Agassiz that the two communities entered into a program with Tourism B.C. The Community Tourism Foundation program is delivered by Tourism B.C. for the communities.

Read more ...

Trade Report

German “Canada Specialist” Familiarization (FAM) Tour – May 14-16

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Travel Trade Manager, Jason Knibbs, hosted 14 tour operator delegates from Germany as they toured the Sunshine Coast in May. Each participant was the “Canada Specialist” from their organization and, for many it was their first visit to British Columbia and our region. According to the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) Germany office, the feedback from the participants was more than positive. The trip was rated as fabulous and extremely helpful from a professional point of view. All agents agreed that now they can provide their customers with much more first-hand information about Vancouver and the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region. The majority of participants have reported that their experiences on this tour will be highlighted in advertising and newsletters to their database of clients and potential clients throughout Germany.

The CTC’s objective for the “Canada Specialist” Program is to educate international travel agents to become specialists for Canadian tourism products and to motivate members to communicate and market their knowledge actively to their customers. Familiarization Tours are just one of the opportunities Vancouver, Coast & Mountains is using to help create a strong relationship with the trade and provide Canada Specialist members with first-hand knowledge of the region.

Tour Operators looking for Summer Fun in Vancouver, Coast & Mountains

Requests from tour operators have been arriving on a daily basis, looking for further information about the region. With the arrival of the summer travel season, most requests have been for activities and attractions in Greater Vancouver and for outdoor adventure opportunities such as kayaking, fishing, & river rafting from throughout the region. With shorter booking times an increasing trend in most markets, emphasis has been on the “free individual traveler” (FIT), looking for “self-drive” itineraries via rental car or RV rather than motor coach travel. Not only does this allow VCM to create more flexible itineraries for the tour operator, it gets their clients moving around the region and hopefully provides new ideas for future group tours.

Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA)

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains will again be attending the annual Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) convention held this year in Boston, MA, September 8-12 2006. SYTA is a non-profit, professional trade association whose mission is to promote and support integrity and professionalism among student and youth travel service providers and to promote quality student/youth travel services that enhance social, cultural, and educational growth.

Student & youth travel comprises school music groups and education trips as well as individual summer travel. Today’s increasingly sophisticated student traveler wants interactive school trips that take them outside traditional tourist routes to experience first-hand the culture, art, heritage and history of the region, according to a member survey by the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA).

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eMedia Update

The VCM makeover contestant has been revealed! If you've been reading our "Visual Media Updates" for the past few months, you will have read that www.VCMBC.com was getting a makeover. We have been working with Sage Internet and have completed the first phase of the project to reveal a much more current and attractive website. Check it out at www.VCMBC.com. Phase 1 was strictly a cosmetic makeover and initial reaction has been positive. Phase 2 is a complete structural overhaul. We'll be looking at navigational improvements, content enhancements and the use of new marketing tools, including blogging and RSS feeds. If you have any suggestions or feedback, we'd love to hear from you! Send any comments to Mary Ann Bell at maryann@vcmbc.com. In the meantime, take a look at the site stats for the first 6 months of the year.

Click here for the stats.

Staff/Board Profile

Could it be something in the water? While business has been cruising along at top speed at Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (staff retreats, meetings, the Regional Tourism Leaders Forum), you might be surprised to learn how quickly things have been moving on the personal side of life.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains is pleased to announce the weddings of three of its staff in the past few months!

Click here to find out who tied the knot!