In this issue:

Federal program cuts a slap in the face to Canadian tourism
First in Canada
Tips on Hosting Media on a Press Trip
2010 and Beyond
An Update to the Passport Issue from TIAC
A Positive Light on the US Passport Issue
An Update on Community Tourism Foundations
VCM eMedia Update

Federal program cuts a slap in the face to Canadian tourism

Unanticipated federal program cuts announced September 26, are a slap in the face to the Canadian tourism industry, says the group representing the interests of Canada's 200,000-plus tourism-related businesses.

" The cuts threaten the well-being of small and medium-sized enterprises in every province and territory-and the livelihood of 1.6 million Canadians," said Randy Williams, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC). "And they don't even meet the government's own spending test in terms of effectiveness, results and value for money."

That is because measures to support tourism are an investment, not an expense, he noted, pointing out that they pay off exponentially in terms of increased tax revenues. Tourism-generated tax revenues total an estimated $15.3 billion a year, including a federal share of $7.7 billion.

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First in Canada

Built upon a foundation of national pride and desire for a united Canada, Canadian Cultural Connection™ is the first national unity venture in all of Canada created exclusively for Canadians travelling in their own country.

This ‘made in Canada’ and tremendously rewarding travel experience provides a unique opportunity for every citizen to learn more about their country and fellow Canadian. It features a network of across Canada reservation call centres offering a personalized reservation system and administrative center to members of the Canadian Unity Travel Club.

Canadian Unity Travel Club is a national, regional and community-based grassroots cultural experience that reaches out to patriotic Canadians of all ages and in all provinces and territories to build its membership base. It delivers a special insight into the cultural backgrounds and uniquely different lifestyles that define all of us as Canadians.

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Vancouver, Coast & Mountains hosted over 30 media this summer on press trips around the region. We couldn’t have done it without the terrific help and support of our marketing partners, and are looking forward to hearing about the thousands of dollars of editorial coverage these press trips generate.

Since the busy season is winding down, we thought we would provide a few helpful tips for those partners who have been interested in hosting media, but aren’t too sure how to do it, or need a little advice in perfecting their media appeal.

TIPS ON HOSTING MEDIA ON A PRESS TRIP

Even when traveling in packs, journalists do not like being treated as part of the herd. Try and single some of them out, or better yet, do your research before you meet them to know who they typically write for and what interests them. Then tell them a story angle about your business that matches their needs.

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2010 and Beyond

In the spirit of the upcoming 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, there is a unique opportunity for your community. Rob Forde is a doctor of chiropractic, who also has been a sculptor for the past 15 years. Practicing in Hope - the chainsaw carving capital – he has created a truly unique, tourist attraction currently filling his office/gallery. The collection is called Doc's Canadian Trail, as it takes the visitor on a trip across Canada one province at a time. All 13 provinces and territories are represented by a life-size, wood carved scene with an accompanying story and an engraved burl plaque. Visitor reactions have been very positive, and he has been honoured by features in the Vancouver Sun and the L.A. Times newspapers, as well as by television programs. Rob would like to have this attraction displayed as part of the "Whistler area experience" in 2010 and beyond. He is offering the complete collection for sale including 51 carved pieces, 17 burl plaques, 16 framed stories, 3 framed photographs, and 1 customized donation box. Portions of the collection can be viewed at www.docscarvinggallery.com. He would appreciate this being passed on to businesses in your area who may wish to incorporate such a unique collection into their Olympic plans. You may contact Rob Forde by email: robforde@uniserve.com or by phone: 604-869-0555.

A Positive Light on the US Passport Issue

Americans have gone on a passport spree. Between 225,000 and 250,000 a week are applying for passports. That’s up 70% over what it was just two years ago. It seems that US citizens are catching on to the fact that travel is getting tougher, this is according to Frank Moss, deputy assistant secretary for passport services. “The proof is in the numbers.” Moss said.

Washington issued about seven million passports a year as late as 2003. But the numbers have risen sharply since then. “As of earlier this week, we actually crossed the threshold of 70 million Americans fully documented with valid passports,” he said. “In the fiscal year that ends for us this weekend we will issue somewhere in the range of12.2 million to 12.3 million passports to American citizens. We expect that number to go as high as 16 million in 2007.” He said these figures should be good news for Canadian tourism operators and others worried about the recent shrinking numbers of American visitors.

More than 40% of Canadians hold valid passports compared with about a 26% of Americans, but there is a big campaign on to persuade Americans to get travel documents and so far it seems to be effective. Within the next 10 days Washington is expected to announce details of its plan to offer a wallet-size passport card as an alternative, or a complement, to the standard passport booklet. The card is expected to cost about half of the US $97 price of a standard passport and will offer convenience, especially for frequent travellers who make up a large percentage of cross-border traffic. A State Department survey last year found that there were about 130 million Canada-U.S. Border crossings by American citizens last year. However, 2% of travellers accounted for 48% of all crossings. The wallet card is intended to be practical, particularly for these people. The idea is to make the border crossing quicker and more efficient for legitimate travellers, while at the same time, maintaining security. So far, Canada has not decided whether it will follow Washington’s lead and produce some kind of wallet-size passport. The two countries continue talks on border issues.

Source: www.cthotnews.com October, 2, 2006

Now for the technical stuff, an update to the passport issue from TIAC.

The recent passport briefing addressed several key issues surrounding the WHTI, including the implementation date extension for travellers by land and sea. While air travellers will have to produce a passport by January 8, 2007, those crossing by land and sea could have until June 1, 2009. The actual date, however, is dependent on having the necessary secure card-reading technology and infrastructure in place at border crossings. Final implementation must take place within three months of the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security issuing a joint certification. This technology will be eventually shared with the Canadian and Mexican governments.

An Update on Community Tourism Foundations

The Community Tourism Foundations® (CTF) program has two phases; the first phase, CTF Development, is available through Tourism BC to assist communities at their individual stage of development and to enhance their marketing activities in order to get visitors stay longer. Tourism BC provides paid facilitators to work with communities on a customized basis to identify the needs of the community, create an action plan and execute that plan.

Currently the following communities are part of the CTF Development: Bowen Island, Harrison/Kent, Langley, New Westminster, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, West Vancouver, White Rock.

Once a community has been approved, a first initial meeting takes place with a diverse group of people throughout the community. As a result of the initial meeting and the commitment by each member of the working group a report is produced and a Memorandum of Understanding is signed which allows the planning to begin.

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