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.

Elimination of the Visitor Rebate Program, under which international business travellers and tourists are reimbursed for the GST and HST they pay on eligible goods and short-term accommodations, is the biggest cause for concern. The government tabled a notice of ways and means motion proposing amendments to the Excise Tax Act that would eliminate the $78.8 million program effective April 1, 2007.

Established in response to lobbying by TIAC and other industry stakeholders, the Visitor Rebate Program strengthens Canada's competitiveness as a visitor-friendly nation and promotes spending by visitors-spending that supports Canadian jobs and tax revenues. Canadian duty-free stores located at the Canada-United States land border, which have the right to provide on-the-spot cash rebates to departing visitors, thus encouraging them to spend the rebates in Canada, will be hit especially hard by the program's cancellation.

All other major destinations have visitor rebate programs and, given the increasingly competitive global environment, many are expanding the list of eligible goods and services and making it easier for travellers to access them.

" The elimination of the Visitor Rebate Program reflects a total failure on the part of the federal government to recognize today's economic realities affecting Canadian tourism and Canada's competitiveness as a destination," Mr. Williams said.

He was also critical of the lack of consultation preceding the announcement. "The secrecy surrounding the government's decision to eliminate the Visitor Rebate Program makes a laughingstock of the Parliamentary committee process," he pointed out. Indeed, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance launched its pre-budget consultation hearings just last week; TIAC testified before the committee on September 19.

Also alarming is the clawback of $5.6 million in unused funding from the Canadian Tourism Commission's relocation from Ottawa to Vancouver.

TIAC, which has been leading industry calls for more funding of Canada's grossly under funded national tourism marketing agency, says these funds should be converted to marketing dollars instead. In fact, when the government set aside money for the move, it promised that the Canadian Tourism Commission could spend any remaining sums on implementing the new Canada brand. The agency has accordingly allocated the money to marketing priorities.

The Canadian Tourism Commission actually needs an extra $100 million a year - an amount that would generate matching private-sector investments-just so Canada can keep up with the competition.

Other announced program cuts that will negatively affect the Canadian tourism industry include a $4.6 million reduction in the Museums Assistance Program, the accelerated windup of the Parks Canada Agency's Commercial Heritage Property Incentive Fund ($2.9 million), and elimination of $2.9 million of non-committed funds for organizations that include Canada's regional economic development agencies.

" By taking the tourism industry for granted, the government is shooting itself in the foot, because tourism tax dollars support a range of public priorities," said Mr. Williams. "And the government can't exactly plead poverty in this instance," he said, noting that Ottawa simultaneously announced a $13.2 billion budgetary surplus.

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.

This creative and compassionate national unity project will empower us all to proudly display our nationalism from shore to shore, touching the hearts and minds of new and established Canadians everywhere and revealing their true patriotic emotions and pride in their country.

Canadian Cultural Connection™ provides all Canadians an extraordinary means in which to build trust, understanding of cultural differences, experience the diversity of Canada's communities, languages and cultures and an opportunity to connect and develop friendships with one another throughout Canada.
As Canadians travel to other regions, making new acquaintances and developing friendships along the way, acceptance of cultural diversity and tolerance of fellow Canadians will increase their sense of national pride and ultimately unite Canada as a strong and caring nation from coast to coast. Visit www.canadianunitytravelclub.ca for more information.

Source: www.canadianunitytravelclub.ca

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.

Don't show the writer behind-the-scenes things that the readers can't see. They prefer to see a site as the readers would see it. If the readers' footsteps are not dogged every step of the way by a PR person, neither should the journalists'.

Some Suggestions For A Great Press Trip:

Pay Attention To The Meals: If you are providing a meal, this tip is for you. Travelers enjoy eating, and they want to sample the local cuisine. So as you plan food and drink, think of showing off the local food and drink. Be sure to ask participants if they have dietary restrictions. Don't take a busload of vegetarians to an all-you-can-eat meat buffet!

Don't Pack The Schedule: Focus on the quality of the experience rather than the number of places visited. Allow participants as much free time as possible. It may seem like 'cheating' to include several free hours each day, but it's the best way to allow media professionals to do their job.

Prepare A Media Kit: You will want to distribute a media kit including recent press releases. Prepare this ahead of time and seek suggestions from colleagues. Media kits need to be updated on a regular basis. Keep the materials light. No one wants to carry around heavy bags of promotional materials -- the majority of which will be chucked into the wastebasket.

Prepare Your Visitors: Let your guests know about the place that they will be visiting, and if there is an activity involved, how much time is spent doing it, and how much walking or hiking is involved. Journalists are rarely good sports about carrying heavy equipment without proper warning.

Chat to Them: During the trip, you'll find the media a lively bunch with dissimilar interests. By facilitating a dialogue and information exchange, everyone benefits. Too often, hosts simply rattle off stuff in the media kit. As one colleague says, "we are here to be shown, not told." Don’t forget to answer questions, you'll be asked to explain a great deal. If you don't have the answers, let them know that you will find out and get back to them. That said; don't hold up an entire group just because one person keeps asking questions. Usually it is someone who hasn't done his or her homework.

Be Hospitable: Don't leave groups of media standing in the hot sun. If a lecture is required, provide a comfortable place to sit or stand to take notes. Don’t forget to smile! Be sensitive to the needs of those who do photography. Where to stop? Choose places that provide the best photo opportunities. Schedule your arrival at photogenic locales when the light is best for picture-taking - early morning or late afternoon.

Keep Political Speeches To A Minimum: Most politicians have no clue how to talk to international reporters. While a political angle is of use to some journalists (particularly those covering policy), too often these speeches are far too long for most reporters. Remember, these are travel media, writing a story about your business as it would appeal to potential tourists – keep it basic.

Be Flexible: If the media need to take a photo or make an unplanned stop, do your best to accommodate requests - without putting the entire agenda too far behind.

Understand Deadlines And Plan Ahead: No point in hyping things that will be over before articles will be published. Editors and reporters are often working 6-9 months ahead due to publication deadlines.

After The Trip
Stay in touch with the participants. Wait 2-6 weeks and solicit feedback. What did they enjoy most? Do they have any suggestions? Are they working on related projects and if so, do they need additional materials - including contact information or photos?

Request copies of their articles, presentations, and/or other materials. Be patient. Some journalists will produce articles immediately. Others will recycle the materials for later articles and even books years after the trip. Vancouver, Coast & Mountains’ media department actively follows up on articles, etc. Don’t hesitate to give us a call and see if we might have a copy.

Document the results in a portfolio that can be accessed by office staff and local leaders. Demonstrate the value of inviting media. If articles are online, link to them from the official website.

If you have any questions about VCM’s media relations program, or if you would like to know more about hosting media, please contact Jennifer Rhyne at jennifer@vcmbc.com or at 604-637-9046.

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.

This program has proven to be very successful in moving communities forward in their tourism development by providing the assistance of a facilitator and tools to assist communities in various ways.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains would like to congratulate Langley who has been very successful in this process. They have completed the planning stages and are waiting approval from both the Township of Langley and the City of Langley council on the final tourism plan.

The second phase is the CTF Marketing Program. The intent of the marketing program is to build overnight visitation to individual communities, or clusters of communities, that are market-ready and have long-term destination marketing plans supported by research. CTF is targeted towards communities that need initial financial support to achieve their potential in terms of active private sector participation.

As of April 1, 2007, marketing funds will be distributed only to those communities that have completed the formal CTF Development process.

The following communities that have been approved by Tourism BC and are participating in the CTF marketing program include: Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Mission, Surrey, Pemberton and Powell River.

Results to date from two communities who have accessed the CTF marketing program have been very positive. Coquitlam’s “Flaunt your Frenchness™” was a cheeky campaign that was designed to showcase and revitalize the oldest and largest Francophone community in British Columbia. The marketing campaign brings positive profile and visitors, through increased French themed events, and on another level acts as a marketing campaign that is strategic to the revitalization efforts. Coquitlam saw a total increase of 111 overnights in their partnered hotels, an increase of 2400 visitors at the festival and increased media attention in the Georgia Straight, CBC radio, Radio Canada, CBC Television and the Torino Games Log House.

Abbotsford’s “Passport to Christmas in the Fraser Valley 2005” was developed to establish the area as a mini-tourism destination for the month before Christmas. The program consisted of an enhanced publication, postcards and an integrated media campaign. It encouraged an overnight stay by including accommodation packages with benefits that are only available to those that stayed overnight. Results included 452 unique visitors to the website, and participating businesses results included an increase in turkey sales of 100%. One business participant stamped 56 passports in which 80% of the individuals presenting these passports made a purchase in excess of $5.00 with the average purchase amount of $41.50 resulting in total purchase by passport holders of approximately $1,860. Another participant saw 125 customers as a result of the passport and 98% of these made a purchase with the average sale of $10.00.

For more information on the Community Tourism Foundations program contact Shawna Leung at 604-484-5360 or shawna@vcmbc.com.