Alberta Business Marketing

Successful Destination Marketing Organizations
Tourism businesses can succeed with the help of a strong destination marketing organization. At the core, a shared community vision about the values in a community are at the heart of any shared marketing project.

By bringing together traditional and non-traditional partners in tourism and getting the word out with a variety of online media the entire community benefits.

Stratford Ontario (WelcomeToStratford.com) is a DMO that offers great marketing opportunities to its membership. Telling compelling stories about your community is the role of your DMO or DMMO (Destination Marketing and Management Organization) and Stratford Tourism Alliance does it well by focusing on community character, culture and cuisine. I chatted with Cathy Rehberg, Marketing Coordinator for Stratford Tourism Alliance at the recent Ontario Tourism Summit.

Before you ask DMO members for money . . .

Does your community have a shared vision of what your community offers the traveler?  Before you ask you members for money, ask them to contribute to the vision of what makes a visit to your region special.  Invite members to a community forum so that your DMO can find success by tapping into the pulse and lifeblood of your community.

What makes your community unique?

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Tags: clustering, conferences & events, Destination Marketing, destination marketing and management organization, destination marketing organization, dmmo, dmo, economic development, tourism, Video
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In Pittsburgh, dozens and dozens of downtown businesses closed during the G20 Meetings, September 24-25, 2009.  Those that stayed open, saw minimal benefit.

“It’s like a ghost town. I don’t know why we opened today,” said the owner of a fast food restaurant.  “We’ll be throwing out over a thousand dollars in perishable food.  There just aren’t any customers.  We’ll be closed for the second day of the G20.  It’s too bad, Friday is usually our best day.”

The city of Pittsburgh left it up to individual businesses whether to remain open during the two-day summit, most chose to close.

“We know it’s an inconvenience,” Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said. “It will be a win for all the businesses. If more people come here because of this, every single business will get the benefit.”

BUT, that’s a big IF.

Hosting an International event of the significance of the G20 will, in the short-term, be a major expense and inconvenience for business. But will it be a small price to pay for long-term economic benefits? Only time will tell.

Leaders at this summit have declared the G20 to be the pre-eminent circle of global leaders, supplanting the G8.  As a result, the resort town of Huntsville, Ontario – will likely host a G20 event next June.  The lack of tangible short or medium term benefits for hosting such an event in early summer should be a concern to business leaders.

Meeting the needs of journalists and media

Huntsville, in the heart of Muskoka is cottage country with ample opportunities for outdoor adventure and nature tours.  Unfortunately, media at events like this don’t arrive early or stay late.  They come to town to do their job and leave once that job is complete.  Anyone considering offering special packages for journalists or delegates of the G20 will be very disappointed in the response of these short-stay visitors.

Links:

• Pittsburgh Business Times on the Benefits of Hosting G8

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Tags: conferences & events, economic development
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Hey folks,
just wanted to drop a note to say I’m in NYC for Climate Week. There are lots of interesting happenings which I’m reporting on at http://www.climatecafé.org and at http://tcktcktck.org/climatevoice . I’ll be off to the UN for Climate Day and the Summit on Climate Change and reporting on the Clinton Global Initiative while I’m here.

Then I’m going to the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh to see how global leaders are getting along with the challenges being faced around the world.

Coincidentally, there is the World Savers Congress by Condé Nast Traveler that is going on in NYC. A number of folks will be posting content about this summit. Be sure to follow on Twitter #CNT09 to keep abreast of good happenings related to travel.  It’s all about how travel can improve the health, education, and economic well-being of the communities worldwide we leave our footprints in.

The theme tying it all together: Sustainability!

In about a month I’ll be back on the east coast for the 19th and 20th tourism development programs Edge of the Wedge trainings with the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainability.  If you are considering giving your tourism experiences a bit of a refresh, consider this transformational program I facilitate with good friends and collegues Nancy Arsenault and Celes Davar.

Cheers!

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Tags: economic development
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Today, Canada announced a tightening of the border with Mexico. Effective immediately tourists traveling from Mexico must hold a visa. The move by the Canadian Immigration minister , Jason Kenney late Monday, will be felt most acutely by the Canadian Tourism Industry. Visas were also re-applied to citizens entering Canada from the Czech Republic. Both decisions were based on a growing number of refugee claims.

Mexican tourism visits to Canada grew a healthy 8% in 2008. As Canada’s 5th largest source of International travelers to Canada this is a market that is significant. The move threatens to shut the taps on visits that are already planned for this summer. A 48-hour grace period for Mexicans with imminent travel expires at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday. After that, all bets are off.

“What really hurts about this is that there’s was no warning at all … and all of a sudden, basically the day the doors were supposed to open on the beginning of the peak season, they’re being shut in our face a little bit,” said Hume Rogers, of Ottawa’s Capital Hotel and Suites.

Rogers had 25 rooms booked for 10 days this month with a Mexican tour group.

The Canadian government chose early July to immediately enforce the new Visa measures, another dagger in the coffin of Canadian Tourism operators already suffering significantly from the economic slump and other tourism crises, not the least of which just came in effect June 1, 2009 in the United States. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires all US citizens to present passports or the equivalent document upon returning to the US for the first time ever. A 2005 survey of US border crossers showed just 35% of US border crossers to Canada had such documentation.

As a representative of the Canadian Tourism Industry, I am calling on the Conservative government to delay the visa requirement until year end, to allow our industry to cope with the change.

How do you feel? Call Stephen Harper’s office directly and voice your concern. Prime Minister’s office: 613-992-4211

Links:

• Canadian Press New Visa Requirements
• Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
• Video at Northern Edge Algonquin features Mexican guests last summer

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Tags: canada, economic development, mexico, news, visa
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