PRINCE GEORGE TOURISM PLAN Final March 19, 2010 Contacts: Clint Fraser Northern BC Tourism Association 250-561-0432 clint@nbctourism.com Laura Plant Tourism BC 604-660-3754 Laura.plant@tourismbc.com Linda Lee Tourism BC Facilitator 604-709-3531 linda.lee@strategexconsulting.com PRINCE GEORGE TOURISM PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... i Introduction and Methodology...................................................................................................................... 1 Conclusions and Implications From Situation Analysis ............................................................................... 4 Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Strategies ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 Target Markets.......................................................................................................................................... 9 Length of Stay ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Destination Development Strategies....................................................................................................... 13 Market Development Strategies ............................................................................................................. 16 Research and Evaluation ........................................................................................................................ 17 Tactics and Implementation Plan ................................................................................................................ 18 Shorter Term Destination Development Tactics .................................................................................... 19 Longer Term Destination Development Tactics..................................................................................... 27 Shorter Term Market Development Tactics ........................................................................................... 31 Longer Term Market Development Tactics ........................................................................................... 53 Research and Evaluation Tactics ............................................................................................................ 54 Budget ......................................................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix 1: Notes from the January 15, 2010 Planning Session Notice to Reader This Prince George Tourism Plan has been prepared under the guidance and agreement of a working group representing the tourism community in Prince George. As such, the Prince George Tourism Plan in its entirety should be viewed as recommendations. While the working group members agree to the content of this tourism plan, this does not suggest agreement or commitment from the various organizations associated with the working group members. Each organization that is identified in this tourism plan will still need to review the plan and determine which parts, if any, of the Prince George Tourism Plan it is prepared to undertake. ® Registered trademark of Tourism British Columbia Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Planning Process Prince George has embarked upon a joint tourism planning initiative through Tourism British Columbia’s Community Tourism Foundations program that provides resources to assist communities in developing a comprehensive tourism plan. The planning process started with the collection of information related to tourism and the development of a workplan. This workplan was completed on October 13, 2009, identified the tourism challenges facing Prince George, and laid out the planning process. A comprehensive Situation Analysis was then prepared based on factual information that included Prince George-specific information. A planning session was held on January 15, 2010 in which the Situation Analysis was reviewed and priorities were set for the tourism plan. A draft of the Prince George Tourism Plan was discussed on March 8, 2010 and was finalized based on feedback from the working group. Tourism British Columbia oversaw this project that included the guidance and assistance of a working group comprising representatives from the community, municipality, and Northern BC Tourism Region. Objectives This tourism plan is a plan for the community of Prince George that encompasses tourism businesses, Tourism Prince George, the City of Prince George, and all others involved in the tourism industry. To ensure the areas of responsibility are clear, the tactics will identify which organization(s) should be leading which tactic. However, the objectives and strategies would be common to all organizations. The objectives are as follows:  From 2010 to 2014, room revenue and tourism revenue in Prince George will achieve the same rate of growth as BC annually. This means that if room revenue grows by 5% in BC, so will room revenue in Prince George.  From 2014 to 2019, room revenue and tourism revenue in Prince George will exceed the rate of growth of BC by 2% annually. This means that if room revenue grows by 5% in BC, room revenue in Prince George will grow by 7%. To put these objectives into context, Tourism BC expects significantly increased growth rates from 2010 onward as BC reaps the benefits of an exponential growth in media coverage of BC prior to and during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Its published targets indicate tourism revenue growth of 6.1% in 2010 after negative numbers in 2008 and 2009 and then 5% annual growth to 2015. To achieve these objectives, the strategies, tactics, and budget in this tourism plan would need to be implemented as planned by all parties, including local government, the private sector, community organizations, and Tourism Prince George. (It should be noted that each organization that is identified in this tourism plan will still need to review the plan and determine which parts, if any, of the Prince George Tourism Plan it is prepared to undertake.) Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan i Key Target Markets Primary markets:  Residents of northern BC for leisure travel.  Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska.  Corporations and associations based in northern BC or have a strong presence in northern BC.  Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders of regional and provincial events.  Local residents. Secondary markets:  BC and Alberta anglers.  Canadian and American hunters.  Tour operators serving residents of Germany and Switzerland, through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC. Long-term developmental markets:  Tour operators serving residents of China and Korea, through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC. Destination Development Strategies Target Groups All target groups except residents of northern BC Primary target groups Residents of northern BC Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska Corporations and associations Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders Tourism British Columbia Priority Tourism Products Primary: outdoor adventure with an emphasis on soft adventure. Secondary:  Cultural activities that are of interest to outdoor adventure travellers. These include historic sites/buildings, history/heritage museums, and art galleries.  Downtown revitalization to provide a more welcoming and vibrant atmosphere that encourages visitors to spend more time in Prince George. Primary: Time-limited experiences such as festivals and events, performing arts, major museum exhibitions, and sporting events. As above in “all target groups” As above in “all target groups” As above in “all target groups” Prince George Tourism Plan ii Target Groups Secondary target groups BC and Alberta anglers Canadian and American hunters Priority Tourism Products The following are in addition to the priority tourism products for all target groups. Primary: Guided fishing (this includes aboriginal guided fishing) Secondary: Non-guided fishing and complementary activities such as motor boating, guided wildlife viewing and hikes, guided or self-guided historic sites Primary: Guided hunting (this includes aboriginal guided hunting) Secondary: Complementary activities such as guided fishing, motor boating, guided wildlife viewing and hikes, guided snowmobiling and ATVing As above in “all target groups” Tour operators serving residents of Germany and Switzerland Long-term developmental target groups As above in “all target groups” with an emphasis on export-ready product Tour operators serving and group tours, plus amenities that are specific to residents of China and residents of China and Korea such as Mandarin-speaking and Korean-speaking tour guides, Korea Chinese and Korean food, etc. Market Development Strategies Target Groups All target groups Primary target groups Residents of Northern BC Market Development Strategies  Repositioning and rebranding initiatives.  Set up of core communication materials, especially website and visitors guide, that are consistent with the brand and relevant to all markets with particular emphasis on primary markets.  Joint co-operative advertising and promotions that efficiently reach the primary markets but also reach other markets.  As above plus proactive media relations and standalone marketing and advertising activities. Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska  Corporations and associations Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders Local residents  As above plus reactive media relations and ensuring other websites about northern BC and Alaska have appropriate information about Prince George and distribution of Prince George visitor guide throughout northern BC and entry points. As above plus cooperative sales and marketing activities with meeting and conference facilities in Prince George. As above plus bidding for selected sporting events and participation in Tourism BC and 2010 Legacies Now initiatives. Tourism British Columbia   As above plus proactive media relations and promotional activities. Prince George Tourism Plan iii Target Groups Secondary target groups BC and Alberta anglers Market Development Strategies  As above plus reactive media relations with and advertising in anglingspecific media and fishing-related trade shows.  As above plus reactive media relations with and advertising in huntingCanadian and specific media and hunting-related trade shows. American hunters  Sales and marketing activities through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tour operators serving Tourism BC as the lead organizations. Prince George would not be residents of Germany contacting tour operators directly but would be providing information to and Switzerland Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC and hosting fam tours. Long-term developmental target groups  Sales and marketing activities through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tour operators serving Tourism BC as the lead organizations. Prince George would not be residents of China and contacting tour operators directly but would be providing information to Korea Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC and hosting fam tours. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan iv INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY This tourism plan for Prince George addresses the conclusions and implications brought forward from the Situation Analysis and is intended to guide the tourism activities of Prince George. The plan sets out the objectives that Prince George will strive to achieve, using the strategies and specific tactics described. Evaluation methods to track the objectives, strategies, and tactics are listed, and estimated budget amounts for each activity are provided. Background While Prince George has been welcoming visitors for many years, tourism is now at a crossroads, with a significant increase in funding for tourism marketing on the horizon through the Additional Hotel Room Tax. As a result, a comprehensive tourism plan for Prince George is needed to provide a cohesive and strategic approach to destination development and market development, to enable Prince George to focus its tourism resources effectively for the greatest benefit. In addition, stronger integration with Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism Association is desired to enable Prince George to leverage the skills and programs provided through these organizations. Prince George has embarked upon a joint tourism planning initiative through Tourism British Columbia’s Community Tourism Foundations program that provides resources to assist communities in developing a comprehensive tourism plan. These resources include the services of professional facilitators to assist in the planning process. Strategex Consulting Group was given the assignment to prepare a comprehensive tourism plan for Prince George that encompasses destination development and market development. The planning process started with the collection of information related to tourism and the development of a workplan. This workplan was completed on October 13, 2009, identified the tourism challenges facing Prince George, and laid out the planning process. A memorandum of understanding was then signed by members of the Prince George working group and Tourism BC committing to the process identified in the workplan. A comprehensive Situation Analysis was then prepared based on factual information that included Prince George-specific information. A planning session was held on January 15, 2010 in which the Situation Analysis was reviewed and priorities were set for the tourism plan. A draft of the Prince George Tourism Plan was discussed on March 8, 2010 and was finalized based on feedback from the working group. Tourism British Columbia oversaw this project that included the guidance and assistance of a working group comprising representatives from the community, municipality, and Northern BC Tourism Region. Working group members included: Community Participants: Tracy Calogheros Michalle Clarke Mike Davis Annie Doran Ranjit Gill Julie Griffiths Tourism British Columbia The Exploration Place Treasure Cove Hotel & Casino Prince George Airport Authority Tourism Prince George Railway & Forestry Museum Arbor B&B Prince George Tourism Plan 1 Elke Hierl-Steinbauer Kathie Scouten Renee McCloskey Pat Maher Glen Mikkelsen Young Nam Sherry Powney Lisa Shaw-MacLaren Sean Simmons Kelli Steer Colleen Van Mook Bon Voyage Inn Initiatives Prince George Regional District of Fraser-Fort George UNBC-ORTM Program CN Centre Esther's Inn Tourism Prince George City of Prince George Northern BC Sportfishing Taskforce Coast Hotel City of Prince George Tourism BC Representatives: Laura Plant / Caterina Papadakos Clint Fraser Tourism BC Northern BC Tourism Region Facilitator (Provided by Tourism BC): Linda Lee Strategex Consulting Group Many of the community representatives have other responsibilities and volunteered their time to contribute to the planning process. The tourism plan could not have been completed without their commitment and support. Tourism Plan In the preparation of the tourism plan, the following principles are kept in mind:  Visitor Needs. BC communities must be responsive to visitor needs. Communities need to understand visitor needs first, develop tourism experiences to meet those needs, and then market the appropriate tourism experience to the appropriate type of visitor.  Inclusiveness. To address the issues and opportunities facing the tourism industry, consultation and collaboration need to form the basis of plan development.  Effective Partnerships. Tourism is a fragmented industry and effective partnerships among tourism operators, communities, destination marketing organizations, and all levels of government are essential to building a cohesive, strong and sustainable tourism industry in British Columbia.  Sustainability. Tourism in British Columbia will be developed in a sustainable manner, recognizing the need for economic, social, and environmental sustainability.  Community Support. To be successful, tourism development in communities needs to be supported by all areas of a community, including businesses, local government, and residents. The tourism plan is the embodiment of the overall vision, economic goals, and serves as a roadmap for the years ahead to achieve the community’s vision with regard to tourism. This tourism plan presents objectives to 2019, with greater detail provided in the first three years, and while it provides a roadmap, it is also flexible enough to take new, unexpected opportunities into consideration during implementation. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 2 The tourism plan accomplishes the following1: 1. Defines the business situation – past, present and future. 2. Defines the tourism-related opportunities and problems facing the community. 3. Establishes specific and realistic business objectives. 4. Defines strategies and tactics required to accomplish the objectives. 5. Establishes a timetable and pinpoints responsibility for execution of programs. 6. Establishes control and review procedures to monitor effectiveness of programs and performance against the defined objectives. Once the tourism plan is completed and implementation begins, results should be tracked regularly such that an annually updated plan, with learning from the current year’s activities, can be even more effective in increasing tourism to the community. For many communities, the objectives and strategies should be reviewed, with most of the updates occurring on the detailed tactics. The planning cycle can be illustrated as follows: Tourism Plan Situation analysis “What are the opportunities?” Planning session With learning from current activities, the next plan can be even more successful Tracking and evaluation “How are we doing?” Market development activities Tourism BC programs can assist Strategies “What is our basic approach?” Includes market development and destination development strategies Tactics and implementation plan “What are the specific activities?” Includes market development and destination development activities Implementation of activities Destination development activities 1 Objectives “What are we going to achieve?” Community and private sector to implement Based on the American Marketing Association definition. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 3 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FROM SITUATION ANALYSIS The conclusions and implications are the culmination of the Situation Analysis and the planning session. They represent the key insights that distil the learning and identify the key areas that the tourism plan must address. a) Prince George currently has a number of market segments that contribute to its tourism revenue: leisure travellers from northern BC, leisure travellers travelling through northern BC, leisure travellers in the Prince George area for niche activities, meetings and conventions, sport tourism, and general business travellers. The first five segments can be influenced by tourism development activities (i.e. destination development and/or market development). The last segment (general business travellers) is not generally influenced by tourism activities, as they are in Prince George to call on customers, meet business associates that are located in Prince George, etc. b) Prince George currently undertakes numerous activities to promote itself to leisure travellers from northern BC. They appear to be appropriate activities but because there is limited specific tracking of the various activities (other than the website and tracking of the Golden Raven project that encompasses a larger geographic area than just Prince George), it is not known which activities are the most effective. c) While market development is needed to promote Prince George to potential visitors, promotion by itself can only achieve limited growth in tourism. However, in concert with destination development, Prince George will have the potential to achieve significant growth in tourism over the long term. Promotion by itself can run the risk of over-promising Prince George’s tourism experiences, resulting in disappointed visitors that in turn can lead to long-term harm to Prince George’s reputation. d) Prince George needs to consider what truly sets it apart from other northern BC communities in order to increase the number of visitors coming to the area. A clear focus as to the type of tourism experience offered will help to distinguish Prince George from the rest of the north. While there are appeals to Prince George, there are even more appeals to Prince George as part of northern BC. Cooperative activities with Northern BC Tourism Region should be seen as opportunities to build tourism in Prince George, as they will naturally stop in Prince George on their trip in northern BC. This focus should also consider the types of tourism experiences that are motivators for visitors, as these are the experiences that will increase the number of visitors. Other types of tourism experiences, while they may not be motivators for travel, help to increase visitor satisfaction and length of stay. Both of these are important to build tourism in Prince George and distinguishing between them will help determine the types of activities, and therefore primary messages, that are presented as “lures” to Prince George. e) Prince George should build in evaluation tools for its marketing activities wherever possible. These evaluation tools will help Prince George to judge whether an activity should be continued, Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 4 expanded, contracted, or eliminated as part of Prince George’s annual planning process. Building in these evaluation tools should become part of the discipline of planning and implementation. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 5 OBJECTIVES The overall goal of Prince George is to increase tourism to the area to achieve greater economic prosperity in a sustainable manner. This would be achieved over a period of five to ten years, in a manner that enhances the community. This tourism plan is a plan for the community of Prince George that encompasses tourism businesses, Tourism Prince George, the City of Prince George, and all others involved in the tourism industry. To ensure the areas of responsibility are clear, the tactics will identify which organization(s) should be leading which tactic. However, the objectives and strategies would be common to all organizations. The objectives are as follows:  From 2010 to 2014, room revenue and tourism revenue in Prince George will achieve the same rate of growth as BC annually. This means that if room revenue grows by 5% in BC, so will room revenue in Prince George.  From 2014 to 2019, room revenue and tourism revenue in Prince George will exceed the rate of growth of BC by 2% annually. This means that if room revenue grows by 5% in BC, room revenue in Prince George will grow by 7%. Each year, the objectives for subsequent years should be reviewed and adjusted if necessary based on current conditions. Room revenue measures accommodation rooms only while tourism revenue measures total spending by visitors while they are in Prince George. Tourism BC tracks both room revenue (monthly) and tourism revenue (annually) through BC Stats. Tourism revenue is tracked only for BC in total and is not available by community unless the community conducts its own visitor survey. Room Revenue Room revenue data through BC Stats is available by community and is based on rooms paying the hotel tax. As such, this room revenue data is not a complete picture of all accommodation in Prince George. However, through the Value of Tourism and Commercial Accommodation surveys that are available through Tourism BC (Prince George is currently undertaking the Value of Tourism study), these can track all accommodation rooms, including campgrounds and bed & breakfasts – it is essentially up to Prince George to determine which accommodation categories to include and the data will be dependent on participation among Prince George’s accommodation-related businesses. Tourism Revenue Tourism revenue measures total visitor spending while they are in Prince George, including accommodation, food and beverage, attractions, retail, transportation, etc. Tracking total tourism revenue in Prince George is more involved and more costly than tracking room revenue. Tracking total tourism revenue will entail a comprehensive visitor study with a robust, representative sampling of visitors to Prince George in all seasons. Due to the cost, complexity, and time involved to complete this visitor study, it should be fielded once every five years. Once the first visitor study is completed, it should be Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 6 possible to determine the correlation between room revenue and total tourism revenue. With this correlation, it should then be possible to estimate total tourism revenue in the intervening years. Perspective on Objectives To put these objectives into context, Tourism BC expects significantly increased growth rates from 2010 onward as BC reaps the benefits of an exponential growth in media coverage of BC prior to and during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Its published targets indicate tourism revenue growth of 6.1% in 2010 after negative numbers in 2008 and 2009 and then 5% annual growth to 2015. To achieve these objectives, the strategies and tactics in this tourism plan would need to be implemented as planned by all parties, including local government, the private sector, community organizations, and Tourism Prince George. These objectives need the cooperation of all parties involved in tourism to be achieved. Furthermore, this tourism plan anticipates the budget for Tourism Prince George is in the $800K+ range in order for Tourism Prince George to implement the tactics for which it is identified as the responsible organization. (It should be noted that each organization that is identified in this tourism plan will still need to review the plan and determine which parts, if any, of the Prince George Tourism Plan it is prepared to undertake.) In 2008, the tourism industry in BC experienced minimal growth in room revenue and declines in occupancy rate. Prince George fared better than BC as a whole, with greater growth in room revenue and lesser declines in occupancy rate. (Occupancy rate has not been recommended as an objective as increases in the number of rooms will cause occupancy rates to decline.) In 2009, the picture was reversed, with Prince George’s declines deeper than BC or the region. Due to the reliance on business travel, Prince George’s room revenue and occupancy rate are more volatile than BC as a whole, with BC’s greater balance between leisure travel and business travel. The following tables show comparisons between Prince George and BC for occupancy rate and room revenue. Occupancy Rates for BC and Prince George BC YTD Sept. Change vs. previous year Prince George YTD Sept. Change vs. previous year 2004 62.2 2005 64.6 2006 65.7 2007 66.9 n/a +0.4 +1.1 +1.2 68.2 71.2 67.5 68.5 n/a +3.0 -3.7 +1.0 2008 61.4 68.4 -5.5 65.3 67.8 -3.2 2009 62.3 -6.1 57.0 -10.8 Source: Data from Pannell Kerr Forster, as reported by Tourism BC Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 7 Room Revenues for BC, Northern BC, and Prince George 2008 $1.979 billion +0.6% 2009 $1.419 billion (to Oct.) -12.8% Northern BC Change vs. previous year $149.8 million +6.2% $101.0 million (to Sept.) -12.5% Prince George Change vs. previous year $30.6 million +4.7% $20.2 million (to Sept.) -17.0% BC Change vs. previous year Source: Data from BC Stats, as reported by Tourism BC Indicators While the objectives for tourism in Prince George are room revenue and tourism revenue, there are other indicators that should also be tracked. They include:  Number of out-of-town visitors at key attractions  Number of out-of-town visitors at the visitor centres  Unique visitors to the Tourism Prince George website  Number of tourism employees (already being tracked by Initiatives Prince George)  Number of tourism companies (already being tracked by Initiatives Prince George). Baselines should be set in the first year and these measures should be tracked and compared to room revenue and tourism revenue to better understand correlations. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 8 STRATEGIES The strategies that Prince George needs to employ to achieve its objectives are discussed in this section. Detailed tactics are outlined in the following section. Target Markets The key target markets are recommended as follows: Primary markets:  Residents of northern BC for leisure travel. This market has high lifetime value to Prince George, as residents of northern BC are repeat visitors to Prince George. The demographics of these visitors are likely very broad based but current information does not break out this group from total visitors to Prince George.  Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska. While Prince George is usually not the destination, those on a driving trip in northern BC and Alaska typically stop in Prince George. Unlike residents of northern BC, visitors to northern BC and Alaska may be visiting Prince George for the first and only time as part of their once-in-a-lifetime trip. This target market is older, more affluent, and better educated than northern BC residents, as would be expected for long-haul travellers. They are also more likely to travel in adult-only groups. This group currently comprises mostly Canadians and Americans, with Europeans making up a smaller proportion of the group. The exact percentages by geographic origin will need to be confirmed through a Prince George-specific, comprehensive visitor study (see Tactic #28). Canadian residents within this group would be expected to be younger and less affluent than their American counterparts, with Americans likely 45 years of age or older and with half having household incomes of $100,000 or more, while Europeans are also likely 45 or older with high household incomes although a little younger and a little less affluent than the Americans. These demographics are based on the Prince Rupert 2007 Visitor Study among visitors on a long trip through northern BC and/or Alaska that includes Prince Rupert and would need to be confirmed through Prince George specific visitor research.  Corporations and associations headquartered in northern BC or have a strong presence in northern BC (through a branch office of a corporation or a chapter of an association).  Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders of regional and provincial events.  Local residents. While residents of Prince George are not strictly a tourism target group, they represent potential ambassadors who can encourage their friends and family to visit and provide information on what to do in the area. Through local residents, potential visitors from other parts of Canada and the world (e.g. Europe) could be reached efficiently. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 9 Secondary markets:  BC and Alberta anglers. Sport fishing is a strong motivator for travel for those interested in angling but further consumer research is indicated to determine the potential for this market for Prince George. This market is under 54 years of age, with those 18-34 and 45-54 being the largest groups, 70% are male, living in adult-only households, with household incomes of $60K or more.2 This is a niche market, as 11% of Canadians (and 11% of Americans) who have been to BC have been motivated to take a trip to go fishing (this equates to 4% of all Canadian travellers).  Canadian and American hunters. Hunting is a strong motivator for travel for those interested in hunting but further consumer research is indicated to determine the potential for this market for Prince George. Canadians in this market are 76% male, 35 to 54 years of age, married and with average likelihood of children at home.3 They have average household incomes and lower than average education levels. Americans in this market are 75% male, are 35 to 44 years of age, married with children at home, high household incomes but average education levels. This is a niche market, as only 3.0% of American travellers and 2.6% of Canadian travellers were motivated by hunting to take a trip. Information on the percent of Canadians and Americans who have been to BC and have been motivated to take at trip (anywhere) to go hunting is not known (although if the proportion of those who have been to BC is similar for hunting as it is for fishing, this would equate to less than 1%. Hunting is available only in a few spots in North America and there are specific media available to target hunters throughout North America.  Tour operators serving residents of Germany and Switzerland, through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC. Some of these travellers will be included in “visitors to northern BC and Alaska” above while they are on their trip. To reach residents of Germany and Switzerland prior to making a trip, they are best reached through tour operators, in turn reached through efforts of Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC, as they already have relationships with tour operators and would be including Prince George as part of an overall effort to include Prince George, the region, and province in tour itineraries. Long-term developmental markets:  Tour operators serving residents of China and Korea, through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC. The genesis of this market is based on enquiries from China and Korea due to Prince George Airport’s ability to serve international passenger flights. The Chinese market opportunity arose when Prince George was designated as the alternate airport to YVR (Vancouver), then Chinese travel officials (i.e. airlines and tour operators) started to consider Prince George as a passenger destination. Enquiries were also received from Korean travel officials. While the earliest that the first passengers from China might come to Prince George is 2011, with Prince George possibly being the entry for a tour of Western Canada, it is recognized that Prince George currently lacks enough export-ready product and needs significant destination development before it can service any substantial numbers of Chinese or Korean visitors. It is expected that this market 2 From Situation Analysis, Travel Activities and Motivations Study. Data from Situation Analysis, Travel Activities and Motivations Study and subsequent Travel Activities and Motivations Study report for Canadian hunters. 3 Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 10 may not achieve significant numbers for at least five years and would be explored on a reactive basis. These target markets were chosen because Prince George has the greatest strengths against these markets, should achieve the greatest visitor volumes from these markets with limited resources, and they are markets that should be efficient for Prince George to reach. The distinction between primary and secondary markets is based on potential visitor revenue and best practices from other communities. Primary markets would be pursued proactively and would receive the largest percentage of resources. Secondary markets would receive fewer resources than the primary markets, and if there are insufficient resources, would be pursued once the primary markets have received sufficient resources. Making this distinction between primary and secondary markets ensures that Prince George will be able to put enough resources behind its most important markets rather than trying to spread its resources too thinly and run the risk of not doing enough in each market to make a difference. The long-term developmental markets are ones that could be explored but would not be expected to receive resources during the timeframe of this five-year plan other than staff time. The needs of these priority markets are important both in destination development and market development. When new products or improvements are being planned in Prince George, these priority markets should be kept top-of-mind. This does not mean that visitors from other markets will not be welcome or will not receive any attention from Prince George. Prince George would be expected to take advantage of opportunities in other geographic markets on a reactive basis with opportunistic funds, but the limited resources of Tourism Prince George would be focused on proactive activities toward the key target markets. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 11 Length of Stay Prince George can increase its tourism revenue by increasing the length of stay of visitors. Strategies for each target group are identified below: Target Groups Primary target groups Residents of northern BC Strategies to Increase Length of Stay Package high motivation activities with lower motivation activities and promote both short stay and longer stay packages Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska Increase the variety of export-ready activities in Prince George that are of interest to this target group and communicate these activities before their trip (but after they have made the decision to come to northern BC) or during their trip Corporations and associations Provide special offers to attendees of meetings and conferences (prior to and upon arrival) such that they will experience other parts of Prince George Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders Provide special offers and itinerary ideas to participants and spectators of sporting events such that they will either add some time to their trip or increase their travel party Secondary target groups BC and Alberta anglers Provide information about other activities that are of interest to anglers such that they will increase their length of stay or increase their travel party (e.g. to communicate that Prince George has activities of interest to those in the travel party who may not be avid anglers and thus may not wish to fish every day) Canadian and American hunters Provide information about other activities that are of interest to hunters such that they will increase their length of stay or increase their travel party (e.g. to communicate that Prince George has activities of interest to those in the travel party who may not be avid hunters and thus may not wish to hunt every day) Tour operators serving residents of Germany and Switzerland Increase the variety of export-ready activities in Prince George that are of interest to travellers in Germany and Switzerland and communicate these activities through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC Long-term developmental target groups Increase the variety of export-ready activities in Prince George that are Tour operators serving of interest to travellers in China and Korea, including Mandarin and residents of China and Korean speaking guides, and communicate these activities through Korea Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 12 Destination Development Strategies Prince George currently receives visitors from within northern BC, is a stopover for long-haul visitors touring northern BC and/or Alaska, as well as those visiting Prince George for meetings & conferences and sporting events. However, the largest source of visitors to accommodation properties is business travellers (travelling on general business, not those attending large meetings & conferences). Through these sources of visitors, Prince George has higher occupancy rates than the BC average. However, these high occupancy rates do not necessarily translate into high revenue for other parts of the tourism industry such as attractions. There may also be a challenge in increasing the engagement of accommodation properties in attracting leisure travellers, as business travellers may be more profitable for them In the situation analysis, it is apparent that Prince George could improve the linkages between accommodation properties and visitor experiences and could increase the amount of market-ready tourism product. Through these destination development activities, Prince George can then achieve long-term growth in tourism. On the other hand, without improvements to Prince George’s tourism products, longterm, sustainable growth in tourism (i.e. achieving the objectives set out in this tourism plan) cannot be achieved. While market development activities can help to increase tourism, both destination development and market development need to take place in a coordinated fashion in order for Prince George to achieve its tourism potential. The priority product categories to be developed and promoted are recommended as follows. The primary and secondary product categories are identified for each target group. Primary product categories are those that are motivators for travel. Secondary product categories are lower motivators for travel but can enhance visitor satisfaction and increase length of stay Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 13 Target Groups All target groups except residents of Northern BC Priority Tourism Products Primary: outdoor adventure with an emphasis on soft adventure. While Prince George currently has good access to destination parks, forests, and lakes, there are limited “tourism products” for which a fee is charged. Outdoor adventure products such as guided tours, equipment rentals, as well as signage, trails, interpretive centres, etc. are included in this category. Further work on prioritizing the specific tourism products needed should be guided by consumer research among both visitors from northern BC and long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska. Secondary:  Cultural activities that are of interest to outdoor adventure travellers. These include historic sites/buildings, history/heritage museums, and art galleries.  Downtown revitalization to provide a more welcoming and vibrant atmosphere that encourages visitors to spend more time in Prince George. Primary target groups Residents of Northern BC Primary: Time-limited experiences such as festivals and events, performing arts, major museum exhibitions, and sporting events. Residents of Northern BC already come to Prince George as a regular getaway and to go shopping. In order to encourage more frequent visits, Prince George needs to offer more reasons for them to visit Prince George now. The emphasis is on cultural activities since the outdoor adventure activities around Prince George are likely similar to the outdoor adventure activities that these residents of northern BC can experience at home. Continued improvement of shopping choices that are not available in other northern BC communities should also be a draw. Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska As above in “all target groups” Corporations and associations As above in “all target groups” Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders As above in “all target groups” (Note there may be sport facility upgrades or improvements needed to attract particular types of sporting events. See Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan by Yates, Thorn & Associates, December 2008.) Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 14 Target Groups Secondary target groups Priority Tourism Products The following are in addition to the priority tourism products for all target groups. BC and Alberta anglers Primary: Guided fishing (this includes aboriginal guided fishing) Secondary: Non-guided fishing4 and complementary activities such as motor boating, guided wildlife viewing and hikes, guided or self-guided historic sites To enable the priority tourism products for BC and Alberta anglers, road development and campsite improvements are needed to enhance the attractiveness of fishing in Prince George. Canadian and American hunters Primary: Guided hunting (this includes aboriginal guided hunting) Secondary: Complementary activities such as guided fishing, motor boating, guided wildlife viewing and hikes, guided snowmobiling and ATVing To enable the priority tourism products for Canadian and American hunters, road development and campsite improvements are needed to enhance the attractiveness of hunting in Prince George. Tour operators serving residents of Germany and Switzerland As above in “all target groups” with an emphasis on export-ready product Long-term developmental target groups Tour operators serving residents of China and Korea As above in “all target groups” with an emphasis on export-ready product and group tours, plus amenities that are specific to residents of China and Korea such as Mandarin-speaking and Korean-speaking tour guides, Chinese and Korean food, etc. The tourism products above were identified in the Situation Analysis and by the working group as being competitive advantages for Prince George compared to other destinations, known to be growth sectors or have high demand. The distinction between primary and secondary products does not mean that the secondary products are not important. All of the products identified are considered priority products but they may play a 4 Guided fishing is identified as the primary product and non-guided fishing is identified as the secondary product due to the higher tourism revenue per visitor for guided fishing. It is recognized that Prince George has limited capacity for visitors and the greater priority on guided fishing maximizes tourism revenue while making the most of the limited capacity. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 15 different role with primary products being stronger motivators for travel while secondary product categories are lower motivators for travel but can enhance visitor satisfaction and increase length of stay Ideally, all of the identified priority products (primary and secondary) should receive resources from Prince George’s tourism initiatives. However, with limited resources (even with the additional funding from the Additional Hotel Room Tax), it will be important to put adequate resources toward the primary tourism products first. It is proven more effective to put enough resources into a few areas than to spread out resources too thinly. These product priorities should not suggest that other tourism experiences in Prince George are not important, but the above have been identified as priorities due to their size, uniqueness, and potential to positively affect significant numbers of visitors. Other tourism experiences and products that provide more for a visitor to do and make a stay more enjoyable also play an important role in visitor satisfaction and an increased length of stay. Market Development Strategies The priority market development strategies would be directed to the key target markets as follows. Target Groups All target groups Primary target groups Residents of Northern BC Market Development Strategies  Repositioning and rebranding initiatives.  Set up of core communication materials, especially website and visitors guide, that are consistent with the brand and relevant to all markets with particular emphasis on primary markets.  Joint co-operative advertising and promotions that efficiently reach the primary markets but also reach other markets.  As above plus proactive media relations and standalone marketing and advertising activities. Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska  As above plus reactive media relations and ensuring other websites about northern BC and Alaska have appropriate information about Prince George and distribution of Prince George visitor guide throughout northern BC and entry points. Corporations and associations  As above plus cooperative sales and marketing activities with meeting and conference facilities in Prince George. Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders  As above plus bidding for selected sporting events and participation in Tourism BC and 2010 Legacies Now initiatives. Local residents  As above plus proactive media relations and promotional activities. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 16 Target Groups Secondary target groups Market Development Strategies BC and Alberta anglers  As above plus proactive media relations with and advertising in anglingspecific media and fishing-related trade shows. Canadian and American hunters  As above plus proactive media relations with and advertising in huntingspecific media and hunting-related trade shows. Tour operators serving residents of Germany and Switzerland  Sales and marketing activities through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC as the lead organizations. Prince George would not be contacting tour operators directly but would be providing information to Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC and hosting fam tours.  Sales and marketing activities through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC as the lead organizations. Prince George would not be contacting tour operators directly but would be providing information to Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC and hosting fam tours. Long-term developmental target groups Tour operators serving residents of China and Korea Research and Evaluation A key need for Prince George is a comprehensive visitor study that can provide insight into the two key target groups: residents of northern BC and long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska. The interests and needs of these two groups are likely quite different and current information does not distinguish between these two groups. This comprehensive visitor study would be used to establish total visitor revenue in Prince George and to assist in brand development for Prince George as a destination. Evaluation mechanisms are essential to understanding the current value of tourism in the community, to tracking growth and gauging effectiveness of various initiatives. Some mechanisms are already in place (e.g. traffic at the visitor centre) but additional measures are needed to evaluate the impact of marketing programs and the drawing power of the visitor experiences in the area. Evaluation mechanisms for each of the tactics are identified. As well, accommodation tracking, ideally through Tourism BC’s Value of Tourism model or its Commercial Accommodation Survey program, can assist in providing a credible estimate of visitor volume and direct tourism expenditures and monthly aggregate totals for occupancy across a range of accommodation operators. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 17 TACTICS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The following tactics flesh out the strategies for Prince George and describe the steps to implement each tactic. While the tactics may change from year to year, the overall strategies may not. The tactics are organized in the following categories:  Shorter term destination development tactics (including product development, education and communication related to the tourism industry in Prince George)  Longer term destination development tactics (including product development, education and communication related to the tourism industry in Prince George)  Shorter term market development tactics  Longer term market development tactics  Research and evaluation tactics. Each tactic identifies the lead organization responsible, as well as potential partners. As this tourism plan encompasses the entire tourism community in Prince George, there are numerous lead organizations. Some of the destination development tactics need the City of Prince George as the lead organization, some are the purview of private sector businesses, some would be the responsibility of community groups, and some would be the responsibility of Tourism Prince George. The market development tactics would largely be the responsibility of Tourism Prince George with other organizations as potential partners. The research and evaluation tactics indicate Tourism Prince George as the initiator, with other organizations playing key roles. While various organizations are identified in this tourism plan as those responsible or as potential partners, these should be considered recommendations from the working group. While the working group members agree to the content of this tourism plan, this does not suggest agreement or commitment from the various organizations associated with the working group members. Each organization that is identified in this tourism plan will still need to review the plan and determine which parts, if any, of the Prince George Tourism Plan it is prepared to undertake. Some of the tactics in this tourism plan are already taking place. These tactics are included in this tourism plan for completeness. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 18 Shorter Term Destination Development Tactics Tactic #1  Short description     Promote and deliver tourism education programs and provide training tools to tourism-related businesses in Prince George. As tourism is a developing industry in Prince George, there is a need to provide information and education to current and potential tourism businesses in Prince George. The information and education could take various forms such a “Tourism Expo” event, workshops, guides, and written information. As a starting point, Tourism BC has a series of education and training tools available to assist tourism-related businesses, using workshops and guides. They include the following: Tourism Packaging and Product Distribution Environmentally Responsible Tourism Travel Media Relations Ads & Brochures that Sell Internet Marketing Starting a Tourism Business Guide Sport Tourism. These workshops and guides can be delivered as is or they can add information specific to Prince George (e.g. with business license information, tourism opportunities in Prince George, etc.) Contact Monique Willis, Coordinator, Tourism Business Essentials at monique.willis@tourismbc.com for further details on all workbooks and workshops, with the exception of Sport Tourism. To order the Sport Tourism workbook or to enquire about the sport tourism workshop, please contact Caterina Papadakos, Sport Tourism Coordinator at caterina.papadakos@tourismbc.com.  The WorldHost® workshops are conducted by a number of delivery organizations throughout the province. Workshop fees vary by delivery organization. Tourism Prince George (the WorldHost delivery organization in Prince George) can promote the appropriate workshops with the individual businesses paying the participation fee. Workshops include: Foundations of Service Excellence series: Solving Problems Through Service Frontline Management Solutions® Building Beyond the Foundations series: Customers with Disabilities Service Across Cultures Japanese Service Expectations Sector Specific Workshops: Sales Powered by Service Ambassador Workshop  Written information, in addition to the above guides, could include making tourism Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 19 Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)    Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps      Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism       Tourism British Columbia statistics available on an ongoing basis. Number of participants in workshops, Tourism Expo, accessing written information. Number of workshops/Tourism Expo. Based on the actual results from Year 1, establish objectives for Year 2 and beyond. Education and training tools will improve the success of tourism businesses in Prince George, leading to a better visitor experience in Prince George. Decide on the appropriate workshops that will be most relevant to tourism-related businesses in the area. Determine dates and location. Promote workshops to tourism-related businesses in Prince George. Start with workshops and then use the learning from the workshops to develop a Tourism Expo, perhaps in Year 2. Attend workshops to ensure the desired messages about Prince George are incorporated into the workshop. Tourism BC. UNBC. Tourism Prince George. 2010 and ongoing. $5K annually for promotion of workshops and Tourism Expo. An additional $5K annually to organize Tourism Expo starting in Year 2. Staff time would be required to coordinate. Number of participants. Number of workshops. Prince George Tourism Plan 20 Tactic #2  Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies      Action steps      Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism        Tourism British Columbia Continue regular communications with Prince George tourism stakeholders through e-newsletters, media releases, speaking engagements. These activities are meant to achieve a number of purposes:  Educate tourism-related businesses and potential entrepreneurs about the types of opportunities in demand in Prince George, focusing on the priority products.  Encourage tourism-related businesses to meet the needs of an ever more discerning visitor base by enhancing their product mix, opening hours and service levels.  Keep businesses informed about relevant tourism activities in the community (by Tourism Prince George, by the City of Prince George, by community groups, by the private sector) An e-newsletter, issued at least quarterly, with back issues available on the Tourism Prince George’s website, can be used to provide news and marketing opportunities to tourism businesses in Prince George. Speaking engagements through community organizations as well as one-to-one conversations with local business people. Number of tourism-related businesses in Prince George receiving e-newsletter. Number of media releases. Number of speaking engagements. Educate tourism-related businesses about the tourism opportunities in Prince George, encouraging them to grow their businesses by servicing visitors, selection of products, etc. Tourism experiences and products play an important role in developing Prince George as a desirable destination, increasing visitor satisfaction and word of mouth. Obtain email addresses from local businesses through personal contact and partner organizations, ensuring opt-out options are incorporated into the e-newsletter. Create e-newsletter, consistent with new graphic standards. Distribute 4 or more times per year, depending on the amount of communication needed. Issue releases to local media regarding tourism initiatives. Seek opportunities to speak to local business associations, chamber of commerce, etc. City of Prince George, Initiatives Prince George, Accommodations Prince George, Chamber of Commerce, Regional District of Fraser Fort George. Tourism Prince George. 2010 and ongoing. Staff time. Number of tourism-related businesses receiving newsletter. Amount of coverage by local media. Number of speaking engagements. Prince George Tourism Plan 21 Tactic #3 Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps    Encourages people already visiting the area to spend more time and money in the area and encourages repeat visitors to try new activities.  Start with holding workshops or meetings with accommodation properties and those providing visitor experiences to provide information about the opportunity for partnering and to provide an opportunity for the two groups to network and ideally, strike partnerships. Host a Tourism BC Tourism Packaging & Product Distribution workshop for operators to give them further information about how to package tourism product. Accommodation properties, tourism-related businesses offering visitor experiences, transportation partners. Tourism Prince George to provide the opportunity by which accommodation properties and tourism-related businesses can network and eventually work together. Once the packages are put together, Tourism Prince George to help promote them on its website and other means. Ongoing. Staff time, with promotion of these packages in existing promotional materials. If new promotion materials are needed, tourism operators could cover the cost with pay-to-play participation fees. Number of participating businesses. Number of packages.  Potential partnerships Responsibilities Help facilitate multi business tourism packages. There is an opportunity to increase visitor satisfaction and length of stay with tourism packages that incorporate accommodation with experiences and/or an activity that motivates travel with complementary activities. These experiences should be those identified as product priorities for Prince George and could include outdoor adventure, cultural activities, time-limited experiences, guided fishing, guided hunting, etc. An example of a tourism product that motivates travel combined with a complementary activity includes guided fishing with motor boating, guided wildlife viewing and hikes, guided or self-guided historic sites. These packages can be promoted via the Tourism Prince George website and advertising to generate incremental travel, reaching potential visitors at home. They can also be promoted by visitor centre staff and by participating businesses to encourage higher visitor spending in Prince George among those who are already in the area. Number of activity packages developed Number of cross promotions or joint activities in Prince George.    Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism    Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 22 Tactic #4  Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Increase opportunities for visitors to experience outdoor adventure in and around Prince George. While Prince George is blessed with many parks and natural areas, visitors to Prince George, particularly those on a long vacation through northern BC and/or Alaska, may not know how best to experience them. At the same time, Prince George needs to increase visitor revenue by providing “ticketable” product. Prince George can increase the number and/or presence of businesses that offer equipment rental and guided tours so it is easier for visitors to experience more of Prince George. This tactic includes summer as well as winter outdoor experiences, although there would be higher demand for summer outdoor experiences. While both soft and hard adventure experiences can be offered, there will likely be higher demand for soft outdoor experiences, as long-haul visitors on a trip to northern BC and Alaska are typically 45 years of age or older and this age group is more interested in soft adventure than hard adventure. Number of businesses offering outdoor adventure experiences and rentals, using 2010 as the baseline.  Outdoor adventure is a high motivator for travel and is a category in which there is high interest among most travellers.  Identify businesses that currently offer outdoor adventure experiences in some degree as well as those with the potential to offer them (i.e. retail stores that sell outdoor gear could also rent equipment and offer guided tours). Invite them to a meeting in which the opportunity for outdoor adventure experiences in Prince George is identified and how Tourism Prince George can help promote them (e.g. website, Visitor Centre, etc.) Provide information that would be useful to them, information on tourism workshops and guides, tourism statistics, etc. Follow up and continue to provide information and advice as needed. Tourism businesses including guide outfitters, Initiatives Prince George, Chamber of Commerce. Tourism Prince George. Ongoing. Staff time.    Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism     Tourism British Columbia Number of businesses offering outdoor adventure experiences and rentals, using 2010 as the baseline. Prince George Tourism Plan 23 Tactic #5 Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Support the increase in capacity and infrastructure for sport fishing. Sport fishing around Prince George is a popular and abundant activity. The recent improvements of Ferguson Lake, Shane Lake, McMillan Creek Park are intended to improve the fishing experience and accessibility. Sport fishing is a strong motivator for travel and guided sport fishing can generate one of the highest visitor expenditures per day. As a tourism product, sport fishing that involves guided tours and/or equipment contributes the most to the economy. However, out-of-town angers who prefer to fish on their own but stay in Prince George accommodation and purchase supplies in Prince George are also contributors to the economy. Capacity of sport fishing visitor experiences.  BC and Alberta anglers is identified as a secondary target group with guided fishing as this target group’s primary tourism product.  As the responsibility for such increases rest largely with the City of Prince George, Northern BC Sportfishing Task Force, and Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, the action steps will be determined by these groups. Tourism Prince George can ensure it is aware of the new product so it can facilitate tourism packages and promote these experiences. Tourism Prince George.  Potential partnerships Responsibilities  Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism     Tourism British Columbia City of Prince George, Northern BC Sportfishing Task Force, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. Ongoing. To be determined. Capacity of sport fishing visitor experiences. Prince George Tourism Plan 24 Tactic #6  Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps     Potential partnerships  Responsibilities   Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism   Tourism British Columbia Help facilitate improvements to the visitor experience in Prince George, particularly in the downtown area. This is a large and important tactic and needs to be broken down into achievable tasks over the long term. This tactic ensures there is enough for visitors to do while they are in Prince George and helps to address the weaknesses identified in the January 15 planning session of lack of a thriving downtown (attractions, atmosphere, culture) and negative perceptions of Prince George such as lack of attractions or services, rundown town, busy traffic, and high crime. (A downtown enforcement unit has been in place since March 1, 2010.) This could include encouraging tourist-friendly businesses in the downtown area such as shops selling unique Prince George/northern BC arts and crafts, cafes and restaurants, businesses providing tours and rentals, etc., all clustered together. It could include beautification plans, community cleanups, beautification of facades, addition of public art, public seating, landscaping, hanging flower baskets and planters, Communities in Bloom, etc. It could also include more tourist-friendly business practises such as extending retail hours into evenings to ensure visitors have something to do. The downtown area is key, due to its proximity to accommodation properties and the desire for visitors to stroll around a destination. Improvement of perceptions of Prince George by visitors. Prince George currently has limited tourism product and needs a greater concentration to generate longer stays, more spending in the local economy, and more repeat visitation. City of Prince George, Tourism Prince George, and tourism businesses to meet and discuss how these improvements can be undertaken and timeframes. Identify tasks achievable each year. Further actions to be determined. Tourism Prince George, Initiatives Prince George, Prince George Downtown Business Improvement Association, community groups, Communities in Bloom, individual businesses and entrepreneurs. Mayor’s Task Force (City of Prince George). As the tasks are identified for each year, assign a lead organization to be responsible for each one. Year 1 and ongoing. Staff time (this could be substantial) plus resources to achieve the destination development improvements. Resources could run to the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Incorporate ratings of Prince George’s visual appeal, attractions, shopping and restaurants facilities in future visitor surveys. Prince George Tourism Plan 25 Tactic #7 Short description      Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies  Action steps   Analyze the potential of moving the Visitor Centres. The two current visitor centres serve over 8,500 out-of-town visitors annually. They are successful in providing information on activities in Prince George, many of which would not have been considered without the Visitor Centre (source: Value of the Prince George Visitor Centre 2004, conducted by Tourism BC). As long-haul visitors to northern BC and Alaska are often unfamiliar with Prince George before they arrive, and as they are typically on a long vacation with a fair amount of flexibility, there is potential to increase their length of stay by giving them useful information about the activities they can pursue while based in Prince George. The working group identified the potential of moving the Visitor Centres to a location where it can influence significantly more visitors to stay longer and participate in more activities in Prince George. A full analysis needs to be completed about potential locations and the potential number of out-of-town visitors that it can serve compared to the current location. The existing five-year commitment to the current space needs to be taken into consideration in the analysis. Date analysis is complete and date a decision is made. Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget   Due to Prince George’s geographic location, visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska pass through Prince George. Prince George can take the opportunity that these “pass through” visitors provide and give them information that will encourage them to stay in Prince George longer. Identify potential locations, ball park costs, and pros and cons. Identify a short list of locations and prepare a more detailed cost analysis of each location, and potential out-of-town visitors. Based on discussions with owners of the locations, identify chosen location. Prepare budget for moving the Visitor Centres, operating at the new location, and determine feasibility. City of Prince George, Government of Canada, Government of BC, Ministry of Transportation, Initiatives Prince George. Tourism Prince George. Decision to be made by December 2011 with implementation plan to follow. To be determined. Evaluation mechanism  Date analysis is complete and date a decision is made.     Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 26 Longer Term Destination Development Tactics Tactic #8  Short description        Quantifiable objectives Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps     Tourism British Columbia Work with existing festivals and events to help expand those that have the potential to be motivators for travel. Depending on their size and appeal, festivals and events can provide either a primary motivation to visit Prince George or a reason to stay longer. Special support should be given to festivals and events that appeal to a wide range of spectators and take place in the May to October period, and incorporate themes that are competitive strengths for Prince George, such as outdoor adventure, heritage, sports, etc. so one or two could become signature festivals and events that are motivators to travel. Participatory events, such as fishing derbies appeal to a much smaller segment, but they can be the primary motivator for an overnight visit to Prince George. A sportsmen’s show is planned for April 2010 with plans to become an annual event. It will be important to measure the actual benefits created by these festivals and events in relation to the resources expended. The intention is to focus on those festivals and events that have the potential to grow by increasing capacity, increasing the duration, and are related to the priority products identified in this plan. While it may be tempting to assist all festivals and events, the tourism sector has limited resources and must be focused on those that can help generate significant economic benefit. One must separate those festivals and events that are of interest primarily to residents to those that are unique and have the drawing power to either generate a visit to Prince George (a small percentage) or to provide a unique experience for visitors who are already in Prince George and thus increase their length of stay or satisfaction with their trip to Prince George (a larger percentage). The City of Prince George commissioned the Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan by Yates, Thorn & Associates, completed December 2008 that encompasses both sporting events and cultural events. It is anticipated that the provisions in this report be implemented for sporting events as well as cultural events, recognizing that sporting events are more developed and cultural events may take some time to develop (see Tactic #21 for details about market development for Prince George as an event destination). An emerging best practise for sporting events is for accommodation properties to pay a commission to the organizing sport group for rooms related to the sporting event, with this commission being used to fund sport development. In addition to commissions, other communities provide sport hosting grants, often funded by the municipality, based on number of room nights. This same best practise can be applied to cultural events once they are developed. Number of new or enhanced festivals and events. Attendance at new or enhanced festivals and events. Festivals and events can enhance visitor satisfaction by contributing to a greater sense of having more to do in a destination. Using the list of events in the Tourism Product Inventory, develop a short list of Prince George Tourism Plan 27   Potential partnerships  Responsibilities  Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism     Tourism British Columbia existing events that have potential for tourism. Consider what resources will be required to enhance the events, e.g. marketing support, by-law relaxation, etc. Municipal funding may be required in the early stages, although the longer-term goal would be to have events self-funded through attendance and/or sponsorship revenues. City of Prince George, Initiatives Prince George, Tourism Prince George, CN Centre, municipal facilities, funding agencies for the arts, other levels of government, community groups, individual businesses. Festivals and events coordinator, a new position. The organization in which the festivals and events coordinator resides is to be determined. Year 3 and ongoing. To be determined. Number of new or enhanced festivals and events. Attendance at new or enhanced festivals and events. Prince George Tourism Plan 28 Tactic #9  Short description   Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Potential partnerships  Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism       Tourism British Columbia Build better relationships with LHEIDLI T’ENNEH First Nation and encourage aboriginal tourism product. One of the unique tourism experiences in BC is aboriginal tourism, of particular interest to European visitors, of which Prince George receives a high percentage. This could include heritage and culture through museums, historic sites, interpretive walks, guided fishing, guided hunting, meals or could include aboriginal arts and crafts that can be purchased. This is a longer term tactic that may take some time to come to fruition based on mutual respect and a desire to work together. It will be important that the tourism product is authentic, of high quality, and consistent. An agreed series of milestones in year 1. Aboriginal experiences are of interest to European visitors and while aboriginal experiences are low to medium motivators for a visit (like history and heritage), they may help in increasing length of stay and visitor satisfaction. Meetings and discussions with First Nations leaders and Aboriginal Tourism BC. Further action steps to be determined. LHEIDLI T’ENNEH First Nation in Prince George, Aboriginal Tourism BC, City of Prince George, Regional District of Fraser Fort George, Exploration Place, Native Friendship Centre, UNBC. Tourism Prince George. Ongoing. Staff time. An agreed series of milestones in year 1. Prince George Tourism Plan 29 Tactic #10 Short description Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies  Action steps  Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism          Tourism British Columbia Investigate the feasibility of a tourism development along the two rivers. The working group identified that Prince George has a significant asset in its two rivers but this asset has not been utilized for tourism purposes. Decision about whether a tourism development along the two rivers is of interest to the City of Prince George in year 1. Visitors identify a lack of attractions or services as a negative perception of Prince George. The working group identified the lack of an iconic tourist attraction to be a weakness for Prince George. Discussions with the City of Prince George, initiated by Tourism Prince George. Next steps to be determined. Private sector. City of Prince George. To be determined. Staff time. Decision about whether a tourism development along the two rivers is of interest to the City of Prince George in year 1. Prince George Tourism Plan 30 Shorter Term Market Development Tactics Tactic #11  Short description  Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Maintain and enhance the Prince George tourism product inventory that includes information about current accommodations, attractions and events. An initial tourism product inventory has been compiled as part of the Community Tourism Foundations planning process. It is intended to be kept current and used as the information source to Prince George’s activities as well as promotional efforts by Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism Region. The tourism product inventory, which is divided into categories consistent with Tourism BC’s tourism product database, is included as an appendix to this situation analysis. N/a  The up to date tourism product inventory would be used as the basis for listings, marketing communications, media relations, etc.  Contact local businesses and event organizers regularly to augment information. Once the information updates have been collected, Tourism BC’s system can be used to update information. Contact Tourism BC (Kathleen Harvey) to confirm appropriate steps. Tourism BC, Northern BC Tourism Region. Tourism businesses (to update their information).  Potential partnerships  Responsibilities Timeframe Budget   Tourism Prince George. Initial tourism product inventory has been completed. Maintenance ongoing. Staff time. Evaluation mechanism  N/a   Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 31 Tactic #12  Short description      Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps     Tourism British Columbia Develop a new tourism brand identity for Prince George based on consumer research. A new or refreshed brand identity will be the cornerstone of a distinctive, appropriate and consistent look for Tourism Prince George and for all tourism initiatives, one that should be reflected in all tourism marketing materials and corporate communications. This includes new or refreshed logo or word mark, tagline, and the look and feel of all marketing materials. Given the long-term implications of a new brand identity, Tourism Prince George is advised to use the services of a marketing firm with strong credentials in consumer research and branding. A graphic standards manual should be created that specifies how the logo/tagline will be presented in various applications, and provides direction for the consistent use of fonts and other graphic elements. Once the new brand identity and graphics standards have been completed, they should be applied to all tourism initiatives that promote Prince George as a destination, not just the initiatives of Tourism Prince George. This would include tourism-related initiatives of the City of Prince George, Prince George Airport, Visitor Centre, etc. The intent is to ensure visitor communication coming from “official” sources look like it is coming from one coordinated group. To ensure the appropriate projects use the new brand identity correctly, one organization should be responsible for overseeing brand standards and ensuring the projects are consistent with this overall tourism plan – the most logical is Tourism Prince George. It is not recommended to provide the logo and tagline to individual businesses or community groups, as their focus is promoting their own businesses – and this is consistent with best practices for the use of destination brands. However, the positioning statement and the “look and feel” of the new brand can be provided to assist them in creating materials that are consistent with the overall brand character of Prince George as a destination. Date that new tourism brand identity will be completed. In the situation analysis, the current brand identity for Tourism Prince George is too general and needs to better reflect the unique character of the tourism experiences in Prince George. Conduct a quantitative visitor study on the two main groups of visitors to Prince George: residents of northern BC and long-haul visitors visiting northern BC and Alaska. The visitor study is a separate tactic -- see details and budget in Tactic #28 (this research would be used for several purposes: to better understand visitors to Prince George and thus help set priorities for Prince George, to estimate tourism revenues to Prince George, and to inform the preparation of the positioning statement). From this visitor study, prepare a positioning statement for Prince George as a destination. This positioning statement should be reviewed by a broad group of Prince George Tourism Plan 32        Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe  Budget     Evaluation mechanism  Tourism British Columbia stakeholders to ensure there is buy-in prior to designing the new brand identity. Following the agreement to the positioning statement, strike a small task force of Tourism Prince George staff and board members. Using the positioning statement as a foundation, brand mark and tagline options should be prepared for review by taskforce. Consider using qualitative consumer research to provide input as to how each option reflects the positioning statement, if affordable. This is separate from the quantitative visitor study that would be conducted as part of Tactic #28. Finalize brand mark and tagline, present to wider board for endorsement. Marketing firm then designs essential identity items (business cards, letterhead), and basic graphics standards manual specifying logo variations and fonts, colours, and formats for print ads, website home page, e-newsletter, covers of the Visitor Guide, etc. Trademark brand mark and tagline, using the services of an intellectual property lawyer. There are marketing firms that can handle the entire project, including conducting the visitor research, preparing the positioning statement, and designing the brand identity. Or, Prince George could use a separate research firm and a separate design firm if Tourism Prince George has a staff member who has extensive experience in preparing positioning statements and branding. N/a Tourism Prince George, with taskforce. Completed new brand identity by winter 2010/11 in order to be rolled out for the 2011 tourism season. This is an aggressive timeframe and Prince George may opt to complete the project in 2011, phasing in the new brand identity. $50K to $80K depending on scope (the lower end of the range might include only the brand mark and tagline while the upper end of the range might also include qualitative consumer research, initial advertising and collateral applications). Budget does not include production or printing (the production and printing is included in Tactic #14). If the project also includes quantitative visitor research, the visitor research would be an additional $25K to $50K (see Tactic #28). Staff time will be needed to oversee the branding process and to oversee brand standards on an ongoing basis. It would be expected that staff time will be substantial for the branding process and in the first year of overseeing the brand standards. Date that new tourism brand identity will be completed. Prince George Tourism Plan 33 Tactic #13  Short description       Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)  Tourism British Columbia Incorporate the Golden Raven program into marketing activities for Prince George in a way that more directly increases tourism. The Golden Raven cultural program promotes cultural and heritage tourism attractions throughout the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. This program includes print advertising, brochures, posters, signage, and a website. The project was committed for a period of three years until 2011. Anecdotal evidence among participating cultural and heritage attractions indicate that most experienced declines in visitation in 2009 while a few reported maintaining visitor numbers, slight increase, and a 40% increase. The breakdown between local visitors and out-of-town visitors was not tracked. Due to the recession, it is difficult to determine the effect of the Golden Raven program on increasing tourism. The Golden Raven program can be likened to an affiliation or a marketing consortium much like a Relais & Chateau designation. As such, the different members of Golden Raven would promote each other. However, the Golden Raven program does not directly promote tourism, as its main concern has been to increase visitation to its member attractions, regardless of whether they are local residents or out-of-town visitors. However, if a visitor is on a trip through northern BC and/or Alaska and extends his/her stay in those communities where Golden Raven attractions are found, this would benefit tourism. In this vein, perhaps a Golden Raven pass that provides one free admission to each of the member attractions could be developed. It could be priced at the value of four attractions so it encourages the pass holder to visit at least four of the eight attractions. It is recognized that this requires more coordination among the member attractions but its benefit to tourism could be increased. These passes could be sold at each of the member attractions and at Visitor Centres throughout the region. Likewise, the Golden Raven pass could be promoted on the Tourism Prince George website for those interested in heritage and culture, emphasizing Prince George as the natural home base for their explorations – thus increasing expenditures on accommodation and food & beverage, etc. It is hypothesized that this Golden Raven pass would be of interest to those long-haul visitors on a trip to northern BC and/or Alaska, giving them additional reasons to stay a little longer in the region and in Prince George. The emphasis for Prince George is to build awareness and preference for Prince George as a hub for visitors in northern BC. As such, Prince George’s resources should be put toward building tourism for Prince George. Where the Golden Raven program can help Prince George to build its tourism business is primarily in increasing length of stay and visitor satisfaction in Prince George, as history/heritage is a low motivator for travel. The Golden Raven program can thus be incorporated into tourism promotion for Prince George when history/heritage is promoted as a means to increase length of stay and visitor satisfaction. Date incorporation of Golden Raven into Prince George tourism marketing activities. Prince George Tourism Plan 34 Rationale / relation to strategies  Action steps   Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism     Tourism British Columbia History/heritage, as identified in the situation analysis is a low motivator for travel but is an activity in which visitors are interested in participating once they are already in the area. History/heritage can be used to increase length of stay and visitor satisfaction. Explore the feasibility of a Golden Raven pass. As the Tourism Prince George website and marketing materials are redesigned, incorporate the Golden Raven pass/program as described above. Regional District of Fraser Fort George as the brand owner, Golden Raven attractions. Tourism Prince George. Incorporation by spring 2011. Staff time. The budget for website and marketing materials are identified in other tactics. Date incorporation of Golden Raven into Prince George tourism marketing activities. Prince George Tourism Plan 35 Tactic #14  Short description        Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies      Action steps    Potential  Tourism British Columbia Enhance Prince George Visitor Guide, collateral materials, and tourism website with new content and updated design. The graphic design of these keystone items needs to reflect the new tourism identity in a consistent manner. The Prince George Visitor Guide is currently more of a listing of things to do and see under various categories. It should be reorganized to follow the key product categories of outdoor adventure, fishing, cultural activities, and festivals and events. Emphasis should be placed on activities that generate revenue for the high motivation products such as outdoor adventure and fishing (e.g. tours and rentals, guided fishing) while at the same time, ensuring there is information on the variety of other activities that increase length of stay and visitor satisfaction (such as cultural activities and festivals and events). Within each category, the Visitor Guide should include journalistic articles to better paint a picture of the experience one can have in Prince George (rather than the current approach of limited copy and listings). Other categories such as sport tourism, meetings & conventions, and hunting may not belong in the general Visitor Guide as they have very specific audiences that can be better reached through other methods. To encourage potential visitors to stay longer in Prince George, new content can include itineraries based on stays of different lengths (one to five nights) that highlight Prince George’s key attractions and the variety of experiences available, keeping in mind the two main target groups of repeat visitors from northern BC and long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska. Illustrate each itinerary with appealing images that appeal to the target groups. Itineraries that are related to history/heritage should incorporate the Golden Raven program, as described in Tactic #13. Present information in an easily-scanned manner, with concise text, informative sub-headings, short paragraphs, and captioned photos. Website enhancements, in addition to more content, could include video podcasts, search engine optimization, and search engine marketing. Increase traffic to the website and time spent on the website. Increase interest in visiting Prince George among visitors to the website. Ultimately, increase overall visitation to Prince George and length of stay. Destination websites and visitor guides are important as the majority of American and Canadian travellers use the Internet for vacation planning and about half book online. Search engine optimization will help ensure that those seeking information on visiting the area are directed to the most appropriate site. Review the current Visitor Guide and tourism website to determine priority topics and areas for improvement. Enlist services of professionals such as graphic designers and web specialists to enhance content, structure and, in the case of the website, search engine rankings. Work closely with selected firm(s) to ensure end products are consistent with the new graphic standards and provide information potential visitors need. N/a Prince George Tourism Plan 36 partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget       Evaluation mechanism   Tourism British Columbia Tourism Prince George. Start after new brand identity is completed. $50K to $70K for first update of Visitor Guide (including design, printing, and distribution), $40K to $50K for annual updates. The annual costs would be offset by Visitor Guide advertising sales revenue for a net cost of $10K to $20K for the first update and zero for subsequent updates. $20K for first update of website (design, programming, search engine optimization); $10K annually thereafter for ongoing updates and maintenance. $20K to $30K for production and printing of collateral materials annually. Staff time will be needed to oversee the updated design, website updates, and create the content enhancements, particularly the creation of itineraries. Website tracking, including downloads of Visitor Guide. Survey on website. Prince George Tourism Plan 37 Tactic #15  Short description            Quantifiable objectives (if  Tourism British Columbia Increase advertising in key markets, taking advantage of media planning expertise and discounted media rates offered through Tourism BC / Northern BC Tourism Region. Tourism Prince George already undertakes advertising in key markets but a larger budget is needed to achieve the objectives in this plan. Well-targeted, high impact advertising will be used to help increase Prince George’s awareness and interest among the various and diverse primary markets. These may be stand-alone destination messages, or they may be accompanied by ads from local tourism operators. Size of the Prince George destination ad (excluding any co-operative ads by individual operators) should be sufficient to stand out as well as include destination messages that can provide enough information to potential visitors to intrigue them to find out more about Prince George – at least one-half page or larger. This may mean that the total ad size, including co-operative ads, needs to be a full page. Although the specific message of each ad may vary, each should be consistent with Prince George’s graphic standards, and each should reinforce the positioning and brand character. The expanded advertising in key markets should take place once the new brand identity has been completed. Visit tourism website or call 1-800 # as call-to-action. Priority advertising vehicles would be those targeting long-haul travellers to northern BC and Alaska, residents of northern BC, BC and Alberta anglers, and American and Canadian hunters. Use the information from the visitor study to determine the proportion of each type of visitor and use a similar ratio to determine the proportion of the media budget to apply to each group. Based on the limited amount of information currently available, a starting point might be 40% long-haul travellers to northern BC and Alaska, 40% residents of northern BC, 10% BC and Alberta anglers, and 10% American and Canadian hunters. (Other target groups such as corporations and associations, sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders, local residents, and tour operators would be reached in ways other than media advertising). For long-haul travellers to northern BC and Alaska, publications such as Tourism BC’s Vacation Planner, Outdoor Adventure Guide, and the Northern BC Travel Guide. Milepost, Westworld should be considered (this should not be considered the full list of media recommended – the list provides examples only). For residents of northern BC, newspapers, other publications, and radio that reach targeted communities in northern BC. Both print and radio are suitable media. Radio is typically used as a reminder medium and since this target group is likely familiar with Prince George, it is appropriate in this case. For anglers, fishing-related publications such as BC Outdoors Fishing Guide, BC Fishing Regulations, etc. For hunters, hunting-related publications targeting Canadians and Americans. Visits to website (unique landing pages can be created for specific ads to aid in tracking), calls to 1-800 #. Prince George Tourism Plan 38 applicable)   Rationale / relation to strategies   Action steps     Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism       Tourism British Columbia Requests for more information. Downloads/requests for Visitor Guide. Due to the travel behaviour of current long-haul visitors to Prince George, where a trip to Prince George is generally 20% out of a trip of at least 2 weeks, a trip that includes northern BC, most advertising initiatives (except for those targeting northern BC residents) should be in an environment that promotes the region of northern BC. Search engine optimization and pay-per-click search engine marketing is recommended in Tactic #16. Contact Northern BC Tourism Region for details of upcoming co-op advertising opportunities. Develop an annual media plan, selecting media vehicles that will reach each of the target markets most cost effectively, in the right editorial environment. Encourage participation by local tourism operators. Budget for and produce ads of sufficient size and quality to be noticed and effective (include an allowance for new creative and production equal to at least 20% of the media budget in the first two years, and at least 10% thereafter). Northern BC Tourism Region, Tourism BC, stakeholders. Tourism Prince George. 2010 and ongoing. $150K to $250K annually, starting in 2011 and increasing each year as the product development initiatives create better and more tourism experiences. For 2010, $100K is allocated for creative (new creative based on new brand identity), production, media planning and buying and pre-purchase of annual publications for 2011 that close in 2010. These budget amounts are for Tourism Prince George’s portion of the ad costs and do not include co-operative ads by its members/stakeholders. The budget assumes that specialists in creative and production can produce the ads based on the new positioning and brand identity. The media planning and buying would also come out of this budget. Number of visits to home page or promotional landing page where applicable. Number of calls to 1-800 #. Number of Visitor Guides requested or downloaded. Prince George Tourism Plan 39 Tactic #16 Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe  Budget Evaluation mechanism         Tourism British Columbia Optimize website for search engines and embark on search engine marketing. The website should take into consideration search engine optimization principles to increase visits to the website, as search engines are typically the number one source of hits to destination websites. To build on the importance of search engines, Prince George should embark on pay-per-click search engine marketing. The pay-per-click search engine marketing (i.e. Google Adwords) should be campaign-focused and be an integral part of the other marketing elements through more traditional media. Note that Tourism BC’s Community Tourism Opportunities program does not provide funding for website set up but does for enhancing existing websites and search engine marketing. However, the community should make decisions based on what is best for the community, not based on available funding. Number of unique visitors to the website and to specific webpages. Regular usage survey. The Internet is an essential tool for tourism destinations. More than half of Americans made travel plans online while 43% made bookings online. See Situation Analysis for additional statistics. Once the content of the website has been updated, work with search engine marketing specialists to optimize the website for search engine marketing and embark on pay-per-click search engine marketing. n/a Tourism Prince George. Search engine optimization completed by early spring 2011, pay-per-click search engine marketing to commence late spring 2011. $20K to $30K annually for search engine marketing. Google Analytics. Results from usage survey. Prince George Tourism Plan 40 Tactic #17 Short description    Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Utilize selected angling and hunting related trade shows. The target groups of BC and Alberta anglers and Canadian and American hunters are not typically represented by Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC (while they do attend trade shows related to the other target groups for Prince George). As a result, Prince George will need to attend selected trade shows related to anglers and hunters in their respective geographic markets. The purpose of attending these trade shows is to make contact with anglers and hunters who travel and convince them that Prince George should be their preferred destination. Number of qualified contacts made of BC and Alberta anglers and of Canadian and American hunters.  Anglers and hunters are two target groups for which Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC do not typically attend trade shows.  Determine the most appropriate trade shows for the geographic target markets. Determine the best method of obtaining contact information (e.g. encouraging potential visitors to enter a contest with a ballot that collects contact information, including an opt-in box to receive further communication from Prince George). After each trade show, enter contact information and immediately send an enewsletter that provides information about angling or fishing and complementary activities and encourages readers to act now to book a trip to Prince George. Each newsletter should include an opt out box. Angling and hunting businesses.   Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe  Budget  Evaluation mechanism      Tourism British Columbia Tourism Prince George. Starting in 2011 and ongoing. If new trade show materials are needed, they should be prepared after the new branding has been completed. $20K annually, including trade show materials, trade show fees, and travel plus staff time. Number of contest entrants. Number of qualified anglers after the first e-newsletter and first round of opting out. Number of qualified hunters after the first e-newsletter and first round of opting out. Prince George Tourism Plan 41 Tactic #18 Short description       Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale  Action steps           Tourism British Columbia Continue to build image bank. Although Tourism Prince George may already have access to photographic images and video footage, a greater variety of appealing, high impact, tourism-related photos and footage will enhance its own marketing communications and be valuable for cooperative initiatives such as through Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC. Particular emphasis should be placed on well-composed images and footage depicting the priority tourism products (e.g. outdoor activities – summer and winter, sport fishing; heritage, arts, and cultural attractions including downtown Prince George; signature festivals and events, etc.). The majority of images should depict people enjoying the surroundings and activities, and pleasant weather. Close-up shots of interesting details (e.g. a carving or a local wildflower) would also be useful Models (whether hired for the occasion or simply passers-by) should appear reasonably attractive and appealing and, if faces are recognizable, must sign waivers (photo release forms). The images should be high definition to allow for maximum flexibility. Number of high quality images and footage, with the emphasis on quality rather than quantity. It is more useful to have a dozen high quality images than a hundred mediocre images. High quality, visually appealing images and footage are needed for any community tourism organization. They would be used for advertising, collateral materials, media relations, website, etc. Determine the images and footage that are currently available, including through Tourism BC, Northern BC Tourism Region, and other sources. Identify the gaps in images and footage based on the priority products. The process of building the image bank would be expected to continue annually, taking advantage of shots available every season. Create a physical image bank (sometimes known as data asset management system) to have ready and organized access to images. Consult with Tourism BC / Northern BC Tourism Region to determine if costsharing is an option. Prepare the criteria and terms of reference for photographers. Retain photographer and shoot images. Tourism Prince George may also wish to invite photographers to submit existing images that meet the criteria for consideration, with payment negotiated if the images are selected. Ensure the repository of images is organized by subject, with supporting data such as photographer details, talent details and releases, and copyright requirements. Wherever possible, negotiate permanent, non-exclusive rights to the images for use in all media. This will eliminate the need to revisit contracts annually and also keep fees as low as possible, since photographers will retain the right to sell the images to other parties. For video footage, typically used as b-roll for media relations, this is a more costly endeavour than photography. As such, it may not be practical to embark on video Prince George Tourism Plan 42 Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget      Evaluation Mechanism  Tourism British Columbia footage independently, relying instead on joint, cost-shared projects with Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC. City of Prince George, Northern BC Tourism Region, Tourism BC, UNBC. Tourism Prince George. Ongoing, with first set of new images in summer/fall 2010. $15K in year 1 (including the set up of the image bank), then $10K annually, of which $5K should be used for photography and $5K banked each year until an opportunity for video footage comes up (a quality video shoot can cost $50K or more). Much of the image bank work can likely be cost-shared with Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC and could be worth $40K to $50K annually in total, although the portion paid by Prince George would be much less (e.g. $10K annually). Number of high quality images. Prince George Tourism Plan 43 Tactic #19 Short description     Quant. objectives Rationale / relation to strategies   Tourism British Columbia Maximize Tourism BC’s marketing opportunities for Prince George. Tourism BC’s www.hellobc.com website receives over 6 million web visits annually, its HelloBC call centre receives 119,000 calls, and the Tourism BC visitor centres throughout BC receive 3.3 million visitors (all 2007/08 figures). Prince George and the tourism businesses in the area can benefit from the power that these tools provide and the $9 million annually in advertising that drive visitors to these sources of information. The marketing opportunities that are recommended for Prince George include: Content for the community pages of www.hellobc.com (a free service). Contact Northern BC Tourism Region for questions about the community pages. The Welcome the World™ program is a multi-million dollar marketing campaign conducted by Tourism BC in selected high potential cities in Canada and the U.S. The fulfillment mechanisms are through www.hellobc.com and 1800-hellobc. There is a fee to participate in the reservations program and commission is charged. This might be a longer-term initiative for Prince George. More information is available on www.tourismbc.net. The HelloBC.com Listing Program where tourism businesses can maximize the power of Tourism BC’s websites, call centre, and visitor centres. Tourism BC staff also uses the listings as a resource for requests it receives about media relations, from meeting planners, and to advise potential visitors. The listings start at $95 per year and has 3 levels of membership: o Level 1 is the Approved Accommodation Listing both on HelloBC.com and within the Approved Accommodation Guide. Pricing varies according to the size of the accommodation. There is also a listing option for Non Accommodation companies with separate pricing based on which features purchased, with a basic listing of $95 plus gst. o Level 2 is the Reservations Program and costs $100 plus gst to sign up plus a 10% commission for all reservations received through the call centre and HelloBC.com. There is a charge of 15% for all reservations that come through any of the visitor centres. o Level 3 is the Marketing Program - Welcome the World™. The cost for Accommodation is $700 plus gst and Non Accommodation is $200 plus gst. User-generated contest using blogs on www.hellobc.com. Stakeholders in Prince George can add blogs to increase the content on the website about Prince George. This is a free service. Number of web visits to the community pages, individual business results. These opportunities provide exposure for Prince George to its primary target markets as well as markets further afield. This is a particularly efficient way for Prince George to reach beyond BC, as the listings program, for example, is the basis for the Tourism BC websites for North America, UK, Australia, Asia and German- Prince George Tourism Plan 44 Action steps   Potential partners Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism      Tourism British Columbia language websites. Participate in the community content project for Prince George’s community pages of www.hellobc.com. Encourage tourism businesses to participate in the Tourism BC programs. Tourism BC / Northern BC Tourism Region, tourism businesses, festivals and events organizers. Tourism Prince George. Ongoing. Staff time. Number of web visits to the community pages, individual business results. Prince George Tourism Plan 45 Tactic #20  Short description     Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)   Rationale / relation to strategies  Tourism British Columbia Media relations to primary and secondary target groups, including social media. Use unpaid media to generate editorial coverage of events and attractions in the priority product categories, such as outdoor adventure, time-limited experiences, history/heritage, festivals and events, angling, and hunting. Due to the controversial nature of hunting, media relations for this product category should be with huntingrelated media. This media relations tactic includes social media. Currently, social media primarily includes Facebook. There are other options for social media including Twitter, video sharing websites such as YouTube, blogs, content sharing websites, social bookmarking websites, etc. While many destinations use social media to some degree, investments in social media are not easily measurable (at this point in time). While Prince George may choose to dabble in social media, with limited time investment, other forms of marketing are currently proven to be more effective and measurable. However, social media is a new medium and as it grows and changes, Prince George will need to monitor whether to increase its presence in social media. Media relations activities for the different target groups can be proactive or reactive, depending on the expected effectiveness and return on investment. Northern BC Tourism Region and Tourism BC have large media relations teams that are in contact with media worldwide. Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska. This is a key target group for Northern BC Tourism Region and as such, the lead for these media relations activities should be Northern BC Tourism Region, with Tourism Prince George providing support through providing information, ideas, and coordination of media fams, etc. (i.e. reactive media relations). Residents of northern BC. For this target group, Prince George should undertake proactive media relations (as this target group would not be expected to be part of the mandate of Northern BC Tourism Region). Messages should focus on time-limited experiences and new experiences to encourage repeat visitation. Anglers and hunters. As these target groups are likely target groups for Northern BC Tourism Region as well, it should take the lead, with Prince George providing support through providing information, ideas, and coordination of media fams, etc. (i.e. reactive media relations). Work with Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism Region to ensure Prince George receives its share of editorial coverage in their publications and websites. To achieve a minimum of five stories about Prince George reaching the target groups of northern BC residents, five stories reaching the target group of long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska, and two stories each reaching anglers and hunters in year 1. Based on the actual results from year 1, establish objectives for year 2 and beyond. Editorial coverage is cost effective and has high credibility among readers. Prince George Tourism Plan 46 Action steps       Potential partnerships    Responsibilities Timeframe Budget  Evaluation mechanism    Tourism British Columbia Work closely with the Northern BC Tourism Region travel media specialist to establish a list of targeted publications. Determine whether prepared stories, press releases, familiarization tours, or other methods of achieving editorial coverage are appropriate for each. When newsworthy events occur, prepare press releases and distribute to appropriate media. Enhance existing media relationships. Continue to enhance media relations tools such as media kit, story starters, high definition image library, and b-roll if affordable. Regularly monitor whether and how Prince George should use social media. Tourism BC Northern BC Tourism Region. Tourism businesses and community groups. Tourism Prince George. Ongoing. $20K to $25K annually (most of the budget would be used for media fams plus media monitoring service). Press clippings and media monitoring service. Prince George Tourism Plan 47 Tactic #21  Short description         Tourism British Columbia Continue to build Prince George as an event destination (sporting and cultural events). Prince George has been active in hosting sporting events for many years and with the greater interest in sport tourism among other communities, there is expected to be greater competition. Cultural events are considered an emerging product in Prince George but the provisions for sporting events would also apply to cultural events. Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders are identified as a key target market, particularly for regional and provincial events. National and international events in particular sports can also be targeted but due to Prince George’s location, its ability to draw participants for national and international sporting events may be more of a challenge than for regional and provincial events. The City of Prince George commissioned the Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan by Yates, Thorn & Associates, completed December 2008. It contains recommendations and priorities relating to event hosting. Some or all of its recommendations can be implemented but would need at least one fulltime staff position to do so. Where is staff position resides is to be determined. Prince George’s ability to host more sporting events is currently hampered by its high occupancy rates. While other communities use sporting events to fill rooms during low season, Prince George has high occupancy rates throughout the year. As a result, accommodation properties may not be motivated to participate in sporting events that may be lower yield than business travellers and may increase the wear-and-tear on rooms. Related to this is the desire for sport groups to use sporting events to further sport development in the community. Without a share in revenue generated by sporting events, there is little incentive for sport groups to bid for and provide volunteers to host these events. An emerging best practise is for accommodation properties to pay a commission to the organizing sport group for rooms related to the sporting event, with this commission being used to fund sport development in the community. This commission would be in addition to a “sport rate”. In addition to commissions, other communities provide sport hosting grants, often funded by the municipality, sometimes by both the DMO and municipality, based on number of room nights (the total fund for sport hosting grants may be in the $20K to $100K range on an annual basis). This type of structure for sport hosting grants encourages sport groups to host sporting events that attract significant numbers of out-of-town visitors, encouraging the tourism industry and sport groups to share common goals There is currently an Events Prince George website. With the new, expanded Tourism Prince George organization, it is recommended that information related to event be included in the main Tourism Prince George website and that events fall under the general tourism brand identity to ensure visitors coming to attend events receive similar messages about Prince George as all other target groups. The Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan also refers to arts and culture events. Festivals and events are identified as a separate tactic – see Tactic Prince George Tourism Plan 48 Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps   Sporting event organizers or sporting event rights holders are identified as a key target market and sport tourism is identified as a priority in Prince George.  To be determined, using the Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan as the base. In addition to the actions identified in this plan, Prince George has an opportunity to increase the length of stay and/or party size of those attending events. If information about what there is to see and do in Prince George is provided to potential participants and spectators in advance, they may choose to spend an extra day experiencing some activities in Prince George and/or they may decide to bring the whole family and make a vacation out of the trip. As part of the registration package, perhaps some special offers to encourage event participants or spectators to experience more of Prince George could be included (e.g. two for one meals; buy one admission, get second at half price, etc.). These special offers should be carefully selected to be of interest and value to sport tourism visitors or cultural event visitors. Continue to keep the Prince George pages on www.hostingbc.ca updated to ensure the most recent information is available to sporting event organizers and event rights holders that use the website. Local sport organizations for sporting events. Cultural organizations for cultural events, including CN Centre. Accommodation sector. At least one full-time staff person that could reside at City of Prince George and/or Tourism Prince George (to be determined). This full-time staff person can help bid for events and can help event organizers to maximize the tourism benefits from events but the responsibility for forming a bid committee and organizing an event would rest with sport groups or cultural groups (consistent with best practices in sport tourism). Starting in Year 2 and ongoing. As recommended in the Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan, $45K for marketing and operations, $5K for decision support tool plus staff time. An additional budget for sport hosting grants should be allocated that further encourages sporting event organizers to bring in those events that attract out-oftown visitors (e.g. $20K to $100K annually). These hosting grants would be in addition to the commissions from accommodation properties. The hosting grants recognize the economic benefits of sporting events that attract visitors from outside the community. The size of the total fund for hosting grants is to be determined. The specifics of the hosting grants will be determined by the amount of funding available but could include the following characteristics: Pre-event  Event organizers prepare an application that includes estimates of participants   Potential partnerships    Responsibilities   Timeframe Budget #8. To be determined, using the Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan as the base.     Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 49 Evaluation mechanism   Tourism British Columbia and spectators and projected economic impact using a prescribed economic impact model.  The granting bodies interview event organizers and confirm application and any special requirements for facilities. Post event  The granting bodies receive and reconcile receipts and tallies for overnight stays from event organizers and accommodation providers.  Event organizers complete the prescribed economic impact model for review by municipal staff.  The granting bodies calculate the grant amount (an example used by another sport tourism community: 15% x facility cost + ($1.25 x room nights).  Once approved, the granting bodies forward cheque to event organizers with a copy of the economic impact statement for use in next year’s sponsorship drive. As per Prince George Event Hosting Strategy and Action Plan. Track number of rooms attributed to sport tourism through accommodation commissions and sport hosting grants. Prince George Tourism Plan 50 Tactic #22 Short description       Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)    Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism         Tourism British Columbia Continue to build meetings and conventions in Prince George. Prince George has a significant asset in its meeting and convention facilities, including meeting space at accommodation properties and the Prince George Civic Centre. While individual hotels would promote their meeting space independently just as they promote their accommodation rooms independently, the DMO should focus on city-wide meetings and conventions just as it promotes Prince George as a whole. As with other cities with publicly-funded convention facilities (such as Vancouver), the optimal approach in maximizing benefits from the meetings and conventions sector is collaborative planning and implementation between the convention facility and the DMO (as the DMO inherently represents the tourism industry as a whole including accommodation). Prince George has the biggest strengths among corporations and associations with significant presence in northern BC (i.e. those with head offices, branch offices, or chapters of an association). Specific corporations and associations would need to be identified through joint planning between meeting and convention facilities and Tourism Prince George, client research, roles and responsibilities of the respective organizations, performance objectives and milestones, etc. The outcome would be a joint plan for meetings and conventions. Some outreach is already taking place through the Ambassador Program. Like sporting events, it will be important to measure the economic impact of major meetings and conventions. Number of non-resident delegate days at Prince George Civic Centre (already being tracked). Number of room nights attributed to meetings and conventions. Other quantifiable objectives to be set based on joint planning between meeting and convention facilities, including Prince George Civic Centre, and Tourism Prince George. Meetings and conventions is a high yield product sector. Hold joint planning meetings with meeting and convention facilities and Tourism Prince George. Action steps to come out of these meetings. To be determined. Local chapters of associations and local branch offices. Tourism Prince George and meeting and convention facilities. Joint plan to be developed in 2010. $50K annual allowance. Amounts to be confirmed upon completion of plan. Prince George Civic Centre tracking. Survey of accommodation properties and/or delegates. Prince George Tourism Plan 51 Tactic #23  Short description    Quantifiable objectives Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps      Pot’l partners Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Eval. mech.      Tourism British Columbia Encourage increased tourism from those already coming to Prince George for events such as sporting events and meetings and conventions. Prince George already hosts sporting events and meetings and conventions that attract out-of-town visitors. Prince George has an opportunity to increase the length of stay and/or party size of those that have already decided to come to Prince George. For example, those coming for a meeting or convention could be encouraged to come earlier or stay an extra day and/or bring a spouse or partner if they are made aware of activities that are of interest to them. For those attending a meeting or convention, adult-oriented activities would be of interest including group tours for the non-attending spouse or partner. It will be important that Prince George works with the meeting or convention organizer to ensure this information is provided to potential attendees prior to making plans for their trip. This can be followed up with special offers that can be provided to delegates upon arrival. For sporting events, information should be provided to potential participants and spectators in advance so they may choose to spend an extra day experiencing some activities in Prince George and/or they may decide to bring the whole family and make a vacation out of the trip. As part of the registration package, perhaps some special offers to encourage sport tourism participants or spectators to experience more of Prince George could be included (e.g. two for one meals; buy one admission, get second at half price, etc.). These special offers should be carefully selected to be of interest and value to sport tourism visitors. This information can be valuable to meeting and convention and sporting event organizers as it can help them increase attendance (through positioning Prince George as an attractive place to spend some time). Take up of special offers and/or tours. Prince George already has sporting event attendees and delegates to meetings and conventions making the trip to Prince George. Through relatively minimal effort, it can increase tourism revenue. Identify upcoming meetings and conventions with significant numbers of out-oftown delegates. Identify upcoming sporting events with significant numbers of out-of-town participants or spectators. Work with the meeting and convention or sporting event organizer to provide the type of offers that would be of greatest interest to their attendees. As the meeting and convention and sporting event organizers have other priorities, it will be important that the tourism offers are simple for the organizer to incorporate. Meeting and convention organizers, sporting event organizers. Tourism Prince George. Ongoing, starting in Year 2. Staff time plus $5K for production and printing. Take up of special offers and/or tours. Prince George Tourism Plan 52 Longer Term Market Development Tactics Tactic #24  Short description       Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps         Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism        Tourism British Columbia Implement a “Be A Tourist In Your Own Town” promotion to familiarize local residents with Prince George’s tourism product and encourage them to be tourism ambassadors. Coinciding with the beginning of the tourism season in spring, residents will be invited to purchase and use a special “passport”, which entitles them to free or twofor-one admission (or other high value offers) at area attractions, tours, restaurants, shops, etc. for a limited time. For example, this could take place in March/April for a two-week period. The passports can be available through the visitor centre and other outlets, at a nominal cost (under $10) in relation to the retail value represented (at least $500). When residents use their passports at participating business or events, the passport is validated (e.g. with an official stamp). Once a predetermined number of stamps are obtained, the passport may be used as an entry form, to be deposited at the visitor centre or other designated location by a given date. A winning entry is then chosen, with the winner receiving a grand prize (minimum $1,000 value) consisting of items/offers donated by the participating businesses. Attractions or performing arts groups that do not charge admission fees can also participate by offering to stamp passport for their visitors. This promotion may encourage residents who may not normally participate in a “tourist activity” to experience the variety of experiences in Prince George. This promotion can be used for media relations purposes with local media and used to emphasize the importance of tourism in Prince George. Number of passports purchased. Number of participating businesses or groups. Number of entries. Local residents are potential tourism ambassadors who may invite their friends and relatives to visit Prince George and can provide information on its many activities and attractions. Organize the mechanisms (e.g. passports, stamps, signage, etc.) to implement the promotion. Obtain agreement from business operators and non-profit groups to participate in the campaign. Obtain discounts, special offers and grand prize elements through tourism-related businesses in the communities. Promote the event through local advertising, posters and media releases. Local media, tourism-oriented businesses and arts and cultural groups in the area, Initiatives Prince George. Tourism Prince George. Year 2 and annually thereafter. $5K annually (may be offset by passport purchase price) plus significant staff time. Number of passports purchased. Number of participating businesses or groups. Number of entries. Prince George Tourism Plan 53 Research and Evaluation Tactics Tactic #25 Short description     Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps   Tracking is important to measure tourism growth and track success of tourism initiatives.  Contact Tourism BC about assistance with tracking, such as through providing formats. See www.tourismbc.com/Research/ResourcesForResearchers/HowToGuides.aspx Determine key attractions to be involved in tracking. Obtain agreement from key attractions and event organizers to take on this responsibility. Confirm formats; work with key attractions and event organizers to put systems in place to track. Tourism BC. Key attractions and event organizers. UNBC. Tourism Prince George. Ideally, a baseline should be established using 2010 data. Staff time. N/a    Potential partnerships    Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism Set up and maintain tracking for key attractions, festivals and events. To ensure Prince George can track tourism growth, especially for day trips, key attractions and festivals/events in the communities can be used as indicators. Attendance would be tracked by attractions operators and organizers of ticketed events. Attendance at major non-ticketed events would be estimated through reliable, objective sources or methods. An example could be to count the number of entrants to an event (assuming there are a limited number of entrances) for half an hour during at least three different day parts on each day N/a     Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 54 Tactic #26  Short description      Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps   Tracking of tourism marketing activities should occur to determine whether each activity should be continued, expanded, changed, or abandoned.  Discuss tracking needs and methods with website developer and visitor centre manager. Implement tracking. UNBC.  Potential partnerships Responsibilities Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism Ensure comprehensive tracking of website traffic and calls to 1-800 # is implemented. Track website traffic and calls to the 1-800 # to create a monthly report that includes: Number of unique visits to website home page Most visited pages (unique landing pages can be created to track response to specific promotions) Source of links (e.g. from search engine, from HelloBC.com, etc. Number of phone calls to visitor centre information line Most-requested topics/items. Compare results month to month and year to year. Some of this tracking may already be taking place but this more comprehensive tracking allows for better evaluation of tactics. This tracking becomes more important with the greater emphasis on destination messages using the Prince George website and the visitor centre toll free line as the calls to action in the various marketing and advertising activities. An online survey could also be implemented to ask more comprehensive questions of website visitors. N/a      Tourism British Columbia Tourism Prince George. Year 3 and ongoing. Staff time. N/a Prince George Tourism Plan 55 Tactic #27  Short description   Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies  Action steps     Potential partnerships  Responsibilities    Timeframe Budget Evaluation mechanism    Tourism British Columbia Continue to encourage local accommodation providers to participate in Tourism BC’s Commercial Accommodation Survey. Currently, accommodation properties in Prince George are participating in Tourism BC Value of Tourism Model that uses accommodation data to estimate visitor volume and direct tourism expenditures within a community. The data is collected from accommodation operators (both fixed roof and campgrounds) and is then applied to regional, provincial and national tourism indicators to provide an informed estimate of the number of visitors and their expenditures in each community. The accommodation properties fill out 12 months worth of monthly data such that the economic impact of tourism to Prince George can be calculated. Once the Value of Tourism analysis has been completed, it is recommended that the monthly Commercial Accommodation Survey be used to track occupancy on a regular basis. While BC Stats tracks room revenue and Pannell Kerr Forster tracks occupancy, they do not track the full extent of accommodation options in Prince George. With the Commercial Accommodation Survey, not only will the hotels collecting the hotel tax be included, but it can also include bed & breakfasts and campgrounds. With this fuller picture of accommodation in Prince George, this allows Prince George to better able to track total tourism revenues in Prince George. Date Value of Tourism model is completed and date the Commercial Accommodation Survey is started. Tracking is important to measure tourism growth and track success of tourism initiatives. There is a need to educate local residents and businesses about the economic importance of tourism in the community. Determine interest of accommodation properties to be involved in tracking. At least 50% of accommodation rooms/campsites would need to participate to provide meaningful data. Distribute surveys to participants. Tourism BC Research Department. UNBC. Tourism Prince George. Accommodation providers. A baseline should be established using 2009/10 data. Staff time. Date Value of Tourism model is implemented and date the Commercial Accommodation Survey is started. Prince George Tourism Plan 56 Tactic #28  Short description  Quantifiable objectives (if applicable) Rationale / relation to strategies Action steps  Conduct a visitor study to better understand visitation to Prince George and to inform the branding initiative. Although Prince George has some limited research, it needs a quantitative, comprehensive, Prince George-specific research to serve a number of purposes: - To better understand the various segments of visitors, their interests, and their motivations relating to a current or potential trip to Prince George. The key segments of visitors are residents of northern BC, long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska, anglers, and hunters. The size of each segment and demographic makeup need to be identified. A potential tourism product for which there is no information is industrial tourism. The extent of interest for this product should also be explored in the visitor study. - To estimate total tourism revenue in Prince George, first to set a baseline and subsequently to track growth in tourism revenue. Direct visitor spending in Prince George should be used as the measure for tourism revenue. - To provide meaningful insight into visitors’ motivations for making a trip to Prince George, and their impressions of Prince George compared to other destinations need to be explored. such that the results can be used to prepare a positioning statement/subsequent branding for tourism in Prince George. Date visitor study is completed.  Visitor research will help ensure that destination development and market development initiatives are as effective as possible.  Work with professional research firm with experience in visitor research and destination branding. UNBC. Potential  partnerships Responsibilities  Timeframe  Budget  Evaluation mechanism  Tourism British Columbia Tourism Prince George. Spring/summer/fall 2010. While the portion of the study that estimates visitor spending could take a full year, the portion that explores visitors’ motivations and impressions of Prince George could take place during the spring/summer/fall of 2010 to inform the positioning/branding process. $50K to $75K, depending on methodology chosen. An update to the visitor study is recommended in 2015. Date visitor study is completed. Prince George Tourism Plan 57 BUDGET The following budget presents broad estimates for budgeting purposes only. No quotes have been obtained. Tactic 1. Promote and deliver tourism education programs and training tools 2. Continue regular communications with tourism stakeholders 3. Help facilitate multi business tourism packages 4. Increase opportunities to experience outdoor adventure 5. Support increase in capacity and infrastructure for sport fishing 6. Help facilitate improvements to the visitor experience in Prince George, particularly in the downtown area 7. Analyze the potential of moving the Visitor Centre 8. Work with existing festivals and events to help expand those that have the potential to be motivators for travel 9. Build better relationships with LHEIDLI T’ENNEH First Nation 10. Investigate the feasibility of a commercial tourism development along the two rivers 11. Maintain and enhance the tourism product inventory 12. Develop a new tourism brand identity 13. Incorporate the Golden Raven program into marketing activities for Prince George 14. Enhance Visitor Guide, collateral materials, and tourism website with new content and updated design 15. Increase advertising in key markets 16. Optimize website for search engines and embark on SEM 17. Utilize selected angling and hunting related trade shows 18. Continue to build image bank 19. Maximize Tourism BC’s marketing opportunities 20. Media relations to primary and secondary target groups, including social media 2010 2011 $000s 2012 5 5 5 5 5 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 50-70 30-40 30-40 30-40 30-40 100 150-250 150-250 150-250 150-250 20-30 20-30 20-30 20-30 20 20 20 20 10 X 10 X 10 X 10 X 10 X 20-25 20-25 20-25 20-25 20-25 X 2013 2014 50-80 50 + hosting 50 + hosting 50 + hosting 50 + hosting 21. Continue to build PG as an event destination Tourism British Columbia grant fund grant fund grant fund Prince George Tourism Plan 58 grant fund Tactic 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 50 50 50 50 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25 25 25 25 22. Continue to build meetings and conventions in Prince George 23. Encourage increased tourism from those already coming to Prince George for events 24. Implement a “Be A Tourist In Your Own Town” promotion 25. Set up, maintain tracking for key attractions, festivals & events 26. Ensure tracking of website traffic and calls to 1800 # 27. Participate in Tourism BC’s Commercial Accommodation Survey 28. Conduct a visitor study to better understand visitation to Prince George and to inform the branding initiative Funds to take advantage of unexpected marketing opportunities Total ($000) 50-75 25 310-390+ 385-510+ 390-515+ 390-515+ 390-515+ These budget amounts encompass all the tactics in this tourism plan where budgets can be estimated. This assumes approximately $350K for marketing activities from Tourism Prince George’s budget to ensure the overall budget for the Prince George Tourism Plan is realistic. However, this does not suggest that Tourism Prince George has agreed to these budget amounts. As with all organizations identified in this plan, Tourism Prince George will still need to review the plan and determine which parts, if any, of the Prince George Tourism Plan it is prepared to undertake. This budget does not include salaries, operating expenses, or running the Visitor Centre. Legend X = staff time only, no budget TBD = budget to be determined, as it can vary widely for development projects Blank = not taking place this year Shading: yellow=destination development, green=market development, blue=research and evaluation tactics Any earned revenue that Tourism Prince George generates should be used to apply toward these initiatives. While earned revenue is valuable, it is more important to have adequate base funding to ensure that the process of generating earned revenue does not detract from the business of attracting visitors. For example, revenue is often earned in some community DMOs through co-operative ads and through selling advertising in the visitor guide. It is important to ensure that there is sufficient space in co-operative ads to sell the destination through brand messages. Community Tourism Opportunities Program Community Tourism Opportunities is a Province-wide program funded by Tourism BC and administered by the six Regional Destination Marketing Organizations (RDMO). This is an application-based program. Launched in 2008, the program provides co-operative funding for eligible tourism activities in Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 59 communities throughout BC. The community must have sufficient funding to pay project-related expenses in full prior to claiming their allotted reimbursement. Tourism BC provides the RDMOs with the funds to reimburse communities for their approved CTO projects. Contact Northern BC Tourism Region for more details. Tourism British Columbia Prince George Tourism Plan 60