MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
I was delighted to be able to attend the Tourism Golden AGM on April 9th. Joanne Sweeting, Marketing Executive and Rachel Wilde, Marketing & Administration Coordinator, put together a great event. TOURISM GOLDEN has just hired a new Communications and Social Media Coordinator, Andy Brown, who did an amazing job the last couple of years wearing many hats at KICKING HORSE MOUNTAIN RESORT. We look forward to continuing to work with Andy!
At the Tourism Golden AGM, guest speaker Marsha Walden, CEO of DESTINATION BC presented to the community members in attendance, on the new provincial strategy and plans for tourism growth. Key highlights were that worldwide tourism growth over the next twenty years is predicted at 100% and the key message around that, is it will be a highly competitive environment and in this new era we have to work with with new partners in new ways to be successful. The good news for our industry is that tourism is now identified as one of the eight sectors in the BC Job Plan.
KOOTENAY ROCKIES TOURISM would like to wish Ian Robertson, President & CEO of TIABC all the best as he moves on to a new position this month with the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. We wish him well in his new venture. And thank you Ian for all of your hard work for the tourism industry of British Columbia.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the TIABC INDUSTRY CONFERENCE. This year’s theme is Connect, Innovate and Inspire. Dates are October 19, 20 and 21 in Vancouver. TIABC is thrilled to welcome Destination BC as a major sponsor of the conference. A conference committee is in place and working hard to release details on the program and gala awards dinner. Stay tuned for more updates on this from TIABC.
Closer to home, our own AGM & TIC is taking place in Revelstoke this year on October 6 & 7 at the Regent Hotel. We hope you will be able to attend as we have many interesting topical sessions planned over the course of the two half days as well as a Silent Auction and opportunities to explore Revelstoke. More information on the AGM & TIC in this newsletter.
Another goodbye and good luck to Keith Baker of go2HR who is leaving the organization early May. He will be joining Clearly Contacts, an online eyewear company, as the Regional Marketing Manager for their Canadian e-commerce activities. Keith has been a wonderful supporter of tourism and a great resource for our office in his position with go2HR. Keith attended our conference last year and was one of our guest speakers. Good luck Keith with your new career path!
Coming up in May, I will be attending RENDEZ-VOUS CANADA (RVC), Canada’s premier international tourism marketplace led by the CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION (CTC), connecting international buyers with Canadian sellers of tourism products. The event, held annually in a different Canadian city, will be in Niagara Falls, Ontario this year. There will be approximately 1,500 international tourism industry leaders gathered for a series of “speed-dating-style” appointments with International buyers seeking the best-matched Canadian tourism sellers. The end result: travellers get to choose from the best selection of Canadian experiences. Our role at this show is to speak to the tour operators about all of the wonderful opportunities, accommodations, activities and other products we have in the Kootenay Rockies.
Lastly some answers to questions about the new Explorer Quotient ® (EQ) that Destination BC will be making available to every tourism business in BC – free of charge! Interested BC tourism organizations can follow three easy steps to gain access to proprietary EQ resources.
1. Contact Destination BC at TourismResearch@DestinationBC.ca to express interest in signing up as an EQ sub-licensee and provide the name of a contact person and contact information for your organization.
2. Destination BC, upon confirming your organization’s eligibility, will provide the contact information to the Canadian Tourism Commission.
3. The Canadian Tourism Commission will then provide your organization with a password to the EQ library and instructions on how to install the EQ quiz on your organization’s website, if so desired.
In closing, I hope you are all enjoying a great spring so far and that inquiries for summer bookings are up. Remember we would love to hear from you on how it’s going!
Kathy Cooper,
CEO & Travel Trade
KOOTENAY ROCKIES AGM & TOURISM INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
The 2015 KOOTENAY ROCKIES AGM & TOURISM INDUSTRY CONFERENCE will take place at the Regent Hotel in the beautiful mountain town of Revelstoke on October 6 & 7.
This event would not be possible without the support of our valued sponsors and the generous donations to our Silent Auction. Kootenay Rockies is committed to keeping the Conference free-of-charge to allow every tourism partner in the region to attend. The nominal registration fees are to assist the association with catering fees. An investment in our event Sponsorship program provides an outstanding opportunity to support this premier regional tourism event and to position your organization as a regional leader. This is the opportunity to reach almost 100 regional tourism partners including a wide range of business owners, senior management and key decision makers from the Kootenay Rockies region and beyond.
Sponsorship opportunities are limited and available on a “first come first served” basis so don’t miss out! CLICK HERE FOR 2015 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
We are also currently accepting Silent Auction items. A night’s stay, activities, restaurant meals, destination packages, golf rounds, lift tickets, air travel vouchers, local products and more – all are welcome! The Silent Auction is also a great way to promote your product and experiences to tourism professionals from the Kootenay Rockies. Who knows, they could become your business’s best ambassadors!
Please contact Corinne Crowder Reception@KootenayRockies.com to donate to the Silent Auction.
While we are still working on finalizing the agenda, we are pleased to announce that delegates will benefit from preferred rates on accommodation at the Conference venue – the Regent Hotel and at the Best Western PLUS Revelstoke. For more accommodation information please CLICK HERE.
We look forward to working with you in showcasing your business and hosting another successful AGM & TIC!
GOING GREEN!
In our quest to become “greener”, Kootenay Rockies Tourism is now offering invoices via email. If you are interested in being part of our program, please contact Bonnie in our accounting department. Accounting@KootenayRockies.com or 250.427.4838 ext 205.
As well, our Marketing Department has switched over to electronic form submissions for Participation agreements on Tourism Partners program projects. We hope this change works well for our partners!
ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR SUMMER VISITORS?
The Kootenay Rockies guides are available for free distribution. Keep your visitors informed of everything there is to see and do while they are visiting your community. The May long weekend is around the corner – order Kootenay Rockies brochures today and fill your display rack. To order your guides contact Karen@KootenayRockies.com.
KOOTENAYROCKIES.COM AND THE KOOTENAY APP
The Kootenay Rockies All-In-One Platform is being enhanced. Content on product pages is being expanded to 300+ words, large imagery is being featured, a photo slide show is being added, print pieces are uploaded to KOOTENAYBROCHURES.CA Special offers are being posted and much more!
Have you signed up for the COMPLETE ONLINE PACKAGE yet?
$120.00 per year includes everything – details can be found here: KRTOURISM.CA/STAYCONNECTED
Have a look at some COMPLETE ONLINE PACKAGES already booked:
Community – RADIUM HOT SPRINGS
Adventure – TALUS LODGE
Golf – FERNIE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Dining – ST. EUGENE GOLF RESORT CASINO
Lodging – DOCK ‘N’ DUCK
Attractions – KIMBERLEY UNDERGROUND MINING RAILWAY
STAY CONNECTED & SIGN UP! today for an uninterrupted web presence.
Beginning May 2015, partners who have not signed up for either Option #1 or #2 will have their business information minimized to Option #3.
CANADA-BC JOB GRANT WEBINAR – Registration deadline May 1
Do you have staff that would benefit from upgrading skills to take on a new job or additional responsibilities in their current job? Have you identified future employees that you’d like to hire, but they need some additional training to succeed on the job?
With the Canada-BC Job Grant, funding is available to help pay up to two-thirds of the training costs for new or current employees.
go2HR – BC’s tourism and hospitality human resources association is pleased to host an online info session to guide you through the Canada-BC Job Grant program. In this interactive webinar you will learn:
- the types of organizations and employees that can apply for the grant;
- the types of training and training providers that are eligible; and
- how to complete your application, including an overview of how to use the required forms.
As this year’s funding is expected to run out before the end of March 2016, now is the time to get your application submitted.
DATE: Monday, May 4, 2015
TIME: 10:30am-11:30am
LOCATION: Webinar
REGISTER: Complete the form by Fri, May 1, 2015 – REGISTRATION
COST: Complimentary
The CANADA-BC JOB GRANT is a cost-sharing program that helps employers offset the cost of training for new or current employees. By helping employers like you invest in the workforce, the grant helps ensure staff have the training they need so that your business succeeds.
TEAM MEMBER PROFILE
For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting our Media Relations Specialist, Heidi Korven in person, we would like to tell you a little bit about her.
Although born in New Zealand, Heidi’s family moved to the Kootenay area when she was very small and she has lived in Kimberley with her husband and two daughters for most of her life. Heidi and her husband are passionate outdoor people and have taken their young girls all over the world on incredible hiking and trekking adventures. As well, they spend much of their free time exploring the Kootenay Rockies and this solidifies her as a ‘true, authentic’ expert that Media trust when planning to write about this area.
Heidi celebrates her 10 year anniversary with Kootenay Rockies Tourism in mid-May. Heidi started with us as our Administrative Assistant and quickly took on becoming our unofficial IT person as well. She soon moved into the Marketing department as a coordinator, organizing all consumer shows and partner participation. When the Media Relations position opened up, Heidi was the perfect fit for the new role.
A consumate perfectionist in all of her work with Media, she has received high accolades from many of them and from the team at DBC. We are proud that she is one of our team!
For a complete list of the Kootenay Rockies team, check out the link – KOOTENAY ROCKIES TEAM MEMBERS.
HELLO BC LISTINGS PROGRAMS
HELLOBC.COM provides even greater value to consumers and HelloBC Listings partners. Destination BC is continually evaluating consumer trends as well as striving to serve our business partners more effectively. As a result we’re excited to share three great updates on HelloBC.com that are specific benefits to HelloBC Listings participants.
1. Book Now Button – Consumers can now click on a “Book Now” button in your listing which will take them directly to your website to make a reservation or purchase tickets – no more commissions and third party involvement. CLICK HERE to see an example.
2. Randomized Listing Sort – This is a more equitable approach than the previous static alphabetical sort and provides a more comprehensive reference for consumers. CLICK HERE to see an example.
3. Travel Deals – Suppliers can now post two separate Travel Deals on HelloBC.com for each paid listing that you have. In addition, TRAVEL DEALS will now have filters, new deal categories and date range options as well as a more user-friendly interface for consumers.
If you would like a “Book Now” button in your Hello BC listing, email your reservations URL to ProductServices@DestinationBC.ca. Please be sure to include your company name in this email.
Please visit HelloBC.com to explore site improvements. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact ProductServices@DestinationBC.ca or call 1.800.822.7899.
NEW DESTINATION BC TOURISM BUSINESS ESSENTIALS GUIDE – RESEARCH GUIDE FOR TOURISM OPERATORS
The essential guide on how to conduct tourism research explains why tourism research is important for tourism businesses and operators. The guide provides direction on how to conduct tourism research, what type of information can be collected, how to process, analyze and evaluate research results, and where additional guidance can be found.
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW RESEARCH GUIDE.
IS YOUR WEBSITE MOBILE FRIENDLY?
A mobile-friendly site is simply a site that is optimized for hand-held devices, such as smartphones and tablets. It must load fast, be easy to read, easy to navigate, with minimal scrolling and should avoid using “Flash”.
If you don’t know for sure, please take this simple TEST.
In a recent article by ‘INSIGHTS WEST‘ they stated that over 68 percent of British Columbians own a smartphone and almost three-quarters or 73 percent of those used that smartphone to research products or services.
Now is the time to optimize your website and attract more customers!
Here are some additional links to related articles:
GOOGLE MOBILE-FRIENDLY ALGORITHM: HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS BE AFFECTED?
UPCOMING MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
REACH: Brides in Calgary & Edmonton
2015/2016 Bridal Shows
Starting at $820 for a 10×10 Booth
(Deadline: May 29 for Fall Shows)
REACH: Viewers in Vancouver/Victoria, Edmonton & Calgary areas
2015 CTV Alberta & BC TV Campaign
Starting at $3,810 for 112, 15-second spots
(Deadline: Sep 11)
REACH: Motorcyclist & ATV Riders from Western Canada
2015 RidersWest Magazine – Summer Issue (NEW)
Starting at $630 for a 1/4 Page Ad
(Deadline: May 6)
REACH: Touring & RV Enthusiasts from Western Canada
2015 RVWest Magazine – Summer Issue
Starting at $900.67 for a 1/4 Page Ad
(Deadline: May 13)
REACH: Snowmobile & ATV Riders from Western Canada
2015 Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Shows
Starting at $505 for a 10×10 Booth
(Deadline: May 29)
