Oceanside Tourism Activity Summary
As part of the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, Tourism British Columbia is pleased to provide this overview of the impressive work that has been accomplished by communities and their commitment toward ensuring our province exceed expectations as a visitor destination. Tourism BC works with regional, community and industry partners on multiple programs that provide tools to further develop business opportunities and complement the provincial Gaining the Edge Tourism Strategy. Community Tourism Contact Regional Destination Management Organization (RDMO) Oceanside Tourism Association Tourism Vancouver Island
Blain Sepos, Executive Director Dave Petryk, President & CEO
250‐248‐6300 ext. 5 250‐754‐3500
www.oceansidetourism.com www.tourismvi.ca
Total Annual Investment involving Tourism BC with Oceanside: April 2011 – March 2012 April 2010 – March 2011 $23,000
$24,766
$62,828 (Operators: $62,828)
$44,134 (Operators: $44,134)
Visitor Services: $62,669
$45,000
2% Additional Hotel Room Tax Revenue: $427,952
$417,440
Community Tourism Opportunities (TBC $): Tourism Partners (TBC $): COMMUNITY TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES Cooperative funding is provided by the Partnership Marketing branch of the Tourism division of the Ministry, and accessed through Tourism Vancouver Island, to assist communities that are able to implement eligible tourism initiatives. The Ministry contributed $23,000 to Oceanside in support of the following Community Tourism Opportunities projects in the most recent fiscal year completed: Project: TBC $: Details: Go Vancouver Island Campaign $17,586 App Development & Maintenance $5,414 Further leveraged TVI's investment (via flex funds) to bring more Oceanside Tourism partners into this TV and web campaign focussed on Alberta. In fiscal 2010‐11, Oceanside Tourism developed an iPhone app / mobile website. Its huge popularity and growth encouraged development of apps for Android, BlackBerry, and iPad. OTA can now serve all potential visitors and observe mobile's vertical growth curve. TOURISM PARTNERS Tourism BC investments in regionally‐managed co‐op marketing programs are generally matched by participating tourism stakeholders. These cooperative funds provide the opportunity for communities and tourism businesses to participate in sophisticated marketing campaigns coordinated by Tourism Vancouver Island. For fiscal 2011/12 Oceanside participated in Tourism Partners activities including the Vacation Guide, A‐Channel‐Don't Miss A Moment, Alberta Campaign Go VI, BC Home & Garden Show, Calgary Home Show, Vancouver Island Digital Asset Management Project, Edmonton Home Show, EQ Program, Wine Islands Guide, Travel Zoo, Garden Trail, Great Getaways, Special Places Program, Outdoor Guide and the Travel Planning Map. Oceanside Tourism’s participation in the Tourism Partners program was a bulk buy and then offered to operators. Therefore this amount has been distributed to the operator totals. COMMUNITY TOURISM FOUNDATIONS Tourism Planning An intensive community tourism planning program provided by Tourism BC that utilizes the services of a professional facilitator who works with the community tourism stakeholders and the RDMO to create a short or long term Tourism Strategy aimed at enhancing and growing the local tourism industry. Oceanside completed the Community Tourism Foundations program in October 2007 and held a Revisit meeting in February 2009 to review implementation and update the plan tactics. The comparable market value of these services is approximately $30,000. HELLOBC.COM HelloBC.com, BC’s official tourism consumer website, received 5.3 million visits in 2011. There are 17 and 15 pages dedicated to Qualicum Beach and Parksville, respectively, highlighting destination and activity information. There were 48,132 organically‐searched page‐views of Oceanside’s content on HelloBC.com during fiscal 2011/12, an increase of 28% over the previous year. During the same period the Vancouver Island regional‐
level pages on HelloBC.com received 449,737 views, an increase of 15% over the previous year. VISITOR SERVICES Community Visitor Centres enhance the overall visitor experience by professionally promoting tourism activities in the area. In the past year Tourism BC through the Visitor Centre Network program provided the Parksville and Qualicum Beach Visitor Centres with $47,669 (combined) in Fee for Service funding in recognition of regional and provincial servicing. Visitor Centre Network membership benefits also include access to trademarks, highway signage, training and materials, staff uniforms, online statistics database and educational SharePoint site, as well as participation in an annual Network conference. In fiscal 2011/12 the Qualicum Beach and Parksville Visitor Centres received an additional payment of $7,500 each to assist with the purchase of materials, supplies and services to upgrade and improve services. TR AVEL TRADE On behalf of all communities in the Vancouver Island region and with support from Tourism BC, Tourism Vancouver Island representatives attended the following trade events: Discover BC receptive tour operator presentations; International Travel Trade Berlin (ITB); CTC Rendezvous Canada; Canada’s West Marketplace; World Travel Market UK, National Tour Association (NTA), and Canadian Inbound Tourism ‐ Asia/Pacific (CITAP). Tourism Vancouver Island also conducted sales calls and training to Canadian Inbound Receptive Operators, these included: Jonview, JAC Travel, Entree Destinations, Dominion Tours, Discover Holidays and Club ESL. Tourism Vancouver Island hosted a total of 17 familiarization trips for a total of approximately 125 trade participants over the past year. These trade fams included: Audley Travel, (United Kingdom), Australia SuperFam, Belgium‐Jonview, Canadian Affair (United Kingdom), Comptoir (France), Canada’s West (Variety of markets), Dubman Tours (Russia), Holam (Mexico), New Zealand Super Fam, Jalpak (Japan), VIP Golf Fam (Germany, US), Prestige Holidays (United Kingdom), Tourism BC Asia and SK Touristik (Germany). TRAVEL MEDIA RELATIONS On behalf of all communities throughout the Vancouver Island region, and with the support of Tourism BC, Tourism Vancouver Island representatives attended the following travel media events: Canada Media Marketplace, Go Media Canada, media events in Vancouver and Calgary, and the annual conference of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Tourism Vancouver Island supported press visits to the region by journalists from a wide range of outlets. Average annual advertising equivalency of the free media coverage generated is estimated in excess of $5.9 million. PRINT: Journey Magazine, Wellbeing Magazine, Spa Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, Sunset Magazine, Advanced Diver Magazine, News of the World, Cottage Life, Toronto Star, AmericA Magazine, Cruise Travel Magazine, Neue Westfalische Zeitung, Irish Independent, Meridian Magazine, 24Heures, Des Kiwis et des homes, La Cantine, Just for Canadian Doctors, Just for Canadian Dentists, Islands magazine, JaxFax, Salmon Trout Steelhead magazine, Salmon and Steelhead Journal, Globe and Mail, RV Life Magazine, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Harbors magazine, Westways magazine, Horizon air magazine, Canoe & Kayak Magazine, Northwest Fly Fishing, Kayak Angler Magazine, Highways magazine, Canadian Press, The Age Newspaper, Nürnberger Zeitung, Westdeutsche Zeitung WZ, Canadian Living Magazine, VIA Destinations magazine, Adventure Cyclist, Asahi Weekly, Intermezzo Magazine, Dynasty magazine, Jewish Review, MotorHome magazine, Vancouver Sun, BC Business, Women’s Running, Affluent Traveler, The Daily Mail, AAA Western Journey Magazine, Fodor’s. BROADCAST: Descending, BC Outdoors Sportfishing TV, Restless Josie, KGO NewsTalk AM 810, Extreme Fishing with Robson Green, Great Scenic Railway Journeys, Flavours of the West Coast, World of Adventure Sports, The Travel Guys, CKNW. SOCIAL: TravelWorldOnline, 360° Kanada, emconline.ca, VitaminDaily.com, thetravellingeditor.com, tripified.ca, iGolf.com, Away.com, Heed the Hedonist, Perceptive Travel, Huffington Post, RebreatherWorld.com, thesunbreak.com, Gastrolust.com, Snowshoe Magazine, TravelUniqueMagazine.nl, bbc.com, Vancouverisawesome.com, Parenting.com, sympatico.ca. In addition, Tourism Vancouver Island was involved in the development of the 2012‐2013 (2 year) Tourism Passport, a printed booklet featuring top attractions and activities utilized for tier 1 & 2 travel media. SPORT TOURISM Oceanside Tourism is a member of the BC Sport Tourism Network (BCSTN) and the BCSTN Working Group, has hosted both the Introductory and Advanced Sport Tourism Workshop, and has accessed the Sport Facility Image Partnering program. WORLDHOST® TRAINING SERVICES 60 people in Parksville participated and became certified in the WorldHost training program Fundamentals.