Canadian tourism on the rise

Times Contributor 

 

It has been over a year since the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has launched the Canadian Experiences Collection®(SEC) marketing program which has thus far proved to be successful.

Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park (BCHP) joined the SEC in its second wave of approved experiences, on October 18, 2011. After a third wave of SEC approved applicants, the collection stands today with a total of 163 members. The CTC will be entering into its fourth wave, accepting applications for new experiences from November 15- December 15, 2012.

In an attempt to stand out in the marketplace, the CTC created the SEC, a marketing program designed to promote unique travel experiences that can only be found in Canada to entice international travelers. Eleven different countries are currently being targeted.

Travelers are drawn to the idea of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, which is exactly what the CTC is emphasizing internationally. BCHP perfectly fits with the definition with its six square kilometers overlooking the Bow River, Tipi village, archeological digging on site, and an extensive historical building of 66,000 square feet.

“You can go to any other institution and have other non-First Nation’s people and on non-First Nation’s land telling First Nation’s history, telling First Nation’s culture, interpreting their values, beliefs, and so on. Here you are going to get it directly from our own people,” said General Manager of BCHP, Jack Royal, who adds, “you’re going to get our perspective from our eyes, through our interpretation, through our own language.”

SEC members will receive the benefits of being marketed globally in 11 consumer markets. 

Examples of exposure include utilizing social media, travel and media relations and web marketing. 

“It’s all based on the economy, some markets are doing quite well, some are still recovering from economic turndown, I think as the economy improves around the world, then the option for travel will come back and you will see Canada as a major player within the world,” said Frank Verschuren, the Brand Experience Specialist from the Canadian Tourism Commission.

Great potential lies in the Chinese market as Canada recently was granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) by China in June 2010, allowing the CTC to promote Canadian travel within the country. The number of Chinese visitors to Canada is on the rise, totaling at 22,630 from May 2012, a 22 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the CTC.

“I think China, is a relatively new market that we are in, it’s only been a couple of years since we’ve had approved destination status from the Chinese Government so now we can formally go and sell Canada to the perspective of the Chinese people who wish to travel certainly in North America and into Canada,” said Verschuren.

Canada was named the number one tourism brand for a second year in a row on November 10, 2011 by the leading international brand consultancy, FutureBrand. The label demonstrates that Canada carries a positive connotation worldwide. 

“The market potential, certainly from an international perspective, is quite high because the average spent from a visitor from a foreign destination is much higher than what a Canadian spends in Canada, so the more international revenue you can create, the higher yield of revenue that comes into Canada,” said Verschuren.

The SEC marketing program is still in the early stages, and in time, Canada willreap the benefits of the CTC’s marketing endeavors.