MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Another ski season is well underway here on the Powder Highway! We hope that all of our tourism businesses are benefiting from a very strong start to the season and that we will continue to see Mother Nature cooperating in providing us lots of that remarkable powder snow that we are famous for!
As we enter the last quarter of our fiscal, programs are wrapping up and new ones are coming on stream. As you know, December 31, 2015 was the deadline for applications to Destination BC’s new Cooperative Marketing program. Applications received are currently being reviewed by DBC and applicants will be notified by January 31, 2016 on approvals.
The Remarkable Experiences pilot program taking place in Fernie has one session remaining in March. This program has been rolled out as a pilot throughout most regions in BC and wraps up March 31, 2016. We have had 10 businesses in Fernie in the program and they have participated in group sessions as well as many one-on-one sessions with a subject matter expert provided by Destination BC. Remarkable Experiences is designed to provide tools to industry to help them improve their digital presence, their customer experience and their Net Promoter Score. Once the pilot program has been completed, Destination BC will evaluate and determine how this program will be rolled out to all of industry in BC next fiscal.
Destination BC’s 2015 annual stakeholder survey results are in, and satisfaction ratings with the organization and Destination BC programs rose among several segments of industry partners and held steady, at high levels, in others. The 2015 results showed satisfaction levels rose significantly among respondents from tourism businesses, Regional and Community Destination Marketing Organizations and sector associations, while remaining steady (at high levels) for travel trade, travel media and delivery organizations (such as Visitor Centres and WorldHost® trainers).
Each year, Destination BC commissions an annual survey of stakeholders to gauge satisfaction with programs and to inform their improvement. The survey was conducted in April and May of 2015 and more than 1,000 stakeholders gave feedback. The results were reviewed and analyzed by Destination BC’s Executive team and Board of Directors and influenced development of their 2016 corporate business plan.
The detailed comments and suggestions on programs provided by stakeholders are invaluable to Destination BC. Here is the full report: DBC-Stakeholder-Satisfaction-Survey-Summary-Report
Lastly, congratulations to Golden who will be hosting 21 media delegates from the North American Ski Journalist Association (NASJA) for the Western Winter Conference taking place January 24 – 29, 2016. Our Media Specialist, Heidi Korven, will be assisting in hosting this group for a few days at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Revelstoke Mountain Resort, and both myself and Wendy Van Puymbroeck will join with Tourism Golden in a farewell dinner banquet on January 28th.
Kathy Cooper, CEO
RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
We are seeing wonderful results from the combined efforts of our Media Relations team in conjunction with Destination BC. Our success, in large part, is thanks to the support of the Community DMOs and stakeholder businesses in our region. Here are some links to the recent coverage of our region that you might find of interest.
Air Canada EnrouteE-newsletterto 3.8 million subscribersDecember 2015 |
Elevation OutdoorsCruising Canada’sPowder HighwayDecember 2015 |
Air Canada EnrouteJanuary 2016 – MagazineChecking InFavourite Hotel StaysArticle begins on page 31 |
Travel Age WestSurviving a Via Ferrata Coursein British ColumbiaNovember 2015 |
DreamscapesBC’s Powder HighwayFall/Winter 2015Article begins on page 48 |
Huffington PostGrab Big Airat Revelstoke MountainNovember 2015 |
SUBMIT YOUR STORY IDEAS AND NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION
Kootenay Rockies Tourism and Destination BC are always in need of unique story ideas and new product offers within our region. The Travel Trade and Media Relations departments want to showcase your product to the tour operators and journalists who are always asking us ‘What’s New’.
For Media Relations: Crucial components to an effective story idea include an interesting hook, development of a new product, a quirky individual, unique place or event, etc. There are also other important elements to consider when developing key messages intended to attract media. Destination BC has created a quick reference document with some key questions to ask yourself. Click WHAT MAKES A STORY IDEA for the full article.
For Travel Trade: Rendezvous Canada (RVC) is taking place in April 2016. If you have a new commissionable, export ready product or addition, or activity that you want international tour operators and receptive tour operators to know about, please send this information to Kathy@KootenayRockies.com as soon as possible so that she can include it in her product presentations during appointments at RVC.
CONFIDENTIAL BC TOURISM LABOUR SHORTAGE ECONOMIC IMPACT SURVEY
go2HR has retained Grant Thornton and Econometric Research Limited, two professional consulting and research companies, to measure the economic impact of labour shortages in the province and in our region.
The following survey and resulting information will be used to:
- Gain a solid understanding of the economic potential of tourism and hospitality businesses in British Columbia;
- Gain a solid understanding of how labour shortages are impacting tourism and hospitality businesses; and
- Estimate the potential economic losses to regional and provincial economies resulting from tourism and hospitality businesses that are unable to fill certain positions and as a result are not able to operate at full capacity.
Your experiences and views are very important to the successful completion of this study! All responses will be kept completely anonymous and confidential and only aggregate survey results will be included in the report.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by February 12, 2016.
The link to the survey is: Confidential: BC Tourism Labour Survey
If you have any questions please contact:
Jennifer Nichol, Grant Thornton LLP – 604.443.2146 or Jennifer.Nichol@ca.gt.com
OR
Debbie Yule, go2HR – 604.633.9787 (ext 228) or DYule@go2hr.ca
REGIONAL TOURING & EXPLORING MARKETING PLAN – April 1, 2016 – March 31, 2017
We have been working closely with Destination BC on our role within the new Corporate Strategy. Beginning April 1, 2016, in collaboration with the industry stakeholders and tourism product suppliers, Kootenay Rockies Tourism will be executing tactics from the new Touring & Exploring Marketing Plan. These tactics will require stakeholder buy-in to go forward. They will be cost-shared at 50%. Details are still in development and we will continue to consult with our tourism partners and Community DMO’s as we approach the new fiscal year. Click the thumbnail for the full plan.
For any questions or further information please contact Wendy@KootenayRockies.com or call 250.427.4838 ext 210.
KOOTENAY ROCKIES PUBLICATIONS – ORDER YOUR COPIES TODAY!
Kootenay Rockies Tourism has just published a multi-year 2016 Kootenay Rockies Golf Map. This new map format replaces the traditional Golf Vacations Guide and highlights all of the amazing golf product in our region – 27 championship courses, along with a selection of 9 hole layouts. Click the thumbnail to view the Golf Map online.
We are also in the final production stages of the new 2016 Kootenay Rockies Touring & Exploring Guide, which replaces the traditional Travel Guide, and will be available in February.
The entire collection of Kootenay Rockies Tourism brochures & stakeholder brochures can be viewed on KootenayBrochures.ca
To receive copies of the KR Golf Map: Email Reception@KootenayRockies.com or call 1.800.661.6603
NEW INTEGRA AIR SERVICE
Integra Air is excited to announce the launch of its new direct non-stop flights from Cranbrook to Calgary which began January 4, 2016. For travellers from the East Kootenay and Calgary area there are flights six days of the week to choose from.
Integra Air has founded its 18 years of service on being the hometown airline with convenient ‘no security’ hassles or line ups. Their personalized snack and beverage service includes Wine & Cheese Wednesdays plus Beer & Pizza Fridays. Whether it’s Stay & Play, personal or business travel, the Integra Air service is about saving their passengers time and money! “Getting the most out of your day”.
SPECIAL FARES: Cranbrook-Calgary flights, which are booked and used during the month of January 2016 are being offered for $99.00 + fees/taxes! Enjoy executive seating on a beautiful Jetstream, complimentary drinks and snacks and the friendliest staff.
Regular airfares are offered at a flat rate of $199.00 + fees/taxes (one-way). To book:
Online: www.integraair.com
Call: Integra Air directly – 1.877.213.8359 or your local travel agent
CHECK IN FACILITIES AND SECURITY:
Cranbrook: Passenger boarding at the North End of the Cranbrook Air Terminal building.
Calgary: Private passenger lounge, hangar and customer parking located at 5414 11 Street NE. (off of McKnight Blvd and Deerfoot Trail). Approximately 10 minutes from downtown Calgary.
Check-in: Security free check-in 30 minutes prior to departure time. Complimentary no charge baggage up to 30 lbs.
ONLINE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in learning more about summer labour recruitment or Green Tourism practices? Take a look at an upcoming webinar series designed for tourism operators.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MOBILIZE JOBS:
SUMMER STAFFING – MAKE CROSS-PROVINCIAL RECRUITING WORK FOR YOU
Learn why it’s better than looking internationally.
Gearing up for a busy summer? Finding local labour can be a struggle, and doing cross-provincial or international recruiting has its own challenges. Join Mobilize Jobs Canada for a FREE webinar that will help you find the staff you need.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
11AM MST – 10AM PST – 1PM EST
Mobilize will share the insights they’ve gained deploying 160+ millennial workers to meet the seasonal needs of Canadian businesses. They will tell you how to attract young Canadians to fill your labour shortages – and keep your business running smoothly for the busy summer season.
Find out more about the content of the webinar and register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8592938829503807746
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GREEN TOURISM CANADA:
GREENING YOUR BUSINESS
Green Tourism and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), our neighbouring tourism region, are working together to help tourism businesses in the region improve their sustainability performance. Together they are making this webinar series available to TOTA tourism stakeholders and generously extending the offer to the Kootenay Rockies Tourism stakeholders.
February 11 at 10:00 am – What Travellers Want But Aren’t Telling You: Unlocking the Secret Desires of Your Guests When It Comes to Being Green and Good
February 25 at 10:00 am – How To Attract More Guests By Connecting with Their Values: Values Based Marketing Strategies for Tourism Businesses
March 17 at 10:00 am – Getting Started With Green Tourism: How It Works and What It Takes to Get Prepared for an Assessment
To find out more about these webinars and to register visit: http://www.anymeeting.com/GreenTourismCanada
Feature Image is the Fernie Alpine Resort by Shannon Harrison
