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Organization
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TABLE OF CONTENTSI. ExecutiveSummary ....................................................................1
TheoverridingthematicdirectionforTourismRedDeerinthenear
termis focus. ...........................................................................................1ImplementaDMF,butmoveslowlyanddeliberately. ........................2PursueaRegionalModelbutdontgetboggeddownbyit. ...............2Maintainthebasicstructureofamemberbasedorganization............3
II. BackgroundandAnalysis ..........................................................4Methodology ..........................................................................................................4SomeContext:TourismMarketing .....................................................................5
DestinationMarketingOrganizationsinWesternCanada .....................7ComparativeStructures ............................................................................7ComparativeFinancialData ...................................................................15
TourisminRedDeerandArea ..........................................................................17TourismRedDeer................................................................................................21Issues&ChallengesConfrontingTourismRedDeer.....................................22
1.DestinationMarketingFund .................................................................22StakeholderAssessment..........................................................................22GoForwardAssessment:RedDeershouldadoptaDMF .................23
2.Regional/LocalFocus..............................................................................23StakeholderAssessment..........................................................................24Going
Forward
Assessment:
Pursue
a
Regional
Model
but
dont
get
boggeddownbyit. ..................................................................................243.Governance ..............................................................................................25
StakeholderAssessment..........................................................................26GoForwardAssessment:AMemberbasedorganizationwithpublic
andprivatesectorrepresentation ..........................................................264 Mandate and Focus 30
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WhatDoTourismOrganizationsDo?...............................................................32AModelofDMOFunctioning ..................................................................32FunctionsofaDMO....................................................................................34
WebSiteFunctionality.............................................................................42SomeMarketingStrategyBestPractices...........................................................43
TheList .........................................................................................................43BestPracticePerspectiveConclusionsforRedDeer..............................45
A
Strategy
Agenda
for
2007....................................................................45
TheStakeholderPerspective:WhatShouldTourismRedDeerBeDoing?.46IV. Implications: Drafting a Business Plan for Tourism RedDeer......................................................................................................56
BusinessPlanStructure.......................................................................................56
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I. Executive SummaryBOILINGTHINGSDOWN
Asthesubtitletothisreportstates,thepurposeofthisprojectwastolaythe
foundationthatwouldpermitTourismRedDeertobecomeAlbertasleading
tourismorganization.Despitetheloftyambitions,thiswasnotintendedtobe
ablue sky exercise. We needed to detail specific plans and activities that
wouldseetheambitioncometofruition.
Equally important, we had to detail these plans and activities in a manner
that was customer driven. This meant talking to stakeholders and askingthemwhattheythoughtTourismRedDeershould(andshouldnot)bedoing.
Customer driven did not occur in absence, however. Lessons learned from
otherDestinationMarketing Organizations (DMOs) were gathered through
telephoneinterviewsasweresomebestpracticesformtheliterature.
Attheendofitall,hereiswhatwelearned.
TheoverridingthematicdirectionforTourismRedDeerinthe
neartermis focus.
What we heard from stakeholders (and members) was the need to get
focused. It was a theme repeated by the leaders of other DMOs we
interviewedaswellasathemearisingfromthebestpracticeresearch.Focus
means:
Developarealworldmarketingstrategy.Astrategythatbuildsarounda
single, well defined and focused value proposition and brandingstatement that in turn, becomes the focal point of everything we
communicate topotentialvisitorsandmarkets. Itmustbebrutallyclear
whoweare,whatRedDeerandarea isoffering,whyweofferwhatwe
do,andtheconsistencyandqualityoftheseofferings.
Concentrate our DMO activity on the marketing that is on getting the
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Target our real customers. Forget what is trendy in the tourism
development field. Focus on our critical markets those segments that
already find Red Deer appealing. Concentrate our marketing efforts,
including advertising, direct mail, etc. on these targets. This means
focusing on the regional consumer, tour groups as well as
business/tradeshow/convention trafficespecially thoseseeking toescape
thehighcostsofEdmontonandCalgaryoffindingcentralizedlocations.
Strengthentheprocessforpursuingbids.
ImplementaDMF,butmoveslowlyanddeliberately.
ADestinationMarketingFund(DMF) isbasicallya levyonaccommodation
andaneffectiveandsustainablewayfor theDMO toraiseoperatingfunds.
The success of these funds is demonstrated by their adoption across
jurisdictions.
There
are,
however,
critical
success
factors
associated
with
a
successful
DMF
thatdictateaslow,deliberateapproachtoimplementation.TheDMFshould
be voluntary and the community must have a significant critical mass of
support.Inaddition,theuseofthemoneyraisedthroughtheDMFshouldbe
specified inadvancewithclearoutcomes identified.These two itemsmeans
thatTourismRedDeershouldtakeitstimetooutlineaclearplanforuseof
themoneyandconductthenecessarygroundworktobuildacriticalmassof
support.
PursueaRegionalModelbutdontgetboggeddownbyit.
Tourismareasarebestdefinedbythemixandconsistencyoftourismassets
as well as touristbehavior, as opposedby arbitrary municipal or county
boundaries.ForRedDeerandarea, thisregion isconsiderablysmaller than
the existing Tourism Destination Region (TDR) establishedby the province
and a good deal larger than The City of Red Deer and Red Deer County.
Especiallyfortheleisuremarkettourist,aregionthatencompassesRedDeer,
Lacombe, Ponoka and Clearwater Counties and the various towns withinthese,ismostconsistentwiththismixoftourismassets.
The current organizational structure of Tourism Red Deer provides a
workable model to broaden this regional approach. As a memberbased
organization, Tourism Red Deer can and should accept memberships from
b i i ti ithi thi b d hi l d it
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approachtomarketingshouldnotgetboggeddownbytheassumednecessity
ofseekingconsensusamongpotentialregionalpartners.
Maintainthebasicstructureofamemberbasedorganization.
Tourism Red Deer is currently a memberbased organization that operates
alongthesamelinesassimilarorganizationsinCalgaryandGrandePrairie.
There are other possible organizational models, including having the
organization a part of an economic development entity (Edmonton andLethbridge) or part of the Chamber of Commerce (Kelowna and Medicine
Hat). No one approach appears tobebetter than the rest and the member
basedmodelusedbyTourismRedDeeriscertainlynoworse.
Moreover, the memberbased structure provides a convenient and flexible
meansofexpandingtoamoreregionalapproachasrecommended.Assuch,
maintainingthisbasicstructureisrecommended.
Nevertheless,someorganizationalchangesshouldbeadopted.Amongthesechanges,havingTheCityofRedDeerrepresentationontheBoardcomefrom
Economic Development as opposed to Community Services. This would
better align municipal representation with the basic purpose of the
organization.
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II. Background and AnalysisTOURISMINREDDEERANDAREA
Tourism Red Deer contracted for a review of its operations and functions
withthepurposeofcreatingarenewedorganizationwiththerightstructure,
mandate and strategy to meet the tourism marketing challenges of one of
CanadasmostdynamicgeographicalareasRedDeer.
The first part of the review focused on past and current functioning. The
secondphase,thepartofthereviewrepresentedbythisreport,focusesonthe
changes stakeholders and best practices indicate are required to build
AlbertasleadingDestinationMarketingorganization(DMO).
MethodologyTheapproachtakenwasafourstepprocess.Specifically,we:
Reviewedtheresultsoftheinitialphaseofwork.Dataandresultsweretakenfromthisworkwheresuchinformationwouldbeusefulinmaking
conclusionsaboutdirectionsTourismRedDeershouldtakeinrenewing
itself.Muchofthisdataispresentedinthissectionofthereport.
Gatheredstakeholderfeedback.Focusgroupsandindividualinterviews
wereconductedtogatherfeedbackfrommembersofTourismRedDeer,
representativesofTheCityofRedDeerandothermunicipaljurisdictions
and others with a stake in the tourism industry. The intent was gather
what itwas thesestakeholderswanted theorganization todo identify
howbesttomeetexistingandfuturedemands.
Interviewed leaders of other DMOs. Telephone interviews were
conductedwith leadersofotherDMOsinwesternCanada togaintheir
insightastobestpracticesandfuturerequirementsofDMOs.
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Some Context: Tourism MarketingA tourist isgenerallydefinedasanyonewho travelsmore than80kmfrom
their home for leisure or business purposes. Tourism is a large and
sustainable global industry with a demonstrated ability tobring substantial
economic and socialbenefits to geographical areas be they at the level of
nations or small towns. Equally important, growth in tourism has beensubstantial,albeitwithoccasionalhistoricalinterruptions.
For thesereasons,virtually anygeographicalareaswithsufficientresources
be they towns, cities, states or provinces and nations are involved in
marketing themselves as tourist destinations. Usually, there is an
accompanying organizational structure tasked with performing the tourism
marketingfunction.
Thebenefits of a well orchestrated tourism marketing plan gobeyond theobviousbenefits tohoteliers,restaurantsandothersdirectly involved in the
industry. There are the additional employmentbenefits. These include the
benefits that flow to the community generally. If done well, the economic
benefits can help fund the development of attractions or infrastructure that
can be enjoyed by the broader population and contribute to the overall
qualityof life thingssuch as parks,recreation facilities,museumsand the
like. Moreover, these activities may also contribute to citizen pride and
improvedperceptionsofcitizensregardingtheircommunity.
InCanada,theCanadianTourismCommission(CTC)takesresponsibilityfor
destination awareness of Canada as a tourist destination. A new campaign
hasrecentlybeeninitiatedaroundthetheme,CanadaKeepExploring.
At the provincial level (in Alberta), Travel Alberta is responsible for
destinationawareness.TheProvincesmarketingeffortsareorganizedintoa
numberoftouristzonesreferredtoasDestinationTourismRegions(DTRs).
AmapofAlbertasTDRsispresentedintheExhibit:AlbertaTDRs.
A quick review of the Exhibit reveals that these regions appear tobe less
designed for marketing purposes than for administrative ease. The Central
Region, which encompasses Red Deer, extends from north of Edmonton to
theborders of Calgary and from the national parks to the Saskatchewan
border
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Because of the broad scope of the benefits, tourism marketing has
traditionallybeenacooperativeaffairbasedonpartnershipsamongparties
thathaveastakeinthebenefits.Atalocallevel,thishastypicallymeantthe
involvement of thebusiness community, those more directly involved with
the tourism industry as well as the town or city. It also has meant regional
partnerships among communities where destination characteristics or
featuresextendbeyondadministrativeboundaries.
DestinationMarketingOrganizationsinWestern
Canada
ResearchconductedpreviouslyforTourismRedDeerexaminedthepractices
of selected Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) across western
Canada1.Specifically,
GrandePrairieRegionalTourist
Association
TourismMedicineHat
FortMcMurrayTourism TourismRegina
Lethbridge Convention and
VisitorsBureau
TourismSaskatoon
TourismCalgary TourismKelowna
EdmontonTourism
ComparativeStructures
TheDMOsabovedifferintheirrespectivemandates,governancestructures
and ownership structures. The Exhibit: Comparative Organizational Data
highlightsthesebasicorganizationalarrangements.
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8
Exhibit:ComparativeOrganizationalDataCity/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
FortMcMurray
FortMcMurray
TourismAss.
(FMTA)
Mandate:TopromoteFortMcMurray
andregion,attractvisitorsandprovide
local,provincialandnational
informationservices.
Mission:PartnersincreativetourismandgrowthintheRMofWoodBuffalo
(2ndlargestcommunityinN.A.)
notforprofit
memberbased
Committeestructure
inplace(finance,
tradeshows,HR,
marketing)
Roleisadvisory
EDreportstoBoard
14elected(9min.14max)
industry/Suncor/SCL/member
city/municipalitynotonthe
Board
GrandePrairie
GrandePrairie&
Region
TourismAss.
(GPRTA)
Operatesasadestinationmarketing
organization
Vision:GrandPrairieandRegionisthe
placewhereeveryonewantstobe.
Mission:TheGPRTAworksin
conjunctionwithindustrypartnersto
createtourismopportunitiesforthe
GrandPrairieRegion.
Notforprofit
Memberbased
Municipal
Governmentagency
ExecutiveDirector
reportstoBoardof
Directors
policyguidancefocus
CarverModel
16members:one(1)rep.from
eachmunicipalitywithinthe
region(6intotal)and10
industryreps.
Chairhasaoneyearterm
withanoptionforasecond
year.
Directorshave2yearterms.
TheBoardhasanumberof
committees:Website,
Marketing,Membership,
Fundraising.
BoardofDirectorsisvery
strongandeffectiveinterms
ofguidingpolicyand
establishingthescopeof
operations.
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9
City/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
Lethbridge
Lethbridge
Convention&
VisitorsBoard
(LCVB)
Mission:TheLethbridgeConvention&
VisitorsBureauisthedestinationand
eventmarketingorganizationfor
Lethbridgebyprovidingleadershipand
coordinationforthetourismindustry
anditsmarketinginitiatives.
LCVBisa
departmentof
Economic
Development.
In2004,LCVBmerged
withEconomic
Development
Lethbridge(EDL)
bycouncilresolution.
GovernedbytheEDLBoard
ofDirectors
EDLhasa25memberBoard
of the25thereis
representationfromeach
tourismsector
(5
6)
and
one
politicalappointment.
ThereisaTourismcommittee
establishedwith
representativesfromeach
majortourismsector.
TheCityAdminemployeeis
theliaison
between
EDL
and
theCity.
20%ofboardactiveinsub
committees
MedicineHat
TourismMedicine
Hat(TMH)
TheChamberwillpromoteandenhance
tourisminMedicineHatand
SoutheasternAlbertawithpriorities
suchasattractingmoreconferences,conventionsandspecialeventsaswell
asprovidingopportunitiestothe
tourismindustrytoincreasetheir
business.
Notforprofit
Departmentof
theMedicineHat
Chamberof
Commerce
TMHoperatesasa
DMOforTravel
Alberta.
TMHsExecutive
Director reportsto
theChamberBoard.
ChamberBoardofDirectors
isresponsibleforguiding
policyandadvocacyfor
TMH.
BoardhasaTourism
Committee. Sector
representationispreferred
butnotalwaysthecase.A
committeememberdoesnot
havetobeamemberofthe
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City/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
chambertoparticipateonthe
committee.
TourismCommitteeofBoard
has10sectorrepresentatives
andplaysanadvisoryrole
RedDeer
TourismRedDeer
(TRD)
Notforprofit
Memberbased
Broadscopefromadministrationto
policy/strategy
Operatingagreement
withCityofRedDeer.
13memberBoard;5appointedincluding
municipality,leading
stakeholdersplus8electedby
members
Committeestructure(BidRed
Deer,Marketing)
Calgary
TourismCalgary
(TC)
Mission:TourismCalgarymarketsandpromotesCalgaryandareaasthe
destinationofchoiceforleisureand
businesstravel.
Role:Industryalignment,catalyst,
marketing/salesprograms,VIC,
research
Notforprofit
Memberbased
IndepBoard
Focusonpolicyand
strategies
Pres.reportstoBoard
22,primarilyindustry,mixofelectedandappointed
Execcommitteeonly
NewjointHotel&TC
committeetodirectDMFand
reporttoBoard
Edmonton
Edmonton
Tourism
(ET)
TheroleofETistoplan,implementandevaluatemarketing,salesand
communicationsprogramstoincrease
travelandpromoteGreaterEdmonton
asamustseetourismdestination.
Vision:GreaterEdmontonisamustsee
notforprofit
EToperatesasa
org.unitof
Edmonton
Economic
Development
TourismEdmontonoperatesasa
departmentof
EdmontonEconomic
Development
(EED).
TourismEdmontonreportstotheEEDBoard. Thereare15
Boardmembersplus2
advisors. Theboardis
primarilymadeupof
appointedseniorbusiness
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City/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
tourismdestination.
Mission:Workingasateamtoestablish
anenvironmentintheGreater
EdmontonRegionthatencouragesand
fosterstourismpartnershipand
opportunities.
(EED). Anorganizationwas
formedcalledthe
EdmontonCapital
RegionTourism
Partnership
(ECRTP)of23
members(7electedfromsectors,14
municipalreps,and2
EDEreps)
ECRTPfunctionsina
strategiesadvisory
capacity
Membershipbasedandisnotaformal
legalentity.
TheECRTPhasa
committeestructure
focusedoninitiatives.
people.
ThetermoftheBoardChair
is2years.
TheEEDBoarddoesoperate
withanevolvingcommittee
structure.
TheECRTPadvisory
committeehasagoodlevelof
influenceovertheEEDBoard
intermsofstrategy
developmentandguidance.
Subcommitteesare
structured
to
work
with
TourismEdmontons
operatingdepartments
Regina Novisionstatement
Missionisobjectiveoriented
Notforprofit
Memberbased
AccountabletoBoard
No formalreporting
relationshiptothe
City,workclosely
withcity
Boardroleisalways
strategic,35yearsout
16members(9selectedby
industrysectors,2cityappointed,5atlarge
elected)
2yearterm
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City/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
Committeestructure,
effectivenessvaries
Committee
membershipmixof
boardandvolunteers
Saskatoon Vision:TobeatopofminddestinationinCanada.
Mission:TooperateasSaskatoons
destinationmanagementorganization,
maximizingtheeconomicbenefitfor
Saskatoonthoughtourism.
Memberbasednotforprofit
IndependentTourismAgency
15Boardmembers(2appointedcitycouncilorsand
13electedbyindustrysector)
TermsforBoardChairand
Directorsaretypically2years
withanoptiontostayonfora
maximumof4yearsto
ensureflexibility
and
continuity.
TheBoardhasacommittee
structureincludingthe
followingcommittees:
AuditCommittee
MarketingCommittee
Conventions!Saskatoon
Committee
SomeAdHocCommittees
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City/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
Kelowna Mandate:TourismKelownaisa
DestinationMarketingOrganization
andConventionandVisitorsBureau
(CVB)dedicatedtoproviding
leadershipandcoordinationin
promotingandmarketingKelownas
tourismindustry,resultinginincreasedvisitationandrevenues. Alsomoving
intodestinationdevelopmenttoelevate
tourismawarenessfromaCityPlanning
perspective.
Vision:Toberecognizedasthe
collectivevoiceoftourismstakeholders
andthe
lead
entity
for
innovative
tourismmarketingintheOkanagan,
resultinginasustainablemarket
positionrivalingthatoftoptourism
destinationsinthePacificNorthwest.
Mission:Toattractvisitorsby
positioningKelownaasauniqueand
diverseyearrounddestinationforthe
benefitofourcommunity.
NotForProfit
Divisionofthe
Kelowna
Chamberof
Commerce.
GMreportstothe
CEOoftheChamber
ofCommerce.
AnelectedTourism
AdvisoryCouncil
(TAC)ensures
that
TourismKelowna
remainsresponsive
andaccountabletothe
tourismindustry.
TACroleistoadvise
on,approveand
monitorthemarketing
objectives,strategy,budgetandpolicy
issuesofTourism
Kelowna.
TACChairhasa
standinginvitationto
attendanyandall
Executive
Committee
meetingsofthe
Chamber.
TACisnotinvolved
indaytoday
operations
BoardofDirectorsofthe
Chamberisthegoverning
bodyforTourismKelowna.
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City/DMOname Mandate/Role/Vision/Mission Ownership
Structure
Governance BoardofDirectors
TACChairisan
appointedDirectorto
theChamberBoard.
Reps.ontheTACare
industryreps. One
appointedfromthe
hotel/motel
association,therest
areelected.
TheTACwasinitiated
toexecutethe2%
HotelTaxina
transparentmanner
(tobuildconfidenceandaccountability).
Source:TourismRedDeerReview.PriceWaterhouseCoopers&ExcelerationCorp.
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ComparativeFinancialData
BasiccomparativedataisprovidedintheExhibit:DMOComparativeFinancial
Data. A review of these data suggests there are no hard and fast rules
concerning funding for DMOs. Some observations concerning these data
include:
The percapitabudget forDMOs areremarkably stable ranging from
$4.43 for Grande Prairie to $8.92 in Medicine Hat (excluding data fromKelowna).
Not surprisingly, the per capita budget of the DMO may be most
dependantontheperceivedimportanceoftourismtothelocaleconomy.
Kelowna is the perfect example where tourism is the number one
industryandthisisreflectedintheDMOsfundingallocations.
Whilevariationinpercapitabudgetsare,forthemostpart,minimal,the
proportion
of
DMO
budgets
funded
by
the
municipality
varies
considerably.Forexample,theCityofMedicineHatfundslessthan30%
oftheDMOsbudgetwhereincontrast,theCityofLethbridgefundsover
50%. In Edmonton, the City funds over 75% of the DMObudget. In
Calgary,itisroughly30%.Thesevarianceareprimarilyafunctionofthe
organization structure of the DMO. The closer the DMO is to the City
organizationally,thegreatertheproportionofmunicipalfunding.
Comparatively, Red Deer is in the middle of the pack in terms ofbudget
dollarsspentpercapitaaswellastheproportionofmunicipalexpenditures.
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16
Exhibit:DMOComparativeFinancialDataDMO Population MunicipalFunding Municipal
Funding/
Capita
Budget Budget/Capita Proportionof
BudgetComprised
ofMunicipal
Funding*
RedDeer 80,000 $150,000 $1.88 $430,000 $5.37 35.0%
Lethbridge 77,202 $310,000 $4.01 $420,000 $5.44 53.7%
FortMcMurray 61,000 $40,000 $0.66 $450,000 $7.37 9.0%
MedicineHat 56,048 $150,000 $2.67 $500,000 $8.92 29.9%
GrandePrairie 62,000 $62,000 $1.00 $275,000 $4.43 22.6%
Edmonton 700,000 $3,500,000 $5.00 $4,500,000 $6.42 77.9%
Calgary 1,000,000 $2,000,000 $2.00 $6,500,000 $6.50 30.8%
Kelowna 100,000 $345,000 $3.47 $1,800,000 $18.00 19.3%
Regina 190,000 $270,000 $1.42 $1,350,000 $7.10 20.0%
Saskatoon 205,900 $320,000 $1.55 $1,200,000 $5.82 26.6%
Source:TourismRedDeerReview.PriceWaterhouseCoopers&ExcelerationCorp.
IndependentlycalculatedfromtheTourismRedDeerReview
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Tourism in Red Deer and AreaTourism isnotaprimaryengineofeconomicactivity inRedDeerasit isin
Kelowna. Few locations in Alberta are. Nevertheless, it is still an important
factor of economic activity thatby most accounts, is not fully orbroadly
appreciatedbyresidents.
Unfortunately, data supporting the level of economic activity generatedby
tourism in Red Deer and area is difficult to get. One reason for this is the
structure of Tourism marketing in the province described earlier. Data is
available for the various TDRs in the province but those TDRs dont
necessarily correspond to meaningful geographical areas useful in making
tourismorienteddecisions.Forexample,inRedDeerscase,theCentralTDR
is such a large area, no useful extrapolations can be made to define
circumstancesorcharacteristicsforRedDeerandarea.
Some census data is available; however, the nature of this data makes it
unreliableespeciallywhenexaminingcircumstancesinRedDeerperce.Some
data arising from this source is presented in the flowing,Exhibit:Estimated
PersonTripsandExhibit:EstimatedTouristExpendituresbyCategory.
While this data is too crude to draw detailed conclusions, some general
observationscanbemade.
Red
Deers
consumer
tourism
market
is
largely
in
its
backyard.
Red
Deers market is not the United States, Europe or even (likely) eastern
CanadaorBC.ItsAlbertaandsomeofSaskatchewan.
The Red Deer consumer tourist market drives to Red Deer and drives
around.Themeansofarrivalisnotairandnotrail,itiscarandbus.
Arrivalsanddeparturesandrelated touristbehaviorsaredominatedby
highway #2 and the Calgary/Edmonton corridor. This corridor needs to
be
considered
an
important
factor
in
tourism
marketing
strategy
development.
Someof thesepointsaremademoreexplicitbyexaminingasimplemapof
RedDeer(seeExhibit:RedDeerandArea).Themapspresentedintheexhibit
show the surrounding area to Red Deer at two scales. Red Deer county is
highlighted on the maps as is the 80 km tourist zone (shown as a circle)
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18
Exhibit:EstimatedPersonTrips2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Overnight
Albertans&OtherCanadians 772,000 734,000 866,000 617,000 633,000
US&Overseas 41,000 31,000 44,000 30,000 n/a
SubTotalOvernight 813,000 765,000 910,000 647,000
SameDay* 693,000 652,000 775,000 565,000
TotalPersonTrips 1,506,000 1,417,000 1,685,000 1,212,000
Est.#ofVisitors 813,000 765,000 910,000
*Estimatedbyusingthesamepercentageofsameday to overnight asoccursintheAlbertaCentralTDR
Source:TourismRedDeerReview,CensusDivision8informationprovidedbyAlbertaEconomicDevelopment
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19
Exhibit:EstimatedTouristExpendituresbyCategoryExpenditureCategories RedDeerArea AlbertaCentralTDR
ALLTOURISTSSpendingatLeastOneNight $129,800,000 100% $378,000,000 100%
Accommodation $29,200,000 22% $82,000,000 22%
FoodPurchasedinRestaurants $24,300,000 19%
FoodPurchasedinStores $9,000,000 7%
$101,000,000 27%
VehicleOperation $30,600,000 24%
VehicleRental $1,900,000 1%
$112,000,000 30%
LocalTransport $700,000 1% $2,000,000 1%
Recreation/Entertainment $10,200,000 8% $31,000,000 8%
Clothing&Retail $24,000,000 18% $50,000,000 13%
CombinedTotalbyOvernightVisitors $129,800,000 100% $378,000,000 100%
*Totalsmaynotaddpreciselybecauseofroundingoffassociatednumbers.Source:TourismRedDeer,CensusDivision8touristspendinginformationprovidedbyAlbertaEconomicDevelopment.
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Tourism Red DeerTourism Red Deer is the destination marketing and event marketing
organization for Red Deer and area with area essentially comprising Red
DeerCounty.ItisessentiallyamemberbasedorganizationservingRedDeer
andareatourismrelatedbusinesses.ItisalsocontractedwithTheCityofRed
DeertoruntheVisitorCentre.
The organizational structure is detailed in the Exhibit: Tourism Red DeerOrganizationChart.
Exhibit:TourismRedDeerOrganizationChartTourism Red DeerBoard of Directors
Executive Director
Visitor Services MarketingFinance and
Admin
Marketing Sub-CommitteeExecutive Sub Committee
Bid Red Deer
Community ServicesDirectorate
(City of Red Deer)
Basic Functions:
Visitor CentreNewsletter
Basic Functions:
FinanceAdministration
IT
Basic Functions:
MaterialsMember Services
Basic Functions:
AdvocacyPublic RelationsSystemCoordination
TourismRedDeersstructureis:
Relatively lean heavily dependant upon volunteers and part time staff
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Thismeanswhilethereisgoodalignmentbetweenmoneyandfunction,thereis little effort that canbe directed at more general DMO functions (such as
publicandmediarelations,directsales,productdevelopmentandthelike).
Issues & Challenges Confronting Tourism Red DeerInadditiontoidentifyingwhatfunctionsstakeholdersthoughtwereandwere
notpriorities,fourissuesororganizationalchallengeswereidentified.Theseare:
DestinationMarketingFund
Regional/MunicipalFocus
Governance
MandateandFocus
Eachoftheseisaddressedinturn.
1.DestinationMarketingFund
Adoption of Destination Marketing Funds (DMF) is a trend in the tourism
industry and an effective mechanism of providing funding to local tourism
marketingefforts.
In
one
sense,
there
is
a
DMF
in
place
now.
The
Alberta
government
used
to
havea5%hoteltax,theproceedsofwhichwentintogeneralrevenues.This
wasreducedtoa4%rate,theproceedsofwhichwenttotourismmarketing.
ThisisinessencewhataDMFis,ataxontouristrelatedservices(usuallyon
accommodations)thatgoestofundtourismrelatedactivities.Thedestination
beingmarketedwiththesefundsisAlberta.
At the time of the 5% to 4% reduction in Alberta, tourism stakeholders in
somemunicipalitiesadopteda1% taxtoserveasasourceoffundstolocal
tourismmarketingefforts.ThisisessentiallywhatisreferredtoasaDMFinAlberta today. As Red Deer has not adopted a local DMF, the tax on hotel
rooms is 4% and all monies gained flow into provincial tourism marketing
efforts.
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DMFs in otherjurisdictions as a reliable and sustainable source of tourismfunding.
GoForwardAssessment:RedDeershouldadoptaDMF
ThesuccessofDMFselsewhere,provideampleevidence thatadoptionofa
DMFforRedDeer(andarea)willprovidesignificantbenefits.The1%isnot
so onerous so as to impact consumer purchase decisions in any significant
wayand
as
such,
provides
arelatively
painless
means
of
providing
tourism
marketingresources.
AsmuchasDMFsrepresentapositivedirectionforTourismRedDeer,there
aresomecriticalsuccessfactorsthatneedtobeconsidered.
DMFsworkbestwhen theyarevoluntary,meaningorganizationshave
the choice to opt in or out. This requires a significant critical mass of
supporters to be established a clear majority of accommodation
providers
must
be
willing
to
support
the
initiative.
DMFs create issues of accountability those providing the funds need
assurance they are being used effectively on high priority programs.
Theseprogramsneedtobeagreeduponinadvanceandclearconnections
between the money and program mustbe maintained. At times, other
jurisdictions have used special committees of the Board with specific
responsibility of DMF oversight to help maintain accountability. Still
other jurisdictions have used other mechanisms to help support
accountabilityobjectivesincludingdetailedfundaccounting.
DMFs should notbe introduced quickly. The ground has tobe made
ready.TourismRedDeerneedstooutlineaclearplanforthemoneyand
buildconsensuswithinthecommunityuntilacriticalmassofsupportis
achieved. Webelieve that setting the stage will take at least one year
from2007throughto2008.AnintroductionofaDMFcouldtakeplacein
2008or2009,dependingonhowquicklyanacceptablelevelofagreement
canbereached.
Thesedatesfor implementationarereflected in thebusinessplan in the last
sectionofthisreport
2.Regional/LocalFocus
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A consumer marketing strategy that emphasizes the benefits andhighlights the attractions of the region shouldbe adoptedby Tourism
RedDeer.This includes thedevelopmentofauniquevalueproposition
andbrandingstatement.
The region should encompass Red Deer, Lacombe, Ponoka and
Clearwater Counties and the towns that lie within these. This would
includeanareathatisinpart,currentlyservedbytheDavidThompson
DMO.
Aregionalorganizationwouldbeapositivedevelopmentandshouldbe
pursuedbyTourismRedDeer.However,sucharegionalapproachisnot
essentialinsupportingaregionalpromotionalstrategyandTourismRed
Deershouldnotgetboggeddowninitsmarketingeffortsinnegotiatinga
moreregionalorganization.
Today,organizationsandbusinessesmayjoinTourismRedDeerregardless
of location and these memberships shouldbe pursued outside of Red Deer
andRedDeerCounty.
There is associated with this the issue of the organizations name. Tourism
Red Deer sounds as though it concerns only the city of Red Deer. An
associatedtagline(suchasservingvisitorstoRedDeerandArea)mayhelp
address this issue. However, concentrating perception on the major urban
area is consistent with practice of virtually all DMOs. This isbecause it is
most consistent with how the consumer market thinks about travel
destinations.
3.Governance
The third challenge facing Tourism Red Deer is finding an appropriate
governancemodel.Governanceflowsfromownershipandashighlighted in
the Exhibit: Comparative Organizational Data, there are only three basic
alternatives.
1. Basic ownership by an economic development agency, meaning the
DMOoperatesasadepartmentofa larger functioningorganization. That
larger economic development agency maybe a not for profit with its own
governance structure or act as a municipal department. Edmonton and
Lethbridgearethemodelshere,whereEdmontonTourismisadepartmentof
Ed t E i D l t d th L thb id Vi it d
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2.BasicownershipbytheChamberofCommerce.Inthesecases,theDMOmay report to the Chamber Board or a Committee of the Chamber Board.
Kelowna and Medicine Hat are the two examples of this model. Success in
this model, particularly in Kelowna, appears attributable in part to the
importanceof tourism to thelocaleconomyandthereforethepervasiveness
oftheimpactoftourismacrossthebusinesscommunity.Tooversimplify,the
businessofKelownaistourism.
3. Independentownershipasanot forprofit. In thesecases,ownership of
theDMO arises from the saleof memberships in the community.Theseare
largely sales tobusinesses such as hotels and restaurantsbut also include
salestopublicinstitutionsandfacilities.TheBoard,inthesecases,isusually
elected from the membershipbut often includes provisions for appointed
membersusuallyfromtheChamberofCommerceorthelocalmunicipality.
Here,GrandePrairie,CalgaryandofcourseRedDeeraretheexamples.
Stakeholder
Assessment
Stakeholders are overwhelming in their assessment that Tourism Red Deer
shouldremainamemberbasedorganization.Afewstakeholdersarguedfor
makingtheorganizationpartofalargereconomicdevelopmentorganization.
MorethoughtthatmergingtheorganizationwiththeChamberofCommerce
would be a positive direction. However, again, the clear majority were
supportiveofanindependentmemberbasedorganization.
Currently,
however,
City
of
Red
Deer
representation
on
the
Board
comes
by
wayof theCommunityServicesDivisionanditisthroughthisdivisionthat
thecontractwiththeVisitorsCentreismaintained.Incontrast,most,ifnotall
DMOs,however,maintainarelationshipwiththefunctionalarearesponsible
foreconomicdevelopmentandmanystakeholderspointedoutthisanomaly
withTourismRedDeer
GoForwardAssessment:AMemberbasedorganizationwith
publicandprivatesectorrepresentation
As mentioned earlier in this report,bestpractice data indicates that DMOs
typically function best when representation of both public and private
interestsareatthetable.Thisimpliesamemberbasedorganizationwherethe
municipalityormunicipalitiesaremembersandhaveaseatattheBoard.This
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however,iswithinTourismRedDeersothatcommondirectionandpurposeemerge.
OtherDMOshaveusedadvisorycommittees tohelpprovideoutside input
andframethedebatesthatneedtotakeplace.Thisisespeciallytrueinthose
DMOs that are part of the Chamber of Commerce with no public
representatives at the table. Regardless of structure, however, what is
importantisthatthesedebatestakeplaceandthatprivateandpublicinterests
arerepresented.
Currently,TourismRedDeerhasaBoardthatmixesthesepublicandprivate
interests well. The City of Red Deer and the County have assigned
representationasdoesthebusinesscommunitywiththeDowntownBusiness
AssociationandtheChamberofCommerce(andWesternerPark).
There is also an advisory relationshipbetween the Director of Community
ServicesofTheCityofRedDeerand theBoard.Thishasbeenaddedto the
structure to reflect the importance of having the voice of public
administrationattheBoardtable.Webelievethat:
TheconnectionbetweentheBoardandtheadministrationofTheCityof
RedDeershouldbealignedwiththeEconomicDevelopmentfunctionof
TheCityofRedDeerasopposedtoCommunityServices.
The City of Red Deer shouldbe provided another voting place at the
BoardbyconvertingthecurrentAdvisoryBoardMembertoafullvoting
BoardMember,or
Anadvisorycommitteebecreated toprovideabroadrangeofexpertise
and insight to the Board which may include other municipal
administrationaswellastourismspecificrepresentatives.
Some related changes to Tourism Red Deer governance and funding could
include:
SeparateTheCityofRedDeerscontributiontoTourismRedDeerfrom
the
provision
of
specific
services,
in
this
case,
the
management
of
the
VisitorsCentre.ThecontributionmadebyTheCityofRedDeer(atleast
in part) shouldbe considered their membership fee independentofany
specificservices.
Separating the membership fee from the contract fee established for
ifi i d t l d th ti ti f ifi t t
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chargedtocountiesandtownsbasedonpopulationorsimilarsizerelatedmetric.
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g
4.MandateandFocus
Mandateandfocusoftheorganizationisthelastofthefourissuesthatarose
fromourinterviewswithstakeholders.TourismRedDeerscurrentmandate
issomewhatunclear.Theorganizationhassufferedsomewhatfromavaried
and extensive setof expectationsby various stakeholders. Expectations that
are,forthemostpart,inconsistentwiththeorganizationssizeorbudget.
StakeholderAssessment
Forthemostpart,expectationsamongstakeholdersamounttothefullsuiteof
expectationslistedforDMOsgenerally.SeetheExhibit:FunctionalActivitiesof
DMOsforamorecompletelistingofthesefunctions.However,thebudgetof
theorganizationissufficientfor:
Production of marketing materials, especially the brochure including
advertisingsales,asasustainablemeansofpromotingtheregion.
ManagementandadministrationoftheVisitorsCentreanditsassociated
functions,includingproductsalesetc.
A basic level of promotion & tourism awareness as well as some
coordination&planningfunctionsdeliveredlargelythroughtheofficeof
ExecutiveDirector.
Theissuethen,isoneofhighexpectations(andvariedbystakeholdergroup)
combinedwith
alimited
budget
yielding
alack
of
focus.
Go Forward Assessment: Focus activities in line with the
budgetandexpandfromthere.
Thisfocusedstrategyreallymeanssettingthreeprioritiesfor2007.Theseare:
Developarealworldmarketingstrategy.Astrategythatbuildsarounda
single, well defined and focused value proposition and branding
statement that in turn, becomes the focal point of everythingcommunicatedtopotentialvisitorsandmarkets.Itmustbebrutallyclear
whoweare,whatRedDeerandAreaisoffering,whyweofferwhatwe
do,andtheconsistencyandqualityoftheseofferings.
ConcentrateourDMOactivityonthemarketing,thatis,ongettingthe
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Target our real customers. Forget what is trendy in the tourismdevelopment field. Focus on our critical markets those segments that
already find Red Deer appealing. Concentrate our marketing efforts,
including advertising, direct mail, etc. on these targets. This means
focusing on the regional consumer, tour groups as well as
business/tradeshow/convention trafficespecially thoseseeking toescape
thehighcostsofEdmontonandCalgaryoffindingcentralizedlocations.
Associatedwiththisisstrengtheningtheprocessforpursuingbids.
How this is intended to evolve over the next few years is presented in the
nextsectionofthisreport.
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III.Functions of Tourism OrganizationsWHATTOURISMREDDEERCANANDSHOULDBE
DOING
What Do Tourism Organizations Do?TourismisamajorindustryinNorthAmericaandinCanadaandservesasa
vital component of many local economies. Today, virtually every major
municipality in the country has an organization with abasic mandate to
promote the municipality (or municipality and surrounding area) as atourism destination. These organizations are typically referred to as
DestinationMarketingOrganizationsorDMOs.
Theprecisestructureoftheseorganizationsvarieswiththemunicipalityand
a host of variables including the relative importance of tourism to the local
economy and the nature and scope of tourism assets. Here, however, we
examine nothow tourism organizationsare organizedbut rather, what it is
theydotheiractivitiesandfunctionsthatareintended,onewayoranother,
tosupportandpromotetourism.
AModelofDMOFunctioning
The typical functionsofDMOsaredeterminedby therole theyplay in the
community. They are, in essence, a linking pin between the supply and
demandinthetourismeconomicequation.Thisconceptandroleisexplored
intheExhibit:TourismSupplyandDemandModel.
Thebasic idea here is that in playing the role of linking pin, DMOs are
basically a conduitbetween the supply elements of a community (tourism
assets)andthedemandelementsofthemarket(marketsegments).Thetools
used are largely information and communication and the process is
marketingandsellingtheassetstokeymarketsegments.
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33
Exhibit:TourismSupplyandDemandModelInfrastructure Retailers
Food andBeverage
AttractionsTransportationAccomodationsRecreation &Entertainment
Event AttractionsPermanent Attractions
Destination Image and Theme
Regional Segment
Intra Provincial/National Segment
International Segment
Destination Marketing Organization
Ambient/Natural Attractions
ClimateSceneryCulture
HospitalityWildlife
Constructed Attractions
Theme ParksOutdoor Parks
Fairs, ExhibitionsHeritage Sites
Cultural facilitiesCivic Squares, Streets and
Other Public PlacesConvention Centres
Sport and RecreationalFacilities
Educational FacilitiesShrines and Sacred Sites
Programs and Events atpermanent Attractions
Touring EventsBusiness EventsSporting Events
Educational Events
Religious EventsPolitical Events
Community festivals
Mega-Events Attrations
Touring Event Attractions
Regional Event Attractions
Local Event Attractions andActivity Outlets
Supply
Demand
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
Segment
LinkingPin
Strategy Formulation
Development
Awareness Connecting
SupplyElementsare
depictedatthetopofthe
systemdiagram.
Attractionsarehighlighted
(ingreen)astheyrepresent
thereasonspeoplevisit.
Demandelementsare
depictedatthebaseofthesystemdiagraminterms
ofregional,
provincial/nationaland
internationalmarketsas
wellassegmentswithin
thosemarkets.Segments
andmarketsthatfitthe
supplysideofferingarehighlightedinorange.
Thelinkingpinbetween
thesupplyofferingandthe
variousdemandsegments
istheDMOandfour
criticaloverarching
functions:
Strategy
Formation,Development,
Awarenessand
Connecting.
Source:SupplySideMapAdaptedfromGetz(1991)
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Exhibit:OutliningtheFourOverarchingFunctionsofDMOsFocus Overarching
FunctionDescription SomeRelated
Functions
1.Strategy
Formation
Strategyformationtakesthestrengthsandweaknessesofthesupplysideofthetourism
economicequationandmatchesthemupwiththeopportunitiespresentedbyvarious
segmentsofthemarket.Inshort,matchingwhatwehavetosellwiththosewhoare
buying.
Akeypartofthisoverarchingfunctionisdefiningthedestinationimageandtheme.Part
ofthisisdonebythemarket(howthedestinationisalreadyperceived)andpartisdoneby
theDMO(brandingandthematicrepresentations).
Assessing
Attraction/Assets
andAssetMix
TourismResearch
Internal
/Supply
Side
2.Product
andSystem
Development
Developmentconcernsallthoseactivitiesdesignedtoimproveorenhancesupplyside
componentsespeciallyattractions.Developmentactivitiesincludeeverythingfrom
buildingattractionstoadvocatingforimprovementstotransportationnetworks.Anything
thatisintendedtochange,insomeway,thephysicalcharacteristicsofthesupplyside
equationisclassifiedasadevelopmentactivity.
EventBidding
EventPromotion
Advocacy
External
/
Demand
Side
3.Awareness
/Marketing
AwarenessistheoverarchingfunctionmostpeopleassociatewithDMOs.
Awareness/marketingactivitiesarethoseconcernedwithprovidinginformationonthe
supplysidetopeopleonthedemandsideconsistentwiththestrategy(overarching
function#1).Awarenessisaboutbuildinginterestinthedestinationintargetedmarket
segmentsusingthemostappropriatecommunicationtoolsandchannels.
Destination
Marketing
EventMarketing
andPromotion
Brochures&
Guides
WebSites
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36
Focus Overarching
Function
Description SomeRelated
Functions
4.
Connecting/
Sales
Theconnectingfunctionconcernstheflowofinformation/actionfromthemarkettothe
supplysideofthetourismeconomicequation.Anythingthathelpsorfacilitatesthe
connectionbetweenbuyerandsellerispartofthisconnectionfunction.Fieldingcallsand
enquires,managingavisitorcentre,sellingticketsandpackages(orputtingbuyersin
touchwiththosewhoaresellingitems)areallabouthelpingbuyersconnectwithsellers.
VisitorCentre
TourTradeSales
Convention&
EventSales
Referrals
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37
Exhibit:FunctionalActivitiesofDMOsFunctionalAreas Functions/
ActivitiesDescriptionTypicalElements
1.1Strategy
Development
Strategydevelopmentisconcernedwithdetermininghowthemarketplacedefinesthe
destinationimageandtheme,translatingthisintoabrandanduniquevaluepropositionand
thenlinkingthiswithspecificmarkettargetsegments.Takentogether,theseactivitiescomprise
thetourismstrategy,however,theyarealso,typically,themostdifficulttoachieveasthey
requirestakeholderconsensus.
1.2Researchand
Information
Management
ResearchandInformationManagementsupportsvirtuallyallactivitiesoftheDMOand
specificallyfulfilsanintelligencefunctionthatallowstheDMOtounderstandmarketdemands,
industrysupply,andthelinkagesthatneedtobemadetomaximizetourismimpact.
Partofthisincludesdatabasemanagementthatcanbeusedtosupportresearch(above)aswell
asdirectmail/emaildevelopment.awarenessandsales
1.Strategy
Formulation
1.3Advocacy Advocacyconcernsactingasacommunityspokespersonforthetourismindustryandtourism
stakeholders.Theseactivitiesinvolvelobbyingandmakingrepresentationstohighlevelof
government,makingthecasefortourisminthelocalmediaandotheractivitiestoensurethe
interestsofthelocaltourismindustryarewellrepresentedtostakeholdersandthepublic.
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38
FunctionalAreas Functions/
Activities
DescriptionTypicalElements
2.1Human
Resource
Development
Specificallyhavingwelltrainedemployeesinvisitorfacilitiesisimportanttoahighqualityand
consistentvisitorexperience.ItisrareforDMOstohaveanydirectcontrolovertheprovision
ofeducationandtrainingservices,itmayactthroughitsstakeholdernetworktoensurethe
provisionofsuchservices.Inthisregard,theDMOmayplayaroleindefiningahuman
resourcedevelopmentstrategyforthedestinationaswellasadvocatingforsupporting
programs..
2.2Product/Asset
Development
Productandassetdevelopmentconcernsthoseactivitiesthatentailmakingphysicalchangesto
theattractionsthecommunityhastooffer.Rarelydoesthisinvolvethedirectexpenditureof
dollarsbytheDMOasthetourismproductstypicallybelongorareownedbyother
organizations(althoughinsomecasesmunicipaldollarshavebeenfunneledthroughtheDMO
forspecificcapitalimprovements).MoretypicalistheDMOprovidingadviceandfeedbackto
suppliersoftourismproducts,usuallybasedonresearch.Thismaytaketheformasproviding
advisoryservicesduringnewproductdesignordevelopmentaswellasproviding
improvementrelatedadvice.
2.3Tourism
Infrastructure
Reviewingandrenewingtheinfrastructureinplacedesignedtosupportandpromotetourism.
Thisincludestheorganization,activitiesandgovernanceoftheDMOitself.
2.4Member
Services
MostDMOsareorganizationsthatarefundedthrough,inpart,membershipfees.Thebasic
serviceprovidedtothesemembersisthemarketingofthedestination.However,therearea
numberofsupportandrelatedservicesthatcanbeprovidedtomembers.Theseinclude
opportunitiesforthemembershiptopromotetheirorganizationsthroughbrochuresandother
informationchannels.
2.Productand
System
Development
2.5Crisis
Management
Reactingeffectivelyintimesofcrisisrequiresstrongstakeholdercoordinationabilitiesanda
basiccrisisresponseplan.Crisesmayrangefromlocalissuesrelatedtoviolentcriminalactsor
marketing/imageproblemsinthedestination,tobroaderissuessuchasterrorismornatural
disasters.Thiswillincludesupporttovictimsorthoseaffectedbythecrisistopublicrelations
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FunctionalAreas Functions/
Activities
DescriptionTypicalElements
andmediamanagement.
2.6Stakeholder
Coordination
DMOshaveadiversityofstakeholderswithacommoninterestbutalsowiththepotentialto
threatentheabilityoftheDMOtoachieveitsobjectives.DMOsareconvenersthatunitea
diversesetofinterestsincludinghotels,government,attractions,conventioncentre,DMO
members,residents,restaurants,universitiesandcolleges,localchamberofcommerce,and
sponsors.
CoordinatingtourismstakeholdersisconsideredtobeacorecompetencyofaDMO.Itisonly
throughsecuringthecooperationofvariousstakeholdersthattheDMOcanmobilizethe
resourcesnecessarytobeeffective.Inthissense,itissuggestedthatultimately,theabilityto
performthedestinationmanagementrolewillbedeterminedbytheDMOsabilityto
coordinatethesestakeholders.
2.7Finance/
VentureCapital
Development
Financeandventurecapitalareimportanttothedevelopmentofdestinationsuperstructure.
SomeDMOsplayaroleinassistingdestinationstakeholderswithfinancialassistanceand
accesstoventurecapital.Effortsinthisregardmayincludeincreasingawarenessinthe
financialcommunity,providingtourismresearchandmarketpotentialinformationtosuppliers
aswellasassistingongrantapplications.
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FunctionalAreas Functions/
Activities
DescriptionTypicalElements
3.1Advertising Advertising,oneoftheimportanttoolsofpromotion,employsvariousmedia.Consumer
advertisingutilizesprint,television,radio,outdoorandInternetmedia,whiletradeadvertising
occursinspecifictraveltrademagazinesandnewspapers.Alsoimportant,buthardtoinfluence
asaDMO,iswordofmouthadvertisingthatisgeneratedbypreviousvisitorstothe
destination.
3.2DirectMail Theuseofdirectmarketingmethodshasincreasedasdestinationshaveturnedtothedirect
mailofdestinationbrochuresorvisitorguides/magazines,aswellastheuseofglobal
distributionsystemsanddestinationwebpagestofacilitatedirectcommunicationand
bookings.
3.3Publications
andBrochures
Inbuildingawarenessandcommunicatinginformation,destinationorientedbrochuresand
informationpamphletsareakeyDMOfunction.Distributionofthesehasnowexpanded
beyondprinttodownloadableformatsconnectedtowebsite(s).
3.4Eventand
FestivalMarketing
Eventandfestivalmarketingisfocusednotonthemarketingofthegeneraldestinationbut
ratheronaspecificattractionorevent.Festivalsandeventsareemergingasaprimarytourism
developmentstrategy.Somedestinationshavebecomeknownfortheirfestivalsandspecial
eventsorbyaparticularfestival/event.
3.5Media/Public
Relations
Themainmediapublicitytechniquesarespecialevents,speeches,news,andwrittenmaterials.
Theyinvolveinformationfromanoutsidesourceusedbythenewsmediabasedonitsnews
value.
Incontrast,publicrelationsisabroaderconceptasitencompassesagreaterrangeofactivities
forbuildingrelationshipswiththeorganizationsvariousstakeholdersbyobtainingfavorable
publicity,buildingupagoodcorporateimage,andhandlingorheadingoffunfavorable
rumors,storiesandevents.
3.Awareness/
Marketing
3.6WebSite3.7 Webmarketingisrapidlybecomingoneofthemostimportantdestinationmarketingtools
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FunctionalAreas Functions/
Activities
DescriptionTypicalElements
Development becauseitisaneffectiveandefficientwayofcommunicatingmarketingandothermessagesto
thevisitorsmarketandotherstakeholders.Thedevelopmentofecommercehasledtosome
significantchangesinthewaytouristsrelatetothetourismindustryespeciallythroughthe
creationofnew,virtualmarketplacethatisredefiningelementsofthesupplysideofthe
tourismeconomicequation. Aspecialsectioninthisreportdetailsamodelof website
functionsforDMOs.
4.1DirectSales Directsalestobusinessandotherorganizationalevents.Corporateconventions,annualmeetingsetc.usuallyrequireadirectsalesapproachwhererepresentativesoftheDMOinitiate
contactandsellthedestination.
AnelementofDirectSalesisbidcoordination.Thisinvolvesthepreparationandproposalsfor
specificspecialevents.
4.Connecting/
Sales4.2TradeShow
Representation
Directsalesattravelindustrytradeshowscanbeveryeffectiveinbuildingrelationships
betweentheDMOandthedifferentsuppliersoftourismproductsandservicesinthe
destination.Theseeffortsmayengenderprideinthedestinationamongtheparticipantsand
alsoallowforthemutualsharingofsalesexpertise.
CooperativeprogramsgoalongwayinblendingtheDMOandthehospitalitycommunityinto
aunifiedmarketingpresence.Theydevelopmutualrespectandappreciationregardingthe
needsofeach,maximizingmembershipparticipationanddestinationexposure.
4.3Visitor
Management/Services
Traditionally,thishastranslatedintorespondingtoremotevisitorinformationinquiriesby
telephone(by
offering
toll
free
call
centres)
and
to
the
development
and
staffing
of
visitor
informationcentrestoassisttouristsinthedestination.
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WebSiteFunctionality
Increasingly, tourism organizations are providing products and services
online, resulting in more customers getting destination information and
booking accommodation via the Internet. Web Sites are also a cross over
product. They support awareness/marketing objectives, as well as
connecting/sales objectives. In addition, websites, when they evolve more
into a fullfledged ecommerce application,become part and enhance the
supplyside of the tourism economic equation. Website functionality
typicallymovesthroughthreestagesofincreasedfunctionality.Theseare:
Promotion, providing general awareness and tourism and presence on
theinternet.Contentisfocusedonthesupplyside.
Provision and processing, in addition to the promotion function,
providing an ability to respond to sales enquiries, usually through e
mails.
Full
fledged
ecommerce
applications.
The
web
site
becomes
part
of
the
supplysideoftourismallowingvisitorstobooktours,trips,lodgingand
related services online with integrated payment and confirmation
mechanisms.
Table1.WebSiteFunctionsLevelof
Functionality
WebSiteFunction
GeneralPublicity:ProvideabasicWebpresence,interaction
andsupportinginformation.
Promotion
Advertising Product/Services: Publish the local tourism
productsorserviceswithoutprices.
Advertising Product/Service with Price Information:
Provide up to date price information for the local tourism
productsandservices.
Email Enquiry and Booking. Provide email addresses to
allow customers to make enquiries about the webpage,
products,services,andsoon.
Provision
and
Processing
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Levelof
Functionality
WebSiteFunction
Paymentusuallycarriedoutusingconventionalmethod.ecommerce
Online Payment: Provide online shopping (selling) with
creditcardpaymentbuiltintothesite.
Some Marketing Strategy Best PracticesIsitnecessaryforacitytohaveamarketingstrategyforattractingtourism?
ThebestpracticeresearchoutoftheUnitedStatessupportstheideathatifa
cityaimstohosttouristsinawaythatleadstoeconomicgrowthandbalance
theneedsofthecitizensofthecity,thenaamarketingstrategy isthebest
way
of
doing
so.
Defining a vision, specifically defining a unique value proposition and
brandingthisvaluepropositionarefundamentalcomponentsofamarketing
strategy. Does this mean a city needs a vision and a brand for tourism
development? Arent cities different somehow? Again, the best practice
research indicatesdefining thevaluepropositionandcreating thebrandare
both essential indeed, essential first steps to successful destination
marketing. The reason is that destinations, like companies, must
communicatetoabroadmarketofconsumerswhattheyare,whytheyofferwhattheydo,andtheconsistencyandqualityoftheirofferings.
TheList
A listing of some recognized best practices of DMOs reported from the
UnitedStatesareprovidedbelow2.
Definingapowerfulanduniquevalueproposition, tourge tourists to
select thedestinationovernumerousalternatives.Whatiscriticalis that
thisvaluepropositionbegrounded in therealityof thecommunityand
consistentwithhowthemarketalreadyperceivesthecommunity.
Branding the value proposition, in a communications program that is
substantial and consistent This means deciding upon a brand and an
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easytounderstandandrememberstatementthatcommunicatesthevalue
propositiontovisitors.
Visitor profiling to understand the tourist segments, their consumers
preferences, and purchasingbehavior. This requires DMOs to capture
data, usually at grass roots levels in an effort tobetter understand the
visitor.
Designingvisitoractivitypackages,thatgeneratecostandtimesavings
forthevisitor.Thisrequiresacommitmenttovisitorprofiling(above)as
wellaspackagesthatgeneraterealbenefitsforthevisitor.
Providing for the education of tourismpartners (citizens, institutions,
airlines, hotels, etc.) and the facilitation of coordination. At its most
simple, bringing partners together to talk about and share some
understandingoftheoftencompetingobjectivesatworkanddeveloping
solutionstoprovidewinwinsituationsforallconcerned.
Perennially laboring to improve the diversity of the destinations
offerings.Constantlyworkingtoexpandonthenumberanddiversityofthe offerings,but only after the value proposition and relatedbranding
andthemeshavebeenconstructed.Diversityinmarketingoptionswork
best when derived from a common thematic thread or core. Pursuing
diversity independent of the core value proposition is an example of
worstpractice.
Creatingcompellingreasons tovisit in theoffseason. Once thebasic
value proposition is defined and the destination is on a sound footing,
best practice pursues development of the off season. Pursuing the off
season,independentofthevaluepropositionandbrandingstatementsis
anotherexampleofworstpractice.
Ensuringconsistency,between theactual touristdemographicsand the
needs and wants that the destination serves. This means conducting
researchtoensurethedestinationdoesnotfoolitselfintothinkingithas
moreorsomethingdifferenttoofferthanthevisitorperceives.Thiscomes
downtoconstantlyrealitytestingthevaluepropositionandthestrategytoensure there isalignmentbetween the mix ofattractionsandwhat is
beingsoldandthedesiresanddemandsofthesegmentswearetargeting.
Finding and developing undiscovered value inherent in the
destination. Again, only valuable once the value proposition and
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This list is essentially sequential,by which we mean it presents a logical
progressionofbestpractices.SuccessfulDMOshave traditionallystartedatthetopofthelist,definingapowerfulanduniquevaluepropositionandhave
workedtheirwaythroughtothelastofthebestpractices,suchasfindingand
developingundiscoveredvalueinherentinthedestination.
Thetotaltimeittakestomakethisprogressionisinorderofyears.
BestPracticePerspectiveConclusionsforRedDeer
Insomeways,RedDeerhasgone through thiscycle. Ithasmadeefforts to
brand a unique value proposition for example and has done some work at
designingvisitoractivitypackages.
However,webelieveitis timetostart thiscycleagaingoingbacktosquare
one. Specifically, the first three points serve as an adequate agenda for the
upcomingyear(2007).
AStrategyAgendafor2007
1.Defining apowerful andunique valueproposition, to urge tourists to
selectthedestinationovernumerousalternatives.Whatiscriticalisthatthis
valuepropositionbegroundedintherealityofthecommunityandconsistent
withhowthemarketalreadyperceivesthecommunity.
For Tourism Red Deer this mean conducting public consultation
events/workshops/focus groups to gather opinions, attitudes and insights
from the Tourism community and the community generally, about whatmakesRedDeerspecialandequallyimportant,howothersalreadyperceive
thecommunity.
2. Branding the value proposition, in a communications program that is
substantialandconsistent.Thismeansdecidinguponabrandandaneasyto
understand and remember statement that communicates the value
propositiontovisitors.
ForTourism
Red
Deer,
this
means
taking
the
data
generated,
in
step
1above,
anddevelopingauniquephrase/brandthatcommunicatestheessenceofthe
valuepropositioninawaythatwillstickwithconsumers.
Webelievethisisworkthatshouldnotbedoneinternally.Itrequirestheuse
ofaprofessionalmarketing/advertising firmwithexperience in this formof
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ForTourismRedDeer,suchagrassrootslevelprogramshouldbeinitiatedfor
implementation in the latespringof2007.Specificdatagatheringshouldbeinitiatedat:
HotelsandmotelsinRedDeer
Conventionandmeetingfacilities
Publicattractions/facilities(museum,parks/recreationfacilities,etc.)
Whereverpossible,datafromexistingsystemsshouldbegathered.However,
small and simple informal data gathering methods can be used atsites/facilities where no data gathering currently exists. It is expected that
some of the work associated with this initiative, such a data entry and
preliminaryanalysis,couldbedonebysummerstudent(s).
The Stakeholder Perspective: What Should TourismRed Deer Be Doing?The list of functions described in the previous section represent a listing of
functions and related activities in which DMOs typicallybecome engaged.
Withrareexceptions,DMOsdonotengage in thecompletesetofactivities
listed.
In what activities the DMO chooses tobecome engaged is dependent on a
number of factors usually related to the needs and requirements of the
communityandthecontextinwhichtheDMOoperates.Theprioritiesoftheorganization will change as circumstances and community needs change.
Indeed, this review was a result of the recognition that circumstances and
requirementshavechangedandthatasaresult,theprioritiesofTourismRed
Deerhavesimilarlychanged.
ToaddressthequestionofwhatTourismRedDeershouldbedoingnow,we
interviewed stakeholders and members of the organization and asked to
where the organization needs to move. Specifically, what functions or
activities Tourism Red Deer needs to focus on, and what activities or
functionsarenolongerpriorities.
Responses of stakeholders were analyzed and grouped into the functional
areas defined. Summaries of these are provided in the Exhibit:Go Forward
Priorities Voice of the Custo er F o thi a aly i a et of o a
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Exhibit:GoForwardPriorities,VoiceoftheCustomerFunctionalAreas
Functions/Activities
Products/Programs/Project
sCurrentlyUnderwayor
Completed
CurrentImportanceto
Customers
G
oForward
Priorities
Comments
Strategy
Formulation
Strategy
Development
Strategydevelopmentisahighpriorityforcustomers.Theywant
toseeaclearbrandingstatementandvaluepropositionthat
stakeholders(andmembers)canbuyintoasameansofproviding
somestrongfocustoRedDeerandareamarketingprograms.
Pursuingthisisalsoseenasamechanismforbuildingimproved
member/stakeholderrelationshipswithinthetourismindustryin
RedDeer.
Challenge,Itisdoubtfulthatcustomersareawareathowdivisive
strategydevelopmentcanbedespitebeingawarethataclear
strategyisrequired.Also,somecustomersexpressedtheconcern
aboutbeingstrategizedoutwherestrategyisequatedwith
meaninglesstalkandtheproductionofmotherhoodstatements.
Researchand
Information
Management
Prioritiesfor
DMO
include
conducting
research
on
how
Red
Deer
is
perceivedrightnow,reasonsvisitorscomehere(andwherethey
comefrom)asabasetobuildthestrategylistedabove.
Thisisnotlistedasahighpriority,however,becausemost
customersbelievetheyhaveaprettygoodassessmentofthe
currentrealityofthetourismmarketinRedDeer.Research,
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/Project
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportancet
o
Customers
GoForward
Prioritie
s
Comments
therefore,moretaketheformofcustomerconsultationandaclearenunciationorsummarizationoftheseforplanningpurposes.
Advocacy Whilemoderatelyimportanttostakeholders,thisisgenerallygiven
alowerpriorityfortheDMO.ItisstillseenaspartoftheDMOs
job,justnotacurrentlyahighpriorityitem.
Human
ResourceDevelopment
Humanresourceissuesarebeginningtomakethemselvesapparent
intheindustryasshortagesinthelaborpoolbegintohaveanimpactonrestaurants,hotelsandthelike.Hereagain,however,
customersseethisasanareawheretheDMOcanofferlimited
assistanceandtherefore, considerthistobealowpriorityitemfor
DMOattention.Productand
System
Developmen
t
Product/Asset
Development
Thequalityofthetourismproductisnaturally,ahighpriorityitem
forstakeholdersinthetourismbusiness.However,theabilityofthe
DMOto
contribute
to
the
development
or
improvement
of
the
productisperceivedaslimitedtoprovidingadviceand
consultation.Moreover,developingtourismproduct/assetshasnot
traditionallybeenseenaspartofthemandateofTourismRedDeer
Assuch,customersseethisasalowtomoderatepriorityitemfor
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/P
roject
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportancet
o
Customers
GoForward
Prioritie
s
Comments
theDMO.
Thereisanexceptionhere.Increasingnumbersofstakeholdersare
lookingforsometourismexpertisebywhichtojudgethetourism
appeal/impactoftourismrelatedprojects.TheDMOisseenasa
logicalplacetoobtainthisexpertise.
TheoverallpriorityforTourismRedDeeristhereforeamoderate
oneandwilllikelygrowovertime.Stakeholdersdonotwant
TourismRedDeertobedevelopingtouristattractions,buttheydoexpectittoprovideadvice,consultationtosuchprojectsaswellas
provideaforumormechanismbywhichstakeholderstosuch
projectscanbebroughttogether.
Tourism
Infrastructure
Improvingelementsofthetourisminfrastructureisseenas
somethingTourismRedDeermustdo.Peopleseeaneedfor
TourismRedDeertoexamineitsstructure,roleandmandate.
However,this
is
not
seen
as
an
immediate
priority
especially
comparedwiththeneedtogetoutanddothemarketing.
Someactivitiesarerequired,butagoslowapproachtointernal
organizationalrenewalispreferredwithasuggestedtimelineof
twoyears.Thiswouldfocusonthepreciseareacoveredby
TourismRedDeer,stakeholderidentification,appropriate
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/P
roject
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportanceto
Customers
GoForward
Prioritie
s
Comments
organizationalgovernance,establishmentofpropersubcommitteestodospecializedworkandalternativefundingmodels
includingdecisionsconcerninghotelandrelatedsurcharge.
Member
Services
Memberservices(asdefined)here,areseenasalowpriority.The
mostimportantoftheseservicesisseenasthemarketingand
promotionofRedDeerandarea.Anythingelserightnow,isseen
asadistantthirdlevelpriority.Overall,thepriorityhereratedlow,
notbecauseitisunimportant,butbecauseTourismRedDeerisseentohavedoneagoodjobinthisarea,especiallyrelatedtothe
brochure.
Crisis
Management
Fewstakeholdershadeventhoughtofthisfunctionuntilwestarted
askingthemaboutit(laterintheinterviewprocess).Those
respondingreferredtothetornadoatPineLakeandwhatpositive
things/messagescouldhavecomeoutofthatexperiencehadwe
beenbetter
prepared
to
deal
with
such
an
event.
Nevertheless,
the
perceivedlowprobabilityofanothercrisisoccurringdrovealow
priorityconsensusonthisitem.
Stakeholder
Coordination
Thoseinterviewedexpressedtheconcernthatthetourismsupply
system(meaningthepublicandprivatesectorinterestsandallthe
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/P
roject
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportanceto
Customers
GoForward
Priorities
Comments
diversitywithineach)havecontributedtoasituationwherewereallydonthaveouracttogether. Whilethosewetalkedtowere
shortonspecifics,therewasstillastrongexpressedneedfor
stakeholderstogettogethertodiscussissuesofcommonconcern
andidentifyopportunitiesforimprovement.
Amongthese,however,istheissueofstrategy. Thoseinterviewed
expressedtheideathatawellconceivedbrandingstatement,a
clearvaluepropositionandsoundpositioningworkwouldallgo
alongwaytoprovidingsomeofthecoordinationneeded.
Finance/
VentureCapital
Development
Generally,thisisnotseenasimportanttostakeholders(orrather,it
isseenasafunctionforthestakeholdersthemselves).Assuch,this
receivedlowpriority.
Awareness/
Marketing
Advertising Ingeneral,stakeholdersallmentionedtheincreasedneedtoget
outthere,meaninganeedtobroadcasttheRedDeertourism
messageanddrivetourismbusinessintothecommunity.
Advertisingwasgenerallyseenasakeywayinwhichtodothis.
Virtuallyallexpressedcautionconcerningtheadvertisingstrategy,
however,especiallywithregardtothecostsinvolvedandtheneed
tobewelltargeted.
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/P
roject
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportanceto
Customers
GoForward
Priorities
Comments
DirectMail Aswithadvertising,directmailcampaignswereseenasawayof
gettingthemessageout,withlesscostandpotentiallyimproved
targetingofrecipients.However,thiswascombinedwiththe
recognition
Familiarization
Tours
Toursandexternaltourpromoterswereseenasarelativelysmall
partoftheRedDeertourismmarket.Assuch,DMOactivitiesthat
seektousetourresellersorpromoterstendedtoreceivealow
priorityfromthoseinterviewed.
Publicationsand
Brochures
Stakeholdersrecognizethatthisisanareawheretheorganization
hasplacedsomesignificanteffortandmostbelieveithaspaidoff.
Itisplacedonalowprioritygoingforwardonlybecause
stakeholdersindicatedthatnoimprovementstothebrochureare
requiredthatwiththisaccomplished,otherprioritiesrequire
attention.
TradeShow
Representation
Toursandexternaltourpromoterswereseenasarelativelysmall
partoftheRedDeertourismmarket.Assuch,DMOactivitiesthat
seektousetourresellersorpromoterstendedtoreceivealow
priorityfromthoseinterviewed.
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/P
roject
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportanceto
Customers
GoForward
Priorities
Comments
Eventand
Festival
Marketing
Eventsandfestivalsarebecomingincreasinglyimportantinthe
mixofattractionscommunitiesareabletoofferthetouristmarket.
Thistrendinthetourismindustrygenerallyiswellrecognizedby
tourismstakeholdersinRedDeer.Thisisespeciallytrueasmost
stakeholdershavenoticedthatRedDeerhasaparticularlygood
trackrecordathostingevents(lesspositiveaboutfestivals)tothe
pointofthisalmostbecomingacompetenceofthearea(especially
forthemidsizemarketevents).
Media/Public
Relations
Hereagain,media/publicrelationsmanagementwereseenas
essentialmeansofgettingthemessageout.Therewasaclear
indicationthattheDMOhadtodomoreofthisasameansof
generatingfreeadvertising.Theitemislistedasamoderate
prioritygoingforwardonlybecauseofuncertaintyastothe
capacityoftheDMOtoaccomplishthistask.
Becauseof
the
capacity
issue,
some
noted
the
advantages
of
ago
slowlyandgetourfeetwetapproachtargetingregionalmedia
andtyingbroaderpublicrelationseffortstospecificevents(above).
WebSite
Development
/ Thesituationwiththewebsiteislargelythesameasforthe
brochure.Thoseinterviewedobservedthatobjectivesatimproving
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Functional
Areas
Functions/
Activities
Products/Programs/P
roject
sCurrentlyUnderwa
yor
Completed
CurrentImportanceto
Customers
GoForward
Priorities
Comments
thewebsitehadlargelybeenmet(promotionalobjectives).WhilethewebsiteisseenascriticallyimportanttomarketingRedDeer
andarea,prioritiescanshifttootherareas.
Thereareconcerns,however,thatwhilethewebsitenowlooksas
goodasitdoes,thatitisstillnotouttheremeaningnotgettingthe
hits.Withthisinmindcomesissuesofhavingtomarkettheweb
siteandusingitmoreeffectively.
Direct
Sales/Travel
Trade
Toursandexternaltourpromoterswereseenasahistoricallysmall
partoftheRedDeertourismmarketbutonewherethereisgrowth
potential.Assuch,DMOactivitiesthatseektousetourresellersor
promoterstendedtoreceiveamoderatepriorityfromthose
interviewedindicatingtherelativeuncertaintyvarious
intervieweeshadconcerningthismarket.Connecting/
SalesDirectSales/
BusinessandConventions
Directlygoingafterthebusiness/conventionmarkethas,likethe
traveltrademarketabove,notbeenseenaspartofTourismRedDeerspriorityareas.Yetitappearstobeanareaofincreasing
importance,especiallytoprivatesectoroperatorsinRedDeerand
anareawhereTourismRedDeershouldbeplacinggreater
emphasisinthefuture.
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IV.Implications: Drafting a BusinessPlan for Tourism Red DeerCHARTINGTHECOURSEFOR2007TO2010
The priorities identified in the previous two sections of this report lead
directlytoestablishingabasicbusinessplanfortheperiod2007through2010.
The Business Plan presented here is a draft plan. It has notbeen vetted
throughtheSteeringCommitteeforthisproject,norhasitbeenreviewedor
discussedwithstakeholders.Itissimplytheresultofourconversationswith
stakeholders combined with a review ofbest practices, and examining the
implicationsforTourismRedDeeractivities.
Business Plan StructureThebusiness plan that follows is presented in abasic hierarchical structure
following the general pattern of DMOKey ResultAreas (KRAS) andbasic
functions.
Abasicsymbolsetisusedintheplanningtablestoindicateiftheactivityof
objectiveis:
Anewinitiativeoraction
Aongoingbusinessactivity
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BusinessPlanningTableTourismRedDeerBusinessPlan
Component
Description Description/Implications Goals
Mission: Tomarketand
promoteRedDeer
andAreaasa
touristdestination.
AllfourKeyResultAreasmustbeaddressed:
StrategyFormation
ProductandSystemDevelopment
Awareness/Marketing
Connecting/Sales
RedDeerandAreaencompassesRedDeer,Lacombe,Ponoka
andClearwaterCounties.
Significantlyincreasetouristvisits
toRedDeerandAreaasmeasured
eitherbythenumberofvisitsand
thelengthofstay.
Improvecitizensperceptionof
theircommunity.
Mandate: Tofosterandbuild
connections
betweenRedDeer
andAreaand
potentialvisitors.
CommunityStakeholders:
Citizens
Municipalities
CommunityBasedAssets/Organizations
BusinessCommunity
Actasalinkingpinbetween
communitystakeholdersandthe
tourismmarketincluding
improvingcoordinationamong
existingstakeholders.
1.Strategy
Formation
Developingthevalueproposition,brandandpositioningto
effectivelycommunicateRedDeerandareasuniquetourist
offering
Aclear,easytocommunicate
messagewithahighdegreeof
community/stakeholder
agreement
KeyResult
Areas
2.Productand
System
Development
Developingthesupplysystemoftourismresourcesincluding
thecoordinationamongtouristsuppliersandthecommunity
atlarge.
Ahighlevelofcoordinationand
communicationamongtourism
stakeholders.
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BusinessPlan
Component
Description Description/Implications Goals
3.Awareness/
Marketing
DevelopingawarenessofRedDeerandareauniquevalue
propositionandbrandinidentifiedtourismtargetmarkets.
TopofmindawarenessofRed
Deerandareasvalueproposition
andbrandinidentifiedtarget
marketsaswellasincreased
visitations.
4.Connecting/
Sales
Makingdirectcontactwithvisitorsandpotentialvisitorsto
providessales
and
after
sales
service.
Increasevisitsattributableto
tours,trade
shows,
business/conventionsandspecial
events.
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Exhibit:BusinessPlanDetailsforStrategyFormulationKRA1.
Strategy
Formation Initiative/Actions
2007
2008
2009
2010
Comments
/
Implications
Strategy
Development
DevelopatourismmarketingstrategyforRedDeer
andarea.
DefinebasicthematicpositioningofRedDeerand
Areaanddefineuniquevalueproposition.
Developauniquebrandingstatementandimage
In2007itissuggested
thatconductingthe
tourismstrategycould
rangeconsiderably
dependingontheextent
to
which
internal
versus
externalresourcesare
used.
Ablendedstrategyhere
couldcostabout$30,000
forprofessionalsupport
increatingbrand.
Deploystrategyacrossallmarketingmaterialsandefforts
Deploystrategyacrossinternalpublicandcitizens
Researchand
Information
Management
Facilitates