E-News Summer 2007

In this Issue

CCCTA Department Changes

Recently, in an effort to more effectively promote the Cariboo Chilcotin Region the CCCTA has made some internal departmental changes. Geoff Moore and Kim Pratt now form the Travel Industry Relations Department which still encompasses media relations and travel trade relations. Kim Pratt is also our internal IT and web person. Steve Harkies and Erin Shaw now form the Marketing and Sales Department, with Erin coordinating the Stakeholders Services aspect of the department.

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CCCTA Database Update

The database is a very important tool here at the CCCTA for informing media, travel trade and of course visitors of all the tourism operators and organizations available in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region. We here at the CCCTA office have been working hard over the last couple of months updating our database, but we still need you help!

Attached is a form with all the search categories that a business or organization can be defined as.

Please take a moment to complete the form (select ALL the search categories that apply) and return it to us. Click here.

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Upcoming Marketing Opportunities

The summer and fall are busy and exciting times for the marketing department at the CCCTA. The designing and building of the 2008 Travel Guide has begun as well as new to this year the mini guides, regional map and flat sheets. The goal of these new promotional assets is to help increase our presence at the consumer and travel trade shows and media events that we attend each year.

To learn more about the marketing opportunities click here or download a PDF.

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TRIP Update

Randy Love from the Tourism Research and Innovation Project is continuing to visit with and provide resources to communities all throughout BC. The CCCTA has happily donated office space and made key area connections for Randy, TRIP’s Regional Liaison for Central BC. "The partnership with the CCCTA has just been excellent. Their knowledge of the area and of the tourism operators has allowed me to connect with key stakeholders in the region".

Since April, Randy has visited with communities from Kamloops to Golden, to McBride, from Mackenzie down to Ashcroft, with trips to Wells, Likely, and along highway 20 to Anahim Lake. While in the communities Randy has been working with community leaders, chambers of commerce, and tourism business owners to identify and provide resources that will help the community to develop their tourism industry. Randy has also been identifying and sharing examples of innovators that are found all throughout the Province. As well, he is working on a report that will identify the realities of small and medium sized business owners as they work towards business success.

Randy is currently in Bella Coola speaking with tourism operators and will then be returning to Anahim Lake to help Bill Van Es and the WCTA find resources to improve tourism signage along highway 20. If your community would like to learn more about TRIP, or would like to request a meeting with one of the Regional Liaisons, please visit the TRIP website or contact Randy.

Cell: (250) 267-4357
email: randylove604@hotmail.com

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CCCTA Travel Industry Relations Update

With the media events and travel trade shows coming to an end in the late spring, the department has changed gears preparing to host visiting media professionals and sending out follow-up packages to all the travel trade professionals that were met at the 2006/07 Travel Trade shows.

To learn more about the media professionals that have recently visited our region visit Travel Industry Relation Section.

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The Rush is on at Barkerville

To date, July has been a very busy month for Barkerville and the surrounding area. The Good Sams Club began to arrive in the Barkerville area Tuesday, July 3rd to celebrate their annual samboree. "It was an excellent event. Everyone really enjoyed themselves" exclaims Barkerville's Manager, Visitor Programs Robin Sharpe. Barkerville was not the only community to benefit from the samboree. With over 150 RV rigs and 300 plus visitors nearly every campsite, rec site and parking lot in the area was full. Good Samers were seen in Well’s galleries and restaurants. Robin estimates a regional economic impact of $100,000 for the 5 day event, with Barkerville seeing around $7000 in gate sales alone.

"This is one of the bigger events I've seen here in the past 21 years" says Robin. Barkerville is experiencing an increase in visitation of 19 1/2% for the first week of July. If this isn’t the biggest event Barkerville has seen then what was? This year’s Barkerville Canada Day celebration. An estimated 3400 visitors were in attendance for the festivities. With the Billy Barker Days celebration coming to an end, Barkerville is expecting a little bit of a break.

What can explain this busy month of July? Perhaps it was the fact that Canada Day fell on a Sunday this year, or that it was just about time that the region and the rest of the world rediscovered Barkerville again? The recent success that Barkerville has seen this month can undoubtedly be attributed to a few key marketing partners, and of course a few very dedicated visionary individuals; Robin Sharpe, John Mitchell (Good Sams Club Cariboo/Thompson), Richard Wright and CCCTA without which this could never happen.

Find out more about Barkerville click here.
Find out more about the Good Sams Club click here.

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BC Best Place on Earth

BC Resident 6-Region Summer Campaign

CCCTA has teamed up with the other 5 provincial tourism regions to target BC residents this summer in a 12 week comprehensive campaign with CanWest Mediaworks. The campaign includes television ads on Global with Wayne Cox as spokesperson, double full pages spreads in all weekend editions of the Vancouver Sun and Province with columnist Cheryl McKinnon's Travel Lifestyles features on each region in turn, contest entry to win one of 6 vacation packages (one from each region) with contest entry in partnership with Tourism BC and 1-800-HELLOBC.

This campaign came together very quickly in response to late season reports of low provincial bookings, mainly due to high fuel prices, strong Canuck buck and border crossing difficulties. Barkerville, Wells and Bowron Lakes rallied to meet the tight deadlines and pulled together a fantastic contest prize package - thanks folks!

The campaign has received 3684 total contest entries since the project started June 16th (with 6 more weeks in the campaign). Of those 796 have indicated they would like to be contacted by the CCC region with more information. CCCTA is taking advantage of this invitation by putting together a "Last Minute Vacation Deals to the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast" e-advertisement featuring summer/fall vacation packages. Contact us at the CCCTA office for more information.

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COTA Tourism Industry Strategy for Forests

COTA RELEASES REPORT ENTITLED "A TOURISM INDUSTRY STRATEGY FOR FORESTS"

COTA is pleased to announce the completion of its long-awaited report on tourism and forestry.

The report, entitled "A Tourism Industry Strategy for Forests," culminates more than a year of research and analysis, in addition to widespread consultation between COTA and BC tourism industry representatives, land use planning specialists, the B.C. forest industry, and government.

The report makes recommendations in three key areas relating to land use and forest management:

  • Enhancing the capability of tourism businesses and forest licensees to identify and manage tourism interests in forest planning and practices, through the development of requirements and supports that promote fair and effective consultation and cooperation between representatives of the two industries, in addition to the development of strategic land use planning materials that provide clear guidance to forest licensees;
  • Safeguarding the viability of forest-based tourism operations in light of increasing threats to forest health - in particular the mountain pine beetle epidemic - while balancing the impacts that these forest health threats have on all industries; and
  • Improving the identification and management of scenic areas that tourism relies upon.

To download a copy of the report click here.

In early 2006 COTA began background research on the report, as part of its Tourism and the Land Project, which is supported by COTA's Land and Resources Policy Circle.

At that time, there was a growing perception by tourism representatives that the overall land use planning and forest management system in British Columbia was not identifying and managing tourism interests to an adequate standard, particularly in light of the Premier's challenge to the industry to increase revenues to $18 billion by 2015.

In addition, COTA has been receiving an increasing number of reports of conflicts between tourism operators and forest licensees, likely stemming from the implementation of the new Forest and Range Practices Act, as well as accelerated harvest rates associated with the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

One of the key considerations in developing the report was to ensure that there would be minimal or no impacts on the viability of the forest industry. To that end, COTA consulted with the forest industry - particularly the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) - in order to ensure that the forest industry's perspectives were taken into consideration in drafting the report's recommendations.

 

Accordingly, COTA has also discussed with and received a favourable response from COFI, in accordance with the MOU between COTA and COFI, to engage in a collaborative process with government to support two priorities identified in the report:

  1. Ensuring that land use plans adequately identify resource values (including tourism) at the landscape-level, with the appropriate results and strategies, and are updated on a planned and periodic basis; and
  2. Ensuring that tourism operators are able to provide timely and appropriate information to forest licensees early in the Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) development stage.

The report also complements COTA's newly-released sustainability strategy as articulated in the document FORESIGHT: Shaping a Sustainable Vision for Tourism in British Columbia.

The Vision articulated in the Tourism Industry Strategy for Forests is as follows:
"For British Columbia's forested land base to support the health, vitality, and sustainability of all forest-based industries, including tourism, ensuring a quality visitor experience to British Columbia despite ongoing uncertainties within tourism's operating environment."

COTA has presented the report to the relevant provincial government agencies and is awaiting their response on how to proceed with implementing its findings.

COTA will keep its members apprised of the progress on this file.

For more information, contact Peter Larose, COTA's Acting President and CEO, at 604-685-5996 (plarose@cotabc.com).

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Rivermania BC 2008

Fraser River Celebration from Prince George, thru the Cariboo to Steveston
August 24 - September 28, 2008

Rivermania is one of the recognized BC 2008 events and has received $125,000 funding from the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts. It is designed to spotlight the Fraser River as the cradle of British Columbia and the Peoples along the river as the creators of the history and culture of British Columbia.

Rivermania is a symbolic trip down the river, which will initiate local celebrations created by a local community volunteer group under the leadership of their local Spirit of BC Committee. A variety of tour packages will be offered so that visitors can join the fun either by participating in segments of the journey or by participating in the entire trip.

The project will span the river from Prince George to Steveston to create a "snowball effect" of local festivals and celebrations. These festivities will be captured on video for use in promotional campaigns. River communities will host major local celebrations festivals spotlighting their unique character. At Mission where the river is calmer, the fleet will form a water parade consisting of wide variety of boats with canoes and other non-powered boats leading the procession followed by power rafts, fishing boats, tugboats and vintage vessels. Banners with the Fraser River logo will be carried down the river and officially presented to river communities along the route. Giveaways will be distributed at local celebrations to add to the festive atmosphere. Community Celebrations will include both Aboriginal and non-native community members who will work together to honour the heritage of Fraser River and the culture of its Peoples.

This journey will start in Prince George on August 24, 2008 and end in Steveston on September 28, 2008. Using the infrastructure created in 2008, Rivermania will be repeated in 2010 and subsequent alternating years.

Rivermania is guided by a steering committee consisting of the three destination marketing organizations including, CCCTA, NBCTA (Northern BC Tourism Region), and VCM (Vancouver Coast and Mountains Tourism Region). They have contracted to Georgia Katz as Project Coordinator.

Opportunity for Tourism Operators in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast tourism region:

It is expected that the major receptive operators will be on board promoting and selling Rivermania, particularly Jonview, which is so important in all markets. JAC Travel has confirmed their inclusion of a Rivermania package. Also expressing interest is Discover Holidays, Rocky Mountaineer Vacations and Exclusively Canada. CCCTA will be promoting Rivermania packages to the travel industry at Canada's West Marketplace, Rendezvous Canada and in all other travel industry correspondence this fall and winter.

All operators with relevant product are encouraged to develop a special Rivermania package for 2008. This includes river boat operators, resorts with access to the river, complimentary activities and attractions. Please present packages with NET 2008 rates. Contact Geoff Moore, Director, Travel Industry Relations geoff@landwithoutlimits.com 250.392-2226 for full information.

It is expected that Rivermania will continue in the successful segments during 2009 and in 2010, Rivermania will be offered again as part of the 2010 activities (no, not during the Olympics!). The group is currently working with Legacies Now.

Credit Cards in Remote Locations

TD Canada Trust along with other financial institutions have or are in the process of making the paperless point of sales system mandatory. For the operators dependent on radio phone and those using "voice over IP systems" like SKYPE this is a problem. The telephone “touch tones” required are not distinguishable by either system, resulting in incomplete transactions. However, for business with satellite internet there is a way to overcome this problem.

TD Canada Trust offers a software program called Merchant PC. Merchant PC allows your computer to be used as a Point of Sale machine, and apparently, the software will give you printed reports and is a lot easier to use than the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

Merchant PC comes in two different versions; one allows only credit cards purchases and the other allows for credit and debit card purchases. There is a one time software purchase fee for the credit card version. With the credit and debit card version requiring the software purchase and the low monthly pin pad rental.

For businesses banking with the TD Canada Trust, check it out, and for those of you who bank with other institutions this may give you an idea of what to ask at your financial institutions.

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Travel Inquiries

Travel Inquiries have nearly doubled when comparing the same 6 month period last year.

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