British Columbia Travel Guide
The unofficial BC Travel & Tourism Guide

Newsletter September 2010

Monday Sep 20, 2010

Fishing Reports
Fall Specials & Getaways
More Cuts in Tourism Marketing Sector - What does It Mean to You?
...And What It Means To Us
The Count is In: Visitors Numbers for January to May


Fishing Reports
...keep those fishing reports coming - for the coast, but also for fall fishing in the interior lakes. Just email us your reports and we'll add them for you. Fishing is posted on GoBC’s front page for the coming weeks - your reports will be read!

Fall Specials & Getaways
It’s not too late to attract more visitors. After all, the fall season is appealing to those who can avoid the busiest vacation times. Are you taking advantage of fall fairs, fall weddings, trade shows? Fall fishing, fall colours? What about Thanksgiving, this year on October 11?

Be sure to enter your getaways and specials in your GoBC profile - we’ll be stepping up the promotions at our end.

More Cuts to the Tourism Marketing Sector - What Does It Mean to You?
Along with the changes and reductions at Tourism BC earlier this year, the Canadian Tourism Commission announced this summer that its marketing services for Europe and Australia will be consolidated in London, UK. Offices in Australia, France, and Germany will be replaced with general sales agents. Marketing to the US has also been substantially reduced.

What does it mean for for you? Keep in mind that even in a slow economy, visitor numbers would indicate the possibility of growth from European countries, and continued business from the US (and from within Canada, not to mention). Long-haul travel by Germans, for example, boasted an estimated 9.3% increase in 2008.

We appreciate that Canada as a destination is still being promoted by our public sector and its agencies. However, the cutbacks require businesses and associations to do more on their own. If you want to continue to attract Canadian, US and European visitors to your business, be sure to:
  • Keep in touch with your past visitors! Research has shown that past travel to Canada continues to be the strongest predictor of future travel. In fact, everything else being equal, those who have visited Canada in the past are around three times as likely to say they will visit Canada in the next two years than those who have never been to Canada. Give them a reason to come back - and to bring their friends.
  • Be visible and accessible. The internet is your best, most affordable tool. Make that important first impression with complete information, photos, and easy ways to reach you.
  • Create Partnerships: Canadians and international visitors alike look for value, quality and variety. Don’t work in isolation - create partnerships between hospitality and arts, culture, entertainment, tour providers and other local services. It’ll spice up your promotions, your guests’ experience and your business success.
  • Think Global - Act Local: Increasingly, environment and global warming are also cited as influencing people’s decision, especially among Europeans. Don’t be shy - showcase how your business supports its community, how your community works towards a healthy future, or how you reduce your environmental footprint. People want to know!
...And What it Means To Us?
Taking our own advise to heart, GoBC continues to work on ever-increasing internet visibility for its listings. Search engine optimization, social media tools and translations drive local, national and international traffic to our site and to your listing.

As for maintaining accessibility, our site visitors don’t have to navigate google ads, links to Travelocity or Expedia, watch for frequent rate changes or go to a reservation system to find out your rates. Instead, provides your complete listing with contact information. Site visitors can easily find the same information again, or bookmark your listings.

Can we help you keep in touch? GoBC photo postcards are still available to all our participants and make for perfect greeting cards for your summer visitors.
We see GoBC as a partnership between tourism and arts & culture. We are committed to supporting economic diversity through the growth of a sustainable tourism industry in BC communities, large and small.

The Count is In: Visitors Numbers for January to May

The BC Government tracks and publishes records of overnight customs entries to BC and Canada. We’re keeping an eye on these and wanted to share some highlights with you. These numbers are for January to May 2010; they include travel to the Olympics but not the summer season.
  • Total entries from the USA in 2010: 1,411,914 - a 3.6% increase from 2009
  • Overnight stays from the USA: 860,894 - a 2.5% increase from 2009
  • However, Canada-wide, visits from the USA decreased - total entries were down a whooping 9.5%. It’s probably safe to assume that BC fared better because the Olympics. But what does it mean for the coming years?
  • Overnight stays from all of Europe in 2010: 158,362, - a 15.2% increase.
  • Visitors from Nordic Countries increased by nearly 50%, too.
  • BC’s biggest customer, the UK, showed 65,916 entries, a 0.3% decrease.

German speaking countries (one of GoBC's target groups):
  • Germany: 24,113 - 11.8% increase
  • Switzerland: 6,737 - 21.3% increase
  • Austria: 3,916 - 99% increase. (Number of Olympic Athletes: 81)

Source: http://www.tca.gov.bc.ca/research/IndustryPerformance/...