First Tourism Café Podcast – Introductions Please

Hi Todd, just to add to what I believe is a flawed direction by both Ontario and Canada is the philosophy and marketing strategy that is focused to the so called "high value" visitor. In most cases this means high $ value, not necessarily a guarantee for a high value experience. The marketing is often at the expense of longer stay visitors who might be participating in experiential activities, staying longer, but spending less per day, but more in total. ie the ice fishing group from OHIO, who stay in Barrie for the week. VS the lawyers from New York who stay for a weekend in Toronto.

Just to reinforce my point, I have developed programs for High Value High Price with guest cooking classes at Sherwood Inn-a four diamond rated property--with dishwashing as part of the experience-a weekend experience. As well as Elderhostel programs High Value-Low Price at Chippawa Cottage resort with dishwashing a five day experience. Both groups were spending about the same in total $ for that experience.

CTC doesn't market specific products. It's not their mandate and they don't have the resources to do it well.
Product packaging is the realm of the provinces and regional and activity clusters.

Dog sledding is pictured often for "Authentic Experiencer".
See: http://img.skitch.com/20081115...

Of the three groups the CTC has targeted as high yield, Free Spirit, Cultural Explorer and Authentic Experiencer, each of them can be more narrowly targeted with products that are quite different in each region. The challenge is for each region's marketing message to be appreciated by these experience types.

So for instance, language and imagery on portal sites like 400Eleven.com will be most successful when each product is targeted to to a clear ideal customer type. ie: "Can I see myself there?"

All "Experiences" can have a higher price point and higher perceived value depending on how it is marketed and delivered. And although Canada and Ontario often drive visitation to cities, there is at least some attention being paid to niche product in rural areas.

ie: I can point you to a perfect example in Ontario where washing your own dishes is "Value Added" and part of the experience.

It's clear you have a lot of experience and wisdom to share on these issues. Hopefully, we'll continue to stimulate discussion on a very important industry to all of us.

Thanks for your quick response! No question, consumer needs are always the base of product development, and building repeat visitation or word of mouth post vacation experience. However, in today's market place, individual needs will change with season, type of vacation, destination, point of origin etc. The "ideal guest" approach is partially true, the reality is there are many "ideal guests". To get focused on one type can be a serious marketing mistake.

The profiles and characteristics have been touted using many different "types of travelers" for many years and the buzz word describing the category changes every other year. Very often "the complicated" over shadows the "grass roots needs" that actually drive business, room nights, and visitation. CTC seems to take the complicated when trying to market Canada. What will the buzz "tourist type" be next year?

Where is dog sledding on the CTC website? It is experiential, grass roots Canadiana, etc. How many communities & destiantions offer this as part of their winter programming, packages based on consumer needs--lots, a rhetorical question of course.

Unfortunately CTC has decided on "high value" mostly city experiences approach, leaving out many great Canadian experiences in many exceptional Canadian destinations that might not be considered "high value'.

Hi Ron,
Thanks for joining the conversation. I'll drop Nancy a note and let her respond to the science behind the EQ. In short, yes, there are a number of people who have been profiled with this tool and the science is very strong.

As for the general approach to tourism development, most businesses miss the mark by not addressing the consumer side of things.

This Tourism Café is designed for operators! The EQ is being used in many locations across Canada, including a handful of National Parks so that travelers can identify their preferences and match their Explorer Type to the experiences offered at the destination.

In our work with the industry, we get industry folk to consider the needs of each experience type that represents their target market or "ideal guest".

By understanding what the customer is looking for and tailoring tourism experiences to match what the traveller is looking for, then taking time to craft marketing messages that describe these benefits operators have a better chance at hitting the mark with the experiences they offer.

In practice, CTC cannot address the needs of smaller communities, like those in Northern Ontario, however, there is room on the CTC site to get free exposure for experiences that are designed to meet the needs of specific EQ types.

The EQ is only one way to consider what a traveler might be looking for, and there are many ways that regional travel organizations or individual businesses can profile their guests - and get to the grass roots. Having clear client personas and addressing their needs is what matters.

I hope Nancy has a few minutes to share some research info with you too!

Interesting approach to community based tourism, congratulations on the concept of the Tourism Cafe. I am a bit confused however, as I am not sure if you are appealing to the consumer or the industry? It is interesting that you focused on the consumer profile as this is directed to the consumer not the industry.

From a marketers point of view and a former partner in a Country Inn, and as a former professor at Georgian College in Barrie--(Canada's first Tourism Management Program), I would be interested in how many people have actually filled this out--and are the profiles developed relevant to the incoming tourists to the country. ie is there research to substantiate the use of this model backed up by visitor statistics.

Although I would like to agree with you on CTC's effectiveness they do not list some of the major tourism destinations in the country outside of the major cities (a grass roots approach is absent from the marketing of Canada--both within and inbound). I would argue that The Lonely Planet is more in-tune with consumer travel experiences than the CTC. There has been no indication of increased tourism visitation as a result of the efforts of CTC. However, I could be convinced if there is some research to back this up.