| CTC annual public meeting unveils new strategies, tools | |
| November 6, 2007 | |
| The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) hosted its first official Annual Public Meeting (APM) to provide stakeholders and the Canadian public with an opportunity to share in the successes, challenges and opportunities the CTC faces on a daily basis. It took place November 6, 2007 at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's Tourism Leadership Summit at Victoria. Commission chair The Honourable Charles Lapointe commented in his opening remarks: "Canada is a country full of leaders that dream big, and we have the confidence to share those dreams far and wide around the world... our grand vision is to harness the world's love affair with Canada and to compel the world to visit us now - not someday, but right at this moment - as they surf online, browse the brochure racks, or simply carry out their daily routines." "Now more than ever, our strategy is helping Canada stand out in a global marketplace saturated with marketing noise," emphasized CTC president and CEO Michele McKenzie in her address to the meeting. "We need to be innovative and at all times, making sure we are relevant to consumers and our trade partners. Our trade shows, fams, missions, the Canada Specialist program and tools like the Explorer Quotient, or EQ as we call it, are doing exactly that." The CTC's vice-president of marketing Greg Klassen teamed up with Parks Canada CEO Alain Latourelle to introduce the "Explorer Quotient," (EQ) a completely new way to match consumers with the right Canadian tourism experience. The EQ was developed by the CTC in collaboration with Environics, one of Canada's leading marketing and social science survey research firms, to help consumers discover what kind of traveller they are and make sure they receive travel offers that fit their profile. People who attended Tuesday's APM were given the opportunity to test the new program by discovering their own "EQ" and the traveller type with which they fit. The subject of Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) Diane Ablonczy's announcement Sunday of a $26 million contribution from the federal government was the source of much chatter on the conference floor. The funding, over five years, is to support the CTC's efforts to leverage the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to drive tourism to all of Canada. CTC vice-president of finance and business development Karin Zabel commented, "in 829 days, the world's eyes will be on Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance the perception of what a visit to Canada can be." Zabel went on to explain how the CTC will roll out a phased approach beginning with the Beijing Summer Olympics and carrying right through the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010 and beyond to maximize the promotional advantage for Canada. |
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Author: TOURISM staff Organization: Canadian Tourism Commission E-mail: tourism@ctc-cct.ca |
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