tourism bc asia 2007/8 japan taiwan korea china cindy gobin market development manager, asia
TRANSCRIPT
Tourism BC Asia 2007/8 Japan Taiwan Korea China
Cindy GobinMarket Development Manager, Asia
JAPAN
Whistler Café: Theme restaurant in Naeba
Resort
Online, PR, print advertising, editorial, media and travel trade events, brochure distributionDec-April for 3 years
Vancouver Café Themed restaurant in Osaka
One-month promotion with Air Canada Media and public relations events, online elements
Integrated Consumer Promotions
FM Tokyo Radio
Sunday Special program “Vancouver Calling”
3 x 1 hour programs:
Summer Activities Aug. 5 BC Gourmet Oct. 28 Winter Ski/Resort Jan. 13
⇒ shooting in Whistler Café in Dec
FM Tokyo “Vancouver Calling” website featuring photos and stories.
Whistler Online promotion with Air Canada 2month promotion with All About – one of the biggest portal sites
Questionnaire & prize featured Advertisement on top page of All About site and Mainichi.jp (Newspaper Co.) Link to the site of Tourism BC, AC, Whistler Café AC also launched their own Whistler online campaign from Oct.01 Maple Canada” with added value items
Media Relations
2006 Media Coverage EAV C$18.5 million2007 13 press tours including 4 BC Regions
HelloBC.jp• Launched March 2004• Fresh content monthly• 70,000 visitors per month• 10,000 monthly e-news
subscribers• BLOGs• Media links• Campaign links• Rated in top 3 of 45 foreign
tourist office sites in Japan (Japan Tourism Marketing, May 2006)
Travel Trade:
Trade Fams: Vancouver Island, Okanagan, Whistler, VancouverEducation Over 20 seminars in 10 cities, reaching more than 500 agentsCo-op promos: With 7 travel trade partners
Japan Consumer Ski Researchwww.tourismbc.com
Publications:9 new Japanese language publications in 2007
TAIWAN
Loyal group of key travel trade accounts
Promoting quality 7-8 day itineraries including:
Vancouver
Whistler
Vancouver Island (Victoria, Salt Spring Island, Parksville, Campbell River, Tofino, Cowichan Bay)
Thompson Okanagan (Osoyoos, Kelowna, Kamloops)
Kootenay Rockies (Nelson)
Advertising through newspaper, radio, trade magazines, magazines..
High Yield – FIT & Small Group Touring
“C” Pak Agency Consortium7 Travel Trade partners
• Target: High end couples & families
• Features: Exclusive business class seats from China Airlines
New itinerary featuring unique hotels & experiences in Whistler, Nanaimo, Tofino, Vancouver
• Activities: Combined travel trade and travel media fam tour
Cooperative newspaper advertising
Exclusive branded brochures for each agency
Consumer seminars
Online promotions
Radio and print editorials
Consumer seminars
Branded brochures
Fam tour
Advertising
Belle Yu Celebrity Endorsement Program
18 months Radio, TV, Print exposure
HelloBC.com.tw
Korea
Travel Trade Training
Road Show with Hana Tour
On-line team training with Mode Tour
Retail Agent Training
Canada Specialist Agent Training
Ski Agent Training
West Coast 3-Cities Mission
Honeymoon Market Development• Korea Honeymoon Agent
FAM • Honeymoon promotion:
– Co-op advertising with 6 honeymoon specialist agents
• 2007 Weddex
Ski Marketing• Ski seminars• Print collateral for agents• Co-op promotion with KS PARK
and CMH• Sejoong tour Whistler product
ski brochure support• Online promotions and
“influential blogger” fam tour• Media relations
Media/Public Relations Highlights
Honeymoon Guide Book with Travie
Vancouver, Victoria City Special with Madame Figaro:
KBS TV Documentary “The Mountain” on Hiking in Whistler & Squamish
Consumer On and Off-line event with Arc'teryx and QED:
TV Celebrity Lee, Sun-Ho
Shooting trip to Whistler January 2007
18 page spread in Men’s Health Magazine March 2007
Equivalent Advertising Value C$280,000
Media Relations
HelloBC.co.krApprox. 7000 visitors/month
CHINA
Without ADS
• CTC, Provinces, Regions or Cities not permitted to promote or advertise Canada as a leisure destination
• Tourism BC not permitted to open office in China
• Travel Agents not permitted to advertise and promote travel to Canada
• Transfer of funds from Chinese travel agents to BC suppliers is extremely difficult
China Market “reality check”China tourism market is not 1.3 billionADS negotiations are not progressingChinese travel industry is very immatureOutbound travel is expected to reach 34 million pax in 2007
– Might appear that this is twice the size of Japan market – 75% is Hong Kong and Macau– Potential market for long-haul western destinations is approx. 5
million– Most western countries have ADS - not Canada and USA
Issues & Challenges• Air Capacity
– bilateral agreement in place, new services not yet implemented– Chinese carriers to be omitted from “transit without visa” program at YVR?– Air Canada allocating seats for point of sale in Canada not China
• Visa application processes– agents report ongoing difficulties and lack of consistent service from Canadian
visa offices– unwelcoming treatment for visitors on arrival in Canada
• Travel Trade Commitment– Other destinations more profitable, 132 countries now have ADS– USA about to receive modified ADS agreement
• Consumer awareness– Is low– West Canada is not the priority
• “Technical obstacles”
The Good News
• Wealthy Chinese can go wherever they want, and will find ways to get to Canada if we can raise awareness and stimulate desire
• Receptive operators very active and can facilitate Chinese business • Media relations activities are very successful • Online marketing, direct mail and other ways to reach our consumers• CTC is providing excellent leadership in China• 2008 and 2010 Olympic games – we are “Olympic Family” members• MICE market opportunities for Vancouver• Key travel trade account relationships developing• Guanxi
Travel Trade Development 2007• 5 Fam Tours • Destination Training in Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou• B2B with secondary city agents• Two trade shows
Chinese E-Newsletter
Online winter promotion with Polo Air Shanghai
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines• Inaugural VIP fam tour
• Kids Fly Free/Ski Free Promotion
• Winter/Spring City Promotion TBD
Publications
Media Relations• 4 Print Press Tours, 2 TV Shoots• Paid Advertorial• Press releases• Media Workshops• E-newsletter• Editorial & product news releases• More than 300 “unpaid” articles to date in 2007• CCTV Travel Channel releasing 5 x 45-minute BC programs
in January 2008
Newspaper Travel Sections
“Glossy” Magazines
Paid Advertorials
Modern Weekly Magazine Golf Magazine
Business Travel Shanghai – Feb. 2007 Vancouver and Toronto in world’s top 15 MICE cities
HelloBC.com.cn• Launched Oct. 2006
• 639 pages
• 7000 visitors / month
• SEO/SEM and co-op partner promotions underway