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Brand NEW CANADA
CREDIT: TOURISM BC/TOSHI KAWANO
The Canadian Tourism Commission and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada are working to make the most of the 2010 Vancouver Games and put Canada back on the international tourism map. BY LORI SMITH
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he latest National Tourism Indicators release from Statistics Canada tells an interesting story: Tourism spending in Canada rose 0.9 percent in real terms in the second quarter of 2008 and in fact, tourism spending has increased in ev-
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G I F T S & TA B L EWA R E S
ery quarter since the second quarter of 2003. However, domestic demand, which has become the driving force behind growth over this period, is slowing and tourist exports — outlays by international visitors — continue to decline. There are many reasons for these decreases. On the home front, a sluggish economy, slower growth in personal disposable income, and higher gas prices have combined to subdue spending by Canadians. Throw in the higher dollar, economic woes in their home countries, and the global perception that Canada is a bit, well, boring, and you begin to understand the drop in international travelers. It’s fair to say that many people across the country including suppliers and retailers of souvenir, tourist and resort products have felt these shifts. But there is a bright light on Canada’s tourism horizon: the fiery torch traveling towards the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. To make the most of the opportunity to grow global awareness of Canada as a tourist destination that is provided by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the government of Canada budgeted $26 million for the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) to create a strategy. Spelled out in “Leveraging Canada’s Games: 2008-2012 Olympic Games Tourism Strategy,” which is available on the commission’s website, the strategy covers before, during and after 2010. With the additional $26 million investment, the CTC has been able to establish a
Business Development unit and develop three new program initiatives: International Tourism Business and Media; Tourism Partners; and Building the 2010 Advantage. The first phase of the strategy, which is currently underway, centers on developing and enhancing relationships with businesses and media from around the world, and on creating a winning new brand identity for the country — something research has shown that we need to win back our share of the global travel market, and particularly the US travel market. “Canada. Keep Exploring” is the new brand identity developed by the CTC for the country. In its presentation on the new brand, the commission explains that the idea behind the identity was to invite curious travelers “to experience a land and culture defined by a spirit of geographic, cultural and personal exploration”; a place where visitors should feel that anything can happen. To support the new brand, the CTC has developed logos, graphics and other imagery. It is also in the process of developing a microsite (www.keepexploring.ca is an initial non-interactive version) of its main website (www. Canada.travel) that travelers can visit to determine their “explorer” type. In developing the new brand identity, the CTC chose to move beyond old demographic models and look at potential visitors through psychographic glasses. Environics Analytics conducted research for the CTC and developed the award-winning Explorer Quotient (EQ) market segmentation model as a way to determine what kind of travel experience a visitor is drawn to. Using research, focus groups and on-line surveys Environics identified nine EQ segments: Gentle Explorer (17%), Virtual Traveler (6%), No-hassle Traveler (11%), Rejuvenator (10%), Free Spirit (11%), Personal History Explorer (11%), Authentic Experiencer (12%), Cultural History Buff (9%) and Cultural Explorer (13%). Of the nine, Free Spirit, Authentic Experiencer and Cultural Explorer are considered best yield targets. These segments are now being used to shape advertising campaigns, media visits and tour packages