2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan
Contents About Travel Manitoba
Integrated Sales & Marketing Initiatives
Vision, Mission
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Activities and initiatives by market
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Targets
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Hyper-targeting our audience
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Goals
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Core strategies and activities
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Leisure market Conte
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Research and Data Management
Hunt fish market
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Audience overview
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Francophone tourism
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Visitor profile
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Indigenous tourism
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Target markets
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Northern tourism
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Travel trade
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Travel media and influencer relations
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Lead Brand & Market Positioning Canada’s Heart is Calling
2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan
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Photo by Liz Tran
About Travel Manitoba Travel Manitoba is the only public/private non-profit tourism marketing organization that provides a province-wide platform to promote Manitoba as a premier travel destination. Travel Manitoba is a Crown corporation whose role is to provide leadership by collaborating with tourism businesses, communities, destination marketing organizations and governments to realize the full potential for tourism in Manitoba.
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Vision
Targets
Manitoba is a must-visit, four season destination generating sustainable economic growth by delivering inspiring and authentic experiences in its unique urban, rural and wild settings.
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Recover to the 2019 annual tourism expenditure level of $1.6 billion by 2024
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Achieve $2.5 billion in annual tourism expenditures by 2030 (50% growth)
Mission Travel Manitoba will support the recovery of tourism’s contribution to the provincial economy and will stimulate long-term growth by leading the marketing of Manitoba as a tourism destination and by fostering a competitive and sustainable tourism industry.
2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan » About Travel Manitoba
Goals 1.
Lead Brand and Market Positioning
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Advance Destination Management
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Foster Collaboration and Build Support for Tourism
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Photo by Wander The Map
Research and Data Management
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Audience Overview Travel Manitoba focuses on key audience segments to grow visitation that generates economic impact for the Province. LEISURE TRAVEL
HUNTERS/ANGLERS
TRAVEL TRADE
Leisure travellers are visitors who stay in Manitoba for the main purpose of entertainment, vacation, recreation and relaxation.
Hunters and anglers are visitors who travel for the specific purpose of hunting and/or fishing adventures.
Tour operators/receptive operators sell travel packages to consumers through their distribution networks.
TRAVEL MEDIA
LOCAL COMMUNITY
Travel media is made up of journalists, bloggers, content creators and influencers who promote their experiences to their audiences.
Members and leaders of the Manitoba tourism industry, along with residents and key stakeholders.
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They love our remote lodges, Our wide variety of fish and waterfowl species, and the monsters they can pull out of our 100,000 plus lakes and waterways. They’re hunting for a thrill – plus the exclusivity, status and bragging rights that come with landing one of our master anglers.
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Visitor Spending and Visitation for 2022 Manitoba welcomed 8.7 million visitors who spent just over $1.8 billion throughout the province in 2022. Visitor spending was higher than anticipated for 2022 and above 2019 levels due to inflation and the continued recovery of the visitor economy. Overall, visitation remained below 2019 levels. U.S. and overseas visitor spending was also down compared to 2019. Source: Statistics Canada – National Travel Survey (NTS) – 2022 Actuals Statistics Canada Visitor Travel Survey(VTS) Small Area Estimation (SAE) - 2022 Actuals.
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Tourism Economics – Manitoba Forecast
Source: Tourism Economics, June 2023
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Tourism Economics – Manitoba Forecast
Source: Tourism Economics, June 2023
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Target Markets Travel Manitoba’s efforts in international markets are aligned with Destination Canada’s strategy to target high value guests using new global partnerships, new media partners, tighter integration with airlines and high value trade partners. We benefit from the awareness that Destination Canada builds in international markets on behalf of the country and we leverage that awareness for markets of interest to Manitoba.
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Target Markets MANITOBA Manitobans are our largest market. Marketing initiatives continue to resonate well with Manitobans encourage increased travel. While Manitobans spend less per person than other domestic and international visitors, there is significant potential to increase spending and length of visit, especially among new Manitoban residents.
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Photo by Liz Tran
Target Markets CANADA Other Canadian provinces represent Manitoba’s second largest tourism market. Historically, Ontario followed by Saskatchewan and Alberta have been the largest spenders in Manitoba. Close geographic proximity to Northwest Ontario and Saskatchewan make these markets a priority. Draws include Winnipeg as the largest urban centre in the region as well as resort areas such Asessippi and Riding Mountain.
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Target Markets UNITED STATES The U.S.’s close geographic proximity, affluence and awareness of Canada as a travel destination make it a key target market for Manitoba. Historically, the U.S. has generated significant visitor spending for Manitoba with individual states contributing more than countries like Germany, Australia and the UK. Short haul markets such as Minnesota and North Dakota are particularly important along with long haul markets like California and Texas. Two new direct flight routes to LAX and ATL have opened up new opportunities in the U.S.
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Photo by CoPilot Collective
Target Markets UNITED KINGDOM In 2022, the United Kingdom was the largest outbound tourism market in Canada. Tourists from the U.K. on average spend close to $1,589 in Canada per trip and stay around 12 nights. U.K. traveller interests are aligned with Manitoba’s tourism offerings including wildlife viewing, nature hikes and northern lights.
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Target Markets GERMANY In 2022, Germany was the fourth largest outbound tourism market for Canada following the United Kingdom (U.K.), France and Mexico. German travellers have significant interest in visiting Canada and their interests align with Manitoba tourism assets including wildlife viewing, nature hikes and northern lights. With an average spend of over $1,872 per trip, German travellers spend more in Canada than any other European market.
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Target Markets AUSTRALIA In 2022, Australia was the fifth largest outbound tourism market in the world following the U.K., France, Mexico and Germany. Australian tourists spend on average just over $1,080 per trip in Canada, staying an estimated 18 nights on average. Australian travellers are interested in Manitoba’s tourism offerings including interests in wildlife viewing, nature hikes and northern lights.
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Lead Brand & Market Positioning In 2023, Travel Manitoba launched a refreshed brand, building on the success of the Canada’s Heart…Beats brand. The evolved brand focuses on the feelings that we all experience when we see or do something amazing on vacation or when we visit a place, whether it's new or familiar. The brand has been extremely well received from all audiences including locals, stakeholders, visitors, tour operators and the broader industry.
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Brand Resonance
Unaided Recall of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
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Brand Resonance
Aided Recall of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
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Brand Resonance
Awareness of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
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Brand Resonance
Appeal of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
25% Very Appealing
13% Very Appealing
Very encouraging to see initial appeal already at 13% given the previous slogan has been in market for 13 years at 25%
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Brand Priorities The following initiatives will continue to build out and enhance the brand: AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
LOCAL CREATORS
A brand awareness campaign outside of Manitoba will provide top-funnel inspiration and awareness of Manitoba. The campaign will focus mainly on broadcast television, over-thetop (OTT) and video opportunities and showcase Manitoba’s boulder assets.
Travel Manitoba will continue to work with local makers, artists and musical talent to infuse the brand with a variety of diverse expressions and Manitoba talent. INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATES
As materials such as collateral, signage and other marketing assets are updated, the Canada’s Heart is Calling brand will be applied, fully updating Travel Manitoba’s properties to the refreshed brand.
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Manitoba Merchandise SHOPTRAVELMB.COM
Manitoba merchandise continues to be a successful tactic, generating revenue, supporting local makers and creating ambassadors of the brand. The Hunt Fish MB brand continues to lead the way, with a dedicated and loyal audience base. Two seasonal lines will be launched in Spring and Fall, along with select limited-edition items. A comprehensive marketing campaign will promote the online store throughout the calendar year.
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Integrated Sales & Marketing Activities
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Activities and Initiatives by Market LEGEND Leisure Hunt/Fish Francophone Indigenous Northern Travel Trade Travel Media
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Hyper-Targeting Our Audiences Utilizing Destination Canada’s Explorer Quotient and overlaying Environics Prizm platform allows for hyper-targeting audiences to move them through the funnel from inspiration to visitation. To clearly communicate with our traveller types, Travel Manitoba has developed a unique approach to categorizing the extensive travel experiences Manitoba offers. The analogy of “Boulders, Rocks, and Pebbles” provides a way of showcasing what we have to offer.
BOULDERS
ROCKS
PEBBLES
These are iconic experiences for which visitors may come from another country; the most unique or unexpected Manitoba experiences that help set our province apart; stories that will spark a traveller’s imagination.
These are those “don’t miss”, interestbased groupings that may draw visitors from another province. This category brings together Pebbles into groupings of assets built around the specific interests of our travellers. This helps us tell bigger, more powerful stories in which to attract our traveller types.
These are singular experiences that you might suggest a visitor see while they’re here; those experiences that may attract travellers who have specific interests, but for the majority of travellers who come here for other reasons, these tourism offerings add to their list of things to do.
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Core Strategies and Activities Digital Marketing Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in digital platforms and experiences as a key tactic in growing the tourism economy. Digital resources will be leveraged to push messaging to existing and new Manitoba leisure audiences. WEBSITE
The award-winning travelmanitoba.com website will continue to be enhanced and refreshed, with an emphasis on the user experience.
2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan » Integrated Sales & Marketing Initiatives
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) AND SEARCH ENGINE MANAGEMENT (SEM)
An ongoing SEO/SEM strategy will continue to position Travel Manitoba’s digital properties at the top of searches, build authority for search engines, and provide the most relevant content to answer questions. CROWDRIFF
Travel Manitoba’s digital asset management platform will continue to capture and publish both owned and user-generated content throughout its network.
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Core Strategies and Activities Emerging Technologies - AI/Generative AI AI is transforming the tourism industry by offering innovative solutions for marketing and advertising. Travel Manitoba will monitor, explore and invest in new technologies to create personalized marketing campaigns, automate content creation, and optimize marketing campaigns to reach target audiences more effectively. AI POLICY/GUIDELINES
Travel Manitoba will develop a framework for responsible and ethical use of AI in tourism marketing, addressing potential ethical concerns and promoting transparency in content generation. 2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan » Integrated Sales & Marketing Initiatives
TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Travel Manitoba will explore opportunities to provide training and support for adopting new AI tools, empowering teams to effectively leverage generative AI in marketing campaigns and content creation.
CONTENT OPTIMIZATION
Voice search and generative AI are changing user behavior. Travel Manitoba will continue to future-proof and create content that remains relevant to the consumer.
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Core Strategies and Activities Digital Marketing TRIPADVISOR
EXPEDIA
TripAdvisor continues to lead the way with user-generated reviews and trip planning. Google continues to grow in the destination marketing space with tools such as Google Trends and Google My Business.
Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Expedia and its destination promotion platform to secure airline flights and hotel room bookings for Manitoba. This partnership will also tap into and leverage Destination Canada’s partnership for increased awareness, lead generation and content marketing opportunities.
BANDWANGO | TRUE OMNI
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Travel Manitoba will continue to create curated trails, passes and experiences to drive traffic through the doors of local businesses, generate revenue and grow first party data.
Travel Manitoba will continue to offer innovative and collaborative partnership opportunities to elevate individual partners through Travel Manitoba’s digital strategies.
GOOGLE MY BUSINESS
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Core Strategies and Activities Content Marketing CONTENT CALENDAR
GIPHY
A comprehensive content calendar will continue to serve as a hub for planning, inspiration and timely content delivery.
Travel Manitoba will continue to create engaging, relevant GIFs (graphic interchange format). EXPLOREMB BLOG
Travel Manitoba will continue to collect and create new visual assets with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion.
As Manitoba’s premier blog for things to see and do, ExploreMB will continue to create posts, partner promoted content, listicles, and unique stories to inspire and encourage travel.
VIDEO
ENEWSLETTER
Travel Manitoba will continue to create professionally shot and user-generated video content to be promoted through its networks.
Recognizing the importance of first-party data, Travel Manitoba will continue to prioritize its eNewsletter to grow subscribers and engagement.
VISUAL ASSET COLLECTION
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Core Strategies and Activities Content Marketing SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
Travel Manitoba’s social media strategy continues to evolve and guide content creation for its many social channels including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Travel Manitoba will continue to offer innovative and collaborative partnership opportunities to elevate individual partners through Travel Manitoba’s content marketing strategies.
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Leisure Market Initiatives SEASONAL CAMPAIGNS
Spring Summer • Travel Manitoba will continue to promote the spring and summer season through a dynamic campaign featuring road trips, urban experiences, stunning stays, the north and Indigenous experiences.
Fall Winter • Travel Manitoba will continue to highlight Manitoba’s iconic polar bear, ice fishing and northern lights seasons, along with showcasing winter as a bucket list experience. Boulder Showcase • Travel Manitoba will continue to develop a series of co-invested niche campaigns to support broader campaign efforts and highlight must-see experiences in Manitoba.
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Photo by Liz Tran
Leisure Market Initiatives DYNAMIC CAMPAIGNS
Brand Awareness • Travel Manitoba will inspire visitation and promote the refreshed brand through a targeted awareness campaign outside of Manitoba, focusing mainly on broadcast and OTT video spots.
New Canadians • Travel Manitoba will target new Canadians and newcomers to Manitoba in an engaging, inclusive campaign to encourage them to discover their new home province.
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Leisure Market Initiatives AIRLINE STRATEGY
Travel Manitoba will continue to work with airline partners to market non-stop flight routes to the province. WestJet LAX and ATL Routes • Travel Manitoba will build upon the launch of the two new non-stop routes in 2023 through leisure marketing, travel trade and travel media. Porter Airlines • Travel Manitoba will partner with Porter Airlines to promote the new Toronto non-stop route and promote Winnipeg and Churchill experiences. Airline Co-op Campaigns • Building on the success of previous campaigns, Travel Manitoba will run co-op marketing campaigns to generate flight bookings in Canadian and U.S. non-stop flight markets.
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Leisure Market Initiatives PUBLICATIONS
Inspiration Guide • Travel Manitoba will continue to produce and distribute the year-round Manitoba Inspiration Guide. Highly successful, this guide is a comprehensive overview of the province, leveraging stunning photography and experiential copy to lure travellers to book their trips. A comprehensive distribution plan will include targeted direct mail in Manitoba and nearby markets, distribution through Red River Co-op gas and grocery stores and delivery through our Visitor Services Network in key areas within Manitoba. DIGITAL MARKETING
Manitoba Explorer App • The Manitoba Explorer app continues to grow in subscribers and trail completions. New engagement tactics and enhanced trails will be developed to continue to attract audiences. 2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan » Integrated Sales & Marketing Initiatives
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Leisure Market Initiatives CONTENT MARKETING
Brand Collaborations • Travel Manitoba will continue to leverage greater engagement, reach and content creation through partnership with select brands, publishers and influencers. These collaborations will create and redistribute content both on their own channels and on Travel Manitoba’s channels. Podcast Strategy • Travel Manitoba will explore the possibility of a podcast series to promote Manitoba, tell engaging stories, elevate partners and grow audiences and subscribers. Guest posting and leveraging existing podcasts will also be explored.
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Leisure Market Initiatives CONTENT MARKETING
Culinary Tourism/Agri-Tourism Strategy • Travel Manitoba will continue to explore the possibility of a culinary tourism strategy to promote Manitoba’s growers, makers, and creators. Dine about Winnipeg • Travel Manitoba will continue to support the annual Dine About Winnipeg event, and investigate the possibility of creating a mobile pass to promote the event and its participants.
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Hunt Fish Market Manitoba has long been recognized as one of the world’s preeminent destinations for American anglers and hunters. The province boasts some of the largest and most diverse species of fish anywhere on the planet, and a vast landscape home to millions of waterfowl and game birds and seven big game and predator species.
The hunting and fishing industry accounts for $480 million in economic impact and makes up a significant percentage of the tourism economy (pre-pandemic).
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Hunt Fish Market TARGET MARKETS Primary • Angling enthusiasts (middle-aged men) • Past angling/hunting customers
Secondary • Women • Families • New Canadians • Millennials
GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS Primary • Manitoba • North Dakota • Wisconsin • Minnesota • Illinois
Secondary • Florida • Texas • Michigan • Colorado • Nebraska
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Hunt Fish Initiatives Travel Manitoba will continue to leverage the Hunt Fish MB brand through a comprehensive multi-channel experiencebased approach, highlighting iconic experiences that will increase visitation and contribute to the recovery of the hunt fish industry. SEASONAL CAMPAIGNS
Prairie Angling Program • In partnership with Destination Canada and Tourism Saskatchewan, a comprehensive campaign will continue to target angling enthusiasts across key U.S. markets to inspire them to book a fly-in, drive-to or hardwater fishing trip to Manitoba. New opportunities will be explored to capitalize on the new Atlanta to Winnipeg non-stop route, as well as the travel trade market.
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Hunt Fish Initiatives SEASONAL CAMPAIGNS
Hardwater (Ice) Fishing • Manitoba’s ice fishing season has an advantage of being slightly longer than many U.S. destinations, allowing visitors to extend their ice fishing experiences by coming up north. Travel Manitoba will continue to promote hardwater fishing through a mix of paid, earned and owned media strategies. Hunting Campaign • Hunting continues to be a sensitive topic among many audiences, and will be handled strategically with hyper-focused targeting and messaging. Travel Manitoba will continue to amplify and syndicate key content while reinforcing sustainable hunting practices.
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Hunt Fish Initiatives MASTER ANGLER PROGRAM
The oldest Master Angler Program in North America honours anglers who catch trophy-sized fish with certificates of achievement and a variety of badges. Travel Manitoba operates the program by collecting anglers’ submissions. Over 12,200 fish were caught and accepted through the program in 2022. A refreshed look and updates to the app will continue to engage audiences. MASTER HUNTER PROGRAM
Built on the success of the Master Angler Program, the Master Hunter Program was launched in 2018 to celebrate the experience of hunting, while recognizing and rewarding successful hunts throughout one’s lifetime of hunting in Manitoba. Unlike other hunting award programs, Manitoba’s Master Hunter Program is not based on a size or scoring basis. 2024 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan » Integrated Sales & Marketing Initiatives
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Hunt Fish Initiatives DIGITAL MARKETING
Website • Completely rebuilt in 2023, huntfishmanitoba.com continues to be the primary source of hunting and fishing information, housing a complete list of lodges, outfitters, as well as inspiration content, resources and more. Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in the website and build out more enhanced landing pages for use in angling campaigns. CONTENT MARKETING
Hunt Fish MB Blog • The Hunt Fish MB blog is a valuable source of inspiration and attraction for avid hunters and anglers. Leveraging its created content, blog posts will be refreshed as new content. Travel Manitoba will continue to feature big catches, species health and variety, recipes and influencer content.
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Hunt Fish Initiatives CONTENT MARKETING
Hunt Fish e-Newsletter • Travel Manitoba will continue its e-Newsletter and grow subscribers, aiding in the collection of first-party data. The framework and content schedule will be refreshed to better reflect the interests of consumers, increase personalization and provide leads to partners. Video • Travel Manitoba will continue to produce highimpact videos and shorts, leveraging user generated content as well as content creators. Brand Collaborations • Travel Manitoba will continue to identify and collaborate with key brands with the goal to further solidify authority of the Hunt Fish MB brand and reach new audiences through third-party channels.
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Hunt Fish Initiatives IN-MARKET ACTIVATIONS
Non-industry shows • Travel Manitoba will explore participation in non-travel consumer events such as the World of Concrete Expo or the Barrett Jackson Auto Show, to showcase Manitoba to an affluent audience and stand out from the other participating vendors. Manitoba shows • Travel Manitoba will continue to have a presence at the Manitoba Outdoors Show and Manitoba Ice Fishing Show to feature Hunt Fish MB merchandise, engage with audiences and support the industry.
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Francophone Tourism Manitoba offers visitors unique historical and contemporary Francophone experiences, setting it apart from other destinations. Among these experiences are distinctive ways to experience Métis culture and heritage. These assets form an important strategic advantage, as identified in the Manitoba Francophone Tourism Strategy, and are defined as essential to solidify Manitoba’s distinctive market positioning, target audiences and tactics.
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Francophone Tourism TARGET MARKETS Primary • Cultural Explorers • Authentic Experiencers
Secondary • Free Spirits
GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS
• Manitoba • Québec (RV Market)
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Francophone Market Initiatives DIGITAL MARKETING
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in digital platforms and experiences to elevate Francophone products and attract Francophone audiences. Francophone Trail • Travel Manitoba will work with its Francophone partners and Bandwango to develop a themed trail that can be marketed under its larger consumer marketing activities.
CONTENT MARKETING
Travel Manitoba will create a content marketing strategy in collaboration with CDEM and Tourisme Riel to create a regular cadence of Francophone-featured content, translated content and more.
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Indigenous Tourism Manitoba is home to 63 First Nations communities and is the birthplace of the Métis Nation of Canada. The Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Strategy identifies Indigenous tourism experiences as an important part of visiting Manitoba and that these experiences have high potential to be recognized as iconic Canadian tourism products that capture the attention of visitors from around the world. Travel Manitoba collaborates with Indigenous Tourism Manitoba (ITM) and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) for partnership and marketing.
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Indigenous Tourism TARGET MARKETS Primary • Cultural Explorers • Authentic Experiencers
Secondary • Free Spirits
GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS Primary • Manitoba • Canada
Secondary • United States (Short-haul) • Germany • United Kingdom • Australia
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Indigenous Tourism Market Initiatives DIGITAL MARKETING
ITM Website • Travel Manitoba will support ITM in their development of consumer-facing content on their website indigenoustourismmanitoba.ca by providing referral links, campaign support and brand amplification.
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Indigenous Tourism Market Initiatives CONTENT MARKETING
Travel Manitoba will create a content marketing strategy in collaboration with ITM and ITAC to align efforts. Indigenous Content Creators • Travel Manitoba and ITM will continue to develop an inventory of Indigenous content creators to support the development of authentic content. Video • Travel Manitoba will build upon its series of ‘Adventures to Understanding’ videos with new chapters featuring market-ready experiences. Videos will also be updated with the new ITM branding and incorporated within Travel Manitoba’s leisure market campaigns and paid digital media.
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Photo by Anthony Urso
Northern Tourism Northern Manitoba is defined, for tourism purposes, to be the region of Manitoba north of the 53rd parallel. It is a vast territory comprising almost 60 per cent of the land area of Manitoba. The natural assets of the region includes thousands of lakes, vast boreal forest, major tracts of Laurentian Shield, and an arctic region bordering the Hudson Bay.
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Northern Tourism TARGET MARKETS Primary • Cultural Explorers • Authentic Experiencers
Secondary • Free Spirits
GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS Primary • Manitoba • Canada • United States ○ Short Haul ○ California ○ Texas ○ Florida
Secondary • Germany • United Kingdom • Australia • United States ○ Georgia
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Northern Market Initiatives Travel Manitoba will continue to promote the north through its leisure market and travel trade market activities. PUBLICATIONS
Northern Lure • Two northern lure pieces will be created to promote iconic seasonal experiences in the North and distributed to targeted audiences.
DIGITAL MARKETING
Bandwango • Leveraging the Bandwango platform, Travel Manitoba will continue to create northern pass experiences to drive traffic through the doors of local businesses and be a hub for e-commerce.
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Travel Trade The travel trade sector provides a new customer base through distribution channels and promotion of Manitoba product. The majority of international business development and marketing efforts are through the travel trade. Travel Manitoba aligns its market approach with Destination Canada. Travel Manitoba will continue to collaborate with Tourism Winnipeg and industry stakeholders to support sales activities and marketing programs to increase Manitoba products through travel trade. Travel Manitoba will continue to build demand for northern lights as a third season in Churchill.
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Travel Trade TARGET MARKETS Primary • Tour operators, travel agents, travel planners, receptive tour operators, product managers, incentive and corporate buyers, travel consortia Secondary • Student/youth, affinity group planners, motorcoach companies
GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS Primary • Canada • United States • Germany • United Kingdom • Australia
Secondary • Asia (via Canadian Inbound Receptive Tour Operators)
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Travel Trade Initiatives SALES & MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Travel Manitoba’s sales activities include prospecting, in-person sales meetings, relationship building, familiarization (FAM) tours, and General Sales Agent marketing efforts. Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Destination Canada to leverage resources.
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Photo by Martin Gregus
Travel Trade Initiatives SALES & MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Business Development • Travel Manitoba will identify key events to attend and meet with tour operators, product managers and trade to promote Manitoba product. FAM Trips • Travel Manitoba will work in conjunction with industry and Tourism Winnipeg where applicable to bring Tour operators, product managers and trade to Manitoba to showcase and experience Manitoban product. This opportunity is a crucial aspect of the selling cycle and these familiarization tours often form the basis for newly developed itineraries and lead to additional product being carried by operators and key accounts.
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Travel Trade Initiatives SPONSORSHIP
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in key sponsorships to elevate the Manitoba brand and provide unique opportunities to get in front of buyers. Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) • RVC continues to be Canada’s premier marketplace for the tourism industry. Hosted by Destination Canada and Tourism Industry Association of Canada, RVC brings buyers from across the globe. Travel Manitoba will continue to sponsor the luncheon event (May 2024) and promote Manitoba’s bucket-list, iconic experiences to this audience. Post-FAM tours will also be coordinated to host buyers in Manitoba. In 2025, RVC will be hosted in Winnipeg.
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Photo by Liz Tran
Travel Media and Influencer Relations Travel media continues to be extremely valuable. Great travel writing can inspire audiences to venture from far-flung destinations and provide thousands of dollars in earned media. Travel media also provides third-party validation and highlights a destination’s experience through different channels and to new audiences.
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Travel Media TARGET MARKETS Primary • Traditional print, digital and broadcast media Secondary • Social media influencers, video crews and independent content producers
GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS
Primary • Canada • United States
Secondary • Germany • United Kingdom • Australia
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Travel Media Initiatives MEDIA ACTIVITIES
Travel Manitoba’s travel media and influencer relations activities include prospecting, in-person meetings, relationship building, media trips, and media efforts. Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Destination Canada to expand reach and leverage resources. Media Development • Travel Manitoba will identify key media marketplaces and events to promote Manitoba to travel journalists, bloggers, tv shows, travel influencers and content creators. Media Trips • Travel Manitoba will continue to host prioritized travel media and influencers from its target markets on curated customized itineraries to encourage and create earned media articles and content.
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2024
Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan
Photo courtesy of Assiniboine Park Conservancy