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The Tourism Event of the Year is just 20 days away...
What: BC Tourism Industry Conference (www.bctourismindustryconference.ca) When: Conference begins 9:00 am Wednesday, February 20 and finishes Friday, February 22 @ 3:00 pm. Trust us, you don’t want to miss a minute. Why: Key influencers within the industry will converge in Vancouver for this annual conference where decisions are made, relationships are built and in depth, insider knowledge is shared. Where: Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Who: Leaders within the tourism industry from across BC, people who want to become leaders and industry experts. Speakers include: Peter Yesawich, Chairman and CEO of Ypartnership, the leading authority on travel behaviour of Americans; John Furlong, CEO of Vanoc; Minister Stan Hagen and Deputy Minister Bruce Okabe, Ministry of Sport, Tourism and the Arts; Rod Harris, President and CEO of Tourism BC. Events that should not be missed include the Student Case Competition (if you need employees you want to be there), the opening reception at Rocky Mountaineer Train Station (the premier networking event of the year), and the Eighth Annual Tourism Awards Banquet. Register on line today! Up to date information is posted at www.bctourismindustryconference.ca
NOMINATE NOW FOR 2008 ABORIGINAL TOURISM BC AWARDS The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (ATBC) is seeking nominations for exceptional Aboriginal tourism businesses for the 5th Aboriginal Tourism BC Awards. The awards recognize innovation, excellence and leadership in BC's thriving Aboriginal tourism sector. Nominations are now open for the following nine award categories:
Deadline for nominations is February 1, 2008. For complete nomination information, visit www.aboriginalbc.com/corporate and follow the links to the ATBC Awards or e-mail admin@aboriginalbc.com. Interior Savings Financial Report The Canadian dollar’s unprecedented rise against the US currency most adversely affects BC’s natural resource exports and local economies based on those sectors, according to a report from Credit Union Central of British Columbia. The benefits of currency appreciation via lower import prices for capital and consumer products, lower inflation and reduced interest rates are more widely dispersed throughout the province. The report concludes that the overall impact of the Canadian dollar's appreciation on BC’s economy is reduced economic growth, although it will likely enhance productivity growth in the long run. A sustained 10 per cent appreciation roughly corresponds to a reduction in real GDP growth of 0.3 to 0.5 per cent annually. "While the majority of BC’s exports are negatively affected to some extent, forestry, mining, fishing, and related manufacturing are the most vulnerable," said Central’s Chief Economist, Helmut Pastrick. "As a result, the economies of particular regions in the province bear the brunt of the currency’s appreciation." Industries with the highest risk have high export intensity, a low proportion of imported content in their inputs, below-average profitability, and they account for about 40 per cent of BC's international exports. Medium-risk industries comprise a diverse group of goods and services exports, including tourism and transportation. Low-risk export industries are largely domestic-oriented and have high profit margins. These include finance, insurance and real estate services, and account for about 10 per cent of BC's total international exports. Benefits of the higher dollar come from a lower inflation rate, higher purchasing power, lower interest rates, and its effect as a catalyst for productivity growth. This information was released by the Credit Union Central of BC. For further information on this article, or for the latest interest rate forecasts and other related financial information, visit www.cucbc.com/publications/economics/ Contact: Helmut Pastrick at (604) 737-5026.
Have you wondered where you might discover an organization comprised of existing & aspiring entrepreneurs that could offer you an environment to share "information, ideas, experiences and your entrepreneurial journeys?"
Culinary Tourism BC is hosting its first annual culinary conference in Vancouver, BC on February 25 & 26, 2008 at The Sutton Place Hotel, targeting tourism operators including restaurants, wineries, farms and suppliers who want to attract the lucrative culinary tourist.
Calling all interested export ready partners! itravel2000.com is one of Canada’s largest online travel retailers. Their Canadian destination website at www.itravelcanada.ca is looking for commissionable packages that can be promoted on their very popular website. For more information, contact: Janice Ketchen, Director of Business Development, at jketchen@itravelcanada.ca or phone 1-866-969-3325 X 2079.
Blog visitation is growing at a rapid rate, and the user-generated content appearing on blogs can have a significant impact on both destination and travel supplier selection. This month's e-newsletter from YPartnership reveals some interesting findings about this phenomenon. BOOMING BLOGS The role of blogs in the evaluation of travel suppliers is one of increasing interest to most travel marketers. Of particular interest is the influence of user-generated reviews on the selection of specific hotels, resorts, attractions and other travel suppliers. Much of this interest is due to the growing incidence of travel-related blog visitation: one quarter of leisure travelers who have used the Internet to obtain information on travel experiences and/or suppliers have visited a "blog" to seek and/or review information about a specific destination or travel supplier during the past twelve months. Nearly one third of those who have consulted a blog for travel planning purposes state they have visited Tripadvisor.com. Other popular sites include Traveller.org, Ysearchblog.com (Yahoo! search blog), Myspace.com, Virtualtourist.com and Lonelyplanet.com as revealed in table appearing below.
Source: YPartnership. Copyright © 2007 Ypartnership 423 South Keller Rd., Suite 100, Orlando FL 32810
Motor coach travel at the end of 2007 "was enjoying a significant rebirth and was expanding throughout the country at the fastest rate in more than 40 years," according to a new study released by the DePaul University School of Public Service. The independent research study, titled "The Return of the Intercity Bus: The Decline and Revival of Scheduled Service to American Cities, 1960-2007," was authored by Professor Joseph P. Schwieterman, PhD and several researchers. "Our research shows that this growth is being driven by improvements in service and strong consumer demand," the study reveals. "As a result, more growth will likely occur in the years ahead." The study cites several reasons for the positive outlook: "The industry is engaged in more aggressive marketing than in previous years and reaping the benefits of persistently high fuel costs." Additionally, the industry is capitalizing on its strategic communications campaign "to build awareness that it is an environmentally friendly ('green') travel choice." The study cites many remaining challenges for the industry, from illegal curbside operators to heavily subsidized federal transit systems. But nonetheless, the report is again off and running -- and regaining respectability among the traveling public. The full study is available at: www.depaul.edu/~chaddick. "This study confirms that more Americans are choosing motor coach travel as congestion worsens, delays and hassles become more prevalent, and environmental stewardship is top of mind," said American Bus Association president and CEO Peter J. Pantuso. Author: TOURISM staff
According to the results of a survey reported in TravelDailyNews (November 20, 2007), lesbians and gay men are a dream market for the tourism industry. The report says 94.1% of over 6,700 American survey respondents to Community Marketing's 12th Annual LGBT Tourism Study stayed in a hotel at least one night in the last twelve months, with the median respondent staying 14 nights in hotels during that period. A hotel's reputations for gay-friendliness was cited as the top influence for choosing a hotel, followed by location near tourist attractions, location near a gay neighborhood, and free high-speed internet access. 77% of respondents said they shop for hotels and book online, while 29% said they book accommodations by phone or in person through a travel agent or directly with the supplier. 86% of respondents took at least one flight (up slightly from 2006) with a median of six flights in the last 12 months. 81% said they shop and book their flights online. Other key findings from the study include gay and lesbian interest in adventure travel (41.8%), spa vacations (36.1%), educational tours (31.6%), culinary trips (29.7%), eco-travel (26.2%) and casinos (22.8%). 25% attended a Gay Pride celebration where they stayed overnight, making it one of the most prominent "gay motivators" for taking a trip. 65% of respondents are gay men, 28% are lesbians, and the remaining 7% identify as bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex. The median age of respondents is 46. Author: TOURISM staff
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Page 1: Page 2: The Tourism Event of the Year is just 20 days away... Interior Savings Financial Report Reawaken Your Entrepreneurial Spirit - Conference Serves Up Ingredients For Attracting Culinary Tourists Calling all interested export ready partners! Trust us – Blog is not a Star Trek Term Motorcoach Travel Resurgence Among US Consumers Study Says Gays and Lesbians Are a "Dream Market" for Tourism |
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