TOWN OF DRUMHELLER
TOURISM MASTER PLAN
Prepared By:
In Association With: Western Management Consultants & REACH Market Planning LLC HDR I iTRANS February, 2011
Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan
Prepared By: Prepared For: Malone Given Parsons Ltd. Town of Drumheller 140 Renfrew Drive, Suite 201 703 2nd Ave West Markham, Ontario Drumheller, Alberta L3R 6B3 TOJ 0Y3
In Association With: Western Management Consultants REACH Market Planning LLC HDR I iTRANS
FEBRUARY 2011 10-1933
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since the mid-1980s, tourism has been a principle driver of the Town of Drumheller’s economy. Tourism related sectors—retail; arts, entertainment and recreation and accommodation and food services—account for more than 27 per cent of the town’s employment. An analysis of the town’s location quotients and employment growth indicates that these three same industries standout as being dynamic, that is, important growth industries with a competitive advantage for being located in the Town of Drumheller compared to the province as a whole.
Numerous studies have been completed that identified potential tourism development opportunities in the Canadian Badlands; virtually all of which recognize the Town of Drumheller as the key catalyst to the region’s tourism growth. At the same time, these studies noted, that while the town and the surrounding region have many assets of interest to tourists, there remains strong potential to improve and refine those assets to better serve existing visitors, attract and serve new visitors, and provide a better community experience for local residents.
In July, 2010 the Town of Drumheller retained a consulting team led by Malone Given Parsons Ltd. to prepare a single consolidated document to function as the town’s Tourism Master Plan. The intent of developing the plan was to: • Confirm the significance of the tourism industry to the Drumheller economy • Identify direction for the public and private sectors in tourism development and growth for the next five years • Assess and define the product development needs of the town, its services, facilities and transportation system • Define the roles and responsibilities of the public and private sectors as it relates to the development of Drumheller’s tourism industry • Define a comprehensive implementation strategy and a mechanism to monitor achievements.
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The objective of this report—Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan—is to provide guidance to the Town (staff and council), tourism industry and town residents that will enable the town’s continued transformation as a tourist destination in a predictable and coordinated manner, while protecting and reinforcing the distinct and defining characteristics that are central to its sustained success.
The Tourism Development Strategy for the Town of Drumheller is intended to define a destination
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE development cycle that is staged to improve the area’s asset base in concert with a marketing plan that incrementally grows visitation. Its emphasis is on destination development.
The goal of the Tourism Development Plan is to “enhance the role of the Town of Drumheller as a four- season tourist destination and optimize the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.” The development plan is based on four pillars supporting this goal—management capacity, destination development, marketing and policy...
GOAL
Enhance the role of the Town of Drumheller as a four-season tourist destination and optimize the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.
Management Destination Marketing Policy Capacity Development
... and is comprised of eight strategic priorities with 26 supporting recommendations.
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MANAGEMENT CAPACITY Strategic Priority #1: Strengthen the leadership role of the tourism industry. 1. Create an independent, industry-led, not-for-profit organization to enhance and grow the region’s tourism products and marketing activities. 2. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholders’ role in destination development by commencing Business Revitalization Zone development. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE
3. Advocate and demonstrate the importance of tourism. Strategic Priority #2: Use research to build insight, track performance, guide decisions, and inform prospective investors. 4. Develop local research capacity through education and provision of tools to collect reliable information.
DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT Strategic Priority #3: Continually invest in upgrades to the quality of basic tourism infrastructure. 5. Implement a signage and wayfinding plan to create a sense of place. 6. Provide welcoming and informative access into the Town of Drumheller. 7. Expand and enhance the pedestrian and cycling trail system experience. 8. Encourage active tourism by improving existing trail facilities. 9. Undertake a transit feasibility study. 10. Undertake a review of parking in the Town Centre District.
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Strategic Priority #4: Grow the businesses and experiences that create a reason to visit the Dinosaur Valley. 11. Facilitate the expansion of key tourist attractions and complementary experiences through collaborative partnerships. 12. Develop and implement actions to support the retention and growth of local tourism businesses and attract new businesses. 13. Position, brand and market the town in the conference and meetings market. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE Strategic Priority #5: Develop regional tourism nodes and the corridors that connect them. 14. Designate Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor. 15. Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Passion Play and Drumheller Valley Ski Hill site. 16. Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Highway 10 corridor from Rosedale to the Atlas Coal Mine Historical Site. Strategic Priority #6: Reinvigorate the downtown core as a distinctive destination and hub by creating a Town Centre District that celebrates Drumheller’s context, history and culture. 17. Create a distinctive Town Centre District with a common streetscape fabric that showcases and links the downtown’s major features. 18. Create incentives, mechanisms and guidance for private investment in the Town Centre District’s built form. 19. Create reasons to visit, return to and linger in the Town Centre District.
MARKETING Strategic Priority #7: Competitively and collaboratively market the Town of Drumheller and the Dinosaur Valley experience to grow visitation and tourism expenditures. 20. Publish a five-year strategic market overview and detailed tourism partnership marketing plan to guide DMO and stakeholder marketing decisions. 21. Implement a festival and event strategy to generate year-round tourism opportunities. 22. Build, launch and sustain a relevant community tourism brand.
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POLICY Strategic Priority #8: Ensure municipal policies support a strong, self-reliant, profitable, and innovate tourism industry. 23. Amend the Municipal Development Plan to foster high quality tourism business development. 24. Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support a vibrant Town Centre District. 25. Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support region nodes and the corridors that connect EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE
them. 26. Establish a Business Revitalization Zone policy framework.
In developing the Tourism Master Plan recommendations it became evident that there are core critical path elements (i.e., elements that must be in place before others can proceed or be fully realized), the timeline for which will shape the recommended development sequence.
The proposed recommendations are best considered as a series of necessary but individually insufficient conditions for supporting the destination development cycle. What is true for the “system” as a whole is true for its parts as well. Individual recommendations are dependant or inter-dependent upon other recommendations and the interaction of multiple stakeholders for their realization.
Successful implementation of the Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan will require considerable collaboration among stakeholders and commitment to a path forward. It is critical that the community as a whole recognize the importance of tourism to the town as an employer, revenue generator and a contributor to the quality of life and is unconditionally committed to the continued development of the town as a primary tourist destination. It is suggested that a “Drumheller Tourism Summit” conference / workshop may provide an effective vehicle for stakeholders to discuss options and to establish commitment to a selected implementation model.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... I
1.0 ABOUT THE PROJECT ...... 1 1.1 Introduction and Objective ...... 1 1.2 Background to the Assignment ...... 2 1.3 Definition of a Tourism Master Plan ...... 2 1.4 The Tourism Master Plan in the Context of other Planning Documents ...... 3 1.5 Scope of Work ...... 4 1.6 Acknowledgements ...... 5 1.7 Report Structure ...... 5
2.0 THE VALUE OF TOURISM ...... 7 2.1 Tourism in Drumheller ...... 7 2.2 Quality of Life ...... 10 2.3 Creating a Positive Image ...... 10
3.0 CHALLENGES IN TOURISM ...... 13
4.0 INSIGHTS: STRATEGIC ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ...... 15
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5.0 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...... 19 5.1 Development Strategy ...... 19 5.2 Development Plan Framework ...... 20 5.3 Foundational Assumptions ...... 22 5.4 Tourism Development Plan—Recommendations and Rationale ...... 23 TABLE OF CONTENTS OF TABLE 6.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ...... 57
7.0 PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TIMELINES ...... 89
8.0 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ...... 93
9.0 THE LAST WORD ...... 97
ENDNOTES ...... 99
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 101
APPENDIX Appendix A Town of Drumheller Downtown Revitalization Study
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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 5.1: Proposed Structural Model ...... 24 Figure 5.2: Potential Business Revitalization Zones ...... 26 Figure 5.3: Recommended Locations for Tourism Signage / Entrance Gateway Treatments ..... 34
Figure 5.4: Existing, Town Proposed and Recommended Trails ...... 35 TABLE OF CONTENTS Figure 5.5: Organization of Key Elements in the Visitor Experience ...... 47 Figure 5.6: Key Elements and Linkages in the Town Centre District ...... 50 Figure 7.1: Prioritized Implementation and Timelines ...... 91
LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: Person Visits to the Canadian Badlands 2006-2008Table ...... 7 Table 2.2: Visitor Spending in the Canadian Badlands 2006-2008 (millions $) ...... 9
LIST OF ACRONYMS ATPR Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation BRZ Business Revitalization Zone CBL Canadian Badlands Ltd. CRL Community Revitalization Levy DDCC Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce DMF Destination Marketing Fund DMO Destination Management / Marketing Organization DVBG Drumheller Valley Buying Group EDAC Economic Development Advisory Committee TCD Town Centre District TODS Tourist Oriented Directional Signs
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1.0 ABOUT THE PROJECT 1.1 Introduction and Objective
The Canadian Badlands is a priority area for targeting tourism growth in the Province of Alberta. With its river valley badlands, hoodoos, un-glaciated hills, huge open skies, the richest fossil beds in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a rich Aboriginal history and a range of man-made attractions—the Canadian Badlands has the potential to become a major iconic destination for Alberta, complementing the role of the Canadian Rockies in encouraging travel to and in the province.
In the past, a variety of studies have been completed, including the 2008 Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy1, that identified potential tourism development opportunities in the Canadian Badlands; virtually all of which recognize the Town of Drumheller as the key catalyst to the region’s tourism growth. At the same time it is noted that while the Town of Drumheller and the surrounding region have many assets of interest to tourists, there remains strong potential to improve and refine those assets to better serve existing visitors, attract and serve new visitors, and provide a better community experience for local residents.
The objective of the Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan is to provide guidance to the Town (staff and council), tourism industry and town residents that will enable the town’s continued and successful transformation as a tourist destination in a predictable and coordinated manner, while protecting and reinforcing the distinct and defining characteristics that are central to its sustained success.
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1.2 Background to the Assignment
Tourism is one of Drumheller’s principal economic drivers and a well established sector of the local economy. Recognizing that the community’s tourism strategic documents had been in use for many years, the Town of Drumheller in July, 2010 retained a consulting team led by Malone Given Parsons Ltd. to prepare a new, single consolidated document to function as the town’s Tourism Master Plan. ABOUT THE PROJECT THE ABOUT The intent of developing the plan was to: • Confirm the significance of the tourism industry to the Drumheller economy
1.0 1.0 • Identify direction for the public and private sectors in tourism development and growth for the next five years • Assess and define the product development needs of the town, its services, facilities and transportation system • Define the roles and responsibilities of the public and private sectors as it relates to the development of Drumheller’s tourism industry • Define a comprehensive implementation strategy and a mechanism to monitor achievements.
1.3 Definition of a Tourism Master Plan
A tourism master plan is a comprehensive long-term strategy that provides a structural framework for success in the development, management and monitoring of tourism while pre-empting potential problems and mitigating impacts. It is an essential component of sustainable destination development as it looks at the big picture (the forest, not the trees) and provides a blueprint to bring the pieces together to serve one vision. It is the plan that guides all other tourism plans.
The purposes of a tourism master plan are numerous. It gives direction for positive change, indicating what kind of development is appropriate, and what is not. It provides guidance for day-to-day decisions by Town staff, elected officials and industry stakeholders. Importantly the plan lays out a future for a destination so as to provide reasonable certainty and predictability for potential investors. Finally, the plan serves as a document for local residents to understand proposed changes in a larger context.
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1.4 The Tourism Master Plan in the Context of Other Planning Documents
In the community development process, land use planning begins with the Municipal Development Plan. Prepared in conjunction with local stakeholders and adopted by municipal council, a Municipal Development Plan sets out the community’s aspirations and the timing and conditions under which growth and development occurs. These intentions are refined in Area Structure Plans, regulated in Land PROJECT ABOUT THE Use Bylaws and on occasion, modified in Area Redevelopment Plans. The more detailed Subdivision
Plans follow with specifics of lot dimensions and services. Site Plans, akin to an architect’s blueprint 1.0 but for a specific development project, locate buildings and features on specific parcels of land. The process ends with Development Permits and final building inspections as individual building owners prepare to move in.
Tourism Master Planning meshes with the land use planning process at the highest level—the general designations in the Municipal Development Plan. The Master Plan articulates the community’s tourism intentions and provides a roadmap for implementation, guiding the community over the long term. As with a Municipal Development Plan, more detailed planning is required before development finally occurs, but the direction has been set through the Tourism Master Plan. At the destination level, the Master Plan helps to guide the municipal planning and development cycle to enhance the community’s asset base—infrastructure, services and programs—working in concert with the destination’s marketing plan to drive success in the tourism market place.
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Public Workshop, September 29th, 2010. 1.5 Scope of Work
The Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan was prepared in three phases: • Phase 1: Examination and Discovery (Strategic Overview) • Phase 2: Build Foundations (Stakeholder Consultation)
ABOUT THE PROJECT THE ABOUT • Phase 3: Define Directions (Recommendations)
In completing the Master Plan a variety of tools and approaches have been used: 1.0 1.0 • Review of more than 60 previously completed studies, plans, inventories and other relevant materials
• Site orientation tours with a particular focus on key tourism areas and attractions, the downtown and commercial areas • Development of a baseline profile of the town’s present situation including the identification of tourism assets and previously identified potential tourism development opportunities, a status and potential capacities review of tourism-related infrastructure and a review of policy frameworks currently in place • Summary assessments of current and future markets and the competitors for the Drumheller / Dinosaur Valley experience Source: MGP Ltd., 2010. • Review and assessment of organizational structures relevant to tourism and economic development • Consultations with 15 “marketers-in-the-know” (i.e., local tourism professionals) and local municipal leaders to elicit information about current and expected market performance, concerns and expectations with regard to tourism development • Public Workshop with local residents (47), town staff and council members to identify community concerns and expectations with regard to tourism development • Assessment of the potential tourism impacts of the Badlands Community Facility’s conference and meeting facilities
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1.6 Acknowledgements The Consulting Team sincerely appreciates the advice and guidance of the dedicated professionals who contributed as members of the Project Steering Committee. They gave freely of their time, knowledge, imagination and insights to the Master Plan development process and helped to ground-truth opportunities and build consensus around directions. ABOUT THE PROJECT ABOUT THE Heather Bitz - General Manager, Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce Kathy Little - Acting General Manager, Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce
Andy Neuman - Executive Director, Royal Tyrrell Museum 1.0 Ray Romanetz - CAO, Town of Drumheller Paul Salvatore - Community Services Director, Town of Drumheller Tara Semchuk - Chair, Drumheller Downtown Merchants Association Ray Telford - Economic Development and Tourism Officer, Town of Drumheller Mike Todor - Board of Directors, Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce
1.7 Report Structure
The Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan is presented in nine sections. Following this introduction, the remainder of the report focuses on: • Section 2 - The Value of Tourism • Section 3 - Challenges in Tourism • Section 4 - Insights: Strategic Issues and Opportunities • Section 5 - Tourism Development Plan • Section 6 - Implementation Plan • Section 7 - Prioritized Implementation Plan and Timelines • Section 8 - Performance Evaluation • Section 9 - The Last Word
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2.0 THE VALUE OF TOURISM Support for tourism is based on the same economic development aims of employment and wealth creation as any other sector. Increasingly the effectiveness of support for tourism requires it to be demonstrated in these terms. Unfortunately, in the case of the Town of Drumheller, data on historical tourism performance are unavailable. Establishing the value of tourism to the town must therefore rely on anecdotal information.
2.1 Tourism in Drumheller
Tourism, since the mid-1980s, has been a principle driver of the Town of Drumheller’s economy. In 2006, tourism related sectors—retail; arts, entertainment and recreation and accommodation and food services—accounted for more than 27 per cent of the town’s employment2. An analysis of the town’s location quotients and employment growth indicates that these three same industries standout as being dynamic, that is, important growth industries with a competitive advantage for being located in the Town of Drumheller3 compared to the province as a whole.
Profiles of tourist visitation and expenditures in Canada are derived from Statistics Canada data collected via the Travel Survey of Residents of Canada and International Travel Survey. However, the sample size of data in these studies is too small to view only visitors to Drumheller. One can easily argue that the visitor profile for the Canadian Badlands, while not limited to Drumheller, actually captures the target audience of existing and potential Drumheller visitors and is sufficient for understanding Drumheller visitors.
Based on the latest information available4, visitation to the Canadian Badlands was approximately 2.69 million people in 2008. This represents an increase of 6.4 per cent from 2006 (Table 2.1). Residents from Alberta accounted for nearly 85 per cent of the total visits; guests from the Rest of Canada
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Rosedale Suspension Bridge accounted for 10.6 per cent (two-fifth of who were from Saskatchewan); U.S. travellers made-up 3.0 per cent of the total visits while Overseas visitors accounted for just 1.5 per cent.
The mix of visitor origins has changed significantly over the three year period (2006 to 2008). The number of Alberta residents visiting the Canadian Badlands increased by nearly 12 per cent, while visitation from Saskatchewan decreased by 40 per cent. International visits were down 27 per cent for American visitors and over 7 per cent for Overseas visitors. THE VALUE OF TOURISM OF VALUE THE Table 2.1: Person Visits to the Canadian Badlands 2006-2008
% Chg % Chg % Chg 2.0 2.0 Person Visits 2006 2007 2006-07 2008 2007-08 2006-08 Alberta 2,045,534 2,092,270 2.3% 2,285,034 9.2% 11.7% Saskatchewan 202,917 235,533 16.1% 121,704 -48.3% -40.0% Rest of Canada 127,631 197,917 55.1% 164,938 -16.7% 29.2% U.S. 112,116 103,445 -7.7% 81,693 -21.0% -27.1% Overseas 46,134 61,886 34.1% 42,704 -31.0% -7.4% Total Visitors 2,534,332 2,691,051 6.2% 2,696,073 0.2% 6.4%
Total spending by visitors to the Canadian Badlands totalled $329.1 million in 2008, a decrease of 2 per The Fossil Shop cent over 2007 and an increase 8.5 per cent over 2006 (Table 2.2). Although visitation by Alberta
residents increased nearly 12 per cent over the three year period, their expenditures increased by almost 24 per cent. This disproportionate visitation / spending ratio held true for all other markets. Spending by Rest of Canada visitors increased by almost a third while Saskatchewan visitors spent almost 12 per cent less; U.S. visitors spent 40 per cent less and Overseas visitors spent 33 per cent less.
Source: ATPRP, 201; MGP Ltd, 2010.
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Table 2.2: Visitor Spending in the Canadian Badlands 2006-2008 (millions $)
% Chg % Chg % Chg Trip Spending 2006 2007 2006-07 2008 2007-08 2006-08 Alberta $174.70 $195.70 12.0% $216.50 10.6% 23.9% Saskatchewan $38.30 $34.90 -8.9% $33.80 -3.2% -11.7% Rest of Canada $31.40 $53.40 70.1% $41.50 -22.3% 32.2% U.S. $36.70 $23.00 -37.3% $22.30 -3.0% -39.2% THE VALUE OF TOURISM OF THE VALUE Overseas $22.30 $28.90 29.6% $15.10 -47.8% -32.3%
Total Spending $303.40 $335.80 10.7% $329.10 -2.0% 8.5% 2.0
While the economic benefits of tourism to the town have not been quantified, a 2007 study of the economic impact of provincial heritage facilities in Alberta estimated that the Royal Tyrrell Museum (Drumheller’s largest demand generator) contributed $36.2 million to Alberta’s GPI, sustained 719 person-years of employment and generated nearly $14.0 million in tax revenues5.
The outlook for tourism in Alberta remains positive. According to Travel Alberta tourism visitation in the province is anticipated to reach nearly 25.1 million person-visits by 2012, an increase of 9.4 per cent over 20096. Alberta residents will account for 83 per cent of the person-visits, visitors from other provinces, 10 per cent with the remaining 7 per cent of the person-visits coming from international markets.
The trend for visitation to the Canadian Badlands, and by extension the Town of Drumheller, is also positive. The 2008 Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy forecasts that the number of person-visits to the region will reach nearly 4.8 million by 2017, almost doubling the number of visitors in 2007 (2.5 million)7.
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Downtown Drumheller 2.2 Quality of Life
The extent of facilities and services that can be created by tourism is varied and substantial and could give Drumheller residents a much richer choice and quality of life than would normally be available to a population of 8,000. The level and number of retail stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, amenities and activities can be much greater if tourism is a predominant focus of the local economy.
The tourism industry can also contribute to the preservation of the area’s built and natural environment. THE VALUE OF TOURISM OF VALUE THE Visitor related uses can bring life to historic buildings and tourism development can be the catalyst for the regeneration of the downtown core. Various visitor remuneration approaches (e.g., levies on hotel
2.0 2.0 rooms, campground fees and restaurant meals, and the sale of merchandise) can enable contributions Community Beautification directly to projects that enhance and preserve the environmental and cultural assets of the Dinosaur Valley.
2.3 Creating a Positive Image
Tourism can help raise the awareness of a place, change perceptions, create interest and encourage community solidarity. Community solidarity is generally considered a definitive quality in small towns, which can be enhanced by accommodating tourism development. Local residents act as hosts as people of different cultural backgrounds and origins visit their community. This can positively affect residents’ relationships to one another and to their community as they build community identity through the Cycling / Pedestrian Trails development of new tourism products (e.g., festivals and events, retail services), and continue to
support this identity over the long term by presenting consistent, positive imagery. These efforts generally help a community become a better place to live and work. In turn, a place that is good to work
and live is generally a place that people want to visit and invest in.
Across a broader spectrum, tourism can encourage: • Diversity of employment • Entrepreneurship Source: MGP Ltd., 2010.
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• Community capacity building Community Market
• Healthy living and well-being • Social renewal and the raising of aspirations • Lifelong learning • Success and celebration of local distinctiveness and cultural identity THE VALUE OF TOURISM OF THE VALUE 2.0 Source: Google Images, 2010.
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3.0 CHALLENGES IN TOURISM The tourism landscape has become increasingly competitive as destinations worldwide focus their attention on generating the significant business receipts, jobs and tax revenues that tourism can yield. This reality requires tourism stakeholders to fundamentally shift their strategic approach not only to resolve longstanding issues but to effectively address current challenges.
In today’s fragmented and unpredictable tourism markets, destinations are faced with three primary challenges: 1. Meeting customer needs 2. Building stakeholder confidence 3. Ensuring sustainability
In developing tourism products and programs, planners, marketers and tourism operators need to be aware of and plan for the changing needs of potential visitors. Studies show that the visitor of the future will be highly diverse and much more demanding, characterized by the following: • Increased numbers of older travellers who will be healthier and wealthier • Increased interest in holidays that promote good health and personal wellbeing • Greater demand for destinations with high environmental excellence • Experienced, well-educated and discriminating consumers who are aware of what the competition offers and expect and demand high quality and value for money • Holidays that combine hobbies and interests with learning experiences • Continued increase in the use of the Internet and social media for searching and booking vacations
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McMullen Island Day-Use Area An even greater challenge for the tourism industry is to build confidence... • In the prospective visitor that the destination can meet their needs and expectations • In the public sector, so that tourism is seen as credible and an effective contributor to the economic, social and environmental well-being of an area and to align expenditures accordingly • In the local private sector to continually invest in their enterprises and human resources and have pride in being an area business • In the community that tourism can bring a much higher quality of life through improved facilities CHALLENGES IN TOURISM IN CHALLENGES and services and employment opportunities
Rotary Spray Park / Fountain • In potential investors to consider the area as a welcoming, dynamic and viable business 3.0 3.0 opportunity
But to be successful, tourism development must be: • Economically sustainable, creating wealth through meaningful employment and returns to investment • Socially sustainable, resulting in an overall better quality of life for local residents • Environmentally sustainable, ensuring the environment is protected and enhanced for future generations
Sources: MGP Ltd., 2010; Google Images, 2011.
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4.0 INSIGHTS: STRATEGIC ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Town of Drumheller has many strengths when it comes to tourism. Foremost among them is having more than one demand generator that appeals to the interest of a large provincial market. At the same time, the town has a number of weaknesses that are hindering its performance as a tourist destination—no Destination Management/Marketing Organization, insufficient development and marketing dollars and a fragmented brand. However, there are a number of opportunities upon which the town and the tourism industry can capitalize.
The following analysis highlights the key strengths the tourism development plan (the subject of the next section of the report) should accentuate, the weaknesses that need to be addressed, and the key external opportunities and threats that need to be taken into consideration.
Drumheller Tourism Demand Generators
Source: MGP Ltd., 2010.
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Strengths Weaknesses
• Strong provincial market • No destination marketing organization • Close to major centres / populations • Insufficient development and marketing dollars • Family vacation market • Brand fragmentation—lack of unity of voice • Royal Tyrrell Museum • Lack of downtown revitalization • Atlas Coal Mine • Lack of architectural control policies • Passion Play • Land Use Bylaw / tourism as a discretionary use • Historical significance • Downtown physically separated from attractions and • Historic downtown accommodations • Large creative class • Lack of higher-end products • Unique physical setting • Limited range of accommodations • Limited range of retail
INSIGHTS: STRATEGIC ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ISSUES STRATEGIC INSIGHTS: • Badlands topography • Red Deer River • Little variety in food and beverage services • Lack of winter and shoulder season products
4.0 4.0 • Moderate climate • Good highway access • Lack of signature festivals and events with a few exceptions • Adequate road network • Inconsistencies in signage • Free public parking • Lack of tourism data • Paved trail system • Automobile dependent • Sport and recreation facilities • Too few inbound tour operators • Recognition of tourism in the Community Sustainability Master • Slow uptake of new and innovative Internet marketing techniques Plan • Industry’s role in affecting overall strategic change • Closed for the season mentality • Ongoing reluctance to shift to a customer orientated philosophy
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Opportunities Threats
• Tourism regarded as long-term economic driver • Other jurisdictions well funded and well organized • Development of community brand • Slow economic recovery • Rejuvenation of downtown core • Macroeconomic factors—exchange rate, rising fuel costs, U.S. • Canadian Badlands Ltd. economy • Boomtown Trail • Continuing decline of U.S. visitors to Canada • Development of luxury product • Changing market demographics • Development of family oriented activities • Climate change • Themed tours • Shortened booking cycles, time poverty, and propensity for shorter vacations • River use • Industry apathy / inward focus • Badlands Community Facility • Industry fracture / self-interest
• Rail line AND OPPORTUNITIES ISSUES STRATEGIC INSIGHTS: • Community resistance to change • Active transportation • Community reluctance to embrace its heritage 4.0 • Extended stay of VFR and business travellers • Provincial jurisdiction of highways • Enhanced partnerships with provincial and federal marketing agencies • Travel trade could expand reach • Industry-led product standards • Use of Internet
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This page is intentionally blank. INSIGHTS: STRATEGIC ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ISSUES STRATEGIC INSIGHTS: 4.0 4.0
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5.0 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 5.1 Development Strategy
Destination development involves creating memorable experiences for visitors based on a critical mass of attractions, events and services and involves management of the destination’s assets in addition to marketing activities.
The most successful destinations match their region’s demand generators (i.e., attractors that give people a reason to visit) with their market opportunities. Thus, to develop the tourism potential of the Town of Drumheller, it is important to build on the products and experiences it offers combined with an understanding of its existing and potential markets.
The Tourism Development Strategy for the Town of Drumheller is intended to define a destination development cycle that is staged to improve the attractors and supporting infrastructure, services and programs making up the area’s asset base in concert with a marketing plan that incrementally grows visitation. Its emphasis is on destination development.
It is critical to ensure that balance is maintained between a sufficient product offering and the marketing of that offering. Over-marketing with insufficient product (or product not ready for market) only leads to disappointed visitors and bad word-of-mouth. Over-investing in destination development with inadequate or misdirected marketing will result in under-performing attractions, facilities and venues and risk of new venture failures.
The Town and the industry must ensure that sufficient management capacity is in place to effectively deliver and sustain the asset base. A visitor monitoring network and constant communication of performance and committed plans is essential to maintaining the balance. Marketing plans need to be designed to reflect and promote visitation to the current state of destination and product development.
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Downtown Café & Gift Shop 5.2 Development Plan Framework ] The Tourism Development Plan for the Town of Drumheller has been developed to set out goals and strategic priorities. It provides strategic direction in tourism that addresses the broad issues identified during the assessment stage of this project: consolidation of the tourism development and marketing functions, interactions with tourism stakeholders, investment in tourism infrastructure, matching products with markets and the use of policy to further develop Drumheller as a recognized tourism destination.
The goal of the development plan is to “enhance the role of the Town of Drumheller as a four-season TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM Downtown Pub tourist destination and optimize the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.” The
development plan is based on four pillars supporting this goal as follows: 5.0 5.0
GOAL
Enhance the role of the Town of Drumheller as a four-season tourist destination and optimize the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.
Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club
Management Destination Marketing Policy Capacity Development
Source: MGP Ltd. 2010; ATPR, 2010.
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The development plan addresses these four pillars, which have the following identified eight strategic priorities (objectives):
MANAGEMENT CAPACITY 1. Strengthen the leadership role of the tourism industry 2. Use research to build insight, track performance, guide decisions, and inform prospective investors.
DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT 3. Continually invest in upgrades to the quality of basic tourism infrastructure 4. Grow the businesses and experiences that create a reason to visit the Dinosaur Valley TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM 5. Develop regional tourism nodes and the corridors that connect them 6. Reinvigorate the downtown core as a distinctive destination and hub by creating a Town Centre
District that celebrates Drumheller’s context, history and culture 5.0
MARKETING 7. Competitively and collaboratively market the Town of Drumheller and Dinosaur Valley experiences to grow visitation and increase tourist expenditures
POLICY 8. Ensure municipal policies support a strong, self-reliant, profitable and innovative tourism industry
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5.3 Foundational Assumptions
In developing the Tourism Development Plan the following foundational assumptions were made: • Tourism is an industry that, like any other, requires various forms of investment for growth and sustainability. • The quality of a visitor’s experience depends not only on the appeal of the primary attraction but on the quality of complementary businesses such as hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and the quality of public infrastructure including streetscapes, lighting, signage and transportation facilities. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN • Successful tourist destinations require a significant amount of on-going collaboration with attractions, complementary businesses and associations, local government and the community-at-
5.0 5.0 large working together to support the larger destination. • Without some form of stabilized, long-term funding mechanism, a destination’s ability to market itself is placed at a growing disadvantage vis-a-vis its competitors. • The ability of the community, the private sector and not-for-profit organizations to benefit from tourism is strongly dependent on the underpinning supportive policy and infrastructure roles played by local government. • The success of local destination development and marketing efforts are dependent upon having a centralized single accountable industry-led organization to implement development and marketing actions.
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5.4 Tourism Development Plan—Recommendations and Rationale
The Tourism Development Plan is comprised of recommendations in the four identified critical areas— management capacity, destination development, marketing and policy—aligned to the eight strategic priorities presented above. This section of the Master Plan lays out the development plan’s individual recommendations and the rationale for them. Required actions and roles and responsibilities to implement the recommendations are the subject of Section 6 – Implementation Plan.
Please note the recommendations are not rank ordered by priority; this will be addressed in Section 7. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM MANAGEMENT CAPACITY Strategic Priority #1: Strengthen the leadership role of the tourism industry. 5.0 1. Create an independent, industry-led, not-for-profit organization to enhance and grow the region’s tourism products and marketing activities.
Although many tourism operators and organizations throughout the Dinosaur Valley deliver and market tourism there is no one organization formally charged with the responsibility for the overall tourism development and marketing functions. This situation has resulted in the inefficient use of development and marketing dollars, brand fragmentation and a fractured tourism industry. Research shows that there are more positives than negatives in consolidating the development and marketing functions of tourism under the authority of one independent, industry-led, not-for-profit organization. The benefits of doing so include a governance structure that is transparent and accountable, stakeholder involvement in the planning and funding of priorities, reduced duplication of effort and increased economies of scale.
Examples of successful not-for-profit destination marketing organizations include Tourism Canmore- Kananaskis, Tourism Calgary and Edmonton Tourism.
It is recommended that a Destination Management / Marketing Organization (DMO) that operates at arm’s length from the Town of Drumheller and the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce (DDCC) be created. That the organization be incorporated as a not-for-profit organization that is board
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governed with a Board of Directors that reflects all tourism interests in the region. It is further recommended that the current eight-member Drumheller Valley Buying Group (DVBG) marketing co- operative serve as the transitional team responsible for the development and implementation of a work program to start-up the new DMO.
Figure 5.1: Proposed Structural Model
FUNDING & GOVERNANCE Municipal $ Municipal Representatives Chamber $ Elected Board Tourism DMO Stakeholders TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN DMF $ Arms Length Chamber Not for Profit Stakeholders BRZ 5.0 5.0 BRZ $ Stakeholders
FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES Administration & Coordination
BRZ Destination Destination Beautification Development Marketing & Events
Source: MGP Ltd., 2010.
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2. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholders’ role in destination development by commencing Business Revitalization Zone development.
The Alberta government introduced legislation in 1983 allowing municipalities across the province to establish Business Revitalization Zones. BRZs are formal organizations comprised of property owners and commercial tenants who are dedicated to promoting business development and improving an area’s quality of place / quality of life.
Privately managed and funded by a special assessment paid/collected by its members, BRZs provide a comprehensive solution to funding capital tourism improvements and provide a source of stable funding for tourism development and marketing. At the same time, a BRZ provides a means of fulfilling tourism PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM businesses’ program and service needs while reducing their dependence on local government funding.
Today, the Town of Brooks and the cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Camrose, Grand Prairie, Lethbridge, 5.0 Medicine Hat and Sylvan Lake operate with BRZs.
It is recommended that the Town of Drumheller create one or more Business Revitalization Zones which focus on the advancement of tourism (see Figure 5.2 for potential / possible zones). While BRZs are governed by a Board of Directors comprised of business / property owners, to ease the administrative burden of the day-to-day operations of the BRZ it is further recommended the management and marketing of the Tourism BRZ(s) be contracted to the new DMO (Recommendation 1).
Funding for BRZ activities comes from a special tax assessment on businesses. During the petition process (25 per cent of businesses in the proposed zone must petition the Town to create a BRZ before it can be implemented), members of the BRZ can define the classes of business to be included / assessed and set differential assessment levels based on business type and location. The type of assessment could include, for example, a Destination Marketing Fund (DMF) for attractions, campgrounds, restaurants, retail establishments, etc. or a tax levy on business licences or a combination of both.
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Figure 5.2: Potential Business Revitalization Zones TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN 5.0 5.0
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A key success factor for the operation of BRZs is the separation of collection, enforcement and audit Reptile World functions from the management / marketing functions. Tying collections of the assessment fees to o existing government processes would create efficiencies and improve collections while protecting confidential information. It is therefore recommended that the Town of Drumheller provide support for the BRZ through the provision of the assessment, collection, enforcement and audit functions.
Creation of the BRZ’s could be complemented by definition of a Community Revitalization Area enabling municipal investment in improvements to identified areas, and cost recovery through increased tax revenues, as discussed in Recommendations 12 and 17 below.
The Littlest Church PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM 3. Advocate and demonstrate the importance of tourism.
Tourism is a significant employer, generator of government revenues and a contributor to the quality of 5.0 life in Drumheller. Yet the awareness of the value of tourism is low—even within the industry itself. The linkage between quality of life / quality of place and the ability to attract new investment maybe known to urban planners, but not to the average taxpayer and perhaps some business owners. Furthermore, tourism leaders seldom talk to the leaders of other sectors (e.g., transportation, food and beverage manufacturers, telecommunications, utilities) about the importance of tourism to their industry. For tourism to succeed, these messages need to be communicated and discussed at a broad community level, not only in business and political circles, but within local neighbourhood and Badlands Go Kart Park community groups.
It is therefore recommended that a Communication and Education Strategy be developed to raise the profile of the tourism sector. To be effective, the strategy must embrace an innovative, vibrant approach to present the message in an active compelling way and be aimed to four key target audiences: business and civic leaders, the community at large, all residents of Drumheller having contact with visitors and the media.
Source: traveldrumheller.com.
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The Town (council and staff) is in a better position than any other organization to increase the awareness and profile of the value of tourism for its economic, social and cultural contributions. Staff and Councillors are familiar with the range of tourism offerings and opportunities and have the resources and insight to build the business case for tourism. It is recommended that the Town provide the leadership to develop the Communication and Education Strategy. The strategy should include a quarterly newsletter to communicate plans, activities and successes to the community and the media and programs to motivate people that interact with visitors regularly, e.g., restaurant and hotel employees, retailers, police, parking enforcement officers, taxi operator.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN Once established, the DMO should play a significant role in advocating the importance of tourism through its research function, compiling visitor numbers, expenditures, market demographics, etc. needed to build the business case. 5.0 5.0 The contribution of the tourism industry should include the development and implementation of a plan to actively engage and support civic organizations and events.
Strategic Priority #2: Use research to build insight, track performance, guide decisions, and inform prospective investors. 4. Develop local research capacity through education and provision of tools to collect reliable information.
Undertaking the right research is an important building block towards a long-term sustainable tourism industry. To build and sustain Drumheller`s tourism sector it is essential that all stakeholders understand who the customers are, what their preferences and expectations are, how they learned about Drumheller`s product offerings, and what drives their travel decisions. It is important to monitor how visitor needs and desires for products, services and destinations are changing and why. Policy makers and business owners involved in the tourism industry need to be aware of trends, understand visitors` demands and know who the competition is and what they are offering. The key to success is to remain flexible and be constantly planning based on sound information.
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Although the Town of Drumheller has access to information about their visitors, due to the work of some area attractions and service providers, the information is limited in both depth and accessibility. As a result, many planning decisions (at the operator and municipal levels) continue to be based on anecdotal information. To be effective, operators need to know what motivates their customers to visit, what expectations they have, how satisfied they were with their experiences, and what would trigger repeat visits; the Town needs insight to business confidence, performance and investment expectations and the DMO needs confirmation of the effectiveness of its marketing activities.
It is therefore recommended that steps be taken to provide the tourism industry with the necessary tools
to collect reliable information and the skill set to use that information. It is also recommended that the PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM DMO serve as the clearinghouse for the coordination and communication of tourism data and information and assume the responsibility of co-ordinating research efforts with Alberta Tourism, Parks 5.0 and Recreation, Travel Alberta and the Canadian Badlands Limited.
DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT Strategic Priority #3: Continually invest in upgrades to the quality of basic tourism infrastructure. The ease of getting to and around a tourist destination, the transportation modes that serve it, and the availability of parking are some of the critical elements that enable a destination to offer a high quality tourist experience. While assessment of the town’s basic tourism infrastructure confirmed that investment in additional roads, traffic lanes and bridges is not necessary, there were elements that need to improve to ensure market success. The following recommendations are focussed on making Drumheller a welcoming and accessible tourist destination.
5. Implement a signage and wayfinding plan to create a sense of place.
The true importance of signage and wayfinding systems only becomes evident when they do not work. Such is the case in Drumheller—while signage is plentiful, there is a lack of consistency in size, shape, colour, placement and messaging.
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Samples of Existing Signage Having effective signage and wayfinding systems throughout the town is particularly important to tourism in Drumheller as its attractions, activities and amenities are widely dispersed along and beyond the 31 kilometre corridor of the Red Deer River on which the town is situated.
The goal of preparing a signage and wayfinding master plan is to make all of the important points of interest (streets, information stops, attractions, hotels, downtown core, parking) easy to find and reduce the traveller’s frustration of travelling in unfamiliar neighbourhoods without creating unnecessary and confusing sign clutter. Because of the existing trail system and the desire to have a walkable Town Centre District (TCD) the signage and wayfinding master plan would need to address both vehicle and
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN pedestrian traffic.
Signage and wayfinding systems can be separated into three physical realms – provincial highways
5.0 5.0 (governed by Alberta Transportation), town roads and pedestrian and bicycle trails. The provincial Highway Guide and Information Sign Manual provides the foundation for the highway component of
the signage and wayfinding system. Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) for tourist regions,
tourist destinations, visitor information centres and community attractions and facilities are administered through a provincial sign program and their installation and removal must be coordinated through the sign program administrator. The Tourism Sign Eligibility Guidelines for Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) and Logo Signs Program includes information on the number, type and location of signs; placement criteria based on the size of community and travel speed of the road; classification of TODS signs (Major, Regular, and Trail Blazers); and details and standards of the sign design.
In 2004, the province launched a program—Sign Up Alberta—to update the province’s sign system using current North American standards and consistent guidelines. The program is administered by Guide Signs Industries Ltd. on behalf of the province. Details on how tourism operators and service providers can apply for logo signs (signs that direct travellers to essential motorist services that offer gas, food, and lodging services) and TODS (signs that provide directions to tourist attractions and
Source: MGP Ltd., 2010. facilities) can be found on the web site www.signupalberta.com.
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Classification of TOD Signs Example of Directional Signage Consolidation
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM
5.0 Sample Community Facilities / TOD Sign
Source: Province of Alberta; Village of Waunakee Wayfinding Master Plan.
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Signage and wayfinding systems on town roads and pedestrian and bicycle trails are the responsibility of the Town of Drumheller. To help guide visitors to key community destinations as well as provide a strong identity for the Town Centre District, and the town as a whole, a community-wide system of wayfinding signage needs to be developed. The successful system will celebrate the unique character of Drumheller by using a consistent theme in terms of colour, size, shape and logo. The system should incorporate civic buildings, municipal parking lots, plaza and shopping centres, directional and street signs and event boards. A strong example of this is the Minneapolis Riverfront District Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/riverfront_district_signage_plan.asp). This plan provides examples of best practices, sign types and locations and information hierarchies. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN A future study should investigate the use of cell phone, Internet, Bluetooth and GPS technologies to enhance physical signage and wayfinding systems. 5.0 5.0
Existing Gateway Entrance, Hwy 9 6. Provide welcoming and informative access into the Town of Drumheller.
People make judgements based on appearance (the book and its cover). Entryways into a community provide the visitor the first hint about the character and quality of the people and businesses within that community. Quality access points say this is a quality community.
The existing signage at the entryways into Drumheller is inconsistent in terms of colour, size, location, logo, message and shape. Welcome signs are mixed with intrusive and deteriorating retail billboards and auxiliary organization signs.
Providing welcoming and informative access points should be considered an investment with a tremendous return. A “sense of arrival” creates a desire to stay—and spend more money. To provide Source: MGP Ltd., 2010. this sense of arrival, it is recommended that entrance features, including Visitor Information Stops, and entryways be constructed where they will make the best first impression:
• From the west on Highway 9 before the downgrade into the town • From the north on Highway 9 / 56 before the Highway 838 (North Dinosaur Trail) intersection
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Example of Effective / Interactive
• From the east on Highway 10 east of East Coulee Gateway Signage • From the west on Highway 575 west of Nacmine
To be successful in creating a “sense of arrival” the welcome experience must continue along the highway corridor into the downtown core. To accomplish this, negative visual elements, e.g., billboards, need to be removed, visual buffering techniques employed where required, viewscapes opened up and pull-off points with area interpretation constructed. The corridors should be multi- modal, offering access by motorized vehicle (cars, RVs), foot and bicycle.
Also see Recommendation 7: Expand and enhance the pedestrian and cycling trail system experience, PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM Recommendation 15: Designate Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor and Recommendation 16: Signage along Highway Corridor
Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Highway 10 corridor from Rosedale to the Atlas Coal 5.0 Mine Historical Site.
7. Expand and enhance the pedestrian and cycling trail system experience.
The valley carved over time by the Red Deer River has facilitated the linear footprint of the Town of Drumheller; it stretches for approximately 31 kilometres along the river valley bottom. The badlands formations that transition the flat valley floor to the top lands not only provide a beautiful natural surrounding but an outstanding opportunity to develop an awe-inspiring trail system through the valley connecting communities and tourist attractions.
More and more, travellers are interested in holidays that promote good health and personal wellbeing. Many are active in outdoor activities, especially those that are nature-based. They also seek vacation destinations that are intellectually stimulating, novel and provide learning opportunities.
The opportunity exists to elevate the town’s current trail system to a “must do” activity by extending the system from East Coulee to Nacmine, incorporating stops at scenic locations, developing interpretive programming and taking advantage, where possible, of closed heritage infrastructure such Source: Google Images; MGP Ltd., 2010. as bridges and railway beds.
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Figure 5.3: Recommended Locations for Tourism Signage/Entrance Gateway Treatments TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN 5.0 5.0
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Figure 5.4: Existing, Town Proposed and Recommended Trails TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM 5.0
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Cycling Infrastructure To accommodate increased trail usage, basic facilities such as garbage containers, water fountains, appropriate lighting, bike racks and directional signage need to be provided. As well, consistent trail design needs to be developed that details cross-sections, surfacing type, road crossings, maintenance
and safety.
It is recommended that the Town undertake a pedestrian and cycling master plan to facilitate the expansion of the existing trail system to connect communities and attractions throughout the valley making the use of the system a “must do” activity for residents and visitors alike.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN 8. Encourage active tourism by improving existing trail facilities.
The existing 18 kilometre trail system is fairly extensive and well located. In the short to medium time
5.0 5.0 periods there are several items that can be relatively easily completed that will enhance the trail system and encourage increased usage.
For safety reasons, the first priority should be completing the existing trail system along Highway 838 to the Royal Tyrrell Museum access road. This stretch of roadway is used extensively by pedestrians and cyclists; the shoulder is very narrow and contains rumble strips putting foot and bike travellers alike in harm’s way to motorized vehicles.
It is also recommended that in the near term trail directional signs be installed at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Visitor Information Centre and all recreational vehicle parking lots adjacent to the trail system. In a medium term, the existing gravel segments be paved, the inconsistent pavement markings on Highway 838 be revised, connect the hotel district with the Visitor Information Centre, connect all recreational vehicle parking lots to the trail system, and implement a year-round maintenance program.
9. Undertake a transit feasibility study.
Drumheller is predominately an automobile dependent tourist destination. While the downtown is compact and walkable, beyond that, a car is generally needed to visit area attractions. During peak Source: HDR I iTrans, 2010. periods, the Royal Tyrrell Museum experiences parking shortages, similarly the Passion Play site is
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faced with parking shortages during the time when the play is running. The meeting facilities at the new Badlands Community Facility is expected to generate over 4,000 overnight visits annually, relying on hotels that are not in close proximity to the facility.
Distance between Information Centre and… Distance (km) Commercial Area (1 St and 3 Ave W) 0.5 Hotels (2 St and 7 Ave SE) 2 Royal Tyrrell Museum 7
Rosedeer Hotel & Last Chance Saloon (Wayne) 14 PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM Atlas Coal Mine (East Coulee) 24 5.0 In light of this, it is recommended that the town undertake a public transit feasibility study. The study would be separated into two considerations – transit service between Calgary and Drumheller, and transit service within Drumheller.
An existing coach service does exist between Calgary and Drumheller, with the transit stop being in the downtown core. The recommended transit feasibility study would examine the business case for extending the coach service to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
The study would as well, investigate the feasibility of local transit service, including the format of that service, be it bus or other form, between attractions and area hotels. An important study consideration would be determining the potential transit user. An informal survey conducted among staff of the Royal Tyrrell Museum showed considerable interest in using transit to commute to and from work.
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rd Parking on 3 Ave 10. Undertake a review of parking in the Town Centre District.
There are special issues associated with parking in downtown areas. The lack of parking is sometimes cited as a reason for the declining vitality of a downtown business district. Some downtowns however seem to thrive despite a shortage of parking because of the attractions they offer, as long as they provide alternate ways of getting there and getting around.
Provision of adequate parking can be challenging. Some communities, especially tourist communities, have developed systems of parking lots and shuttles to reduce the demand for parking in the town center. Parking is not intrinsically an aesthetic asset to a city's character, and extensive parking lots are
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN particularly jarring in a historic downtown environment. Source: MGP Ltd., 2010.
Decisions about downtown parking and other access solutions require trade-offs between the use of 5.0 5.0 expensive land to achieve a viable and attractive downtown and the provision of workable parking and access programs to support downtown's vitality. Communities must manage the perception of ample parking that ‘big box’ retail provides. This type of retail generally competes with downtown businesses and can leverage parking as a marketing tool.
To be able to fully understand the current and future parking situation in the town centre district, it is recommended that the Town undertake a review of parking to: • Identify the parking user • Determine the length of stay of the parking user • Identify a pricing scheme and method • Determine how full building occupancy will affect parking • Determine how changes to land use in the downtown will affect parking • If a parking shortfall is determined, identify future parking locations
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This review would form a critical component of the recommendations to reinvigorate the downtown core and the creation of a Town Centre District (Strategic Priority #6). It would also have a bearing on the tourism transit feasibility study (Recommendation 9).
Strategic Priority #4: Grow the businesses and experiences that create a reason to visit the Dinosaur Valley. 11. Facilitate the expansion of key tourist attractions and complementary experiences through collaborative partnerships.
The Town of Drumheller is in the envious position of having one attraction that draws nearly 380,000 visitors annually; the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is obviously the number one reason why PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM visitors come to Drumheller. However, the majority of these visitors leave the region without visiting
any of the area’s other attractions or staying overnight. 5.0
TAMS (Travel Activities and Motivations Survey) research reveals that Canadians who visited museums and historical sites while on trips are more likely than the average Canadian traveller to patronize live art performances (e.g., live theatre) and visit educational attractions while on trips. They are also quite active in outdoor activities and especially those that are nature-based (e.g., wildlife viewing, hiking and paddling). They seek vacation destinations that are intellectually stimulating, novel and provide learning opportunities. All elements of the Dinosaur Valley experience.
To increase the visitor’s length of stay, the Town of Drumheller must offer a diverse visitor experience. This is most easily accomplished if smaller operators leverage the visibility and success of the major draw-attractions in the region. To do so will require a well integrated tourist industry and a united approach to promoting the region, rather than the icons. By taking a collaborative approach, i.e., by pairing primary and secondary attractions / activities, (e.g., the Atlas Coal Mine expanding its tour to include East Coulee via the railway bridge), developing an integrated program of festivals and events (see Recommendation 21) and incorporating the artistic community into commercial businesses, the tourism experience will be expanded.
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Many restaurants, retailers and even seasonal businesses, e.g., campgrounds, have the potential to be good promotional partners as they seek to become more relevant to the same consumers (i.e., young adults with families and “Boomers”) as the area’s attractions. Such partnerships can provide value added promotion through various tactics including reciprocal on-site exposure.
It is recommended that opportunities to grow the “regional” experience through collaborative partnerships be the primary focus of town’s product development efforts.
12. Develop and implement actions to support the retention and growth of local tourism businesses and attract new businesses. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN A critical success factor for any urban destination is ongoing investment in new, enhanced or expanded attractions and services. Currently Drumheller is undergoing a major public sector investment—the 5.0 5.0 Badlands Community Facility—which could ignite increased private sector investment interest. This notwithstanding, the Town of Drumheller needs to be more proactive in soliciting tourism investment and re-investment (e.g., higher-end resort hotels, bike rental companies, tour operators, fine-dining restaurants). The increasingly competitive environment for attracting tourism investment presents a significant challenge. The tourism sector, working with other economic sectors, Economic Development Advisory Committee and Town Council needs to focus on making Drumheller more investment friendly.
In selecting their next development project, developers of tourism attractions and services consider the following: • Quantity of the market (population and visitation) • Established or projected long-term demand for their product • Availability of a trained / skilled workforce • Cost of doing business and availability of incentives • Availability and cost of capital • Quality of place / quality of life • Scale and effectiveness of marketing by local DMO
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While the Town of Drumheller ranks favourably on points one and two, the town’s attractiveness as a destination for tourism investment begins to suffer when the remaining factors are considered. Investment and re-invest opportunities should be identified, investment prospectuses prepared and an economic development marketing strategy to promote the opportunities developed. The Town should investigate the use of tax incentives, e.g., Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) and other flexible financing models with which to fund municipal improvements that will increase Drumheller’s attractiveness as a location for investment.
It is therefore recommended that the Town in association with the Economic Development Advisory
Committee develop and implement actions to retain and attract tourism businesses. PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM
13. Position and brand the town in the conference and meetings market. 5.0 The meeting facilities proposed for the Badlands Community Facility will provide the Town of Drumheller with a competitive tourism advantage as similar venues are currently not available to this region of the Canadian Badlands. It is anticipated that these facilities will provide opportunities for the Town to host major industry meetings and conferences, as an alternative to such locations as Banff, Jasper, Red Deer, Calgary and Edmonton—all of which are established destinations in the conference and meetings market.
Event demand for the new facility is projected to grow from 76 events in 2012 (the first full year of operation) to 122 events in 2016. This of course is premised on having a strong aggressive marketing strategy in place.
The competition in the conference and meeting market is fierce, with many venues offering reduced rental rates, discounted hotel room rates or subsidized transportation to attract customers. There are many potential competitors in the province for the Drumheller facilities, most of which, unlike the Drumheller facilities, have restaurant service and guest rooms attached.
To succeed in the conference and meetings market, the Badlands Community Facility must have an aggressive marketing and bid strategy and a strong sales team in place. There must be sufficient
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accommodations, food and other visitor services available to support expected visitation and options for group transportation from local hotels must be available. Strong relationships with key constituents (Mayor and Council, hotel management, DMO) must be built to prepare for “pitching” Drumheller as a conference and meeting destination.
It is recommended that steps, including the establishment and implementation of a long-term marketing plan and the development of a strategy to bid on regional and provincial level conferences and business meetings, be taken prior to the completion of the Badlands Community Facility to position and brand the town in the conference and meeting market.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN Proposed Badlands Community Facility 5.0 5.0
Source: http://www.dinosaurvalley.com/badlands-community-facility, 2010.
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Strategic Priority #5: Develop regional tourism nodes and the corridors that connect Highway 838 Corridor, Drumheller them. 14. Designate Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is an exceptionally high quality facility and site, providing an outstanding learning and entertainment experience for visitors. The museum is situated on Highway 838, the only highway route in the Red Deer River corridor that is specifically promoted as a tourism experience.
According to Alberta Transportation, the annual average daily traffic volume on Highway 838, which begins at Highway 9 in Drumheller and terminates at the Bleriot Ferry, is 5,650 vehicles. During the PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM summer month, the daily traffic volume increases by nearly 18 per cent to 6,630 vehicles; an increase
which is mostly attributed to visitors to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. 5.0
At present the visual quality of the corridor is not representative of the quality of the experience offered by the Museum. The opportunity exists to create a better sense of anticipation and arrival for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that travel this roadway each year. Controlled land use would prevent development of low quality strip commercial uses. Controls at the top of bank to the valley would ensure that views of the valley edge would be free of buildings, signs or other man-made structures. Source: MGP Ltd., 2010. Signage controls would ensure a wayfinding system that celebrates the unique character of Drumheller would replace the inconsistent highway signs and intrusive retail billboards that currently line the highway.
A gateway sign at the entrance to the Museum would provide the sense of arrival that is important to the visitor, preparing them to experience the museum itself. For departing visitors, appropriately themed and strategically place signage would help to cross-sell the other major tourism nodes and attractions in the region.
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Passion Play Renaming the corridor (highway) after, for example, one of the great names in the dinosaur world, Charles H. Sternberg and sons would add to the sense of place.
It is recommended that Town through amendments to the Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaws, and in association with Alberta Transportation, designate the Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor.
15. Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Passion Play and Drumheller Valley Ski Hill site.
The Canadian Badlands Passion Play and Drumheller Valley Ski Hill site is a major event location. Its Ski Hill Site
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN core value comes from its spectacular location and acoustics. The development of the site to support occasional theatre productions and concerts is laudable, but much more can be done to add to its appeal and use. 5.0 5.0 Central to increasing the site’s contribution to tourism in Drumheller are physical improvements to make the site safer, more accessible, more aesthetically pleasant and capable of handling additional capacity.
It is recommended that an area redevelopment plan be undertaken to identify the site planning and landscape architectural work (paved surfaces, lighting, signage, improved access and landscape Hoodoo Trail, Hwy 10 improvements) required to leverage the site’s potential.
16. Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Highway 10 corridor from Rosedale to the Atlas Coal Mine Historical Site.
The Hoodoo Trail (Highway 10) from Rosedale to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site (one of Drumheller’s four major attractions) offers several outstanding natural and cultural heritage attractions. The Rosedale Suspension Bridge, East Coulee School Museum and the Atlas Coal Mine celebrate the town’s coal mining heritage, while the hoodoo site exemplifies the region’s unique geological characteristics.
Source: ATPR, 2010; Google Images; MGP Ltd., 2010.
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The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site has recently increased its tour offerings and expanded its World’s Largest Dinosaur markets. However, the access corridor to the site has the potential to be improved to afford a better tourism experience. Upgraded entrance features on Highway 10 east of East Coulee (Recommendation 6), extending the trail system from Willow Point to the Atlas Coal Mine site (Recommendation 7), and improved signage and wayfinding (Recommendation 5) would significantly improve the corridor’s appeal. However, additional physical improvements (e.g., landscaping, lighting, road repairs, pull-offs) to make the corridor more aesthetically pleasant and safer and targeted land use policies to preserve the area’s intrinsic qualities, e.g., the hoodoos, would elevate the corridor to a destination in itself.
It is recommended that an area redevelopment plan be undertaken to identify the planning and PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM landscape architectural work required to leverage the corridor’s potential. Restaurant in Local Inn
5.0 Strategic Priority #6: Reinvigorate the downtown core as a distinctive destination and hub by creating a Town Centre District that celebrates Drumheller’s context, history and culture. The downtown is critical to Drumheller’s ability to create a destination attractive to overnight visitors. Its appearance, functionality, personality and “feel” will be central to branding, positive word of mouth and market success. The following recommendations are focussed on creating an attractive, readily understood and vital downtown.
Source: traveldrumheller.com 17. Create a distinctive Town Centre District with a common streetscape fabric that showcases and links the downtown’s major features.
Notwithstanding municipal investments to-date in improving the character of the downtown, more is required if it is to fulfill its roles as an attractive tourism asset. Its primary streets, major features and key destinations need to be set apart from the larger town site, and tied together in a manner that tells visitors that this is where they want to be, while celebrating the area’s landscape character and history. The area should be set apart as a Town Centre District (TCD) with its own set of planning objectives and instruments. Linkages to the river front and the town’s accommodation amenity area along Hwy 9 to the south need to be extended. The Town’s prior investment in guidance on downtown revitalization
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Vacant Commercial Space (Downtown Revitalization, Urban Systems 2004, see Appendix A) needs to be dusted off and implemented. It must be complemented by a renewed commitment to maintenance of public spaces and property to standards that tell visitors they are expected and welcomed.
The CN Rail right-of-way is emerging as a potential asset vs. barrier to visitor travel in the community. The Canadian Badlands Tourist Destination Assessment being completed for the Town and surroundings identifies its potential to support rail travel to Calgary and assets to the east, or for a trail. Regardless of which direction evolves, and assuming it is acquired by the Town, the corridor abutting the TCD should be landscaped between at least 2nd Street W and 5th Street E, and become part of the link between the TCD and the accommodation amenity area along Hwy 9. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN Downtown Laneway & Graffiti It is recommended that the Town identify a Town Centre District and invest in improvements to its
5.0 5.0 public realm to weave a common fabric that extends to and integrates all the downtown’s tourism assets (see Figure 5.5). Such improvements can be funded through Community Revitalization Levies, as introduced in Recommendation 12.
18. Create incentives, mechanisms and guidance for private investment in the Town Centre District’s built form.
The private sector is a key player in creating an inviting downtown. Its investment in new ventures and the appearance of its building stock are both central to a well functioning and attractive destination. Drumheller’s downtown experience is currently reduced by empty lots and some unnecessarily unwelcoming vacant, derelict or poorly maintained buildings. Some downtown laneways also fail to present the desired image to passers-by.
Municipal approaches that reduce risk or create an environment that protects and optimizes values will be recognized for what they are and help attract private investment. Guidance on architectural design Source: MGP Ltd., 2010. and façade and signage treatments that further the desired image will contribute to those objectives while building the brand. Clear expressions of municipal expectations for property maintenance, with appropriate enforcement, will improve the current situation while doing the same. Responsibility for
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Figure 5.5: Organization of Key Elements in the Visitor Experience TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM 5.0
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such improvements can be shared among individual owners, the DDCC and the Town as well as prospective entrepreneurs. A Business Revitalization Zone, as previously recommended (Recommendation 2), can be an ideal vehicle for coordinating and funding rehabilitation of the current building stock.
It is recommended that Drumheller attract and protect private investment in the downtown by creating the incentives, mechanisms and guidance necessary to successfully do so.
19. Create reasons to visit, return to and linger in the Town Centre District.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN The preceding recommendations for this priority have focussed on the context and framework inviting activity in the downtown. That invitation must itself be extended by creating reasons to come to the downtown in the first place. The area today does not yet present a compelling array of such reasons to 5.0 5.0 tourists.
Building the array can be aided by building and focussing the traffic that invites new investment. This can be achieved by creating a central staging point for shuttles or tours to regional assets (e.g., the Royal Tyrrell Museum or the Atlas Coal Mine Historical Site), and by creating new tours or activities (e.g., of the Red Deer River, or walks along the Red Deer River trail in the vicinity of the downtown). It is perhaps best promoted by creating venues for programmed activities, and creating as many events as possible (e.g., farmer’s markets, main street Canada Day and similar events, art’s exhibitions, music festivals, etc.) to utilize them. A central civic square, perhaps co-located with the new multi-use facility or at the aquaplex / visitor information centre / riverfront, or at a vacant parcel downtown, can provide an important public venue. Smaller public squares or plazas can support smaller scale events.
Amenities such as specialty retail, cafe, restaurant, entertainment, gallery, etc. are the critical elements supplied by private sector investment. Patios (street front or laneway oriented), effective storefront displays and signage can all build vitality on the street. Adherence to a common set of extended hours giving predictability to visitors goes a long way to sustaining interest in being downtown into the
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evening hours. Free wireless access to the internet can also attract people to come to and linger at downtown venues.
It is recommended that Drumheller create a diverse set of reasons to visit, return to and linger in the Town Centre District (see Figure 5.6).
MARKETING Strategic Priority #7: Competitively and collaboratively market the Town of Drumheller and the Dinosaur Valley experience to grow visitation and tourism expenditures.
20. Publish a five-year strategic market overview and detailed annual tourism partnership marketing PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM plan to guide DMO and stakeholder marketing decisions.
Decisions regarding tourism advertising and promotional campaigns for the Town of Drumheller have, 5.0 in recent years, been made by the Drumheller Valley Buying Group. Restricted by funding, the extent of the marketing effort in the past has been limited to web site development; the production and distribution of a local map guide and high quality print advertising in select visitor origin markets.
To be successful in this highly competitive tourism market, the town needs to step-up its marketing efforts; ensuring the most effective and efficient use of its marketing resources. Undertaking a five-year strategic market and competitor overview will provide insights to the timing, themes and targets for new product development (e.g., festival, events). The timely development and distribution of an annual tourism partnership marketing plan will help guide future marketing decisions by the DMO and other stakeholders by assigning tasks, clarifying target markets, choosing marketing messages and channels, specifying partnership marketing opportunities and allocating funds to promote the area.
The process of developing the marketing plan should start with a definition of a shared vision for positioning the Town of Drumheller and the identification of priority target markets, for example young families living in Calgary and Edmonton with annual household incomes of $75K+. Setting marketing objectives for each target market, e.g., increasing awareness of family-focused experiences will help
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Figure 5.6: Key Elements and Linkages in the Town Centre District TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN 5.0 5.0
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define the correct marketing strategy. A communication / media plan that includes a timeline that Bumper Boat Amusements defines what, when, where and how will result in a detailed marketing plan budget.
A calendar of partnership marketing opportunities indicating costs of participation and deadlines for subscription will help area merchants plan their marketing activities and the DMO to maximize their collective voice in the market place. The calendar should provide a clear understanding of where marketing dollars will be directed initially and where additional monies will be spent if revenue / partnership participation exceeds expectations.
The town’s marketing strategy should include leveraging third-party websites, e.g., The Boomtown Trail and the striking of collaborative partnerships, e.g., Travel Alberta. As part of developing the PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM Richard Cosgrave Badlands Dinosaur marketing plan, opportunities should be identified to enhance the functionality of the town’s tourism Derby website to stay abreast of changing technology and consumer expectations. For example, a growing 5.0 number of consumers now expect both information and purchase / booking capability from a website (one-stop information and shopping).
It is important that the Dinosaur Valley marketing plan be developed with the consensus of industry stakeholders and provides a means for any tourism business to participate regardless of their budget limitations.
Recommendation 1 calls for the creation of an independent, industry-led, not-for-profit tourism Source: Google Images; management / marketing organization. If / when this organization is established the development of the townnewsroom.blogspot.com, 2010. annual marketing plan would be within its purview. However, the importance of having a formalized marketing plan in place requires that the development of the plan precede the creation of the DMO.
21. Implement a festival and event strategy to generate year-round tourism opportunities.
There is a role for festivals and events to generate year-round tourism opportunities. Festivals and events help to build the brand; attract non-traditional users; provide publicity / free media; extend the tourism season; engage the community through volunteerism; help to maintain the area’s natural and cultural history; and contribute to increased economic benefits.
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Currently, while the town offers a number of festivals and events throughout the year, they tend to be community focussed. Of the 20 recurring events, four are considered to be demand generators, i.e., attracting visitors from outside the immediate area—Canadian Badlands Passion Play, East Coulee Spring Festival, Richard Cosgrove Badlands Dinosaur Derby and Motorcycle Madness. Opportunity exists to build on regional Canadian Badland themes—Scenic Badlands (outdoor music and film festival), Badlands Arts and Culture (local artist exhibits and sales) and Badlands Sports and Outdoor Recreation (river events) and develop events that draw attention to the town. It is therefore recommended that a town-wide festival and event strategy be developed to generate year-round tourism opportunities. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN While formulating the strategy consideration should be given to developing an integrated program of festivals and events. These (larger) events would be hosted by those attractions / venues with the 5.0 5.0 infrastructure and footprint to accommodate the anticipated crowds and traffic, with smaller attractions / venues having an on-site presence or offering a complementary event. By broadening the event offering under the banner of the Town of Drumheller (versus a single attraction or association) the potential exists to attract consumers and media who have yet to experience the Drumheller experience.
Bylaw No. 09.98 Regulating and Licensing Festivals addresses parking, fire protection, medical facilities, washroom facilities, food concessions and many other matters related to events. While the bylaw does not reference tourism specifically, it could significantly impact festivals and events focussed on tourism. It is recommended that as part of the strategy development process, the bylaw be reviewed to ensure it does not discourages event development.
With the completion of the strategy, development of festivals and events could begin almost immediately if basic prerequisites are fulfilled, e.g., community support, identification of lead organizations and sponsors, development of sustainable site use plans, etc. To help in the process of establishing new and enhancing existing festivals and events, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation provides resources to assist communities including a planning manual with tools, templates and supplier resources.
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22. Build, launch and sustain a relevant community tourism brand.
Branding destinations has become a critical business strategy in today’s tourism market. Brands differentiate a destination, pre-sell a destination and “guarantee” a destination. Without a brand, a theme park is just an amusement park with a central theme. With a brand, Disneyland Park in California attracts nearly 16 million people a year.
A brand is not a logo, symbol, ad, spokesperson or a jingle. A brand is everything that a destination wants people, especially their target markets, to feel and believe about its community, attractions and services. It is an asset that can be measured and leveraged. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM In today’s market, multiple destinations exist that serve similar purposes—weekend getaways, lots of
things for kids to do, learning opportunities, outdoor activities. People are looking for shortcuts in 5.0 making a decision—brands help them do this. Brands instil a distinct image, feeling and value in the minds of consumers.
A recommended first step for the Town of Drumheller in developing a community tourism brand is to work with a destination branding consultant to develop a strategic brand analysis. The results of the analysis will include a synthesis of the town’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, the threats facing the brand, brand opportunities and limitations, branding tools, an advertising approach, brand architecture, and naming recommendations.
A successful brand-building strategy while expensive, can lead to many benefits. A successful brand could be the town’s greatest asset. Because nearly three-quarters of today’s consumers want to use a brand to guide their purchase decisions, a successful brand could really make Drumheller a “must see before I die8 ” destination. Some benefits of a successful brand include: • Cooperative marketing / promotional ventures with desired partners • Strong brands allow for greater shareholder and stakeholder returns (economic impact) • Brand-based price premiums allow for higher margins (packaging the Drumheller experience)
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• Strong brands lend immediate credibility to new product introductions • Strong brands embody a clear and sustainable point of differentiation relative to the competition • The more loyal the customer base and the stronger the brand, the more likely customers will be to forgive a mistake (a bad hotel or restaurant experience) • Brand strength is a lever for attracting new investment
Existing Taglines and Logos TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PLAN
5.0 5.0
Source: Town of Drumheller, 2010.
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POLICY Strategic Priority #8: Ensure municipal policies support a strong, self-reliant, profitable, innovate tourism industry. The ability of the community, the private sector and not-for-profit organizations to benefit from tourism is strongly dependent on the underpinning of supportive policy and infrastructure provided by local government. Statutory plans and policies—municipal official plans, zoning bylaws, sustainability and environmental plans, policies related to social, cultural and recreational facilities and heritage properties, etc.—can have a profound impact on tourism and tourism planning.
The overall purpose of municipal plans and policies is to support and enhance the quality of life of its PLAN DEVELOPMENT TOURISM citizens and to guide future growth and development to ensure it is sustainable, orderly, appropriate,
complementary and efficient. To succeed as a tourist destination municipal plans and policies need to 5.0 be configured so that desirable community outcomes are aligned with desirable tourism outcomes.
Previously stated recommendations have recommended the creation of a Town Centre District, designation of Highway 838 as special tourism zone, formation of Business Revitalization Zones, implementation of a signage and wayfinding master plan, expansion of the pedestrian and cycling trail system all of which will require the appropriate permissions and amendments to existing municipal plans, bylaws and policies.
It is therefore recommended that the Town:
23. Amend the Municipal Development Plan to foster high quality tourism business development.
24. Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support a vibrant Town Centre District.
25. Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support region nodes and the corridors that connect them.
26. Establish a Business Revitalization Zone policy framework.
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6.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
The Implementation Plan is presented as a series of tables, one for each recommendation. The tables are structured with four column content headings: • Desired Results describing the desired end result for each recommendation • The prerequisites considered necessary to enable reaching the end result • The actions considered necessary to realize the recommendation • Who is expected or recommended to take the identified actions To simplify the presentation, it is understood that the overall Desired Results of the recommendations are to increase visitation and visitor spending, convert same day visitors to overnight stays and promote return visits and are therefore not repeated in the tables. Prerequisites generally refer to conditions outside the recommendations and should be interpreted to include all actions required to enable those conditions.
Implementation of the Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan will require considerable collaboration among stakeholders and commitment to a path forward. It is therefore suggested that a “Drumheller Tourism Summit” conference / workshop may provide an effective vehicle for stakeholders to discuss options and to establish commitment to a selected implementation model.
In its consideration of improvements to area management capacity, the Development Plan recommends creation of an area-specific grassroots destination management and marketing entity. In the period leading up to that consideration, the Town should consider the definition of a less formal association through which to collaborate. An ongoing communication / coordination / clearinghouse function would be very helpful in facilitating networking and collaboration among area stakeholders. Quarterly “summits” could help create deadlines for the development and communication of foundation elements.
Again, the recommendations in this section are not rank ordered by priority; this will be addressed in the following section.
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MANAGEMENT CAPACITY Strategic Priority #1: Strengthen the leadership role of the tourism industry.
Recommendation 1: Create an independent, industry-led, not-for-profit organization to enhance and grow the region’s tourism products and marketing activities.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Improved coordination of tourism • Support of the Town, DDCC, • Contract a third-party facilitator • Town provides leadership for the development and marketing DVBG and the tourism industry at- with knowledge of tourism and establishment of the DMO activities large for the establishment of a experience in creating not-for- • Town contracts a third-party
6.0 6.0 • Increased operator participation / DMO profit organizations to assist in facilitator collaboration in making decisions • Town Council resolution to planning and implementing a work • DVBG serves as transition team; • Improved transparency and transfer tourism marketing program to start-up the DMO develops and implements work accountability for the decision responsibilities to an independent, • Develop and implement a work plan, recruits Board members and making and use of marketing industry-led organization plan to establish the DMO hires staff dollars • Town and DDCC commitment to • Hold industry focus groups to • Industry focus group establishes • Enhanced marketing presence of provide long-term baseline funding develop vision and mission DMO structure, vision and mission Drumheller as the “hub” of the statements and guiding principles, • Board members and transition team Canadian Badlands define roles and responsibilities of develop business and marketing • Improved coordination of Board of Directors and staff plans development activities with • Recruit Board members and hire regional (Canadian Badlands Ltd.) staff and provincial (Alberta Tourism, • Develop five-year business plan Parks and Recreation) tourism • Apply for not-for-profit status development organizations • Improved coordination of marketing activities with regional (Boomtown Trail) and provincial (Travel Alberta) marketing organizations
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Recommendation 2: Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholders’ role in destination development by commencing Business Revitalization Zone development.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Unification of tourism businesses • Business owners support for the • Contract a third-party facilitator • Town provides leadership for the to work toward a common goal of creation of business revitalization with knowledge of tourism and establishment of the BRZ making Drumheller an iconic zones experience in creating Business • Town contracts a third-party
destination Revitalization Zones to facilitate facilitator to prepare background IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Town Council support for the the establishment of the BRZ materials and facilitate stakeholder • Creation of a strong unified voice creation of business revitalization Prepare background materials, e.g., consultations to represent tourism businesses to zones and implementation of a • map identifying proposed BRZ 6.0 local government destination marketing fund • Zone businesses develop approach boundaries, list of tourism to structure, governance and • Creation of a long-term sustainable • Town Council commitment to take businesses, information on the funding funding source for tourism responsibility for the BRZs structure and function of BRZs development and marketing assessment, collection and audit • Facilitator conducts poll and Conduct consultation sessions with activities functions • circulates petition • DMO contracted to manage and key stakeholders to gain leadership • Complementary Community • Town Council enacts BRZ and market the BRZs support Revitalization Levy areas for the amends bylaw and policies • Conduct educational sessions for • Capital improvements to the zone Downtown TCD and the • BRZ develops and implements area businesses to achieve their Accommodations Amenity Area work program, contracts DMO buy-in would lever the effectiveness of the • Town / BRZ develops and BRZ’s, and vice versa. • Conduct poll of businesses within implements assessment, collection the BRZ to gauge support and audit procedures • Circulate a petition to create the BRZ and establish a DMF • Enact / amend town bylaws and policies to create the BRZ
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Recommendation 2 Continued:
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Prepare and implement a work program to establish the BRZ, i.e., develop vision and mission statements and guiding principles,
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN define roles and responsibilities of Board of Directors, develop five- year business plan, apply for not-
6.0 6.0 for-profit status, etc. • Recruit Board members • Contract the DMO to manage and market the BRZs • Develop and implement procedures for assessment, collection and audit functions
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Recommendation 3: Advocate and demonstrate the importance of tourism.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Increased public awareness of the • Town Council reaffirms its support • Develop a Communication and • Town provides leadership in the importance of tourism to the for tourism Education Strategy to generate a development and execution of a economy and quality of life • Research capacity is in place to broad level of awareness of the role Communication and Education • Generate awareness among collect and organize local data on tourism plays in supporting Strategy business leaders of the importance tourism impacts recreation and culture, quality of • Town and DDCC provide IMPLEMENTATION PLAN of tourism to their sectors, e.g., life and economic growth opportunities for more active food and beverage, retail • Create opportunities for tourism participation of tourism industry 6.0 • Visitor-friendly Drumhellerians industry leadership to be more leadership • Increased exposure through actively involved in Town and • DMO and BRZ Boards of Directors publicity/free media DDCC boards and committees create a Council Liaison position • Tourism industry develops and • Tourism industry takes a proactive implements a plan to actively role in community and civic engage and support civic associations organizations and events • Tourism industry through the DMO • Develop programs to motivate develops strong relationships with people that interact with visitors media regularly, e.g., restaurant and hotel employees, retailers, police, parking enforcement officers, taxi operators • Develop a quarterly newsletter to communicate plans, activities and successes to the community and the media
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Strategic Priority #2: Use research to build insight, track performance, guide decisions, and inform prospective investors.
Recommendation 4: Develop local research capacity through education and provision of tools to collect reliable information.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Increased research capacity at the • Stakeholder commitment to • Work with stakeholders to • DMO provides leadership in operator level participate in data collection, data determine research priorities research activities IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Better understanding of visitors’ sharing, and funding of research • Offer training / produce guide on • ATPR and CBL produces guide to behaviours, attitudes and • DMO capacity to lead research using market research for using research demographics function successful destination development
6.0 6.0 • Operators collect and share • Increased understanding of • Commitment of Alberta Tourism, • Implement visitor surveys to assess information for research purposes economic impacts Parks and Recreation (ATPR), attractiveness and satisfaction of • DMO analyzes and reports local • Increased awareness of business Alberta Tourism and Canadian the tourism product visitor/industry statistics on a climate Badlands Ltd. (CBL) to assist in the • Implement operator surveys to regular basis • Consumer research confirms development of research products, measure business confidence, • DMO works with ATPR, Alberta marketing decisions e.g., access to economic impact performance and investment Tourism, CBL to expand their model, Stats Can data expectations research capabilities • Industry web site to provide research tools and information developed and launched • Use web analytics to manage consumer website and assess marketing efforts • Monitor and report on tourism performance quarterly • Encourage ATPR, Alberta Tourism, CBL to expand their research capabilities
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DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT Strategic Priority #3: Continually invest in upgrades to the quality of basic tourism infrastructure.
Recommendation 5: Implement a signage and wayfinding plan to create a sense of place.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Clear policy direction regarding • Community tourism brand • Formation of an advisory • Town takes leadership in the
signage and wayfinding established committee, e.g., representatives of formation of an advisory committee IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Development of a standards manual Town staff, DMO Board, DDCC, and contracting a consultant to to facilitate fabrication and Alberta Transportation to oversee prepare the signage and wayfinding
installation development of the plan plan 6.0 • Consultant conducts and supplies • Enhanced awareness of • Review and adopt CBL signage system design, specifications and destinations standards as appropriate shop drawings, standards manual, • Reduced visual clutter • Contract consultant specializing in cost estimates and tender package • Enhanced perception of Drumheller signage and wayfinding to develop
as a safe, clean and welcoming master plan • Council approves amendments to bylaws / policies as per destination • Amend municipal bylaws and recommendations • Commitment from Alberta policy as required • Town takes leadership of Transportation to revise existing or • Develop a prioritized implementation, reviews and install new signage along regulated implementation plan highways reports progress annually • Identify sources of funding, e.g., Sign Up Alberta, CBL signage incentive program; submit applications
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Recommendation 6: Provide welcoming and informative highway access into the Town of Drumheller.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Improved first impressions • Signage and wayfinding master • Install gateway elements where • Town leads corridor planning • Tourist recognition that “they have plan completed they will make the best first process arrived” • Signage bylaws and policies in impression • Change the travelling environment place • Install visitor information stops at IMPLEMENTATION PLAN from rural highway to tourist • Amendments to MDP and Land access points destination Use Bylaws in place • Revise highway signage in • Clearly brand Drumheller as the • Agreement with Alberta accordance with the signage and 6.0 6.0 hub of the Canadian Badlands Transportation regarding building wayfinding master plan and the • Provide clear travel directions to new Visitor Information Stops and town’s signage bylaw major attractions revising highway signage • Improve the aesthetics of the • Town commitment to developing corridors through the use of visual and promoting the corridors buffering, decorative lighting and • Marketing partners / DMO the opening of viewscapes commitment to market the corridors and the tourism experiences along them
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Recommendation 7: Expand and enhance the pedestrian and cycling trail system experience.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Clear policy direction regarding • Town commitment to expand • Formation of an advisory • Town takes leadership in the bikeway, sidewalk and trail systems current trail system committee, e.g., representatives of formation of an advisory committee • An active transportation network • Decision on future use of the rail Town staff, DMO Board, local and contracting a consultant to that is seamless, clearly marked, line residents and special interest prepare the master plan accessible and safe • Completion of the signage and groups to oversee development of • Consultant conducts and supplies IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Increase number of pedestrians and wayfinding master plan the master plan system design, specifications and cyclists using the trail system • Signage bylaws and policies in • Contract consultant specializing in trail drawings, standards manual, 6.0 • A trail system connecting place active transportation systems to cost estimates and tender package, communities and tourist attractions prepare a the master plan etc. • An awe-inspiring trail systems that • Amend municipal bylaws and • Council approves amendments to is a “must do” activity for visitors policy as required bylaws / policies as per and residents • Develop prioritized implementation recommendations plan • Town takes leadership of • Identify sources of funding; submit implementation applications • Review and report progress annually
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Recommendation 8: Encourage active tourism by improving the existing trail facilities
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Increase the number of pedestrians • Town commitment to upgrade the • Complete the trail system between • Town takes leadership for and cyclists using the trail system current trail system the Royal Tyrrell Museum and completing the upgrades • Provide another mode of travel • Completion of the signage and Highway 838 option for visitors and residents wayfinding master plan • Revise existing pavement markings IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Connect tourist attractions via the • Signage bylaws and policies in on Highway 838 to indicate both existing trail system place pedestrians and cyclists are permitted 6.0 6.0 • Connect recreational vehicle (RV) parking lots to the existing trail system • Provide trail connection from hotel district south of Highway 575 (South Railway Avenue) to the Visitor Information Centre and Badlands Community Facility • Install trail directional signs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Visitor Information Centre, and RV parking lots that currently connect to the trails • Implement year-round maintenance program including garbage pick-up and snow removal
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Recommendation 9: Undertake a transit feasibility study
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Determination of the feasibility of • Interest on behalf of the Town and • Contract a transportation consultant • Town takes leadership, overseeing providing transit service between the community to have a transit that specializes in transit planning the study and contracting a major attractions, Town Centre system to undertake the feasibility study consultant to complete the study District and the hotel district and • Decision on future use of the rail • Prepare a feasibility study that • Consultant completes the study between Calgary and Drumheller line evaluates the cost-effectiveness of and provides recommendations IMPLEMENTATION PLAN transit service by examining start- • Town issues a call for expression up and operating costs, ridership, of interest to identify possible potential routes and service proponents if study shows a 6.0 delivery models and the impact to feasible outcome the local taxi industry • If feasible, issue a notice of tender to attract potential investors / operators
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Recommendation 10: Undertake a review of parking in Town Centre District
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Confirmation of existing conditions • Formation of an advisory • Town takes leadership in the of downtown parking committee, e.g., BRZ / downtown formation of an advisory • Recommendations to encourage the businesses, local residents and committee and contracting a most efficient use of existing special interest groups to oversee consultant to undertake the review IMPLEMENTATION PLAN parking review • Consultant undertakes review and • Contract transportation consultant submits findings and to conduct the review recommendations 6.0 6.0 • Conduct public consultations • Town undertakes public regarding the outcome of the consultation re review outcomes review and possible next steps and next steps • Develop a prioritized implementation plan
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Strategic Priority #4: Grow the businesses and experiences that create a reason to visit the Dinosaur Valley.
Recommendation 11: Facilitate the expansion of key tourist attractions and complementary experiences through collaborative partnerships.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Enhanced and expanded product • Willingness among businesses to • Create networking and professional • DVBG / DMO facilitates offering experiment and test market new opportunities for entrepreneurs and networking opportunities and • Increased number of stakeholders product ideas / concepts businesses for the incubation of “ideas” meetings IMPLEMENTATION PLAN participating in marketing activities • Stakeholders commitment to ideas • Primary attractions take leadership • Increased participation of the art collaborating on developing and • Expand tourism experiences to in identifying and implementing 6.0 community undertaking joint marketing and include primary and secondary expanded tourism experiences • Increased participation of local new product development activities attractions, e.g., Atlas Coal Mine • DDCC engages members to businesses that benefit from • Local businesses, e.g., banks, and East Coulee participate tourism hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, • Develop an integrated program of • Festival and event organizers • Recognition for leadership in etc. willingness to be promotional festivals and events so more than develop integrated program of product innovation partners one attraction benefits events • Destination marketing scaled to • Increase the presence of the art • CBL facilitates creation of Arts product offering in place community through programs such Coalition • Sufficient accommodations, food as Wall Art and Displays in area • DVBG/DMO undertakes feasibility and other visitor services are businesses and vacant buildings study of town cards available to support increased • Encourage businesses that benefit visitation indirectly from tourism to play a more active role in tourism marketing • Investigate the feasibility of “town cards” to make all attractions available for one price
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Recommendation 12: Develop and implement actions to support the retention and growth of local tourism businesses and attract new businesses
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Increased quality and value of • Municipal Development Plan and • Consult with existing businesses to • Economic Development Officer product offerings Land Use Bylaws are tourism identify reinvestment and new facilitates business retention and • Increased number of amenities and friendly investment opportunities growth meetings
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN services that support tourism • Approval authorities are on board • Indentify investment opportunities • Economic Development Officer • Enhanced community-based to provide appropriate permissions that capitalize on the valley’s leads preparation of investment support for tourism investment / amend plans and bylaws unique attributes prospectus 6.0 6.0 • Attraction of higher-end tourism • APTR Tourism Business • Prepare investment prospectus • CBL / ATPR assist in identifying development Development Research and identifying the development potential new investors and • Existing businesses remain viable Investment Branch commits to opportunity, potential funding promoting the opportunity and profitable promoting investment support and clearly defined • Economic Development Officer opportunities in Drumheller approvals requirements assists new businesses through • Municipal commitment to institute • Identify vacant or underutilized approvals processes BRZ’s and CRL Areas (per commercial sites and publish • Economic Development Officer Recommendations 2 and 17) commercial rental inventory prepares incentive financing • Define an economic development program concepts for Council marketing strategy to promote consideration investment opportunities to local entrepreneurs and major investors and developers • Indentify new capital sources / grant and funding programs • Develop flexible financing and incentive models, e.g., Community Revitalization Levy
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Recommendation 13: Position and brand the town in the conference and meetings market
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Increased business meeting and • Facility management and sales • Establish and implement a long- • Facility sales manager takes conference travel staff are hired term marketing plan that leverages leadership in the development of a • Conference and meeting facilities • Sufficient accommodation, food the town’s unique character long-term marketing plan and bid are at operational capacity within and other visitor services are • Develop a strategy to bid on strategy two years available to support expected regional and provincial level • DMO assists with the development IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Increased visitation from referrals visitation conferences and business meetings of the marketing plan and arranges generated through group travel • Group transportation options from • Establish a sales committee with for collateral materials 6.0 • Town of Drumheller is destination local hotels are in place area lodging operators and the • Area hotels prepare conference of choice for small to medium DMO to prepare conference packages provincial conferences and packages • Town assists with the development regional business meetings • Prepare an operational calendar of the meeting planner’s toolkit that is accessible to all sales staff and alternations to the web sites • Distribute facility specs-bid • Facility sales manager prepares structure to area hotel sales staff operational calendar facility specs- for bidding bid structure schedule • Develop an on-line meeting planner’s tool kit • Add a conference and meeting section to Travel Drumheller and Dinosaur Valley websites with booking links • Build relationships with key constituents to prepare for “pitching” conference and meetings in Drumheller
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Strategic Priority #5: Develop regional tourism nodes and the corridors that connect them.
Recommendation 14: Designate Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Protection and enhancement of the • Approval authorities are on board • Meet with Highway 838 • Town takes leadership in the corridor’s intrinsic qualities and to provide appropriate permissions businesses, institutions, and presenting the concept and characteristics / amend plans and bylaws residents to discuss concept and contracting a consultant to prepare IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Change the travelling environment • Town commitment to upgrade the benefits the necessary plans and strategies from rural highway to tourist current trail system • Contract a consultant specializing • Consultant defines the concept, destination • Completion of the signage and in landscape architecture to develop undertakes inventory and 6.0 6.0 • Brand the corridor as an extension wayfinding master plan the design concept assessment, prepares plans and of the Royal Tyrrell Museum • Signage bylaws and policies in • Inventory and assess the corridors strategies, provides experience place scenic, historic, natural, recommendations • Completion of the transit feasibility archaeological, cultural and • Town leads and facilitates the study recreation qualities planning process with Alberta Transportation • Decision on future use of the rail • Develop a strategy for how existing line development might be enhanced • Town makes required changes to and how to accommodate new the Municipal Development Plan • Agreement with Alberta development and Land Use Bylaws Transportation regarding building new Visitor Information Stops and • Develop a plan to accommodate • Consultant prepares a prioritized revising highway signage commercial traffic while ensuring implementation plan the safety of sightseers, bicyclists • Highway 838 tourism-related • Town applies for supportive and pedestrians businesses commitment to funding from senior levels of marketing the corridor and the • Develop a plan to minimize governments tourism experiences along it intrusions (e.g., sign placement) on • Town takes leadership on the visitor’s experiences implementation
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Recommendation 14 Continued:
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Identify sources of funding support and prepare applications • Remove and replace signage in accordance with bylaws and policies IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Amend Land Use Bylaws to place recommended restrictions on industrial, commercial and 6.0 residential land use • Implement controls on proximity of development at the top of bank to preserve visual aesthetics • Create interpretative pull-offs • Create public access points to the Red Deer River where possible • Rename Highway 838 to a distinctive name after one of the great names in the dinosaur world Charles H. Sternberg
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Recommendation 15: Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Passion Play and Drumheller Valley Ski Hill site.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Recognition as a year round • Passion Play Society Board of • Meet with Canadian Badlands • Town takes leadership for the area recreation and major event site Directors’ approval for the Passion Play Society, Drumheller redevelopment plan process and expansion of uses and season Valley Ski Club (?) and area contracting a consultant to prepare • Approval authorities are on board residents and businesses to the necessary plans and strategies IMPLEMENTATION PLAN to provide appropriate permissions determine support for the • Consultant defines the concept, / amend plans and bylaws redevelopment plan undertakes inventory and • Town commitment to developing • Retain an planning / landscape assessment, prepares plans and 6.0 6.0 and promoting a major event and architecture firm to plan the site for strategies, provides recreation site the range of uses and events recommendations anticipated by owners • Town makes required changes to • Develop a plan to improve the the Municipal Development Plan ingress and egress to the site; and Land Use Bylaws improve parking areas (coach drop- • Consultant prepares a prioritized off, RV parking, shuttle drop implementation plan areas); upgrade human services • Town applies for supportive (accessibility, washrooms, weather- funding from senior levels of protected areas, food services) governments • Landscape the site to protect its • Town prepares investment intrinsic qualities prospectus to seek private investors • Identify sources of funding support for the new attraction for redevelopment and prepare • Passion Play Society and applications Drumheller Valley Ski Club take • Prepare and market an investment leadership to implement on-site prospectus to seek private sector improvements investment
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Recommendation 16: Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Highway 10 Corridor from Rosedale to the Atlas Coal Mine Historic Site.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Taken? Who is Going to Do It?
• Protection and enhancement of the • Approval authorities are on board • Meet with Highway 10 businesses, • Town takes leadership in corridor’s intrinsic qualities and to provide appropriate permissions institutions, and residents to discuss presenting the concept and characteristics / amend plans and bylaws concept and benefits contracting a consultant to prepare • Change the travelling environment • Town commitment to upgrade the • Contract a consultant specializing in the necessary plans and strategies from rural highway to tourist current trail system landscape architecture to develop the • Consultant defines the concept, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN destination • Completion of the signage and design concept undertakes inventory and • Brand the corridor as an extension wayfinding master plan • Inventory and assess the corridors assessment, prepares plans and 6.0 of the Atlas Coal Mine experience • Signage bylaws and policies in scenic, historic, natural, strategies, provides place archaeological, cultural and recreation recommendations • Agreement with Alberta qualities • Town leads and facilitates the Transportation regarding building • Develop a strategy for how existing planning process with Alberta new Visitor Information Stops and development might be enhanced and Transportation revising highway signage how to accommodate new • Town makes required changes to development the Municipal Development Plan • Develop a plan to minimize intrusions and Land Use Bylaws (e.g., sign placement) on the visitor’s • Consultant prepares a prioritized experiences implementation plan • Identify sources of funding support • Town applies for supportive and prepare applications funding from senior levels of • Remove and replace signage in governments accordance with bylaws and policies • Town takes leadership for • Amend Land Use Bylaws to place implementation of recommended restrictions on recommendations industrial, commercial and residential land use • Create interpretative pull-offs • Create public access points to the Red Deer River where possible
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Strategic Priority #6: Reinvigorate the downtown core by creating a Town Centre District that celebrates the town’s rich history and artistic talents and reflects the community’s progressive spirit.
Recommendation 17: Create a distinctive Town Centre District (TCD) with a common streetscape fabric that showcases and links the downtown’s major features.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken? Definition of a Community • A downtown that instills • Public, municipal and private • • Town of Drumheller
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN community pride, invites visitors Revitalization Area and Levy property owners’ commitment to a • Property owners and celebrates its distinctive bylaw to fund and recover well maintained and vibrant • BRZ investment in municipal elements through a coherent downtown
6.0 6.0 character and brandable image improvements. See • Complementary BRZ’s for the reflecting the visual characteristics http://blog.mastermaq.ca/2010/12/1 Downtown TCD and the of the Badlands landscape 4/albertas-community- Accommodations Amenity Area revitalization-levy-introduction/ for • An installed set of consistent would lever the effectiveness of the a description and for links to streetscape improvements and Community Revitalization Levy, bylaws enacted in Calgary and pageantry that is distinct to the and vice versa. downtown, and that integrates, Edmonton links and guides residents and • Position Centre Street and 3rd visitors to key destinations and Avenue as major pedestrian elements activity spines, with the Multi-Use • Major destinations and landmarks Facility/Info Centre/Centennial are celebrated as features and focal Park and a landscaped intersection points at Railway Avenue as the “poles” • All elements of the downtown at each end of Centre St.* public and private realms are well • Create signature gateways at each maintained and in good repair, end of Centre St, and at the including buildings, private intersections of 3rd Avenue with signage, public spaces and street 2nd Street and 1st St.E* furniture and laneways • Define and install consistent landscape/streetscape treatments along the spine streets and at intersections and gateway
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Recommendation 17 Continued:
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Taken? Who is Going to Do It?
• Integrate docking (and a tour departure / arrival site) and a river’s edge trail along the Red Deer River, and along the CN Rail r/w as features using similar streetscape / landscape
treatments IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Extend the streetscape / landscape treatment along Hwy 9 to integrate its
accommodations and other amenities 6.0 into the larger fabric • Celebrate and integrate major destinations and landmarks as features and focal points by using the same streetscape / landscape treatments at their sites (e.g., the World’s Largest Dinosaur / Visitor Centre, the Bridge, the Aquaplex, the Multi-use facility • Paint dinosaurs (pterodactyls?) on the water tower • Initiate a downtown public elements improvements program for quick fix upgrades (e.g., new banners, benches, planters) • Initiate a downtown public elements maintenance program *As recommended in the 2004 Downtown Revitalization report by Urban Systems.
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Recommendation 18: Create incentives, mechanisms and guidance for private investment in the Town Centre District’s built form.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• A set of circumstances that • Planning and financial policies • Development of Architectural • Town of Drumheller motivates private investment in enabling CRL and BRZs, and Guidelines including treatments for • Private sector entrepreneurs and upgraded and new buildings to mandating application of laneway patios and screening of property owners build critical mass and activity in Architectural Guidelines for new utility elements (e.g., garbage bins) • BRZ management IMPLEMENTATION PLAN the downtown and re-development in the • Definition and enforcement of a • Restoration/renewal of downtown minimum property maintenance buildings/facades in a poor state of • Articulation of flexible financing standards bylaw with mechanisms 6.0 6.0 repair policies and mechanisms per for resolution of cosmetic • Investment of a portion of BRZ Recommendation 12 maintenance issues and addressing funding in building façade, signage • Articulation of BRZ policies and laneway elements as well as street and street furniture beautification mechanisms per Recommendation faces • Building architecture and finishes 2 • Private investment in new and that reinforce the desired sense of upgraded buildings in the distinctive place through downtown application of a set of Architectural • Creation of a program of cosmetic Guidelines complementing the upgrades to derelict properties, streetscape/landscape theme and funded through the BRZ reflecting the horizontal banding • Creation of a program of installing and the grey, brown and red and local art in vacant storefronts, green elements of the badlands coordinated by BRZ landscape • Explore opportunities to reduce the cost burden on new investment by staging new tax increases over time, as part of the implementation of a downtown Community Revitalization Levy
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Recommendation 19: Create reasons to visit, return to and linger in the Town Centre District.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• A more diverse and vibrant set of • A planning policy framework • Communication of public • The Town of Drumheller retail stores, art galleries, restaurants that enables a diverse range of commitment to downtown re- • Private sector entrepreneurs and entertainment venues open for uses without further amendments vitalization • Tour and venue operators common and extended required • Amend the Municipal • BRZ Management and business shopping/browsing etc. hours, with IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Private tour and venue operator Development Plan and Land Use volunteers free public wireless internet access commitment to using a Bylaws to enable tourism-oriented • Community stakeholders with • Regional tour or asset shuttle downtown pick-up / origination uses as of right, including interests in programming activities offerings from a downtown staging site utilization of backlot / laneway 6.0 and events downtown point, with shuttle deliveries from the • Community and business elements (e.g. patios) hotel area to that staging point (e.g., commitment to venue • Investment attraction effort the World’s Largest Dinosaur site, improvements and programming promoting the town’s the multi-use facility or a new commitments to funding downtown plaza) mechanisms and re-vitalization • The creation of programmable • Coordination and agreement venues for gathering and lingering between the town and tour / venue (e.g., a major community square at operators on an optimal staging the World’s Largest Dinosaur site, and a plan for its improvement /Aquaplex site) smaller • Integration of planning for squares, squares/plazas, cafes with patios, a plazas, patios etc. in the landscape / river overlook, and streets designed streetscape treatments definition to be close-able for events and installation program identified • Community and BRZ investment in in Recommendation 18 programming of events using public • Striking of a programming and private downtown venues (e.g., Committee and development of a farmer’s markets, main street events, slate of events arts exhibitions / demonstrations, music festivals)
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MARKETING Strategic Priority #7: Competitively and collaboratively market the Town of Drumheller and the Dinosaur Valley experience to grow visitation and tourism expenditures.
Recommendation 20: Publish a five-year strategic market overview and detailed annual tourism partnership marketing plan to guide DMO and stakeholder marketing decisions. What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • Maximize the effectiveness of • Willingness among tourism • Establish a Marketing Plan Advisory • DVBG/ DMO takes leadership for limited marketing resources business owners to participate with Committee to oversee the the development and publishing / • Increased exposure for the Town of DMO development of the Strategic distribution of the plans 6.0 6.0 Drumheller Overview and Marketing Plan • Marketing Plan Advisory • Strengthening of the Drumheller • Develop a vision for positioning the Committee provides input on town’s tourism experiences brand behalf of stakeholders • Review competitor’s marketing • DVBG / DMO retains advertising • Strategic marketing partnerships materials, positioning, products with other tourism related agency/contractor to conduct focus • Identify priority targets markets marketing organizations groups and identify media outlets • Develop marketing objectives for • DVBG / DMO implements and each priority market monitors marketing plan • Conduct focus group research to • DVBG / DMO distributes plans to confirm / refine market positioning statements and identify most suitable prospective investors / partners media • Develop a communication / media plan • Prepare detailed marketing budget • Develop annual partnership opportunity calendar • Distribute the Strategic Overview and Annual Tourism Partnership Marketing Plan to potential partners • Identify opportunities to enhance functionality of the town’s tourism web site
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Recommendation 21: Prepare festival and events strategy to generate year-round tourism opportunities
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Series of quality festivals and • Local public and private • Establish festival / events • DMO provides leadership to events that reinforce the town stakeholders are committed to an coordinator / facilitator position develop the strategy brand, are financially successful, ongoing program of festivals and • Identify all planned festivals and • CBL assists in development of and draw target travellers year- events events in the area and assess their Canadian Badlands themed events round • DDCC / DMO commitment to potential for being a tourist draw • ATPR provides resources to assist IMPLEMENTATION PLAN • A major Drumheller event has facilitate a local network of • Conduct competitor review in developing events gained national attraction organizations to develop area • Identify opportunities for new • Town approves events permits festivals, events and activities 6.0 • Mid-sized events celebrating Canadian Badlands’ themed • Local civic groups to provide Canadian Badlands’ themes have • Bank of volunteers willing to festivals and events volunteers gained provincial attention coordinate and conduct events • Identify and initiate the • DVBG / DMO incorporates • Local and region events are • Town festival and event bylaws and development of a major Drumheller marketing strategy into annual attracting local /regional residents policies in place event marketing plan to Drumheller for shopping, dining, • Sufficient accommodation, food • Coordinate schedule of area entertainment venues and other visitor services are festivals and events to optimize • Local civic groups are benefiting available to support expected attendance financially visitation • Prepare and implement sponsorship and fund raising campaign program • Develop a integrated program of festivals and events
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Recommendation 22: Build, launch and sustain a relevant tourism brand
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Community consensus on a tourism • Budget to fund brand development • Contract a destination branding • Town provides leadership and brand / positioning for the meetings and research consultant to facilitate the branding contracts branding consultant to Drumheller Valley • Leadership to manage effort, foster initiative facilitate the branding exercise • Brand equity built among target civic involvement in meetings • Conduct public meetings / focus • Economic Development Advisory IMPLEMENTATION PLAN markets • Understanding that brand must groups to distil brand images Committee hosts public meeting • Brand recognition among target support local beliefs while fostering • Conduct consumer research to • Consultant facilitates public markets belief, attraction and desire to generate ‘brand essence” meetings and undertakes a strategic 6.0 6.0 • Increased interest / intent to visit experience Drumheller amongst the • Define brand architecture brand analysis amongst target markets target markets • Develop and test advertising • Residents aware and respectful of • Belief, understanding and staff approach benefits derived from tourism training to reinforce that successful • Provide community training on • Consistency in service delivery- brands are those that deliver “branding” and service quality consistent reliable quality of service brand image • Develop a brand story document to / product / experience inform stakeholders of the branding process and the refinement of the messaging • Develop a brand toolkit with guidelines to using the Drumheller logo
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POLICY Strategic Priority #8: Ensure municipal policies support a strong, self-reliant, profitable, innovate tourism industry.
Recommendation 23: Amend the Municipal Development Plan to foster high quality tourism development.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• A planning policy framework • Town Council reaffirms its support Strengthen Section 14.0 of the MDP • Town takes leadership for
articulating tourism promotion for tourism by referencing the Town’s intent to: amendments in consultation with IMPLEMENTATION PLAN objectives, strategies for the • Apply incentives and controls to the community development of tourism facilities ensure viewscapes and landforms
and the Town’s commitment to are preserved, approaches to the 6.0 industry growth town are improved and • Protection and enhancement of the architectural controls are enforced town’s intrinsic qualities and • Foster development to the Red characteristics Deer River with walking and • A more diverse and vibrant set of biking paths connecting tourism businesses communities and attractions and encouraging businesses on the river to develop a river aspect as well as a street-focused aspect • Provide appropriately themed viewpoints and rest areas in strategic locations • Implement a signage policy confirming that standardized themed signs WILL be required throughout the community
Continued on next page…
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Recommendation 23 continued:
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Attract conferences and meetings, cultural, sporting and entertainment events with specific reference to the new Badlands Community
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Facility • Amend Bylaw 09-98 to exempt smaller scale arts or music festivals 6.0 6.0 (e.g., jazz or blues at a number of smaller establishments from its requirements) • Develop a transportation and parking management plan to address the logistical needs of hosting such events • Support a Destination Marketing Organization. • To create Business Revitalization Zones • Ensure that all detailed plans and bylaws conform with the intent of this revised MDP
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Recommendation 24: Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support a vibrant Town Centre District.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• A planning policy framework that • Amendment of the Municipal Plan • Articulate development incentive • Town takes lead in association enables a diverse range of uses to permit the designation of tourism policies with community leaders, BRZ and without further amendment districts • Identify specific tourism Economic Development Advisory • A downtown that instils community • Completion of the signage and development as permitted uses Committee pride, invites visitors and celebrates wayfinding master plan • Define mix of permitted uses IMPLEMENTATION PLAN the town’s uniqueness • Completion of the downtown • Specify architectural guidelines for parking review study new and re-development 6.0 • Completion of the pedestrian and • Define minimum property cycling trail system master plan maintenance standards • Describe standards for private signage • Specify festival and events guidelines • Set out policies regarding public massing points • Specify streetscape and public space guidelines • Incorporate recommendations from parking review study • Incorporate recommendations from the pedestrian and cycling master plan • Identify guidelines for public art
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Recommendation 25: Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support region nodes and the corridors that connect them.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• A planning policy framework that • Amendment of the Municipal Plan • Identify specific tourism • Town takes lead in association with enables a diverse range of uses to permit the designation of tourism development as permitted uses community leaders and Economic without further amendment districts • Identify restrictions on industrial, Development Advisory Committee • Protection and enhancement of the • Completion of the signage and commercial and residential land use IMPLEMENTATION PLAN corridor’s intrinsic qualities and wayfinding master plan • Specify architectural guidelines for characteristics • Completion of the downtown new and re-development • Change the travelling environment parking review study • Define minimum property 6.0 6.0 from rural highway to tourist • Completion of the pedestrian and maintenance standards destination cycling trail system master plan • Describe standards for private signage • Restrict usage of retail billboards • Specify festival and events guidelines • Specify guidelines for the creation of pullouts and public access to the Red Deer River
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Recommendation 26: Establish a Business Revitalization Zone policy framework.
What are the Desired Results? What are the Prerequisites? What Actions Need to be Who is Going to Do It? Taken?
• Roles, procedures and processes to • Council commitment to implement • Circulate the award-winning BRZ • Town takes leadership in be followed in establishing, Business Revitalization Zones Handbook prepared by the City of association with the business disestablishing, operating and • Business community supports the Edmonton, and adapt it to the needs community in determining roles, amending the bylaws of a Business concept of BRZs of Drumheller procedures and processes Revitalization Zone • Develop a two stage process for IMPLEMENTATION PLAN establishing a BRZ—Stage 1 Initial Interest / Development; Stage 2 Formal Application to Establish a 6.0 BRZ • Develop a process for the disestablishment of a BRZ • Develop a process to amend establishment and boundary bylaws • Articulate procedures for ongoing management of a BRZ • Define the BRZ business plan and budgeting process • Articulate the process for establishing a business levy • Define the procedures to access BRZ information
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 6.0 6.0
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7.0 PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TIMELINES
In developing the Tourism Master Plan recommendations it has become evident that there are core critical path elements (i.e., elements that must be in place before others can proceed or be fully realized), the timeline for which will shape the recommended development sequence. For example, development of signage and wayfinding systems, constructing welcoming and informative access routes and the preparation of a tourism marketing plan requires the establishment of a community tourism brand. Creating a distinctive Town Centre District, designating Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor and redevelopment of the Passion Play and Ski Hill site and the Highway 10 corridor requires amendments to existing statutory plans and policies while building research capacity and implementing a festivals and events strategy requires a destination management organization (DMO).
The proposed recommendations are best considered as a series of necessary but individually insufficient conditions for supporting the destination development cycle. What is true for the “system” as a whole is true for its parts as well. Individual recommendations are dependant or inter-dependent upon other recommendations and the interaction of multiple stakeholders for their realization.
In this section of the Master Plan the 26 recommendations are sequenced to provide a logical flow for implementation over the next five year period. The optimal implementation sequence is summarized in Figure 7.1. The illustrated sequence is considered as ideal. It presumes funding and capacity are available to support each recommendation at its respective time horizon, and that core critical path and other supporting elements are in place in accordance with the identified staging.
Successful implementation of the Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan will require considerable collaboration among stakeholders and commitment to a path forward. It is critical that the community as a whole recognize the importance of tourism to the town as an employer, revenue generator and a contributor to
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the quality of life and is unconditionally committed to the continued development of the town as a primary tourist destination. The number one priority for moving the Master Plan forward has therefore been identified as the development of a communication and education strategy to increase the profile of the tourism sector.
Mountain View Helicopter Tours Kaleidoscope Community Theatre
Source: traveldrumheller.com
PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TIMELINES PLAN IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIZED
7.0
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Figure 7.1: Prioritized Implementation and Timelines
Row Rec. Type Recommendation
# # 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1. 3 MC Advocate and demonstrate the importance of tourism 2. 13 DD Position, brand and market the town in the conference and meetings market 3. 2 MC Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholders’ role in destination development by commencing Business Revitalization Zone development 4. 26 P Establish a Business Revitalization Zone policy framework 5. 23 P Amend the Municipal Development Plan to foster high quality tourism business development 6. 11 DD Facilitate the expansion of key tourist attractions and complementary experiences through collaborative partnerships 7. 24 P Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support a vibrant Town Centre District 8 10 DD Undertake a review of parking in the Town Centre District 9. 17 DD Create a distinctive Town Centre District with a common streetscape fabric that showcases and links the downtown’s major features 10. 12 DD Develop and implement actions to support the retention and growth of local tourism businesses and attract new businesses PLAN AND TIMELINES IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIZED 11. 18 DD Create incentives, mechanisms and guidance for private investment in the Town Centre District’s built form
12. 19 DD Create reasons to visit, return to and linger in the Town Centre District 7.0 13. 1 MC Create an independent, industry-led, not-for-profit organization to enhance and grow the region’s tourism products and marketing activities 14. 22 M Build, launch and sustain a relevant community tourism brand 15. 20 M Prepare an annual tourism marketing plan to guide marketing decisions 16. 5 DD Implement a signage and wayfinding plan to create a sense of place 17. 6 DD Provide welcoming and informative access into the Town of Drumheller 18. 14 DD Designate Highway 838 as a special tourism corridor 19. 8 DD Encourage active tourism by improving existing trail facilities
MC = Management Capacity DD = Destination Development M = Marketing P = Policy
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Row Rec. Type Recommendation
# # 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 20. 21 M Prepare a festival and event strategy 21. 4 MC Develop local research capacity through education and provision of tools to collect reliable information. 22. 25 P Amend relevant plans and bylaws to create and support region nodes and the corridors that connect them 23. 16 DD Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Highway 10 corridor from Rosedale to the Atlas Coal Mine Historical Site 24. 15 DD Undertake an area redevelopment plan for the Passion Play and Drumheller Valley Ski Hill site 25. 7 DD Expand and enhance the pedestrian and cycling trail system experience 26. 9 DD Undertake a transit feasibility study
MC = Management Capacity DD = Destination Development M = Marketing P = Policy
PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TIMELINES PLAN IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIZED 7.0
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8.0 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Overarching • Visitation has increased by 25 per cent by 2015 • Expenditures have increased by 45 per cent by 2015 • Overnight stays have increased by 75 per cent by 2015 • Return visits have increased by 30 per cent by 2015
Strategic Priority #1: Strengthen the leadership role of the tourism industry. • A destination management and marketing organization with a committed and stable funding model is fully operational by 2012 • The Town Centre District Business Revitalization Zone is in place 2012 • Content and communication of a education strategy to increase awareness of the value of tourism has been developed and implemented by 2011
Strategic Priority #2: Use research to build insight, track performance, guide decisions, and inform prospective investors. • Consumer, business and marketing research programs have been developed and implemented and the DMO is performing the clearinghouse function by 2013
Strategic Priority #3: Continually invest in upgrades to the quality of basic tourism infrastructure. • Signage and wayfinding systems have been implemented on all major access routes by 2012 • Signage and wayfinding systems in the Town Centre District have been implemented by 2013 • Gateway entrance features have been installed at the four identified locations by 2013 • Recommended trail system improvements and programming enhancements have completed by time 2014
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• The transit feasibility study has been completed and recommendations implemented by time 2015 • The Town Centre District parking review has been completed and priority projects are underway by time 2012
Strategic Priority #4: Grow the businesses and experiences that create a reason to visit the Dinosaur Valley. • Collaborative partnerships have resulted in four new products / experiences by 2013 • Five new tourism-related businesses have been established by 2013
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PERFORMANCE • The Badlands Community Facility conference and meeting facilities are at operational capacity by 2014
Strategic Priority #5: Develop regional tourism nodes and the corridors that connect 8.0 8.0 them. • Highway 838 has been designated as a special tourism corridor and aesthetic improvements have been made by 2013 • An Area Redevelopment Plan for the Passion Play and Ski Hill site has been completed and recommended changes / improvements are underway by 2015 • An Area Redevelopment Plan for the Highway 10 corridor has been completed and recommended changes / improvements are underway by 2015
Strategic Priority #6: Reinvigorate the downtown core as a distinctive destination and hub by creating a Town Centre District that celebrates Drumheller’s context, history and culture. • Town Centre District planning objectives and instruments are in place and improvements underway by 2012 • Incentives and mechanisms to attract new businesses to the TCD have been implemented by 2012 • Central staging areas and venues for programmed activities have been developed by time 2013
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Strategic Priority #7: Competitively and collaboratively market the Town of Drumheller and the Dinosaur Valley experience to grow visitation and tourism expenditures. • Formalized annual marketing plans are guiding marketing decisions by 2012 • One Canadian Badlands themed event has been developed and has gained national attention by time 2015 • A community tourism brand has been built and launched by 2011
Strategic Priority #8: Ensure municipal policies support a strong, self-reliant, profitable, innovate tourism industry. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PERFORMANCE • Town statutory plans and policies have been reviewed and amendments made to support the implementation of the Tourism Master Plan by 2014
8.0
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9.0 THE LAST WORD The Town of Drumheller has a number of natural and cultural features that sets it apart from other tourist destinations in the Canadian Badlands. The most apparent attribute and the reason why most people visit the town is the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. But there is more... a lot more. The Town of Drumheller and the Dinosaur Valley have a rich industrial heritage in coal mining, a heritage that is reflected in the remains of some 140 mines, preserved and presented by local museums and attractions and illustrated by the architecture of buildings in the downtown core and smaller communities. The area also has a rich natural heritage with its badlands topography and the Red Deer River and valley which provide a unique and beautiful physical setting.
The Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy identified the town as the key catalyst to the region’s tourism growth and “the central anchor of the Canadian Badlands region.” At the same time the strategy notes that while the Town of Drumheller and the surrounding region have many assets of interest to tourists, there remains strong potential to improve and refine those assets to better serve existing visitors, attract and serve new visitors, and provide a better community experience for local residents. The Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan substantiates this view and identifies eight strategic priorities with 26 recommendations that will enhance the role of the town as a major tourist destination and optimize the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.
The Tourism Development Strategy for the Town of Drumheller is intended to define a destination development cycle that is staged to improve the area’s asset base in concert with a marketing plan that incrementally grows visitation. Its emphasis is on destination development.
The Tourism Development Plan has been developed to set out goals and strategic priorities. It provides strategic direction in tourism that addresses the broad issues of: consolidation of the tourism development and marketing functions, interactions with tourism stakeholders, investment in tourism
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infrastructure, matching products with markets, and the use of policy to further develop Drumheller as a recognized tourism destination.
Successful implementation of the Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan will require considerable collaboration among stakeholders and commitment to a path forward. Given that no one organization THE LASTWORD currently exists that is responsible for tourism management and marketing, it is suggested that a “Drumheller Tourism Summit” conference / workshop may provide an effective vehicle for
9.0 9.0 stakeholders to discuss options and to establish commitment to a selected implementation model.
It is critical that the community as a whole recognize the economic importance of tourism to the town and to its quality of life. The number one priority for moving the Master Plan forward has therefore been identified as the development of a communication and education strategy to increase the profile of the tourism sector.
Examples of Drumheller’s Natural and Culture Heritage
Source: MGP Ltd., 2010; ATPR.
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ENDNOTES
1 Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (2008). Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy Part II: Strategy. Prepared by Western Management Consultants and Reach Market Planning LLC.
2 MGP Ltd. et al (2010a). Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan Interim Report #1: Strategic Overview. p. 12.
3 Ibid.. MGP Ltd. (2010a), p. 14
4 Statistics Canada (2009). Canadian Survey of Residents and Canada, International Travel Survey.
5 Econometric Research Ltd. (2007). Economic Impact of Provincial Heritage Facilities in Alberta. Prepared for Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. p. 31.
6 Travel Alberta (2010). Travel Alberta Business Strategy 2101-2013. p. 9
7 Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (2008). Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy Part I: Strategic Assessment. Prepared by Western Management Consultants and Reach Market Planning LLC. p. 39.
8 See www.squidoo.com 10 Places in Canada to See Before You Die
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
More than 60 previously completed studies, plans, inventories, policies and other relevant materials were reviewed while preparing the Town of Drumheller Tourism Master Plan. These materials were used during the initial phases of the project to inform the development of the Strategic Overview (Interim Report 1), Tourism Organizational Structure Assessment (Interim Report 2) and the Badlands Community Facility Conference Facility Impact Assessment (Interim Report 4) and the creation of the Master Plan itself. A list of these materials is provided below.
Alberta Culture and Community Spirit (2008). Heritages Facilities Visitor Survey: Site Report Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Alberta Culture and Community Spirit (2007). The Economic Impact of The Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Alberta Culture and Community Spirit (2010). Royal Tyrrell Museum Group Visitor Stats April 2007- March 2010.
Alberta Culture and Community Spirit (2009). Royal Tyrrell Museum World Attendance Reports, 2008- 2009.
Alberta Economic Development (2002). Strategic Tourism Planning For Alberta Communities.
Alberta Economic Development (2006). Executive Summary – Fixed Roof Accommodation Study – Canadian Badlands, Alberta. Prepared by PKF Consulting, and Western Management Consultants
Alberta Tourism (2009). Investing in Alberta’s Tourism Industry – Canadian Badlands: An Overview.
Alberta Tourism (2008). Tourism Investment Opportunities – Canadian Badlands.
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Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation and Culture (2007). The American Market for Cultural Tourism in Alberta – A Special Analysis of the 2006 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS). Prepared by Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2007). A study of western Canadian market potential to visit the Canadian Badlands: Exploratory qualitative research. Prepared by: Infact Research and Consulting Inc.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). A study of western Canadian market potential to visit the Canadian Badlands: Quantitative research. Prepared by: Infact Research and Consulting Inc.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). The Canadian Market for Aboriginal Culture Tourism Experiences in Alberta – A Special Analysis of the 2006 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS).Prepared by: Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). The Canadian Market for Archaeological & Palaeontological Experiences in Alberta – A Special Analysis of the 2006 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS). Prepared by Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). The Canadian Market for Cultural Tourism in Alberta – A Special Analysis of the 2006 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS). Prepared by: Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). The Canadian Market for Fairs & Festivals in Alberta – A Special Analysis of the 2006 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS). Prepared by Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). The Canadian Market for Hikers, Climbers & Paddlers in Alberta – A Special Analysis of the 2006 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS). Prepared by Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.
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Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2008). Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation: Canadian Badlands Visitor Stats 2001-2008 sourcing Statistics Canada.
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (Various).Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation:
Alberta Travel Summary 2006, 2007, 2008. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (Various).Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation: Alberta South Travel Summary 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008.
Becker, C.J. (2010). Self-determination, accountability mechanisms and quasi-governmental status of business improvement districts in the United States. Public Performance & Management Review.
Business Improvement District Council (2010). Benefits of a BID. Accessed October 6, 2010 at http://www.bidcouncil.org./benefits-of-a-bid.
Canadian Badlands Ltd. (2009). Canadian Badlands Signage Strategy. Prepared by Karo Design Group.
Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (2008). Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy Part II: Strategy. Prepared by Western Management Consultants, and Reach Market Planning LLC
Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (2008). Canadian Badlands Tourism Development Strategy Part I: Strategic Assessment. Prepared by Western Management Consultants, and Reach Market Planning LLC
Canadian Badlands Ltd. (2009). Canadian Badlands Marketing Plan 2009-10.
Canadian Badlands Steering Committee Partnership (2004). The Canadian Badlands Eco-Tourism Destination Assessment. Prepared by Malone Given Parsons Ltd., and Verberg and Associates Inc.
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Canadian Tourism Commission: Travel Year in Review 2007, 2008, 2009
Canadian Tourism Commission: 2009 Marketing Plan
Economic Development Task Force (2010). Council Decision Item: Economic Development BIBLIOGRAPHY Objectives: A Blueprint for the Future.
Econometric Research Ltd. (2007). Economic Impact of Provincial Heritage Facilities in Alberta. Prepared for Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.
Ford, R.C. and Pepper, W.C. (2008). Managing Destination Marketing Organizations. ForPer Publications, Orlando Florida.
Graham Edmunds Architecture (April 2001). Drumheller Convention Centre Feasibility Study. Prepared for the Town of Drumheller.
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