Tourism Destination Master Plan
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Town of Innisfil TOURISM DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PLAN MARCH, 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 4 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 9 THE VALUE OF TOURISM ...................................................................................................... 10 VISITOR-CENTRIC DESTINATION MANAGEMENT .............................................................. 20 TOURISM DESTINATION MANAGEMENT DEFINED ............................................................. 24 THE TOWN OF INNISFIL TDMP PLANNING PROCESS ........................................................ 29 INNISFIL’S TOURISM ASSETS .............................................................................................. 30 FRIDAY HARBOUR ................................................................................................................. 48 INNISFIL / LAKE SIMCOE WATERFRONT PROPERTY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY ...... 54 SPORT TOURISM ................................................................................................................... 56 INNISFIL’S IDEAL GUESTS .................................................................................................... 61 SUSTAINABILITY – GROWING TOURISM INTO THE FUTURE ............................................ 65 INNISFIL TDMP – FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................... 67 APPENDIX A: TDMP PLANNING PROCESS......................................................................... 75 APPENDIX B: RECOMMENDATIONS / ACTIONS SUMMARY ............................................. 77 APPENDIX D: EVENT LIST ..................................................................................................... 83 Town of Innisfil Tourism Destination Management Plan - 2016 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Town of Innisfil, in partnership with Regional Tourism Organization 7 and on behalf of its tourism stakeholders invested in the creation of this Tourism Destination Management Plan (TDMP). Through an RFP process, Brain Trust Marketing and Communications (BT) in collaboration with GM Event Inc. was awarded the contract to develop a TDMP for Innisfil in December of 2015. BT’s role was to lead this project working with municipal staff, the Tourism Working Group (TWG) and broader tourism stakeholder interests. We appreciate the dedication and contributions made by the Tourism Working Group: Jennifer Dwyer, Harbour House Grill Peter and Sandi Dickey, Dickey Bee Honey Wes Shedler, Kempenfelt Conference Centre Bruce Barbour, Georgian Downs Suzanne Taylor and Jay Simmons, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Jeff Stovold, Lefroy Harbour Resorts Kathy Simpson, South Simcoe Theatre Special thanks to James DiRenzo, CEO, Friday Harbour All Seasons Resort We also benefited from the dedication demonstrated by municipal staff including: Marc Seguin, Manager of Economic & Community Development Brennan Kenny, Economic and Community Development Officer Thank you for the leadership and support of Regional Tourism Organization 7: Bill Sullivan, Executive Director Alex Hogan, Project & Administration Manager We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all those whose knowledge and expertise contributed to the iterative and developmental process which led to the findings and recommendations contained in this report. Richard Innes Carolyn O’Donnell BRAIN TRUST Marketing & Communications Grant MacDonald GM Event Inc. Town of Innisfil Tourism Destination Management Plan - 2016 2 ACRONYMS USED IN THIS REPORT B2B Business to Business BT Brain Trust Marketing & Communications BIA Business Improvement Area B&B Bed and Breakfast CSTA Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance DMO Destination Marketing Organization FH Friday Harbour All Seasons Resort MNR Ministry of Natural Resources MTCS Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport OTMPC Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation RFP Request for Proposal ROE Return on Emotion ROI Return on Investment RTO Regional Tourism Organization RV Recreational Vehicle SC Simcoe County TODS Tourism Orientation Destination Signage TSC Tourism Simcoe County SCEDO Simcoe County Economic Development Office SMERF Social, Medical, Educational Religious, Fraternal meetings and conferences sectors SMWPB Simcoe Muskoka Workforce Planning Board TOI Town of Innisfil TWG Tourism Working Group TDMP Tourism Destination Management Plan VFR Visiting Friends and Relatives Town of Innisfil Tourism Destination Management Plan - 2016 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Town of Innisfil continues to demonstrate its desire to enhance the economic well-being of its community and residents by investing in forward-thinking business and community development planning. Innisfil’s Council has recognized the importance of tourism promotion and investment and as such it is one of the strategic objectives in the council adopted Community-Based Strategic Plan (Inspiring Innisfil 2020). To that end, the municipality partnered with Regional Tourism Organization 7 (RTO7) to create its own tourism destination management plan. In November 2015, Brain Trust Marketing & Communications, a tourism consulting firm from Mississauga Ontario were retained to develop a Three-year Tourism Destination Management Plan (TDMP) for the Municipality. The TDMP planning process started in December 2015. It was led by the Town of Innisfil staff under the guidance of a Tourism Working Group (TWG), identified leaders in Innisfil’s tourism industry. This group played a key role in validating the findings, observations and ultimate recommendations contained in the plan. A three-step process was followed as illustrated below. Tourism destination management is a continuous process of investment and coordination between government, the private and not-for-profit sectors. The process ensures the strategic development of facilities, amenities, activities, services and experiences available to attract visitors while simultaneously providing business growth opportunities within the broader destination and its local communities. Innisfil’s TDMP will benefit those who currently or could potentially live, work and play in Innisfil by implementing tourism strategies and actions that enhance the community lifestyle attributes. This is in keeping with the premise of Innisfil’s “Our Place” strategy; the update to the official town plan. The Town of Innisfil is located within provincially mandated RTO7 (BruceGreySimcoe), which is one of 13 provincial travel regions. Tourism Simcoe County (TSC) has led tourism-related activities within the County for seven years and is considered the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Innisfil. Funded by the County, TSC works with the 16 municipal partners and the tourism stakeholders within the County to develop and promote the attractiveness of the area to grow tourism visitation and revenue. An assessment of Innisfil’s tourism businesses was a necessary first step to help define what Innisfil must offer. Using an Asset Assessment Template, businesses related to tourism were identified and listed under a variety of asset sectors. The compilation of these assets provided clarity around where the greatest opportunities are and where there is untapped potential for tourism development and promotion within Innisfil. The assessment identified 141 tourism assets and that detail is included in the plan (pgs. 29 – 46). In addition, the assessment included “sports tourism” related assets. These included the facilities and venues that are considered necessary to secure business from the highly competitive sports tourism market segment. Town of Innisfil Tourism Destination Management Plan - 2016 4 Through the assessment process three unique themes were identified that differentiate Innisfil from other destinations: • Fast-Paced Entertainment (motorsports, harness racing, gaming, unique sports events) • Rural Retail & Arts (agri-tourism, antiques, hands-on experiences, unique/specialty shopping, artists, galleries, studio tours) • Friday Harbour All Seasons Resort When fully developed, these assets have the potential to attract increased levels of tourism visitation and revenues. In addition, they have appeal to a specific “ideal guest” due to the fact they: Have the greatest potential to engage specific visitors’ emotionally; Generate a higher return on investment (ROI operator) and experience (ROE visitor); Offer experiences that are unique only found in Innisfil, and; Are near to being tourism market-ready. Specific observations pertaining to Innisfil’s sports tourism opportunities suggest that there is sufficient inventory of event-ready sports venues. While the facilities exist, the sport specific and technical capabilities may not be readily available. It is also unclear as to community readiness; the capability to engage in the hosting of sports events and service visiting participants and spectators. And, given the limited accommodation in Innisfil, there would be a need to work proactively with accommodations partners in surrounding communities (Barrie, Simcoe County) to ensure that this critical requirement of attracting and hosting successful sporting events can be managed effectively. As an emerging tourism destination, Innisfil has significant opportunity. Therefore, the recommendations contained in the plan call for the Municipality and it tourism stakeholders to take