TIANS Presentation 2014 NOV24
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Patrick Sullivan Chief Executive Officer, Nova Scotia Tourism Agency Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you for coming. The video you just saw highlights our incredible, abundant food culture in Nova Scotia, and the amazing service and experiences we have to offer around the province. We know culinary is important to our visitors. And I’ll share more on how we will build on culinary this year a little later in the presentation. I want to thank Ben for his remarks. The One Nova Scotia report has made it clear that we have to change the way we work to see different results – and that’s where our tourism strategy is focused. The strategy was published about a year and a half ago now. I’m excited to align the work we’ve already been doing with the board and the industry to achieve the Commission’s recommendation to increase revenues to $4 billion in 10 years. I’d like to thank all our board members for their work this year. It’s great to have some new AND familiar faces with us – Donna Sears, from Acadia and the Atlantic Wine Institute, Bruce Bishop of Bruce Bishop Communications, and Danny Bartlett with Northumberland Ferries and Bay Ferries. I’ll just mention now that we’ll have a Q&A at the end of the presentation. Scott MacAulay will moderate. Please note your questions during my remarks and hold them until the end, when our staff will gather them from you. We’ll also have a couple of microphones circulating. You’ll remember that at last year’s TIANS conference we focused on Getting Back to Business…we know you’ve all been working towards that goal this year, and that’s certainly where we have been channeling our efforts at the NSTA. Last November, we moved to Windsor. Unfortunately, we lost a significant number of people during the change, but we are now back up to full capacity, enjoying life in the Valley, where it’s 10C warmer, and moving forward. I want to thank the entire staff for their patience and dedication. I truly value their contribution and perseverance, which has been so much in evidence over the last couple of years. We’ve been making some good progress since the last TIANS conference, and we provided an update to industry at the TIANS AGM in May, with the publication of our first NSTA Annual Report – available on the NSTA website. Consistent Clarify roles Collaborate Spend strategically We are making decisions and staying the course for consistent results and maximum impact… We are clarifying roles and responsibilities with industry, to remove any duplication and focus our efforts… We are reaching out to our partners and operators to work together – something the One Nova Scotia report also highlighted…. and finally, we are spending strategically to generate the growth and profitability we are all seeking. Quality We are supporting high-quality products and experiences for the best results, because we know that is what is going to make the difference. As an example, six weeks ago I visited Peru for my vacation, one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the world. What struck me was the breadth of opportunities for visitors to spend money. It was great to see people embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and finding very simple ways to sell visitors things to do that create great vacation memories. We have great trails here in Nova Scotia. We need our entrepreneurs to take the initiative and sell our visitors great experiences to enjoy, stories they will share with friends and family. There’s no doubt that we need more visitor spending opportunities in Nova Scotia. We need investment in this province to expand OUR offering, and we need to focus on the best. Industry investment in high quality is crucial for significant growth. Cabot Links, Silver Birch Hotels & Resorts, the ALT hotel, Jost Vineyards – with their beautiful new facility – and others are great recent examples. Industry’s focus on – and investment in – quality is making a difference. In 2015, we know there will be more improvements to come. The opening of Cabot Cliffs…the brand new Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Shelburne… and enhancements to Atlantica Oak Island Resort. In fact, my favourite show The Curse of Oak Island is running on the History Channel in Canada and the US right now – and the Resort will be ready for those visitors when they arrive next year. Pier 21 is also currently undergoing a $25 million expansion to transform it into the Canadian Museum of Immigration - one of only two national museums located outside of Ottawa. Most importantly, the Museum will be promoting these changes to potential visitors in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, through a major paid media campaign. Investing in the future Across the province, we’re seeing positive results from tourism businesses that invest in high-quality, diversified product offerings…from accommodations, attractions and guided tours, to culinary and wine experiences. We are working with these operators to optimize their online presence, and share their stories with potential visitors in our key markets. Industry has made some significant investments, and so has our provincial government. Government invested in the ferry to bring more high-yield visitors from the Northeastern US, and we invested in marketing to that region – we’re seeing the results in tourism. Among those non-Nova Scotia passengers surveyed on the ferry this summer, results suggest almost half were first-time visitors to our province. The NSTA is also spending strategically – to bring more first-time visitors to Nova Scotia and encourage them to stay longer and spend more. Opportunities for growth This year, our initiatives included a major press trip called Joy Ride – a unique opportunity for journalists from our key markets to enjoy and promote the best of Nova Scotia. We associated the Nova Scotia brand with other world-class quality brands, such as the Boston Globe and Boston Red Sox. We are working to raise the standard of quality in Nova Scotia – to ensure visitors have the best possible experience while they are here. And we are supporting operators across the province to deliver and promote the best of Nova Scotia in markets that offer the best opportunity for growth. Last year at TIANS, Minister Samson committed to supporting our campaign efforts in the Northeastern US, and we’d like you to see the results….. Moving forward While we are seeing progress, we continue to learn and re-evaluate our approach. We will take the lead in… identifying consumer opportunities for growth AND sharing the very best products, experiences and stories in our key markets Eat & Drink We’ve also been working on a new internal initiative to focus on ways to raise the bar – and improve quality. Along with the work we are already doing, each year we will set an annual focus to elevate the work being done across the province. In 2015, our focus will be on culinary and wine. Culinary is identified in the tourism strategy as an opportunity for growth – to differentiate Nova Scotia from other travel destinations in Canada and beyond. In our recent NSTA online panel survey, seven in ten past visitors reported that our food culture was an important contributor to their decision to visit Nova Scotia. Close to one-half reported their food and drink experiences were one of the best aspects of their Nova Scotia visit. We’re still targeting the outdoor enthusiast. But culinary is a great complement to this target market. We know this audience appreciates a nice dinner or glass of wine after a hike or a whale-watching adventure. There is an opportunity to elevate the importance of Nova Scotia food and wine as a reason to visit. We also know we already have a strong foundation in culinary and wine – one that offers a competitive advantage….and we have strong partners who can support further growth…Taste of Nova Scotia, the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, and Select Nova Scotia, just to name a few. Our staff have already been presenting to industry across the province to discuss how you can participate in our efforts to grow the best of our food and drink opportunities. We know that if every visitor spent just $5 more a year on culinary, it would result in an extra $10 million in revenues. That’s a great goal to aim for. I think this is a good place to mention that the NSTA recently partnered with the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia to update our Guide to Starting and Running a Restaurant in Nova Scotia. This is such a great resource, full of tips, advice and new ideas to help you improve your restaurant. You can find it on the NSTA website. Global trends Moving forward, there’s so much potential for growth. Some of the trends we are seeing around the world are helping to identify where we should focus our efforts. The latest results from the World Tourism Organization show that tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world – with 5 per cent growth in 2013. Global travel Arrivals (millions) Arrivals will increase from 528 million in 1996 to a projected 1.8 billion by 2030. Canada and Nova Scotia must compete for our share of this growing market. The expected increase in arrivals is about 3 per cent per year through 2030, but we know emerging destinations are growing at twice the pace of advanced economies. Inbound tourism by destination International tourism arrivals (millions) Because of the growth in emerging economies, a shift is expected in the origin of these travelers, and where they choose to travel.