REDISCOVERING NORTHERN ONTARIO: Partnerships for a Strong Tourism Industry Northern OntarioTourism Marketing Strategy 2012-2017 Content EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................6 A. PROJECT OVERVIEW, OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY 1.0 Project Overview ...........................................................................................................14 2.0 Project Objectives ........................................................................................................14 3.0 Methodology ..................................................................................................................15 B. SITUATION ANALYSIS 1.0 Analysis of Impacts of the Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing Strategy ......18 (2008-12) 1.1 Recommendations ..............................................................................................18 1.2 Outcomes .............................................................................................................21 2.0 Key Changes in the Tourism Environment since the Previous Strategy ..........23 2.1 Impacts of Discovering Ontario Report .........................................................23 2.2 Available Financial Resources for ....................................................................25 Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing 2.3 Tourism in Canada and Ontario .......................................................................26 2.4 Who Visits Northern Ontario? ..........................................................................26 2.5 Who Visits the Sub-regions in Northern Ontario?.......................................29 2.6 What do Visitors Do in Northern Ontario? ....................................................30 2.7 Who Intends to Travel to Northern Ontario and Why? ...............................31 2.8 Marketing Tactics ...............................................................................................35 3.0 The Current Tourism Marketing Landscape ............................................................37 3.1 Organizations Involved in Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing ...............37 3.2 Resources and Skill Sets ..................................................................................38 3.3 Current Marketing Efforts – Canada and Ontario .......................................40 3.4 Current Marketing Efforts – Northern Ontario .............................................42 3.5 Current Tourism Product Landscape..............................................................50 4.0 Key Issues to Address in the Updated Strategy ....................................................51 4.1 Industry Roles and Structure ............................................................................51 4.2 Ability of Industry to Impact Visitation via Marketing ...................................52 4.3 Image of Northern Ontario and Lack of Familiarity and Interest ..............52 as a Destination 4.4 Lack of Awareness of Things to See and Do in Northern Ontario ..........53 4.5 Drop in Visitation and U.S. Market Volatility ..................................................53 PARTNERSHIPS FOR A STRONG TOURISM INDUSTRY Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing Strategy 2012-2017 2 4.6 Effectiveness of Marketing Efforts ...................................................................54 4.7 Marketing Gaps ...................................................................................................54 4.8 Branding Northern Ontario ...............................................................................58 4.9 Northern Ontario Web Portal Implementation Challenges........................58 4.10 Product Development, Training and Skills .....................................................59 C. MOVING FORWARD– GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ..................................................60 D. MARKETING STRATEGY 1.0 Best Bet Market Opportunities .................................................................................64 1.1 For Northern Ontario ..........................................................................................65 1.2 For RTO Sub-regions .........................................................................................66 2.0 Tactical Strategies ........................................................................................................67 2.1 Brand Application ...............................................................................................67 2.2 Emphasize and Leverage Media Relations Tactics .....................................69 2.3 Emphasize and Leverage Corporate Partnerships and .............................71 Paid Spokespeople 2.4 A Reconsideration of the Pan-Northern Online Presence .........................71 2.5 Social Media .........................................................................................................77 2.6 Traditional Marketing Tactics ............................................................................80 2.7 Sub-regional Tactical Priorities .........................................................................81 3.0 Measurement and Research ......................................................................................82 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities for Marketing Effort .....................................................84 4.1 Assumptions and Key Drivers ..........................................................................84 4.2 Summary of Contributions to Marketing Efforts by Organization ............85 5.0 Roles and Responsibilities for Marketing Planning and Implementation .........88 5.1 Key Considerations .............................................................................................88 5.2 Recommendations for Marketing Planning and Implementation ..............88 5.3 Summary of Contributions to Marketing Planning .......................................91 and Implementation by Organization PARTNERSHIPS FOR A STRONG TOURISM INDUSTRY Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing Strategy 2012-2017 3 6.0 Financial Resource Allocations ................................................................................. 93 E. APPENDICES Exhibit One: Documents Consulted .................................................................. 96 Exhibit Two Telephone Interviews Conducted .............................................100 Exhibit Three Operator Survey Results ............................................................102 Exhibit Four: Discovering Ontario Report DMMO References ..................111 Exhibit Five Global Tourism, Tourism in Canada and Ontario ....................113 Exhibit Six: Environmental Scan and Tourism Operating Environment ..120 Exhibit Seven: Additional Tourism Organizations Operating ..........................123 in Northern Ontario Exhibit Eight: Northern Tourism Organizations ..............................................125 – Membership Breakdown Exhibit Nine: Ontario’s True North ...................................................................126 – Website Portal Content Contributors Exhibit Ten: Northern Ontario Social Media Strategy .................................127 Exhibit Eleven: Analysis of RTO Sub-regional Management Scenarios.......131 Exhibit Twelve: Tourism Organizations and the Northern Ontario Budget ...134 Exhibit Thirteen: Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing Efforts, ........................135 Planning and Budgets PARTNERSHIPS FOR A STRONG TOURISM INDUSTRY Northern Ontario Tourism Marketing Strategy 2012-2017 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Northern Ontario Tourism MARKETING STRATEGY 2012- 2017 MARKETING STRATEGY 2012- 2017 Northern Ontario Tourism 5 Executive Summary Project Overview In In the spring of 2007, a new tourism strategy for Northern Ontario for 2008-2012 was developed, led by the Strategic Development and Marketing Partnership for Northern Ontario. At the beginning of 2011, RTO 13, in partnership with the Northern Office of OTMPC, and on behalf of the Northern Ontario tourism industry, looked to develop a “second generation” marketing strategy for 2012-2017 to grow and develop tourism in the region. This strategy will form the basis for successful working relationships among its three sub-regions and industry stakeholders, and forms only one part of a future destination development plan. It looks to build on the success of the existing strategy in order to “retool, refresh and reposition” the marketing strategy for the next five years – bringing to it the context of current and foreseeable tourism needs. This includes defining a roles and responsibilities framework for tourism marketing by industry stakeholders, specifically articulating the role of RTO13 in the marketing hierarchy; identifying, evaluating and prioritizing marketing opportunities; and developing an implementation approach that allows various marketing activities to align and cascade without duplication for the best use of marketing dollars. It is expected that stakeholders will use the strategy as a framework when planning and funding marketing strategies/efforts. Where have we come from? The 2008-12 strategy made important recommendations as to industry structure/ roles, target markets, products, branding and marketing tactics that produced significant outcomes. The plan emphasized the objective of coordination and alignment in tactics and markets. It developed a brand personality for Northern Ontario, establishing the great outdoors as the unique selling proposition (USP) and emphasized the importance of best bets