The recently concluded 11th annual Carrefour GoMedia Canada Marketplace organised by Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) generated exceptional media exposure for Canada’s tourism industry. The event was well attended by over 300 delegates which included members of the Canadian tourism industry, Canadian media and international travel journalists from across their 12 markets. The event enabled the local tourism industry groups, especially the host organisations – Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg, to be under a spotlight with expectations of garnering positive media exposure and drawing more visitors.
“In addition to showcasing Winnipeg to travel media and their extended audience, over the duration of the GoMedia Marketplace, we further expect that local businesses will benefit with an estimated $307,000 in direct spending on hotels, restaurants, shopping, attractions and more,” said Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Senior Vice-President, Tourism Winnipeg.
“There couldn’t be a better time to showcase Manitoba to the world. Our province is filled with awe-inspiring attractions that are sure to appeal to visitors from around the world. This platform provided us with an amazing opportunity to promote all we have to offer and continue to foster tourism growth in our province,” opined Colin Ferguson, President and CEO, Travel Manitoba.
The five-day event was designed to generate media exposure through media tours and three days of speed-dating-style meetings between journalists and Canadian tour operators and media-relations specialists for various Canadian tourist attractions. Jon Mamela, Chief Marketing Officer, CTC shared that this is a great platform for Canadian stake holders to come together and have a one on one interaction with the media from across it’s 12 markets. “This will not only provide them with exposure but also help them understand how each market is different,” he added.
Speaking about the India market Mamela opined that India is an attractive key market for Canada, thanks to sharing a common language (English), positive trade relationship and improving visa services, as well as India’s economic prosperity, rising income levels and affluent middle class. “We hold this market at the very top and will continue to work harder on the market as we believe it has great potential,” he said.
In Jan -May 2014 Canada received 56,842 Indians, which is a 12.9 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Delegates speak
Québec City Tourism
Nancy Dacres, Representative, Québec City Tourism
“We are pleased to see that the Government of Québec is recognising the tourism industry’s major contribution to the provincial economy. We have always believed in the importance of strengthening the competitiveness of our destination and our offering to international tourists. As such, it is imperative that we establish an overall strategy that will enable us to act quickly. Our main USP is that we are the only French speaking province in Canada. We are famous for our honeymoon and culinary based itineraries. Apart from this we are also going to promote our cruises in India.”
Tourism Toronto
Michele L Simpson, Tourism Toronto
“Niagara Falls still is the most popular destination in the country closely followed by the city of Toronto. But even within these regions, there are new itineraries and combinations which are being experimented with to keep offer something new to the platter. For instance, the network link between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec is a package that these destinations are keen on promoting. Toronto is also looking forward to a good influx of Indian travellers this year.”
Destination British Columbia
Josie Heisig, Destination British Columbia (BC)
“We are at a very infant stage with regards to the Indian market. We have just begun scratching the surface of the Indian market to promote our summer market. A brand new convention centre is expected to open early next year which will encourage a lot of MICE traffic. We are also promoting cruise tourism in Vancouver with the launch of the new princess ship and the NCI ship. In addition, we are promoting Whistler as a popular ski resort but apart from skiing tourists can indulge in soft adventure activities such as peak to peak gondola, sea planes and many more. This year 30 per cent of their total marketing budget has been allocated to the Indian market. India may not provide big numbers but the revenue the stay generates makes it worthwhile for us to focus on the market.”
CAN+ Visa programme a huge hit!
Canada recently launched the CAN+ Visa programme for Indian passport holders, which enabled those who have travelled to either Canada or USA in the last ten years to get a Canada Visa within five days of submitting the application. Launched in India, China and Mexico on a pilot basis a few months ago, CAN+ Visa has now become a permanent feature in all three countries.
“In 2013, more than 130,000 visitor visas were issued to Indians, and nearly 14,000 Indian students were issued study permits. We are committed to surpass the growth by making visa processing more efficient. CAN+ is the latest among the various programmes that make travel easier and to facilitate economic growth. In Jan -May 2014 Canada received 56,842 Indians which is a 12.9 per cent increase compared to the previous year,” shared, Jon Mamela, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Tourism Commission.
Lack of direct air capacity continues to be the biggest concern. Mamela expressed hope that the direct air connectivity between India and Canada would improve in the days to come.
