Welcome! Tourism Planning Meeting Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, BC April 15, 2009

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Introductions Welcome and Round Table Introductions Dustin Bodnaryk, Tourism Dawson Creek

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 April Moi – Northern BC Tourism Agent Tourism British Columbia

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism Planning Session Agenda April Moi, Northern BC Tourism, Agent for Tourism BC Tourism BC, Community Tourism Foundations and Community Tourism Opportunities Program Overview Simone Carlysle-Smith, Tourism BC Facilitator: Development of Community Tourism Overview Situation Analysis Summary Plan Status Exercise Sport and Event Tourism Dev. Exercise Funding Options - Discussion Tourism Advisory Committee Community Engagement, Communications, Value of Tourism Partnerships Tourism Vision for Pouce Coupe Next Steps

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism British Columbia Crown Corporation with an industry led Board Destination Management Model including Marketing / Development Funded through 3 points of the 8% Hotel Tax Work with communities through Tourism BC’s Community Development department and regional agents (i.e. NBT)

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Online Tourism BC Resources HelloBC.com North American Consumer TourismBC.com Corporate Site – Industry Reference TourismBC.net Operator Access to TBC Marketing Systems TBCRegionalGallery.com Samples of current outputs

HelloBC.com

TourismBC.com

TourismBC.net

TBCRegionalGallery.com

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Community Tourism Foundations Designed to address the issues raised in community consultations conducted by Tourism BC in Dec and March Half of all communities interviewed requested assistance in creating a tourism development plan with Tourism BC identified as the key facilitator in this process. Access to development and marketing funds was cited by over half of communities as an impediment to tourism development.

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Community Tourism Foundations High demand from communities - Dawson Creek / Pouce Coupe was selected from a large group of applicants based on the strength of their EOI. Tourism BC felt this community had potential and community support to successfully grow tourism and contribute to goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2015.

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Typical Development Activities Local community support and understanding of the value of tourism DMO structure/governance Funding sources Market research Comprehensive Tourism Action Plan, including Marketing Plan

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Program Success Completed Plans: DMOs created, committees formalized, funding established, partnerships formed, marketing initiatives implemented New Perspectives: communities working together based on what makes sense from a marketing perspective, not just a geographical perspective Community-Driven/Professionally-Led: communities obtaining assistance of facilitator while working with their local stakeholders More Industry Involvement: communities more involved in regional and provincial marketing programs

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Community Tourism Opportunities Community Tourism Opportunities is a Province-wide program funded by Tourism BC and administered by the six Regional Destination Marketing Organizations (RDMO). Should the Community Tourism Opportunities program be identified as the option for funding support, and the project falls within the scope of the program guidelines, the RDMO prepares the project proposals on the community’s behalf. Communities may submit CTO requests for up to $15,000 per year. (50/50 Matching)

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism BC Facilitator Simone Carlysle-Smith

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe Program Process Expression of Interest submitted to Tourism BC (Tourism Dawson Creek and Village of Pouce Coupe) Tourism BC facilitator assigned and preliminary research conducted Community familiarization by facilitator and Tourism BC (Nov. 2008) Initial meeting with community tourism stakeholders (Nov. 2008) Initial meeting report (complete) Draft and revised Work plans (complete) Memorandum of Understanding between Tourism BC and lead tourism organization (complete) Community produces inventory (initial draft in production)

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Dawson Creek & Pouce Coupe Program Process Situation Analysis (initial draft in production 130 pages plus support files) Planning session (today April 15, 2009) Situation Analysis final document (estimated for April 30, 2009) Tourism Plan draft (estimated for May 12 th stakeholder presentation) Tourism Plan final (estimated for end of May, post presentation feedback) Tactics and Implementation Plan – Annual Plan Year One (end of May) Application for Community Tourism Opportunities Implementation Program (Community applies direct to Northern BC Tourism) Community work with Regional DMO – guidance and advise

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Development of Community Tourism What is tourism development? An evolutionary process encompassing noticeable economic, physical and social re-structuring The process of increasing the quality of life for host societies and visitors alike

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Development of Community Tourism What is tourism development planning? Step by step process of resource and market evaluation, action and review Its broad purpose is to recognize gaps in the local product or markets Identify project ideas to fill those gaps Recommend actions to put those ideas in place Planning process results in an action plan for the destination

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Development of Community Tourism Why plan for development? Avoid negative impacts Achieve goals and objectives Increase quality of life for residents Economic diversification New services and recreation choices Cultural preservation

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Development of Community Tourism Who does it involve? All stakeholders in the community Residents, business, government, organizations, developers, planners…you!

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Development of Community Tourism What types of development are there? Integrated (single promoter e.g. Disneyland) Catalytic (major promoter encourages complementary development) Coattail (natural assets draw visitors/development fills visitor needs) Spot (no vision or plan)

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Development of Community Tourism Destination Lifecycle Stage 1: Conception/Early development (vision and plan) POUCE COUPE Stage 2: Growth (product development) DAWSON CREEK Stage 3: Maturity (products are developed/marketing/usage high) Stage 4: Decline (well used, possibly run-down) OR Re-development, rejuvenation, return to Stage 1

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism Plan Preparation - Situation Analysis / SWOT Outcome Tourism Attractions Tourism Services Tourism Infrastructure Tourism Hospitality Tourism Management Tourism Marketing & Promotion

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism Plan Content Community Vision (OCP) Tourism Vision / Community and Organization Goals and Objectives Implementation Tourism Planning, Management, Funding, Annual Action Plan Destination and Market Development Tourism Infrastructure and Development Product Development Information Management and Research

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism Plan Content Destination and Market Development continued. Business and Industry Development Marketing Branding Market Position and Targets Integrated Promotional Mix Marketing Partnerships and Programs Promotional Tools and Materials Visitor Services (Internal marketing)

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism Plan Content Plan Tracking and Communications Tracking Monitoring and Evaluation Community Engagement and Communications Action Plan Priorities Work plan outline for each objective and strategy.

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Dawson Creek / Pouce Coupe Current Situation Plans DC has lots of plans: OCP, Current Tourism Plan, Communications Plan, Attractions Master Strategy, Heritage Strategy, Sport and Events Aspirations, dated ED plan, Sustainability Initiative PC no tourism plan but good framework from TBC workshop, new economic development marketing strategy

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Current Situation Tourism BC program to provide an updated tourism plan for Dawson Creek and initial plan for Pouce Coupe. The tourism plan will identify the need for additional planning Driven by long-term goals, the destination is developed systematically through small actions, each contributing to the end result Community Tourism Opportunities provides assistance for implementation of the Tourism Plan through NBT

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Current Situation External Forestry industry downturn Global economic downturn Canadian dollar down Tourism spending follows after essentials Baby-boomers largest market with potential to spend Close-in regional markets will continue to be key targets

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Current Plans – Exercise Pouce Coupe – Economic Dev, Mktg and TBC Workshop Dawson Creek – Planning Matrix OCP / Sustaining Dawson Creek / TD Plan Communications Plan, 2005 – Exercise DC Attractions Master Plan, 2007 – Exercise City of Dawson Creek Heritage Strategy, 2007 – Exercise South Peace Multi-Plex and Sport and Event Strategy

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Funding Options Government (all levels) Additional Hotel Room Tax Industry Partnerships Cooperative Marketing Programs/ Merchandise

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Tourism Advisory Committee Tourism Management Framework Tourism Advisory Committee to Tourism Dawson Creek

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Community Engagement, Communications Community Engagement Communications Value of Tourism

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Partnerships TAC Committee List……

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Pouce Coupe Vision

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Next Steps Input from planning session to be incorporated into situation analysis document Inventory will be completed by Tourism Dawson Creek Follow up research and information interviews Draft tourism plan (high level document created) Community to work together to deliver on their component of the plan for implementation Tourism community to commit to planning process

Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, April 15, 2009 Thank you for participating! Keep up to date by visiting: Tourism BC Contacts: Simone Carlysle-Smith, Tourism BC Facilitator April Moi, Northern BC Tourism - Agent for Tourism BC