ED Message
ED Blog - August 31, 2012
It is really the end of summer?
Today August 31st, most of us would say, holy?..already? Where did the summer go? School is starting next week in NB and has already started in other provinces. "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" I would hear parents with teens at home!! For the tourism industry, it means the slowing of business for some, while for others it is the start of the more mature traffic.
Fall festivals and event will be starting soon and hopefully attracting visitors from near and far! Are we going to have the traffic to compensate for the slow start, or it that impossible? Some operators refer to our industry as a sector having to constantly deal with perishable inventory. If we don't get our numbers in June, July, etc , that's it, can't have those numbers back. For a campground, or cottage operator not being able to fill on July 5th, well that site or cottage revenue has perished, it's gone! We have variants to deal with in the likes of Mother Nature, gas prices, economic climate's effect on disposable income, bugs, beach water temperature and I can go on and on!
The biggest question that comes to my mind from where I sit is: How is it, with all that our devoted tourism operators have to deal with that we are still the sector showing the most economical growth in our province, in our country and frankly throughout the world? How many times have we herd government bail-outs to the tourism industry because we had bad weather in the summer or no snow in the winter? What do you think? Share your thoughts!
Have a great long Labour Day week end and hope it will be a profit making one. Thank you
Réal Robichaud, TIANB
ED Blog - August 24 2012
Times are changing!
It seems that after the summer months are slowly wasting away that we are at that time again where we're paying a closer look at our operations or to the rules of engagements to play in this game and of the changes occurring all around us! One of those important upcoming changes would be in my fair opinion, the rejuvenation of the NB Liquor control Act. Some of you have answered the call to participate in public consultations held earlier this summer and voiced your comments, complaints and possible solutions. As you may know, the consultative process is still ongoing and we are preparing for a meeting with Public Safety to weigh-in on what needs to be changed and how the new Act should look like.
As a representative industry association, we cannot just assume we know all of the problems or for that matter, the solutions to them, why we sent out a survey to get you feedback. Less than 24 hours out and we've already received 38 responses, pretty good so far! Licensing type, closing time, Bring your own liquor, re-corking, bottle service, Off sales, exclusivity arrangements, advertising restrictions, due diligence to under-age and over service, minimum pricing and the establishment of a non-compliances register are discussion items we will be tackling. An association is as strong as the inputs it receives from its membership, so help us help you and complete the survey or simply write to us before September 11th so we can bring your issues to the table.
You know the drill realr@tianb.com is the connection to resolving issues together.
Thank you.
Réal
ED Blog - August 17, 2012
They're coming back!
Just came back from vacation yesterday and glad to be back in the seat! My travels took my family and I to our yearly stop in Paspebiac on the Gaspé Peninsula, then on to Buctouche, Cornwall PEI and finally to Lower Darnley, PEI. Did all kinds of fun activities, visited the Pays de la Sagouine, Chalrottetown and of course beaches and more beaches.
Of course being in this business, one cannot walk or drive by without looking at license plates and talking to other campers. What I've heard was "Oh! We're just over to visit family!" or "We used to travel far away but this year we decided to visit our own region!" or "Oh! We're just from the next town and we came over for the festival this weekend!" Of course we've seen the usual plates from Quebec and Ontario and a few from the US along the shores. A question came to mind - is our visitor numbers growing or are we just seeing locals travel closer to home? If our "new visitors" are coming for festivals and events, why is it most of them are concentrated in the peak of summer? Wouldn't it be better to have multiple events to attract visitors over a longer period? Most organizers would say, to ensure the success of their event, they have to organize it during heavy visitor traffic. A lot of those events have started very small, but over the years, have grown in popularity, hence the increase in traffic.
Consider this - What influences travel destination choices? So, are they really coming back and how long will this last?
Give us your thoughts at realr@tianb.com and we'll post on our website!
Have a good weekend!
Réal
July 2012
ED Blog July 25
The Marketing investment of yesterday on today's reality!
Most tourism operators had to or still do today, pack the kiosk, the cases and cases of printed paraphernalia and head to Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa or wherever the Consumer trade show is being held. All this in an attempt to hopefully pass out all your booklets, have a chance to talk to people visiting your kiosk and convince them to come visit the following summer. Months of preparation and you're actually hoping for bad weather so people would actually pay a couple of bucks to go to the show instead of going skiing on a nice sunny winter afternoon.
Ok you're all set! This is your fifth year of doing this and you got it down to a science. You have the same promotional budget since starting this gig 5 years ago, all of a sudden, you notice on set up night that the kiosk that had been your neighbour for the last 5 years and that you had made good friends with, have been moved to another section of the show. The person leading the set up crew looks at you and greets you with "Gutten Tag". Having spent a bit on time on the road you immediately realise that the Germans are in town!
You quickly realize and have to come to grips that the tourism business is no longer you going to another province to build your clients, but it is now a global business. Competing at the world stage, with the same marketing/promotional budget you have had for the last 5 years! Realistic?.no! a reality?..yes! We often hear "well at least we didn't get cut back!" in actual fact, you're not playing in the same league. Does Sydney Crosby still practice hockey with his mother's washing machine? Why should you hand out you fax and beeper numbers, because that is the only thing you can afford?
Marketing is an investment, not an expense! Until everyone understands this simple fact, we will be left behind!
Give us your thoughts, send me an e-mail on this or other blogs at realr@tianb.com
Note: I will be on vacation from Thursday July 26 and return August 16th so no blogs during that time! Who knows; I may come back with a few stories! See you all later!
Réal
ED Blog - July 13 2012
Media and tourism - Friends or Foes?
Media of all types are in the business of communicating the information to the public in various ways. As humans ( Yes reporters are humans too!) some tend to provide an interpretation of the information?give it more color, to make it easier to read; or in some other instances, brew it up to generate reactions from their audience.
In our tourism world, we often count on media to share the experience we offer in the hopes we convince someone to make that turn on the road and knock on our door, thus increasing business. We are sometimes easy targets for the "colorful" reporter and surely some of you have taken the time right in the middle of a rush to answer that call, just to find out while reading the paper or watching the News program the next day that you've been misquoted or it came out all wrong! How frustrating! We all know that we have our fair share of challenges and issues, but we would all argue that we are no different than any other business?.except that our clients are listening to the radios, reading the local papers, or watching the News cast while waiting for their laundry to dry at the campground Laundromat.
How do we deal with this? Build a relationship with your "human reporters"! Make sure before you respond to their calls, you have the time to educate yourself on the topic and that you provide factual information. Respond to their calls, After all, they're trying to make a living too! And finally, there is always a good side to any situation?..remember, you guests are reading the papers, watching TV or listening to the radio! A bad report about your business could mean a very slow day at the office! Share your thoughts, your experience with media; let's start a hug a reporter day! Could be fun too!
I'd like to hear your comments on this, let me know how you feel!
You may call me 1-800-668-5313, local 458-5646 or email
Until next week!
Réal Robichaud, Executive Director
TIANB/AITNB
ED Blog July 6 2012
This week the conference Board of Canada released the 2012 tourism forecast on the summer season. The report suggested that New Brunswick was to be next to the bottom of business growth, largely due to our sagging economy.
Based on survey results, New Brunswicker's are said to be staying home this summer and not planning visiting?at all. The TIANB office received numerous media calls on this; as we do every year, to get our reaction. Although we have to consider such reports, a call to various tourism businesses around the province, suggested the opposite of what the Conference Board report suggested. Hopewell Rocks are up, Cape Enrage are way up, Broadleaf Ranch are up and looking good for the rest of the season, Botanical Garden is up by almost 1000 visitors from last year, the Visitor Information Center in Edmundston is up, The NB Aquarium and Marin Center in Shippagan had a slow start but things are looking promising for the rest of the summer. The Village Historique Acadien is up from last year. So as you can see, we are not doing so badly, after all.
Many factors affect our sector and waves of surveys and research are being produced, how accurate are they? It all depends on the type of questions that are asked and more importantly, how the information is analysed. Respondents to survey may answer that they are not planning on traveling this year, but they will certainly participate in events or go to attractions an hour away from their home! They would be considered by us as tourists, because they spend money at tourism businesses.
The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. I would also suggest tourists be defined as "people traveling and spending money outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes"!
The tourism industry in New Brunswick is led by very professional and passionate individuals, looking at exceeding expectations. We cannot as an industry let such reports dampen our spirits! The main thing to retain from this report is that it clearly shows the importance of maintaining and even increasing marketing and promotional budgets at all levels, National, Provincial, Municipal and industry.
The goal - to be the top of mind vacation destination! New Brunswick is the best place to take a vacation and we have surely the greatest variety of experiences throughout the country?.and why not the world! Please keep us posted on how things are going in your business and region, we love good news and are certainly prepared to share! Have a good week.
I'd like to hear your comments on this, let me know how you feel!
You may call me 1-800-668-5313, local 458-5646 or email
Until next week!
Réal Robichaud, Executive Director
TIANB/AITNB
June 2012
Good day all !
As a way to enhance our communication to our members and to generating thoughts or even provoking thoughts, I will be posting a weekly blog on our TIANB website.
You are welcomed to comment, add and even dispute on the topic of discussion. Be my guest and only from the generated interest will we be able to populate this interesting form of communication.
In the beginning of every season since I've been sitting in this chair as Executive Director, I get countless calls from media wanting me to share my thoughts and views on how the season is going to unfold. In recent years, the reporter interviewing me suggest that the rise in the price of gas, the exchange rate or the weather is going to have a negative impact on the number of gests that will make the trip to our great province.
So is price of gas going to impact us negatively, my quick answer - No, not for the price of gas alone! If all the black moons align then we're heading into the perfect storm, and that perfect storm is not on the radar. If our numbers can stay stable, that is good and yes an increase is always better.
I'd like to hear your comments on this, let me know how you feel!
You may call me 1-800-668-5313, local 458-5646 or email
Until next week!
Réal Robichaud, Executive Director
TIANB/AITNB
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