2015-2019 Tourism Prince George

MDRT Application and Business Plan

-... PRINCE GEORGE

Business Plan Overview

2015 marks the sixth year of operation for TPGS.

2015 Canada Winter Games is the largest event the City of Prince George has ever hosted.

The marketing plan for 2015-2019 will continue to implement the strategies and tactics outlined in the Community Tourism Foundations Plan (2010-2019) and the TPGS Strategic Plan (2012).

Marketing Implementation

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Business Plan Overview

Marketing Objective

To achieve annual room revenue

growth in Prince George at the same

rate or better than the provincial

average.

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Business Plan Overview

Our Approach

It is noted in the Community Foundations Plan that, “Promotion by itself

can run the risk of over-promising Prince George’s tourism experiences,

resulting in disappointed visitors that in turn can lead to long-term harm to

Prince George’s reputation.” Therefore, both destination development

and market development strategies and tactics are outlined in the 2015

marketing plan.

“Cooperative activities with Northern BC Tourism Region should be

seen as opportunities to build tourism in Prince George, as they will

naturally stop in Prince George on their trip in northern BC.”

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Business Plan Overview

Our Approach

“This focus should also consider the types of tourism experiences

that are motivators for visitors, as these are the experiences that

will increase the number of visitors. Other types of tourism

experiences, while they may not be motivators for travel, help to

increase visitor satisfaction and length of stay.”

Tourism Prince George works in partnership with Northern BC

Tourism and Destination BC with many of the outlined marketing

programs such as the further development in the areas of

arts/culture, sport tourism, meetings/conventions and travel trade

development.

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Business Plan Overview

Key Target Markets: •Residents of northern BC

•Leisure/repeat travel

•Long-haul visitors to northern BC and/or Alaska

•More affluent

•Corporations and associations

•PG as headquarters

•Local residents

•Ambassadors

•Sporting event organizers

Secondary markets:

•BC and Alberta anglers

•Canadian and American

hunters

•Tour operators serving

residents of Germany

and Switzerland

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Business Plan Overview

Destination Development Strategies

Priority tourism products for primary target groups include:

Outdoor adventure with an emphasis on soft adventure.

Time-limited experiences such as festivals and events.

Secondary tourism products for primary target groups include:

Cultural activities that are of interest to outdoor adventure travellers.

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Business Plan Overview

Destination Development Strategies

Priority tourism products for secondary target groups include:

Guided fishing

Guided hunting

Secondary tourism products for secondary target groups include:

Non-guided fishing and complementary activities

such as motor boating, guided wildlife viewing and hikes.

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Business Plan Overview

Market Development Strategies

Market development strategies for all target groups include:

Enhancement of core communication materials, especially the website and

visitor guide, that are consistent with the brand and relevant to all markets with

particular emphasis on primary markets

Joint co-operative advertising and promotions that effectively reach the

primary markets but also reach other markets

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Business Plan Overview

Market Development Strategies

Market development strategies for primary target groups include:

Proactive media relations and promotional activities

Standalone marketing and advertising activities

Ensure other websites about northern BC and Alaska have appropriate information

about Prince George and distribution of the Prince George visitor guide

throughout northern BC and entry points

Cooperative sales and marketing activities with meeting and conference facilities

in Prince George

Bidding for selected sporting events, leveraging the 2015 Canada Winter Games

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Business Plan Overview

Market Development Strategies

Market development strategies for secondary target groups include:

Reactive media relations with and advertising in angling-specific media

and fishing-related trade shows

Reactive media relations with and advertising in hunting-specific media

and hunting-related trade shows

Sales and marketing activities through Northern BC Tourism Region

and Destination BC as the lead organizations (provide information and

host fam tours)

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Destination Development Tactics

Tactic 1: Promote and deliver tourism education programs and provide training tools to tourism-related businesses in Prince George.

Tactic 2: Continue regular communications with Prince George tourism stakeholders through e-newsletters, media releases, speaking engagements.

Tactic 3: Help facilitate multi business tourism

packages.

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Destination Development Tactics

Tactic 4: Increase opportunities for

visitors to experience outdoor

adventure in and around Prince

George.

Tactic 5: Build better relationships with

regional First Nations and encourage

aboriginal tourism product.

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Market Development Tactics

Tactic 6: Maintain and enhance the Prince George tourism product

inventory that includes information about current accommodations,

attractions and events.

Tactic 7: Enhance Prince George Visitor Guide and tourism website

with new content and updated design.

Tactic 8: Optimize website for search engines and embark on search

engine marketing.

Tactic 9: Maximize Destination BC’s marketing opportunities for Prince

George.

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Market Development Tactics

Tactic 10: Continue advertising in key

markets, taking advantage of media planning

expertise and discounted media rates offered

through Destination BC / Northern BC Tourism

Region.

Tactic 11: Attend selected consumer/trade

shows and events (leisure markets).

Tactic 12: Continue to build image bank and

web-videos.

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Market Development Tactics

Tactic 13: Media relations to primary and

secondary target groups, including social

media.

Tactic 14: Continue to build Prince George

as an event destination (sporting and

cultural events).

Tactic 15: Continue to build meetings and

conventions sector in Prince George.

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Market Development Tactics

Tactic 16: Ensure comprehensive tracking of website traffic and calls to 1-800 # is implemented.

Tactic 17: Work with tour operators serving residents of China and Korea, through Northern BC Tourism Region and Destination BC.

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2015 2016 2017 2018 2019REVENUE

CityofPrinceGeorge 327,000 327,000 327,000 327,000 327,000

MRDT 813,750 854,437 897,159 942,017 989,118

ProvinceofBC 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000

PrivatePartnership 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000

AdvertisingGuideSales 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000

SalesCommissions 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

MerchandisingIncome 17,000 17,000 17,000 17,000 17,000

TOTALREVENUES 1,292,750 1,333,437 1,376,159 1,421,017 1,468,118

EXPENSES

Operating

OperatingSalaries 115,500 117,810 120,166 122,569 125,020

OperatingBenefits 17,500 17,850 18,207 18,571 18,942

VIC/EventStaff 66,000 66,000 66,000 66,000 66,000

Rent 36,000 36,000 36,000 36,000 36,000

BuildingMaintenance 32,000 32,000 32,000 32,000 32,000

Telephone 11,000 11,000 11,000 11,000 11,000

Legal/Accounting 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000

AdminServices/BankFees 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000

CostofGoods 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500

OfficeSupplies 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

OfficeEquipment 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000

Internet/IT 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

BoardExpenses 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

Insurance 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

VehicleOverhead 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000

MileageandParking 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

TrainingandDevelopment 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

Subtotal,Operating 368,500 371,160 373,873 376,640 379,462

Marketing&DestinationDevelopment

MarketingSalaries 278,000 283,560 289,231 295,015 300,916

MarketingBenefits 37,500 38,250 39,015 39,795 40,591

Postage/Freight 10,500 10,500 10,500 10,500 10,500

ConsumerShows(Leisure) 65,000 65,000 65,000 65,000 65,000

Advertising/Creative 190,250 231,967 265,540 296,067 333,649

VisitorGuide 65,000 65,000 65,000 65,000 65,000

Video/Photo 65,000 65,000 65,000 65,000 65,000

MediaRelations/SocialMedia 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000

Website 70,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000

MarketingMemberships 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000

Sport/EventTourismDevelopment 30,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000

Meetings&ConventionsDevelopment 30,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000

DestinationDevelopmentTraining 25,000 25,000 25,000 30,000 30,000

EventSponsorship 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000

Subtotal,Marketing 924,250 962,277 1,002,286 1,044,377 1,088,656

TOTALEXPENSES 1,292,750 1,333,437 1,376,159 1,421,017 1,468,118

Budget Overview

.~ PRINCE GEORGE

-... PRINCE GEORGE