2014

Tourism Abbotsford

Destination Sales & Marketing Plan

Table of Contents

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 1

2 Introduction

8 What’s New for 2014

9 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

10 Cooperative Sales & Marketing

13 Budget

Primary & Secondary Markets6 Market Overview

Markets of Interest

The local tourism industry remains

uniquely positioned in a number of key market segments,

most notably sport and agricultural tourism.

15 Social Media14 Meet the Team

4 Situational AssessmentEconomic ImpactIssues & ChallengesOpportunities

7 Our BrandTourism Industry Memberships

Introduction

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 2

The Tourism Abbotsford Society is a dynamic and entrepreneurial city destination marketing organization (CDMO or DMO). The Society was formed in 2003 and is governed by an industry appointed Board of Directors.

Tourism Abbotsford’s primary purpose is to undertake activities or investments which lead to or directly support the realization of incremental tourism revenue and other benefits inherent with a vibrant and growing visitor economy.

Three primary business functions have been identified by the Tourism Abbotsford Society as the focal point for our efforts; Visitor Services - including the operation of an official Visitor Centre at the intersection of Delair Road & Sumas Way, the development and implementation of an annual Destination Sales & Marketing Plan and the operation of the Fraser Valley Trade & Exhibition Centre (Tradex).

Tourism Abbotsford represents the local tourism industry who we identify as Marketing Partners. Marketing Partners include all tourism or tourism-related businesses either based or providing services in the City of Abbotsford. There is no cost to becoming a marketing partner.

Below is a list of the advantages of being a Marketing Partner. You can also find them on our web site at www.tourismabbotsford.ca under Marketing Partners.

Tourism Abbotsford

represents more than 300 local

tourism marketing partners…there is no cost to become

a marketing partner.

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 3

Destination Sales & Marketing Plan

The Destination Sales & Marketing Plan is our annual identification of the activities (tactics), which are specifically designed to realize the long term goals and objectives established by the Board of Directors in our organizational Business Plan (Building the Bottom Line – Tourism Abbotsford Business Plan 2013-2017). The annual planning process, while linked to our business plan outcomes, is based on current experience, key learning, research, relationships and partnerships.

The Destination Sales & Marketing Plan serves three primary purposes. The first is to provide a framework of accountability so that directors, members and stakeholders can ensure that all activities support the achievements outlined in the Business Plan. Second, the document serves as the basic work plan for those staff members that are tasked with implementing the plan. Third, the plan identifies for marketing partners the relevance, cost and timing of various cooperative marketing campaigns which allows them to strategically plan their participation and investment.

The 2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan is developed and implemented under the leadership of Yvonne Hayden, Director of Business Development, who can be contacted by email at yhayden@tourismabbotsford.ca or by telephone at 604.864.5675.

Marketing Partner Benefits

Feature listing on our web site, including hotlinks to your web address•

Engagement with our social media channels•

Racking at the Visitor Centre•

Access to Tourism Abbotsford’s Digital Asset Management System, which includes high definition video and destination imagery

•

Cooperative marketing investment opportunities•

Invitations to tourism development and tourism learning workshops and seminars•

Situational Assessment

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 4

Economic ImpactThe local visitor industry is a significant component of the overall Abbotsford economy. Not only do tourism and hospitality operators drive positive economic benefits; but it is these businesses which are often used as a resource or supplier by non-tourism operators to meet their operational goals or targets. An example of the scope and scale of the local tourism economy is the accommodation sector, which on an annual basis generates in excess of $12M in total revenue. This revenue leads to direct tax benefits for all levels of government, jobs for local workers, purchases from local suppliers and drives visitors to other local businesses.

Issues & Challenges There is no question that the provincial tourism industry has suffered over the past several years. Global economic weakness, increased border security, international competitiveness, strong domestic currency and sales tax policy have combined to collectively shrink the overall market shares for Canada and the province of British Columbia. Access to our major market areas of Metro Vancouver, Alberta and Washington State have all, in one form or another, been negatively impacted by the factors listed above. In addition to these factors, air capacity from Alberta has not significantly increased over the past few years and the Metro Vancouver market has become increasing isolated due to traffic congestion and bridge tolling, particularly when considering the geo-area north of the Fraser River.

The local visitor industry is a significant component

of the overall Abbotsford

economy

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 5

Opportunities

While issues and challenges often lead our thinking around a situational analysis, it is important to remember that Abbotsford is extremely well positioned to hold onto and potentially grow our share of the provincial tourism economy. Recent investment in demand generators such as the squid line trail on Sumas Mountain, the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sport Centre and enhancements to the BMX Track at Exhibition Park coupled with increased supply-side capacity (such as the Sandman Hotel & Suites) is leading the development of a growing local tourism footprint. The opening of the High Street Shopping District and the pending opening of a second Sandman property indicate that growth will remain positive in the foreseeable future.

The local tourism industry remains uniquely positioned in a number of key market segments, most notably sport and agricultural tourism. Our ability to partner with neighbouring communities to gather critical mass of tourism operators in the creation of campaigns is a tremendous asset that will continue to be capitalized on through the development of regional projects such as Handpicked in the Valley.

While issues and challenges often lead our thinking

around a situational analysis, it is important

to remember that Abbotsford is extremely well positioned to hold

onto and potentially grow our share of the

provincial tourism economy.

Market Overview

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 6

Abbotsford is a relatively small tourism market and has very few traditional drivers of travel demand (resort, theme-park, etc.). Given this, our sales and marketing efforts generally revolve around creating a “reason” for the visitor to come to Abbotsford. This reason might mean the securing of a sporting event, the booking of a major meeting or the inclusion of an Abbotsford travel experience as a small part of a larger British Columbia vacation.

Primary Markets

Our primary markets include Metro Vancouver and Alberta. These markets show a strong awareness of the benefits of Abbotsford as a travel destination and our access and product mix are strongly aligned with their needs. The added benefit of the Metro Vancouver market is that efforts which target residents also reach visitors in that area.

Secondary Markets

Our secondary markets include the rest of British Columbia, with a particular interest in major urban areas such as Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna & Prince George.

Markets of Interest

Our markets of interest include Washington State (in particular the I-5 corridor) and the rest of Canada (not including BC or Alberta). The Washington State market is primarily consumer focused, while the rest of Canada efforts (largely focused on Ontario) target event planners or event rights holders. It should also be noted that through various business and government partnerships, Tourism Abbotsford has supported development efforts in key international markets, primarily India and China.

Unlike some destinations, the reasons to visit

Abbotsford may not be apparent. Our sales

& marketing efforts therefore revolve around providing a “reason” for the visitor to consider coming to Abbotsford.

Our Brand

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 7

The Tourism Abbotsford Brand is based on the overarching concept of a modern urban experience located in a welcoming and friendly rural environment – in other words a City in the Country. The experience described by our brand is connected to all aspects of our sales & marketing activities and the primary brand elements have been designed to be flexible and through the use of various sub-brands can be translated to ensure relevance and positive consumer engagement.

Tourism Industry Memberships

In order to raise the awareness of tourism in Abbotsford, develop organization best practices, secure incremental tourism business and participate in global policy development, Tourism Abbotsford belongs to a number of industry groups and associations including:

Canadian Society of Association ExecutivesCanadian Sport Tourism Alliance

Abbotsford Chamber of CommerceCanadian Association of Exposition Management

BC Destination Marketing Organization Association

Lower Mainland Tourism AllianceInternational Association of Venue ManagementInternational Association of Exhibitions & EventsDestination Marketing Association InternationalVancouver Coast & Mountains Tourism Region

What’s New for 2014

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 8

Many of the activities identified in the Destination Sales & Marketing Plan are a continuation of programs or campaigns, which have proved successful in previous years and continue to have strong industry support. This includes well known efforts such as the Circle Farm Tour, Passport to Christmas and the 107 Days of Summer. Having said that, Tourism Abbotsford continues to explore new markets and invest in the development of new campaigns.

The most notable enhancement for 2014 will be the complete implementation of Handpicked in the Valley (HPIV). HPIV is a revolutionary partnership between Langley, Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Its purpose is to present Fraser Valley itineraries to potential visitors which showcases a diversity of experiences and activities. This grouping of key product will allow us to compete successfully with larger tourist destinations. HPIV will take a huge step forward in 2014 as the Handpicked in the Valley Travel Guide will replace all three annual community travel publications. A comprehensive tactical plan is being developed around the publication and distribution of the guide, which will allow us to engage the right visitor at the right time with the right travel experience. Details about HPIV can be found on-line at www.handpickedinthevalley.com.

The other major change for 2014, it a complete evolution of how we engage with Abbotsford visitors. On October 1, 2013 the hours of our Visitor Centre were reduced to 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm daily. This change has allowed the Society to reposition our travel counselors to focus on in-destination visitor engagement, social media engagement and enhanced marketing partner engagement which ensures that all Abbotsford tourism businesses are taking full advantage of our sales and marketing resources and that we have the most current information about your products and services.

During the upcoming year we will be completely reworking the Sport Tourism and Meet Here sections of our web site. Tournaments and business meetings (conferences, expositions, etc.) continue to make up the largest percentage of our overnight business. While many of these opportunities are realized through face-to-face interactions; updated web site information, which is compelling and easy to use will be a valuable sales tool.

Lastly, we will continue our efforts to foster the reimagining of our destination through the support of product development. Last year we provided financial resources to the construction of the Dirt Jump facility at Exhibition Park and the year before that, funds for the development of the Squid Line Trail on Sumas Mountain, which has quickly become one of the most talked about and ridden new trails in the Pacific Northwest.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 9

The following key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to measure both the performance of our local visitor economy as well as the impact of our destination sales and marketing efforts. The chart includes actual data for 2012, target data for 2013, forecast data for 2013 and the KPI targets for 2014.

*Specifically accommodation revenue which is eligible to collect the Municipal Hotel Room Tax

KPI 2012Actual

2013Target

2013Forecast

2014Target

Accommodation Revenue* $12,400,971 $11,700,000 $12,097,500 $12,010,000Accommodation - Occupancy 51.2% 52.0% 51.6% 52.0%

Marketing Partner Investment** 0.484 0.550 0.408 0.647Leveraging of Hotel Room Tax*** 0.817 0.991 .943 .992Web Site Unique Visitors 32,520 35,772 35,451 37,000

Twitter Followers 2,974 3,100 4,024 4,500Twitter Klout Score 49 50 47 50

** Investment by Marketing Partners as a ratio to Municipal Hotel Room Tax revenue***Total direct investment in sales and marketing activities as a ratio to Municipal Hotel Tax revenue

Accommodation – Average Daily Rate $93.07 $93.50 $91.88 $93.00

Facebook Likes 730 750 1,274 1,500

Web Site Hub Spot Grade n/a n/a 66 70

Cooperative Sales & Marketing

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 10

The 2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan includes a number of cooperative sales and marketing opportunities. Marketing Partners are encouraged to consider investing in these campaigns. The plan presents cooperative opportunities in an easy to read format which presents basic information about the opportunity including participation deadline and cost of investment. Please note that information included in this publication is subject to change or modification.

Detailed information (including advertising agreements) about each project listed in this guide will be presented in a timely manner on the Marketing Partners section of the Tourism Abbotsford official web site located at www.tourismabbotsford.ca. It is vital that Marketing Partners stay tuned to the web site to ensure they are ready to respond to sales & marketing opportunities as they present themselves.

If you have any questions or would like to participate in any of the cooperative sales and marketing opportunities listed in this guide please contact:

Yvonne Hayden, Director of Business Development 604.864.5675 | yhayden@tourismabbotsford.ca

It is vital that Marketing Partners

stay tuned to the web site to ensure they

are ready to respond to sales & marketing

opportunities as they present themselves.

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 11

Travel Guide 2015The Abbotsford Travel Guide will be published as a joint project with Tourism Chilliwack & Tourism Langley leveraging the Handpicked in the Valley Brand.

NovemberVarious prices with

placements starting as low as $900

Client: Handpicked in the ValleyLogo colour

Date: Feb 4, 2011

Passport to ChristmasA comprehensive print and online program designed to promote seasonal shopping and generate incremental overnight stays.

September Marketing Partners = $600

Sport Town CanadaA comprehensive sport hosting strategy which include industry association memberships, bid writing, event support, attendee experiences, hosting grants, marketing, sales and attendance at the Canadian Sport Event Congress

Continual General Investment by Tourism Abbotsford

107 Days of SummerIn-community summer festival & events awareness campaign. Tactics focus on distribution to local businesses and extensive social media engagement. Also includes targeted sponsorships of major local events.

MarchVarious prices with

placements starting as low as $275

Description Deadline Rates (plus taxes)

Circle Farm TourYear-long local and regional print, traditional media, online, advertising and social media campaign designed to profile agri-tourism experiences throughout the Fraser Valley.

January Marketing Partners = $550Campaign Sponsors = $550

Circle Farm Tour

Tourism Abbotsford

Tourism Abbotsford Tear-off MapConsumer tear-off city map designed to provide directions to Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts and local tourism businesses.

February Free

The following are a list of the specific cooperative projects and campaigns for 2014:

Vancouver Coast & Mountains Travel Guide (2014)Half page media placement and leveraged advertorial in the premier Regional Travel publication

August Marketing Partners = $600

Arts, Culture & HeritageFor 2014, our efforts in this segment will be developed in close consultation with key marketing partners; we are seeking incremental sponsorship opportunities and will identify media placement or online marketing opportunities in our key markets and leverage those investments with a local partner.

Continual

General Investment by Tourism Abbotsford

with Marketing Partner investment levels to be determined on a case

by case basis

&

Continual Marketing Partners = $0Enhanced Dining = $125

Official Web SiteFeature listing program on the official Tourism Abbotsford travel web site located at www.tourismabbotsford.ca.

Description Deadline Rates (plus taxes)

Tools & ResourcesInvestment in a number of tools & resources designed to support all aspects of our destination sales and marketing tactics. Investment includes CRM, CMS, Online Accommodation Booking (Jackrabbit), Web Hosting, Media Relations, Research, Digital Asset Management and Destination Sales & Marketing Plan launch event

Continual General Investment by Tourism Abbotsford

Visitor Centre Awareness & Business DevelopmentA series of small investments in various activities and tactics to improve the awareness of the Visitor Centre and enhance the quality of the Travel Counseling experience either in person or on-line

Continual General Investment by Tourism Abbotsford

Handpicked in the ValleyA regional campaign with a focus on the development and promotion of itineraries. Campaign includes dedicated web site (www.handpickedinthevalley.com) social & traditional media, advertising and limited radio/television.

Continual

General Investment by Tourism Abbotsford.

Some Marketing Partner investment opportunities

may become available

Meet HereA comprehensive meeting & conference hosting strategy which includes industry association memberships, bid writing, event support, delegate support, hosting grants and a media placement in the 2014 Meeting Places publication.

Continual General Investment by Tourism Abbotsford

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 12

Client: Handpicked in the ValleyLogo colour

Date: Feb 4, 2011

Budget

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 13

Tourism Abbotsford generates revenue from a number of sources including a Municipal Hotel Room Tax (2%), program investment by various marketing partners and sales or marketing grants. For 2014, the direct investment into the market space across all of our sales and marketing activities is estimated at $231,800. The following is a top level summary of the Tourism Abbotsford Society Destination Sales & Marketing Budget for 2014.

Total Investment

Destination Marketing $46,175

Visitor Centre Awareness & Development $2,000

Total $231,800

Tools & Resources $56,060

Meetings & Conferences (Meet Here) $4,650

Sport Hosting (Sport Town Canada) $25,750

Destination Sales & Marketing Category

Partnership Programs $97,165

Meet the Team

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 14

Dan Stefanson

Alisha Smith

Hometown: Langley, British ColumbiaYears with TA: 11Travel Style: AdventurousBeverage: GuinnessFood: West Coast SeafoodActivities: Running, Reading and Golf

Hometown: Maple Ridge, BCYears with TA: 1Travel Style: AdventurerBeverage: WineFood: Italian, SeafoodActivities: Horseback Riding, Travel, Theater, Hiking

Executive Director

Director of Sales & Marketing

Coordinator of Sales & Marketing

Yvonne Hayden

Hometown: Edmonton, AlbertaYears with TA: 11Travel Style: Exploring exotic locationsBeverage: Red WineFood: West Coast CuisineActivities: Quilting, walking, supporting The Heat, cooking, travelling, voice lessons

Director of Business Development

Hometown: Nelson, British ColumbiaYears with TA: 5Travel Style: Classic GlobetrotterBeverage: Coconut JuiceFood: Pasta alla PuttanescaActivities: On Maternity Leave

Director of Sales & MarketingSusy Watson

Hometown: Abbotsford, BCYears with TA: 7Travel Style: AdventerousBeverage: BeerFood: Mexican, IndianActivities: Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, Motorcycles

Online & Graphic Developer

Social Media

2014 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan 15

The days when DMOs like Tourism Abbotsford were the only trusted source of information about a destination are long gone. The visitor is now in charge of the reputation and insider knowledge of destinations as they are able to broadcast themselves through a variety of social media channels to their friends, family and colleagues whom they have significant influence over. Tourism Abbotsford has fully realized this paradigm shift and has ramped up our visitor engagement through social media.

Our social media team focuses primarily on Twitter and Facebook, however we actively listen across an ever changing landscape of social media sites to learn from Abbotsford discussions and provide insight and friendly feedback. In late 2013 a full audit of our social media efforts was undertaken and our front line employees were provided advanced social media training. In addition to increasing the skills of our team; the decision was taken to fully integrate the Mrs. Abbotsford persona as Tourism Abbotsford’s social media expert or maven.

The Mrs. Abbotsford Twitter persona (one of the most influential in the lower mainland) had existed for a number of years; our integration started with the launch of a Mrs. Abbotsford blog, was soon followed by the renaming of the Tourism Abbotsford Facebook page to Mrs. Abbotsford. This “personalization” of our social media is designed to give visitors, fans and followers the genuine sense that they are communicating with a person, not a company or business.

We are developing a suite of performance indicators to ensure that our social media efforts are having the desired effect and we will be working closely with our marketing partners to ensure that our on-line efforts are coordinated to foster maximum effectiveness.

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