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Tourism Research 5 Year Synopsis

Regional Tourism Organization 12 (RTO 12)

Presented to :

RTO 12

Muskoka Tourism

R.R.#2 , 1342 Highway 11 north

Kilworthy ON P0E 1G0

Submitted by:

TNS Canadian Facts

900 - 2 Bloor Street East

Toronto ON M4W 3H8

phone: 416.924.5751

fax: 416.923.7085

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

RTO 12 commissioned TNS Canada to implement a review of relevant tourism related research

(related to RTO 12 or conducted in RTO 12 from 2005 to 2010). This review was designed to

enhance RTO 12‘s knowledge of key tourism related activities, spending, psychographic and

demographic profiles and visitor needs, in order to support future tourism development in RTO

12.

The desired outcomes of this research review were to:

Identify specific research programs that have been undertaken, and determine the level

of applicability and relevance of the results of these research programs for RTO 12;

Synthesize and analyze the findings of these programs, in order to increase knowledge

of brand awareness, past and future travel intentions, visitor demographics, behaviours

and motivations and other key influencers of tourism related to RTO 12/Ontario/Canada

that would help guide RTO 12‘s strategic planning; and,

Identify effective and cost-efficient future research programs that should be undertaken

to fill in any information gaps to address the region‘s strategic goals.

TNS performed an exhaustive effort to source all available past research and thoroughly

reviewed and analyzed the research results collected through desk research and other data

sources/stakeholders.

A number of key areas‘s were identified and investigated including Visitor Use Patterns;

Economic Growth, Key Influencers in the Ontario Tourism Market; Visitor Needs; Visitor Access

to Information; New Canadian‘s Values and Perceptions of Outdoor Recreation; Destination

Marketing Fees and Brand Positioning.

Through a situational analysis, information gaps were identified and a set of recommendations

has been developed for RTO 12 related to future primary and secondary research that should

be undertaken by the region to monitor its work progress and to identify new market

opportunities.

Overall it was determined that RTO 12 suffers from a very seasonal tourist season. While there

are some year round tourist offerings, it is primarily marketed as a May to September

destination. This greatly impacts local businesses; there is difficulty keeping up with the demand

in the summer months, while staff has to be laid off during the winter months.

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Currently RTO 12 enjoys strong extended weekend stays; opportunity exists to promote

extended week long vacations packages.

RTO 12 should leverage full the potential of the region and encourage other less willing

communities to participate in the creation of a region wide branding and marketing plan. Tighter

linkages and partnerships should be exploited with the local and provincial agencies.

As RTO 12 develops and completes its new Brand strategy, it will be important to test all name,

logo development as well as the brand positioning, attributes and any brand imagery and

iconography.

When RTO 12 builds a marketing and advertising program for the new region, ongoing

measurement of traditional and user generated mediums should be performed through pre and

post brand/advertising quantitative research and social listening. This will help ensure the

proper mix if media is being maintained and it will allow for ongoing refinement of marketing

strategies and tactics.

Further research is also needed to understand the consumer‘s wants and needs related to the

development of new tourism products for the region. This new product and innovation research

should be combined with more in-depth destination attitude and usage study, which help identify

opportunities for the region.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 2 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 Background and Research Objectives ......................................................................... 5 1.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 7

2 Situation Analysis of Tourism in RTO 12 ............................................................................. 9 2.1 Visitor Use Patterns ..................................................................................................... 9

2.1.1 Visiting Friends and Relatives ..............................................................................10 2.1.2 Business Tourism ................................................................................................10 2.1.3 Trip Activities .......................................................................................................11 2.1.4 Length of Stay ....................................................................................................13 2.1.5 Party Composition ..............................................................................................14

2.2 Economic Growth ......................................................................................................15 2.2.1 Current Economic Growth ....................................................................................15 2.2.2 Forecasted and Potential for Economic Growth ................................................18 2.2.3 Barriers to Economic Growth ...............................................................................19

2.3 Key Influencers in the Ontario Tourism Market ...........................................................21 2.3.1 Demographic Shifts..............................................................................................21

2.4 Visitor Needs .............................................................................................................25 2.4.1 Language Needs .................................................................................................25 2.4.2 Transportation Needs ..........................................................................................25

2.5 Visitor Access to Information .......................................................................................27 2.5.1 Algonquin Provincial Park ....................................................................................28 2.5.2 U.S. and Overseas Visitors to the Region ............................................................29

2.6 New Canadian‘s Values and Perceptions of Outdoor Recreation ................................29 2.7 Destination Marketing Fee ..........................................................................................31

3 Brand Positioning and Development ..................................................................................32 3.1 Awareness, Attitudes and Usage ................................................................................32 3.2 The Needstate Map ....................................................................................................32 3.3 Brand Creation ............................................................................................................34

4 Gaps in the Research ........................................................................................................35 4.1 Trip Planning ...............................................................................................................35 4.2 Visitor Tracking ...........................................................................................................35 4.3 Specific Tourism Planning ...........................................................................................35 4.4 Cottage Renters ..........................................................................................................35

5 Recommendations .............................................................................................................37 6 Works Cited .......................................................................................................................41 Appendix A: Contributions to the Research ...............................................................................46 Appendix B: RTO 12 Map .........................................................................................................47

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and Research Objectives

Regional Organization 12 (RTO 12) is one of the 13 new regional tourism organizations. As a

not for profit organization RTO 12 has a geographic area that includes parts of the District of

Parry Sound, the District of Muskoka, Algonquin Provincial Park and the Township of South

Algonquin (for map, see Appendix B).

In 2009 the Province of Ontario released a report called ―Discovering Ontario – A Report on the

Future of Tourism‖. Among the many initiatives indentified in this report, there was a call to:

―….establish tourism regions to better coordinate tourism marketing and management across

the province. Each region should work toward creating a unique brand and stellar

experience….‖1. With the province‘s ambitious goal of doubling its tourism revenue by 2020,

RTO 12 has responsibility to deliver its share by attracting new visitors and growing tourism

spending within the region. Many challenges affect Ontario tourism as a whole, and as a result,

impact RTO 12. These challenges include, but are not limited to:

Over the past few years, Ontario tourism demand has been especially vulnerable. The

global tourism industry has experienced significant change with regard to the attitudinal

pre-dispositions and motivations of travellers and the travel choices they make. Virtually

all of the developments in the industry have had either a direct or indirect impact on

diminishing buoyancy of Ontario as a potential destination. This has necessitated

implementation of more aggressive and more costly marketing support programs to

counter these negative influences and to maintain a competitive share-of-mind with other

travel destinations.

Ontario tourism continues to rely increasingly on the Canadian, and especially the

Ontario market, for support. While this has some positive outcomes, it presents certain

vulnerability to the Ontario tourism industry: as the Canadian economy continues to

improve and parity between the Canadian and U.S. dollar is maintained, domestic

travelers may become increasingly price-driven and thus start considering the U.S. and

overseas travel destinations as attractive travel options.

Americans continue to favour travel within their own borders. Particularly worrisome are

signs of waning enthusiasm towards Ontario in the U.S. Near Markets that border

Ontario. Since these markets deliver the highest rates of conversion among Americans

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who express interest, the implication is that travel volume from the U.S. could further

deteriorate.

As a large proportion of population growth in Ontario comes from immigration, the

province‘s population is becoming increasingly ethnically diverse – and more challenging

for the tourism industry to target. Moreover, Ontario‘s recent immigrants are an

especially lucrative segment to the tourism industry because of their ability to attract

Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel from their home countries. The potential is

clearly there, but how to tap into it is often unclear: to date, little research has been done

looking at the ways to encourage new Canadians to explore their ―adopted‖ home

province beyond the top-of-mind urban destinations.

The challenges described above are applicable to most newly-established RTOs. In fact, RTOs

face another significant obstacle—not only do they need to convert awareness of their region to

consideration among travellers, they first need to create this often not yet existent awareness.

Because of the challenging marketplace, it is incumbent upon RTO 12 to remain flexible in its

strategic approach to ensure that it is responsive to the evolving needs and attitudes of potential

Ontario visitors and domestic travellers. Having forward-looking information based on sound

research is vital to RTO 12 for future strategy development, marketing and communications

planning and execution, product development, and more.

In recognition of these and other issues, RTO 12 commissioned TNS Canada to implement a

review of relevant tourism related research (related to RTO 12 or conducted in RTO 12 from

2005 to 2010); to enhance their knowledge of key tourism related activities, spending,

psychographic and demographic profiles and visitor needs in order to support future tourism

development in RTO 12.

The desired outcomes of this research review are to:

Identify specific research programs that have been undertaken, and determine the level

of applicability and relevance of the results of these research programs for RTO 12.

Synthesize and analyze the findings of these programs, in order to increase knowledge

of brand awareness, past and future travel intentions, visitor demographics, behaviours

and motivations and other key influencers of tourism related to RTO 12/Ontario/Canada

that would help guide RTO 12‘s strategic planning.

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Identify effective and cost-efficient future research programs that should be undertaken

to fill in any information gaps to address the region‘s strategic goals.

1.2 Methodology

Based on a preliminary meeting with the RTO 12 committee, TNS Canada reviewed initial

sources of known research in RTO 12 and investigated potential sources of tourism related

information. This review included determining the forms in which this tourism information was

available (public/proprietary reports, tables, databases, etc). In most cases, the information was

readily available via the internet.

Where information was not publically available or potential gaps existed in the research or for

certain geographical areas, TNS Canada kept track of potentially relevant research, and made

lists of these data sources to contact.

In cooperation with RTO 12, TNS Canada developed and finalized the list of data sources to

contact, including specific contact names and telephone numbers provided by RTO 12. RTO 12

pre-notified potential contacts about the research by email and indicated they may be contacted

to provide their input during the specific weeks scheduled. This pre-notification was intended

help to maximize the level of stakeholder cooperation.

Stakeholders were contacted by email and phone. Although up to 20 sources were originally

proposed for contact, TNS Canada contacted upwards of 40 sources. The increased number of

contacts was intended to strengthen amount of information from stakeholders. Ultimately, 8

stakeholders were able to provide input, information and/or data relevant to the research.

Through communications with stakeholders, it was understood that this low response rate was

likely due to the project coinciding with the peak season for the region (June through August)

and stakeholders being too busy to contribute to the research. The low response of

stakeholders in the current research should not deter future research in the region involving

stakeholders; although feedback suggests any stakeholder contact should occur during non-

peak times in the tourism calendar.

After all contacts were exhausted and information was gathered, the research was organized

into the various sections that RTO 12 required information for. Any obvious gaps were identified

and additional research was sought out to determine whether this gap actually existed in the

research. Upon gathering all of the relevant research, the findings were compared and

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juxtaposed with a view to determining the most valuable learnings for potential application to

RTO 12 and developed the Situation Analysis of Tourism in RTO 12.

Based on the Situation Analysis, information gaps were identified and a set of recommendations

was developed for RTO 12 for future primary and secondary research that should be

undertaken by the region to monitor its work progress and to identify new market opportunities.

In September of 2011, TNS Canada presented the findings of the report to select members of

the RTO 12 committee. These members provided constructive feedback on items suggested in

the report as well as recommendations. This feedback was incorporated into the report to reflect

the current situation in RTO 12 in an effort to create more actionable recommendations for the

region.

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2 SITUATION ANALYSIS OF TOURISM IN RTO 12

Tourists come to RTO 12 for a variety of reasons. Unlike other RTOs in Ontario, RTO 12 has

the unique offering of waterfront luxury and wilderness, while encompassing the oldest and one

of the most popular provincial parks in Canada – Algonquin Provincial Park. The diverse

offerings of the region (e.g., luxury resorts and accommodation, spas, art, golf, water sports,

dining, camping, hiking and outdoor activities) provide a plethora of activities to enjoy in the

region and are the source of trips to the region which are motivated by many different purposes.

How visitors to the region use what RTO 12 has to offer is detailed within Section 2.1 of the

report.

2.1 Visitor Use Patterns

RTO 12 as a destination is mainly considered a pleasure destination, where visitors come for

relaxation in all forms. The Muskoka region in particular is a more popular destination for

pleasure-seeking travelers than Ontario in general (Malone Given Parsons Ltd. , 2008). The

choice of travelling to the region for pleasure indicates that those who are travelling to RTO 12

have more personal motivations for wanting to visit the region.

Person Visits: Main Purpose of Trip

(Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2009)

Pleasure 76%

Visit Friends or Relatives

21%

Business 1%

Other 2%

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2.1.1 Visiting Friends and Relatives

Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) plays a significant role in Ontario tourism, with many

Ontarians acting as hosts to out‐of‐province guests. Within RTO 12, more than 1 in 5 visits to

the region are to visit friends and family; apart from pleasure visits, visiting friends and relatives

represents the second largest reason for travel to RTO 12 (Ministry of Tourism and Culture,

2009).

Although beyond basic data from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture on purpose of visit, within

Ontario there is some information regarding the impact of VFR that translates to RTO 12. The

numbers visiting friends and relatives within Ontario are large, not only when considering

volume from other parts of Canada, but also when turning attention to the US and Overseas

origin markets. Even when one focuses solely on the US Near and Mid Markets, more than 2

million Americans claim to have been hosted by Ontario residents in the past five years (TNS

Canada, 2011).

Visiting guests typically desire a tourism experience over and above the pleasure of spending

time with their friends and relatives. Hosts act as key catalysts for this conversion from visitation

to tourism, with their influence extending to other parts of the province beyond their own town or

city. Moreover, the hosts themselves are quite commonly actively involved in the experience

becoming tourists themselves and further boosting the economic impact of the visit (TNS

Canada, 2011). Often tourism offerings within one‘s own region are not taken full advantage of

until friends and family come to visit. During these times, the tourism offerings allow the hosts to

showcase their home region while entertaining their guests.

In many ways, hosts should be seen as ambassadors who, through their very existence,

remove some of the barriers to choosing Ontario and furthermore, choosing RTO 12. With the

numerous family cottages and homes in the region, significant opportunities exist for treating

residents and homeowners in the region as ambassadors for the region. Furthermore, they are

key to conveying positive information about, and stimulating interest in, the Ontario pleasure

travel offer.

2.1.2 Business Tourism

Business tourism within RTO 12 represents a small proportion of trips to the region (Ministry of

Tourism and Culture, 2009). Despite this low incidence of business tourism, in 2010, Huntsville

received worldwide attention as a business tourism destination when it hosted the G8 Summit.

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Research suggests that selling Ontario as a venue for high-profile events should be an essential

ingredient in the Province‘s marketing strategy (Sorbara, 2009).

Fragmented efforts are occurring throughout RTO 12 to attract business tourism. Parry Sound is

on the forefront of attracting business related tourism to RTO 12, having recently hosted the

Ontario Small Urban Municipalities Conference and the Federation of Northern Ontario

Municipalities Conference in May 2011 and planning for the upcoming Ontario Contact

Conference in October 2011.

Huntsville and Lake of Bays have been focusing over the last three years on event tourism,

such as single sport tournaments and provincial, national and international sport organization

and federation meetings (Town of Huntsville & Lake of Bays, 2007). Although these efforts are

not business tourism focused, the potential exists in these areas to host large scale events; the

infrastructure and planning used in event tourism could be used as a foundation for developing

a stronger business tourism base.

Within South East Georgian Bay, the success of the partnership with Trent Severn Waterway in

hosting the Just Add Water Festival in May of 2011 has developed the infrastructure to host the

festival annually. Continued hosting of festivals and events such as the ones described above

expose newcomers to the region and should be seen as an opportunity to advance the profile of

RTO 12 and promote what the region has to offer.

The potential exists for RTO 12 to attract business-related tourism through conferences,

exhibitions, incentive travel, corporate hospitality, and outdoor events. As business tourism is a

viable tourism option for many resorts and hotels within Ontario, RTO 2 has recently begun to

target business tourism. Through speaking with board members of RTO 12, this move to

undercut business tourism and event hosting in RTO 2 has strained any potential for business

tourism in RTO 12. Although potential still exists, facilities in the region are experiencing

difficulties competing with the RTO 2 offerings.

2.1.3 Trip Activities

While purpose of the trip to RTO 12 is generally limited to pleasure or visiting friends and

relatives, the activities once one arrives in the region are very diverse. Visitors to RTO 12 are

generally drawn to the outdoor activities available in the region (Ministry of Tourism and Culture,

2009). Waterfront activities such as boating and fishing are the most popular outdoor activities

for tourists in the region followed by enjoying the National and Provincial Parks.

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These statistics are consistent with the findings of the Muskoka Assessment Project (Muskoka

Tourism, 2007) which identified the core attractions for the area as:

Water-Based Features and Activities;

Outdoor Recreation;

The Resort Experience;

Small Town/Village Experience;

Cultural & Heritage Experiences;

The Cottage Experience

The heritage sites and historical landmarks are also mentioned although they only represent

supporting attractions in the region.

As noted in Section 2.1.2, business and event tourism in the region is a small proportion of the

activities that visitors to the region partake in. While these may not be the primary reasons for

visiting the region, they continue to represent a potential attraction to the region once visitors

have arrived.

Trip Activities


38%

36%

20%

6%

3%

1%

13%

6%

5%

2%

2%

2%

1%

1%

1%

Any Outdoor/Sports Activity (NET)

Boating

Fishing

Golfing

Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding

Hunting

Natl/Prov. Nature Parks

Historic Sites

Museums/Art Galleries

Festivals/Fairs

Cultural Performances

Sports Events

Theme Parks

Zoos/Aquariums

Casinos

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2.1.4 Length of Stay

Ontarians have a strong awareness of tourism options within the province which has continued

to grow since 2008. Shorter trips such as weekend getaways are preferred by Ontario travelers

rather than multi-night vacations (TNS Canadian Facts, 2010).

Within RTO 12 this continues to be true, with most Ontarians travelling to the region for an

average of 3 nights (Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2009). As with Ontarians, New Yorkers

view Ontario as a short trip option, although there is very low unaided awareness of Ontario as

a travel destination with New York residents (TNS Canadian Facts, 2010).

Much of this weekend getaway travel behavior from Ontarians is promoted by the resorts in the

region that offer weekend getaway packages. The vast majority of resort specials and packages

target short getaways. Discounts such as ‗stay 2 nights, get 1 night free‘ are common, but

weeklong packages etc. are not widely publicized.

As expected, visitors to RTO 12 that travel a longer distance are more likely to stay in the region

for a longer period of time than tourists from within Ontario (TNS Canadian Facts, 2010).

International visitors generally travel to RTO 12 for vacations lasting in excess of 5 days

(Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2009).

Average Nights per Overnight Trip


3.2

6.2

5.6

5.2

3.0

Total

U.S.

Overseas

Other Canada

Ontario

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2.1.5 Party Composition

More than three-quarters of visitors to RTO 12 treat it as an adult‘s only destination and travel

without children. As detailed in Muskoka Tourism‘s marketing segments (see Section 2.3.1),

only one of the target segments includes families with children under the age of 15 (Muskoka

Tourism, 2011). The main resorts in RTO 12 (e.g., Deerhurst Resort, Taboo Resort Golf and

Spa, Couples Resort and Algonquin Spa, Grandview Resort, The Rosseau) play to this adult

only party composition by presenting a refined adult or couples environment.

Average Party Size


Although current visitation is mostly comprised of adults, 1-in-5 travelers to RTO 12 come with

children (Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2009). While a number of outdoor activities are

offered, few are specifically targeted at families, especially families with young children. Only

one attraction within the region, Santa‘s Village, speaks to attracting children and their families

to the region. While this attraction is appealing to families with young children, it does not

necessarily accommodate families with children of various ages. One avenue for RTO 12 to

investigate is to introduce a family friendly resort within the area, such as the Great Wolf Lodge

in RTO 2.

Adults Only 79%

With Children

21%

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2.2 Economic Growth

Countless opportunities within RTO 12 exist for economic growth. While needs exist in many

areas of the region, funds are limited and must be utilized in ways that will maximize the ROI for

the region. Consequently, the ability to track economic growth in order to understand the unique

contribution to the region and understand the ROI for the region is of utmost importance.

2.2.1 Current Economic Growth

The tourism industry in Muskoka is by far the District‘s largest industry and employer. No other

sector in the region comes close to creating the jobs and labour income that tourism does

(Muskoka Tourism, 2007). While the tourism industry is such a driver of economic success for

the region, it is fragile and its success if often dictated by factors outside of RTO 12‘s control

(e.g., border security restrictions, fluctuating Canadian dollar, weather conditions, etc.). The rise

in value of the Canadian dollar means more Ontario residents are spending their travel dollars

internationally and fewer US visitors are spending their travel dollars in Ontario. Total

international border crossings by Ontarians increased 11.2% to 17.8 million crossings during

Jan- Aug 2010 compared to 2009 (Muskoka Tourism, 2011).

The accommodation, food service sector is the # 1 employer in 5 of the 6 municipalities in

Muskoka, while tourism accounts for 20% of all jobs and 57% of the District‘s economic base

(Muskoka Tourism, 2007).

The majority of businesses in the area report employing less than 20 employees, while

accommodation, other services and transportation businesses are most often owner operated


Supply side increases in Muskoka‘s commercial accommodation sector showed no new growth

in 2010. However, over the past four years Muskoka has increased the room inventory by 16%

or 216,000 new room nights. This significant supply side increase is slowly being absorbed into

the market place (Muskoka Tourism, 2011).

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Size of Business


As discussed in Section 2.1.2, business and event tourism in the region has the ability to attract

revenue to the region and increase economic growth. An economic impact report was

generated to illustrate a sporting event in Huntsville, with 500 participants over a 2 day event in

2007. Over the term of the event the economic impact resulted in $184.00 per person per day x

500 participants = $164,000. A similar model was generated showing the economic impact for a

two day convention held in Huntsville. The economic impact resulted in an economic impact of

$299,000 (Town of Huntsville & Lake of Bays Township, 2007).

As a result, Huntsville and Lake of Bays have been focusing over the last three years on event

tourism, such as single sport tournaments and provincial, national and international sport

organization and federation meetings. Some success has been had hosting numerous fishing

tournaments, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Research Conference and the Muskoka

Triathlon.

47%

35%

25%

52%

29%

31%

50%

41%

51%

60%

45%

59%

61%

47%

7%

10%

11%

2%

6%

5%

3%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%

2%

1%

6%

1%

1%

Accommodation

Arts, Entertainment and Recreation

Food and Beverage

Transportation

Travel Services

Retail

Other Services

Indeterminate* 1 to 19 Employees 20 to 49 Employees 50 to 99 Employees 100+ Employees

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Ontario visitors to RTO 12 generate the greatest amount of visitor spending to the region, a

statistic strongly influenced by the fact that Ontario residents travel to the region at a much

higher rate than any other visitors.

Visitor Spending (000’s)


When examined more closely, visitors from outside Canada generate the highest spending per

visitor for overnight visitors. Conversely, visitors from Ontario generate the highest spending per

visitor for same-day spending (Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2009).

Visitors from outside of Canada have the highest potential to generate future economic growth

for the region and should not be overlooked in future marketing efforts by the region. Rather

than casting the net too large, RTO 12 should focus on a few strategic overseas markets to

customize marketing material for the specific country. In a 2009 report, customizing websites to

appeal to international markets such as Germany and Japan was suggested as a method of

boosting overseas tourism to Ontario (TNS Canadian Facts, 2009).

$586,584

$507,301

$11,410

$44,029

$23,845

$515,888

$441,849

$7,405

$43,219

$23,415

$70,697

$65,452

$4,006

$810

$429

Total

Ontario

Other Canada

U.S.

Overseas

Total Visitor Spending

Overnight Visitor Spending

Same-Day Visitor Spending

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Average Visitor Spending


2.2.2 Forecasted and Potential for Economic Growth

In 2007, Huntsville and Lake of Bays collaborated with a number of partners to create a

marketing plan. The marketing plan was designed to maintain partnerships with the Local-

Chamber of Commerce, Town of Huntsville, Township of Lake of Bays, and businesses of the

BIA, Commerce Park, King William Assoc., Algonquin & Arrowhead Park, Port Sydney & Events

Huntsville; Regional-Muskoka Tourism, Muskoka Chamber Mgrs.; Ontario Ministry of Tourism,

Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership; Community Futures, and FedNor. As this plan has

expired, opportunity exists for RTO 12 to work with the prior plan stakeholders in the creation of

a region wide plan (Town of Huntsville & Lake of Bays Township, 2007).

In a 2009 report, it was recommended that the communication and collaboration of

municipalities in helping to drive the implementation of destination development strategies by

incorporating the objectives into their municipal planning documents including Official plans,

$162

$149

$292

$384

$390

$194

$178

$205

$429

$461

$74

$71

$58

$41

Total

Ontario

Other Canada

U.S.

Overseas

Total Visitor Spending

Overnight Visitor Spending

Same-Day Visitor Spending

19

Community Improvement Plans, and incentive programs (Malone Given Parsons Ltd. (with

HDR), 2009).

The Huntsville & Lake of Bays Marketing Report (2007) identified four key ―customers‖ of the

area:

Large local resorts – marketing corporate, leisure and cultural travel trade;

Algonquin Provincial Park – marketing travel trade and outdoor enthusiasts;

Local Sporting Organizations (tournaments etc) – representing family travel; and,

Seasonal residents of the area.

In order to improve Bracebridge‘s image for tourism and visitors and better position itself for

future growth in the tourism sector, Bracebridge business owners feel the focus should be on

the Arts and Cultural opportunities as well as community-wide branding/marketing .

In the Bracebridge Community-Based Strategic Plan (Town of Bracebridge, 2008), residents

(both seasonal and permanent) indicate that increasing the diversity of retail offerings is the

largest existing opportunity to gain more economic benefit from the numerous cottagers that

exist in Muskoka. This is also likely to add to the region‘s tourism offering.

Bracebridge area residents feel that the business development and attraction efforts should be

primarily focused on the downtown and waterfront areas.

2.2.3 Barriers to Economic Growth

Employers in the region feel that although the summer months attract a great deal of business,

it is difficult to retain staff for the entire year with the current seasonality of the tourism season in

RTO 12. Business owners in Bracebridge were unsatisfied with the economic sustainability of

communities due to the unemployment rates and high wages coupled with the seasonality.

Business owners in the region feel that that the largest barrier to doing business in the

community is the seasonality as well as the higher cost to get goods (Town of Bracebridge,

2008). Developing the retail offerings in the region as well as promoting the year round appeal

of RTO 12 as a tourist destination would serve to mitigate this barrier.

The Town of Parry Sound reports that during peak periods, there is a need for more

accommodation and restaurants. The challenge with this peak demand is year-round

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occupancy; the workforce and the demand is not constant, especially throughout the winter

season enough to sustain these businesses.

Algonquin Provincial Park experiences similar issues, with Park visitation experiencing a very

strong seasonal component with the majority of visits occurring during a ten week interval from

late June until the beginning of September (Ontario Parks, 2011).

While many of the communities in the region are ramping up to attract visitors and resorts to the

region, some are resistant to commercializing the region. There are few areas of continuous

vacant, undeveloped shoreline in Carling that might be suitable for the establishment of new

tourist commercial accommodation units. Although this opportunity exists, Carling township

notes in its official plan, that since there is no reasonable potential for new tourist units, and the

perceived incompatibility of tourist resort units adjacent to low density residential developments,

the township will not to permit the establishment of any new tourist commercial establishments

(Township of Carling, 2011).

Another major barrier throughout Ontario concerns labour, specifically the inconsistent

requirements for licensing as well as cost recovery for employers for room and board for live-in

employees. There is an inability of employers to cross train foreign workers and use them in

multiple positions due to the strict limits on positions held for foreign workers (Pareto Consulting

Inc., 2009).

Research suggests the need for dialogue and tighter linkages between OTMPC processes and

tourism business cycle planning. This presents an opportunity for RTO 12 to get involved in

OTMPC processes in order to represent the tourism businesses in its region (Pareto Consulting

Inc., 2009).

An opportunity also exists to leverage the OTMPC partnership marketing programs that will

drive longer than 4 night trips. Working collaboratively with OTMPC can ensure local marketing

programs are consistent with the provincial wide program.

21

2.3 Key Influencers in the Ontario Tourism Market

2.3.1 Demographic Shifts

RTO 12 draws the majority of its tourists from Ontario; of those tourists, Toronto contributes the

highest number of tourists, followed by the surrounding areas of Peel and York region (Ministry

of Tourism and Culture, 2009). These areas are able to easily access RTO 12 by vehicle within

a few hours.

Person Visits by Origin

(Top 10 Ontario Census Divisions)

Total Visits (000s)


RTO 12 draws tourists from nearby locations outside of Ontario, primarily New York and

Quebec (Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2009). These are both in close proximity to RTO 12 so

travellers can reach their destination by car within a matter of hours.

862

439

423

374

168

138

122

119

109

89

Toronto

Peel Region

York Region

Simcoe County

Durham Region

Muskoka District

Hamilton-Wentworth Region

Waterloo Region

Niagara Region

Halton Region

22

New Yorkers‘ interest in Ontario has increased, while interest in their state has decreased. The

main barrier to travel from the U.S. Mid Markets remains border/passport restrictions and

security increases; these have created some negativity towards travelling to Ontario (TNS

Canadian Facts, 2010).

In terms of overseas visitors, the UK and Germany fall into the top ten person visits by origin


Person Visits by Origin

(Top 10 Provinces, States or Countries)

Total Visits (000s)


28

18

12

12

12

12

12

11

6

6

New York

Quebec

United Kingdom

Ohio

Michigan

Florida

British Columbia

Germany

California

Wisconsin

23

Currently, Muskoka Tourism is targeting the following areas in their marketing efforts in their

tourism efforts (Muskoka Tourism, 2011):

Primary:

The 7 million people within a three hour drive of Muskoka that represents 92% of visitation to

the region. That includes:

Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe Area of Southern Ontario,

National Capital Region (Ottawa), Quebec

Secondary:

Second Home Owners

Tertiary:

US near-border states of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, with specific

emphasis on larger metropolitan areas within 6 hours by car of Muskoka

Barrie/Simcoe County, rest of Southern Ontario, ―Already Here‖ market

Within these primary, second, and tertiary markets, Muskoka Tourism has identified four key

segments to the region at which they are targeting their marketing efforts (Muskoka Tourism,

2011): These segments are developed out of the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership‘s

(OTMPC) tourism segment profiles (Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, 2009).

While RTO 12 does not have the funds or the need to target all segments identified in the

OTMPC segment profile, Muskoka Tourism has developed four key targets for which to market

the region to.

24

Key Marketing Segments

Market

Segment Description Demographics

Adventurers

Older middle- aged

married couples

with adult age

children and some

empty nests

Lifestage: Middle aged (45-64) families; Kids (18+) HH Size: Large (Over 1/3 with 4+) Housing Type: Own; Older single detached Job Type: White collar (41%), Self Employed (14%) Average HH Income: $121,848

Families

Younger and

middle-aged

suburban and

exurban families

with children

Lifestage: Lower middle-aged (35-54) families; Kids (<15) HH Size: Large (57% with 4+) Housing Type: Own; Newer singles and semis Job Type: Mixed Average HH Income: $ 103,182

Young go-go’s Young successful,

multi-ethnic urban

trendsetters

Lifestage: Young (25-44); Singles; no kids HH Size: Small (73% 1 or 2 people) Housing Type: Rent Job Type: White collar (48%) Service (38%) Average HH Income: $91,492

Retired

roamers

Mature and older

retirees and seniors

living in suburbia

and towns

Lifestage: Mature (55+), no kids HH Size: Small (67% 1 or 2 people) Housing Type: Own; Older single-detached, 27% rent Job Type: Mixed; White & Blue, Self Employed (13%) Average HH Income: $64,838

(Muskoka Tourism, 2011)

25

2.4 Visitor Needs

2.4.1 Language Needs

As previous data has shown (see Section 2.3.1), Quebec represents the second highest

number of tourists to RTO 12 from outside of Ontario, second only to those from New York

State. For these visitors, language is not necessarily seen as a barrier to travel, although this is

largely due to the fact that the majority of Quebec tourists to Ontario are Anglophone (TNS

Canadian Facts, 2009).

Although mother tongue does not significantly impact the decision to travel to Ontario, marketing

directed at each language segment has been successful (TNS Canadian Facts, 2010).

Marketing materials in other languages may be enough to convert those who were undecided

about travelling due to language concerns, further confounding the recommendation to translate

the RTO 12 website for different languages.

2.4.2 Transportation Needs

Visitors to RTO 12 often experience traffic issues, especially during weekends and long

weekends/holidays. The congestion is often a deterrent for travelling to the region, as many

people do not want to fight the crowds for hours on the highway after a hectic work week. Short

of expanding Ontario‘s road network, one solution to the problem of congestion lies in the

broadening of travel choices.

One suggestion that addresses the RTO 12 region is the implementation of a regional rapid

transit system connecting Ontario‘s most popular tourist regions—Toronto and Area, Central

Ontario (Barrie, Muskoka, Peterborough), South-Central Ontario (Hamilton) and the Niagara

Region. This option would not only serve the local population and business commuter it would

provide tourists with fast and efficient access to many of the province‘s major attractions. A

regional rapid transit system may also serve to increase a destination‘s visitation by boosting

the attractiveness of short haul day trips. (Malone Given Parsons Ltd., & HDR Decision

Economics, 2009). As this option represents a large investment from all parties involved, a great

deal of research would need to be conducted prior to moving ahead with any of these plans to

understand the ROI an investment in this type of infrastructure would provide.

Ontario‘s tourism-specific infrastructure is a barrier to attracting non-domestic visitors to

gateway centres and then dispersing them to surrounding areas, as well as drawing the

26

domestic visitor from other major centres out into the regional surrounding areas and the larger

province. The non-dispersion of visitors can be in part attributed to the lack of visitor information,

typically provided by visitor information centres. These centres are useful to educate tourists on

the actual distances between destinations which is a major problem in many parts of Ontario

(Malone Given Parsons Ltd. (with HDR), 2009).

Another transportation need that exists in RTO 12 is the need for consolidation and connection

of bike paths. When people travel to RTO 12 they often bring their bikes, as many spectacular

bike trails exist very close to where they are staying including the Bruce Trail. There are many

types of trails in the RTO and they tend to fall into characteristics such as:

Scenic;

Historic;

Tourism;

Natural;

Motorized; and

Non-motorized.

In the region there are 194 identified trails, with over 92% supporting multi-use activity (Ontario

Trails and Georgian Bay Coast Trail, 2011). Since many of the trails throughout the region are

fragmented, those that bring their bikes are then forced to drive a significant distance to access

sufficient bike trails from their resort. There is evidence to suggest that adding or increasing bike

trails increases tourism to the region (The District of Muskoka Planning and Economic

Development Department, 2008).

The region of Muskoka commissioned the Muskoka Active Transportation Strategy (The District

of Muskoka Planning and Economic Development Department, 2008) to examine ways to

connect many of the segmented bike trails so that visitors to the region do not have to drive to

bike. The report recommends that Muskoka should focus on the development of a regional

cycling network, based primarily on the existing district road network linking communities and

other destinations, particularly tourism destinations across Muskoka.

At the time of this report, the decision had been made to move ahead with connecting the bike

paths. When roads in the region are scheduled for repaving or resurfacing etc., a bike path will

be integrated into the road. Although this does not represent an immediate solution for all of the

bikers to the region, it is a cost effective method of connecting the bike paths and will provide a

27

long term solution to the barrier. RTO 12 is currently the only RTO who is including trails in their

destination development plan (Ontario Trails and Georgian Bay Coast Trail, 2011).

2.5 Visitor Access to Information

The traditional method of receiving tourism information within Ontario is by way of a tourism

information centre. Muskoka Tourism operates two travel information centres (Hwy. 11 and

Bressettte House in Georgian Bay Township). For the 2010 calendar year the Hwy 11 centre

and Bressette House welcomed 59,154 and 3,000 visitors respectively. The Hwy 11 travel

centre is open year round, 7 days a week. Bressette House is open weekends from September

to June and 7 days a week July through August. These tourism information centres provide

travel information for visitors to the region that have already arrived. Although it is important to

provide arriving visitors with information about regional attractions, these centers do not serve to

educate potential tourists from outside the region.

In addition to the travel information centres, Muskoka Tourism provides literature to be

distributed to centres throughout Ontario. In 2011, Muskoka Tourism plans to implement a

revised Travel Guide to be distributed to 75,000 potential tourists. A Muskoka Tourism map is

also planned for distribution.

Also distributed is their Spring and Fall Bulk Literature Distribution which involves shipping

Muskoka Tourism member brochures to over 80 strategic travel information centres in Ontario

and U.S. border states (AAA, CAA, Ontario Travel Centres, etc). Muskoka Tourism Travel

Guides and maps are also part of this shipment. While currently RTO 12 is uninvolved in the

branding and associated communication of this bulk literature distribution, it recognizes the

opportunity to assist with this material in order to distinguish the region from other RTO‘s in

Ontario.

In terms of online access to information, in February 2011, the Muskoka Tourism website

introduced an interactive map of the area which features multiple layers highlighting different

tourism experiences (golf, spa, resort, etc). Potential tourists are able to select features and

activities in the region that they are interested in, select them on the map, and see proximity to

where they‘re staying etc.

In addition to the resources provided by Muskoka Tourism, Regional Tourism Organization

(RTO 12) has implemented an online reservation platform - a pilot project (Dec. 2010 to March

31, 2012). Each participating business would have their unique micro-site on the Muskoka

28

Tourism webpage as well as a mirror micro site on their own website. Consumers will be able to

make direct reservations. The site has grown substantially over Summer 2011 and now offers

numerous accommodation and activities that can be booked directly through the RTO 12

website. It also links to the sites of the individual accommodations and activities, allowing

potential visitors to the region to gather more information about the region before travelling

there.

All advertising efforts including traditional offline and online should focus in packages and

pricing options/packages that target key family and couple segments driving consumers to this

new website online booking tool. This will allow the RTO 12 to measure a clear ROI on its

marketing investment to help determine the most profitable tactical marketing avenues in the

future.

2.5.1 Algonquin Provincial Park

A substantial part of RTO in terms of number of visitors as well as land mass, Algonquin

Provincial Park collects various data on its visitors. This data is collected as part of a data

collection initiative by Ontario parks and it is reported as an aggregate with other Ontario

Provincial Parks. The Ontario Parks data reports that people generally hear about the park from

family and friends (Ontario Parks, 2010). Although hearing about the park from friends and

family is an excellent method of communicating the accessibility and fun things the park has to

offer, this information may have varying levels of accuracy and does not necessarily promote all

attractions that the park and surrounding area have to offer.

Many core campground users of the park already feel that they have a great deal of outdoor

knowledge and do not search for additional information about the park‘s offerings. These users

are familiar with the reservation system, parks guide and website. Whereas Adventure seeking

visitors to the park are heavy internet users as well as heavy readers of both magazines and

newspapers (Ontario Parks, 2011). These mediums assist them in their travel planning and

should be targeted for marketing of lesser known park services and activities as well as the

region as a whole in an effort extend their stay in the region.

According to Ontario Parks, more mature users of the park are heavy users of traditional media

– TV and print. They are still likely to use print to plan trips: maps and official travel guides.

Direct mail (flyers), community newspapers, and coupons appeal to this audience (Ontario

Parks, 2008). These users are more likely to utilize the mailings from Muskoka Tourism and the

29

travel information centres, indicating that the park and its services should continue be widely

marketed in this literature.

Already 42% of people visiting the parks are using equipment rentals from local outfitters. An

opportunity exists for RTO 12 to work with local retailers to bulk up these offerings so people

can take more advantage. Communicating the ease of renting everything once they arrive may

encourage visitors from the cities who do not have existing outdoors equipment and did not

realize that they could rent all the necessary equipment on site.

In order to address these multiple needs for information, Ontario Parks is redesigning their

website as well as many of their advertising outlets in order to appeal to reluctant markets as

well as frequent park users. This redesign will allow easier access of information for all types of

parks users and potential users. This plan is being rolled out through 2014 (Ontario Parks,

2011).

2.5.2 U.S. and Overseas Visitors to the Region

As mentioned in Section 2.1.4, visitors to the region that travel a greater distance are more likely

to stay for a longer period of time as well as spend more money than those who only need to

travel a short distance. Canadian tourism‘s largest overseas visitors are the British; and

typically this group is using the internet to book travel (TNS Canadian Facts, 2009). In addition

to the UK market, customizing websites to appeal to other international markets such as

Germany and Japan, two existing RTO 12 tourism markets that have the possibility to generate

greater interest in the region. Algonquin Park and Muskoka are seeing increasing visitation from

Japanese tourists, although the increasing costs of travelling to Canada contribute to muted

growth in tourism from this area (Malone Given Parsons Ltd. (with HDR), 2009).

Passport and border issues continue to be a barrier to travel for US markets (TNS Canadian

Facts, 2010). Increased information availability surrounding this issue could help to alleviate

some of these reservations.

2.6 New Canadian’s Values and Perceptions of Outdoor Recreation

The two largest groups of recent immigrants to Canada are those of Asian and European

descent (58% and 16%) between 2001 and 2006 (Dmytrakova, 2010).

30

Differences in travel behaviour are usually associated with the nationality and other socio-

demographic and psychographic characteristics of tourists; these differences in travel motivation

typically diminish as the individual assimilates to Canadian culture (Dmytrakova, 2010).

A study Exploring Travel Motivations and Attitudes of South Asians and Chinese Canadians

was conducting using a qualitative approach in 2010 (Ipsos Reid, 2010). The study sought to

understand whether South Asians and/or Chinese Canadians were a unique subset of the

Canadian population in terms of travel behaviour.

The study found that recent immigrants had a limited awareness of travel destinations in Ontario

outside of the major urban centres that were easy to get to and possessed the convenience and

hygiene of up-to-date amenities. Travel information was usually gleaned from the Chinese

media, online in web forums, or through word of mouth.

There were some slight differences between South Asians and Chinese Canadians. South

Asians were more likely to enjoy relaxing, and parks or quiet locations, whereas Chinese were

more inclined to shop, frequent restaurants, gamble, and enjoy the nightlife (Ipsos Reid, 2010).

While South Asians were more likely to spend conservatively and go on road trips, Chinese

were more likely to go on package tours and enjoy the luxuries while travelling while enjoying

new things.

Of particular relevance to RTO 12, both groups valued outdoor nature; Chinese were more

inclined to rent comfortable accommodations in a natural setting, while South Asians enjoyed

spending time in the outdoors such as picnicking.

Although these traits applied to recent South Asian and Chinese immigrants to Canada, second

generation Canadians were found to be ―Canadianised‖ and did not represent a unique tourism

subset of the Canadian population.

There is currently only an OTMPC/CTC trade marketing support for the Overseas markets

including the UK and Germany. Although there is currently no consumer led marketing,

advertising or digital based programs in these overseas markets which is greatly needed to

raise awareness and promote packages targeted to potential key travellers to increase

visitation.

31

2.7 Destination Marketing Fee

The Destination Marketing Fund (DMF) is a fund voluntarily charged and collected by an

agreed-upon organization and used to support tourism development, marketing and/or

infrastructure for the region. The DMF is usually in the form of a percentage charge on room

rates for accommodations. The DMF has been introduced in several regions across the

province. The decision whether or not to implement a DMF is a local or regional one often

involving key operators, the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) and the municipality

(Hotel Association of Canada, 2007).

When the DMF was proposed for RTO 12, there was the perception of the ―haves‖ and the

―have nots‖ in terms of the Destination Marketing Fee, where those that charged it had greater

access to partnership funds from OTMPC and therefore were better positioned in the market

than those that did not charge it (Driscoll, 2009)

In June of 2009, the Muskoka Tourism Marketing Agency (MTMA), confirmed that a proposed

destination marketing fee (DMF) for the area had been put on hold. MTMA had proposed a

three per cent DMF to begin in 2009 for rooms rented within Muskoka. However, the

implementation of the a new three per cent increase in the provincial sales tax on transient

accommodations was introduced, causing the temporary hold on the DMF.

As long as the communities get to keep the 3% increase to fund their regional marketing

organizations, MTMA suggests that any move to implement a DMF will be put on hold (Driscoll,

2009).

32

3 BRAND POSITIONING AND DEVELOPMENT

In mid 2011, RTO 12 contracted TNS Canada with Y&R to conduct a brand positioning and

development study. The study was designed to asses current consumer perceptions of the RTO

12 region through the key destinations within the region – Algonquin Provincial Park, Muskoka,

and Parry Sound. As well, it aimed to understand the results within the competitive context of

the other regions of Ontario.

3.1 Awareness, Attitudes and Usage

Next to Niagara and the big cities, a number of tourism areas receive very similar overall scores

including the RTO sub-regions. The three main RTO 12 sub-regions sit in the middle of all

Ontario tourism regions as familiar destinations to visit in Ontario. In spite of the relatively high

overall score and consideration scores, the proportion of Ontario travelers who are very likely to

visit the three RTO 12 sub-regions is not particularly high (TNS Canada, 2011).

Well over one-half (58%) of Ontario travelers have visited Muskoka, while about one-half visited

Parry Sound and Georgian Bay (50%) and Algonquin Park (49%). In terms of future

consideration, Muskoka and Algonquin Park score very well, not far behind the Niagara region

and New York City.

In terms of attitudes, those who would consider visiting each of the three RTO 12 sub-regions

display a greater likelihood of travelling to enjoy nature and the outdoors than the typical Ontario

traveler. When considering a short get-away, most Ontario travelers think of travel within

Canada, with Ontario having the greatest share of mind. Just over two-fifths would consider the

States for short get-aways.

3.2 The Needstate Map

Using NeedScope, a TNS proprietary tool, TNS conducted the brand positioning from which the

new brand and logo design stemmed from. Strategically, NeedScope provides an understanding

of the needs in the market and how brands satisfy these needs. This provides the ability to

answer questions on brand strategy as well as the ability to identify gaps in the market and

develop innovations that meet genuine needs in the market. By understanding emotion,

NeedScope unlocks the real drivers of product and brand choice to help build more powerful

destination brands.

33

All of the RTO 12 destinations operate in a broadly similar territory on the left hand side of the

model. This means that the region as a whole can act with consistent elements pertaining to the

emotive image that it conveys communications. All regions are seen as providing similar

activities and interests meaning that similar communication images e.g. active, outdoor pursuits

can apply for all three regions.

Interestingly, all three regions have emotive connections with both the top of the map (high

energy) and the bottom of the map (relaxed and mellow). Strategic targeting should help to

ensure that the RTO 12 experience stays harmonized. Communications must ensure that

positioning does not deter seekers of one of these emotional experiences.

Based on the findings of the study, future RTO 12 communications should focus on:

RTO 12 is a friendly and welcoming place to enjoy the great outdoors. You can get

connected to nature at a pace that suits you

RTO 12 is very suitable for active sporty people, but is also an eco-friendly environment

RTO 12 regions can bring you closer to what matters leaving you refreshed and

rejuvenated

A focus on these elements in communication will enable the communication to speak to the

emotions behind the brand and resonate with those receiving the communication.

34

3.3 Brand Creation

In August 2011, Y&R conducted a branding project, aimed at creating an overarching brand that

built on the existing strong brands. This branding project built off of the NeedScope work that

TNS completed and developed a brand a logo design for the region of RTO 12.

Quantitative and qualitative research was conducted to inform the brand creation and based on

this research, several logos were designed that aligned with the brand positioning. These logos

were presented to RTO 12 and the Explorer‘s Edge brand and logo were selected.

The RTO 12 website and materials were all re-branded with the Explorer‘s Edge logo. Moving

forward, all RTO 12 materials will be re-branded, with much of the digital media already having

adopted the new logo.

35

4 GAPS IN THE RESEARCH

Detailed in this section are areas in which there is little or no available research for RTO 12. The

lack of research in these areas are viewed as being beneficial research avenues for RTO 12 to

investigate in order to continue to grow the body of research for the region.

4.1 Trip Planning

Access to information concerning both how visitors to RTO 12 research their trip as well as how

they book travel are not available. With the implementation of the pilot project for booking travel

on the RTO 12 website, increasing opportunities for mapping this research and trip planning are

available. Currently there is very little website tracking information; while basic website visits are

recorded, any in-depth analysis of website tracking and exposure does not exist. Virtually no ad

tracking occurs that participating stakeholders are aware of.

4.2 Visitor Tracking

In addition to understanding how people make the decision and research the region, once

visitors arrive in the region, there is virtually no tracking of their activities in the region. Individual

locations and attractions gather their own visitor information in a variety of forms but there is no

consistent method of gathering information. While a visitor may begin their trip camping in

Algonquin Park and finish with a stay at a golf resort and spa, there is no consistent tracking for

tourism within RTO 12 once they arrive.

4.3 Specific Tourism Planning

Regional economic development officers often include a tourism aspect in their marketing and

economic development plans. While this is a necessary aspect of economic development, there

is an absence of having a specific tourism plan for the region.

The need for a community specific plan as part of the larger RTO 12 tourism plan was

emphasized in discussions with stakeholders, although no firm plans had been set in place. In

the absence of more robust tourism statistics, the creation of a plan seems daunting.

4.4 Cottage Renters

A large proportion of tourists in the region are not accounted for in the hotel/motel, resort and

campground statistics that are collected. Private cottages are rented out throughout the year to

36

many visitors to the region and these people, and their activities while in the region are not

accurately documented. This is especially applicable to those who rent cottages privately, and

not through a central service or website. Although this is a large market in RTO 12 which brings

in a number of different tourists to the region, these visitors are not tracked and their economic

impact on the region is not measured in an official sense.

Further research in this area could examine what activities they are enjoying while in the region,

their willingness to return to the region, as well as their expenditures while they are staying in

RTO 12.

37

5 RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendations listed below stem from the review of research from RTO 12 and a ranked

in level of importance to the region.

1. Understand Usage and Attitudes of Tourists in the Region:

An in-depth U&A study would assist the region in understanding what‘s most desirable for

tourists to the region further. Research in this area would also allow RTO 12 to test

opportunities for promotion in the region before actually rolling them out in order to gauge

reaction.

2. Test RTO 12 Advertising:

In order to ensure that advertising is reaching the desired markets, a quantitative pre/post ad/

brand tracking design should be conducted to test both the reach and impact of RTO 12

marketing and advertising.

OTMPC currently conducts ad and brand tracking and RTO 12 should follow their methodology

and implement a similar design to test advertising awareness and ROI.

In addition, combining traditional ad tracking with social media listening is a must to ensure a

360° holistic view of the brand is measured allowing for ongoing refinement of marketing

strategies and tactics.

3. Create and Test Brand Strategy:

Once a brand strategy is implemented in the region, the name, brand attributes and tag line, as

well as brand images/ iconography should be evaluated through qualitative and quantitative

research in order to understand the efficacy of the strategy and any reworking that is required.

4. New Product and Innovation Research:

In order to understand what‘s missing in the area in terms of tourism and recreational products,

research in the area of new product and innovation should be conducted. This type of research

will assist the region in understanding and identifying how consumers are shaping the future of

the RTO 12 market. It will also provide a basis to launch new tourism products to generate more

tourism traffic to the region.

38

5. Develop Regional Targets:

Currently, provincial tourism targets are used to inform marketing and advertising markets. RTO

12 needs to focus on developing regional tourism targets in order to focus their marketing and

advertising dollars to the appropriate targets.

6. Customize Websites to Appeal to Overseas Markets

Customizing websites to appeal to international markets such as Germany and Japan was

suggested as a method of boosting overseas tourism to Ontario (TNS Canadian Facts, 2009).

Allowing overseas visitors to customize a website and research the area in their own language

is a cost effective method of ensuring that those who are already interested in the region are

able to access the information they require. This also demonstrates that the region is open to

overseas visitors and a welcoming destination for people of all backgrounds. A scan of other

RTO websites reveals only RTO 5 has adopted this approach at this time.

7. Create Tighter Linkages Between Local and Provincial Agencies:

Research suggests the need for dialogue and tighter linkages between OTMPC processes and

tourism business cycle planning. This presents an opportunity for RTO 12 to increase

involvement in OTMPC processes in order to represent the tourism businesses in its region.

8. Strengthen Business Tourism:

Since hosting the G8 in 2010, RTO 12 has gained worldwide recognition as a business tourism

destination. The facilities exist to host large scale events such as conferences and corporate

retreats. The close proximity to Toronto and the surrounding areas allows for quick travel and

provides excellent exposure to the region with the potential for those business travelers to return

for pleasure.

9. Promote RTO 12 as a Year Round Tourism Destination:

RTO 12 suffers from a very seasonal tourist season. While there are some year round tourist

offerings, it is primarily marketed as a May to September destination. This greatly impacts local

businesses; there is difficulty keeping up with the demand in the summer months, while staff

has to be laid off during the winter months.

In order to combat this seasonality, the benefits and ease of travelling to RTO 12 in the winter

should be incorporated in future travel plans.

39

10. Extend Weekend Getaways into Week Long Vacations:

Currently the bulk of RTO 12 visitors travel from within Ontario. These visitors are staying in the

region an average of 3 days. The resorts cater to these travelers, offering many packages that

encourage long weekend getaways. Potential exists to promote the region as a vacation

destination to Ontario tourists.

11. Ease Fears of Border Crossing:

Visitors from outside of Canada feel that passport and security restrictions and regulations

hinder their travel to the region. This is especially strong with visitors from New York who have

similar outdoor offerings within their own state that don‘t involve border crossing.

In order to alleviate some of that hesitation associated with international travel, RTO 12 could

address border crossing regulations and provide links to the appropriate travel regulation

websites on their website.

12. Promote the Ease of Renting:

Many city residents do not have the equipment to participate in many of the popular RTO 12

outdoor activities (e.g., camping, fishing). Already 42% of people visiting the parks are using

equipment rentals from local outfitters.

An opportunity exists for RTO 12 to work with local retailers to bulk up these offerings so people

can take more advantage. Communicating the ease of renting everything once they arrive may

encourage visitors from the cities who do not realize that they could rent all the necessary

equipment on site.

13. Encourage Visiting Friends and Relatives

Residents of the region, both seasonal and permanent, should be considered a target for

communications with the objective of encouraging and strengthening their ambassador role as a

host to visiting friends and relatives.

Such initiatives might certainly extend to product packaging and value‐added offers. For

instance, those assuming the role of host and ambassador could be provided with the

opportunity to take advantage of host attraction packages and deals that assist them with

stimulating the interest of friends and relatives. This would make their ambassador role easier to

assume and provide an incentive for all parties to act on their interest.

40

14. Leverage Existing Support:

Business owners in Bracebridge have already expressed the need to have a community/region

wide branding and marketing plan. RTO 12 should leverage the support of Bracebridge

business owners to encourage other less willing communities to participate in the creation of

region wide branding and marketing plan.

15. Educate Residents of the Area about Algonquin

Since the majority of people hear about Ontario Provincial Parks from family and friends, a

portion of the education and promotion of the park should be targeted at existing permanent and

seasonal residents of the area as well as those who have visited the park previously. This

information should educate them about the less known aspects of the park and the services that

are offered, as well as the region as a whole.

16. Create a Family Friendly Destination

The lack of travelers with children would suggest an opportunity for RTO 12 to develop a more

family friendly destination as a portion of its advertising. A family friendly resort such as Great

Wolf Lodge, currently with only one location in RTO 2, would help to encourage families to visit

the region.

41

6 WORKS CITED

(2009). Retrieved from Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation:

http://www.tourismpartners.com/TcisCtrl?language=EN&site=partners&key1=research&key2=n

ewReport

Bracebridge Visitor Centre. (2011, January - March). Daily Statistics Summary. Ontario,

Bracebridge.

Canadian Tourism Commission. (2009). Tourism Snapshot - 2009 Year-in-Review. Retrieved

from Canadian Tourism Commission: http://en-

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facts-figures/Tourism%20Snapshot%20-

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44

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45

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46

APPENDIX A: CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RESEARCH

TNS Canada would like to thank the contributors below for their willingness to discuss tourism in

their area and provide relevant tourism information.

Town of Parry Sound

Muskoka District

Friends of Algonquin Park

Town of Bracebridge

Algonquin Provincial Park

Township of McKellar

South East Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce

Township of Georgian Bay

47

APPENDIX B: RTO 12 MAP

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