NORTHER N M A NITOBA TOU RISM S T R AT E GY P R O G R E S S R E P O R T 2020
INTRODUCTION The Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy encompasses communities that are signatory to Treaties 5, 6 and 10, the original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anish-Ininiwak, Ininiwak and Dene and the homeland of the Métis. The Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy was launched in 2017 to guide and support the growth of the tourism industry in Manitoba’s North. With a strong foundation in tourism – thanks to world class wildlife viewing in Churchill and established hunting and fishing operators across the region – Travel Manitoba and stakeholders appointed to the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee came together to prepare a strategy that outlines steps to grow tourism in the area. Travel Manitoba’s work is supported by Look North, a Government of Manitoba initiative to develop and implement a northern economic development strategy. The Look North Action Plan is being implemented by the Communities Economic Development Fund under the direction of the Look North Steering Committee, which is comprised of industry and community members from Northern Manitoba.
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N O R T H E R N M A N I T O B A T O U R I S M S T R AT E G Y
VISION
Northern Manitoba, Canada’s Northern Heartland, engages visitors through exceptional experiences in accessible Canadian wilderness, wildlife and northern heritage.
MISSION
Grow tourism in Northern Manitoba through product development, marketing and by leveraging community support.
GOAL
Increase Northern Manitoba tourism expenditures from the current $116 million annually to $151 million annually by March 2022.
NORTHERN TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Gary Bell (Chair) – Calm Air Tara Stefansson – Lazy Bear Expeditions Tim Johnston – North Central Community Futures Development Corporation Colleen Smook – City of Thompson Kathy Ruiter – Paint Lake Lodge Joe Cote – Cedar Lake Community Futures Development Corporation Kelly Heape – Watchi Bay Bed and Breakfast Lori Lathlin – Opaskwayak Cree Nation Becky Cianflone – Greenstone Community Futures Development Corporation
PROGRESS REPORT
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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N O R T H E R N M A N I T O B A T O U R I S M S T R AT E G Y
Travel Manitoba was named the province’s strategic economic development partner for tourism in March 2019. Part of Travel Manitoba’s mandate as a member of this economic growth committee is to deliver the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy. As Travel Manitoba works to foster and promote Manitoba’s tourism industry as a driver for province-wide economic growth, it is leading the implementation of the Provincial Tourism Strategy for Manitoba. Based on extensive stakeholder input, the Provincial Tourism Strategy is a collaborative effort between Travel Manitoba, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and the Government of Manitoba. This strategy was launched in April 2019, two years after the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy. Many of the challenges and opportunities identified in the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy were also identified in the Provincial Tourism Strategy, which is now serving as the overarching strategy guiding tourism growth in Manitoba. The Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy will continue to address key issues related specifically to tourism in the North, while province-wide issues such as wayfinding signage, cellular service and infrastructure requirements will be addressed through the Provincial Tourism Strategy and its aim for a whole-of-government approach regarding tourism development.
2017-2020 SUCCESSES Travel Manitoba, with the guidance of the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee, has made progress in each of the strategy’s priorities. Among these successes are: •• Hired the Northern Tourism Consultant to provide a dedicated Travel Manitoba presence in the North. •• Added a Look North member to the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee. •• Marketing initiatives including content development (blog posts, videos, photos), website and visitor guide to promote northern destination areas. •• Completed destination area assessments to identify gaps and priorities. •• Improved community engagement scores in the DestinationNEXT assessment over a four-year period. •• Launched place brands for Flin Flon and Thompson. •• Supported the expansion of Churchill’s tourism season though the winter with the promotion of northern lights experiences. •• Supported the development of a Snowmobile Tourism Strategic Plan.
PROGRESS REPORT
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2.0 RESULTS This results section summarizes progress on specific strategies and tactics outlined in the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy.
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #1: ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
KEY RESULT 1.2: NORTHERN COMMUNITIES EMBRACE TOURISM
KEY RESULT 1.1 PILOT A MORE EFFECTIVE REGIONAL MODEL FOR THE NORTH
In 2018, at the request of the regional tourism association Tourism North, Travel Manitoba initiated a pilot that changed the model of delivering tourism marketing and product development in the region. Travel Manitoba took the lead in these activities under the direction of a Northern Tourism Advisory Committee, which is comprised of community and corporate tourism stakeholders in the North. As part of the pilot, Travel Manitoba hired a Northern Tourism Consultant to lead product development initiatives, engage with Northern tourism industry stakeholders and act as a Travel Manitoba presence in the North. Travel Manitoba staff based in Winnipeg implement marketing, partnership and research related initiatives. After two years of monitoring the pilot program and the successes achieved through the Northern Tourism Strategy, the Tourism North board officially dissolved the organization in December, 2019.
“The collaboration between Travel Manitoba and the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee has provided structure and accountability to the Northern Tourism Strategy. Regions and communities are working together more than ever to increase tourism spending in the North. There was a perception that no one was interested in visiting the North; the momentum created by the strategy has completely transformed that thinking.”
In 2018, Western Management Consultants was retained to complete a study of the economic impact of tourism in Churchill for the 2017 calendar year. The results of the study have been used to communicate the value and potential of tourism to northern communities, government and other stakeholders. The study found that tourism in Churchill contributed about $41.7 million to the Gross Provincial Product of Manitoba in 2017, including $30.6 million in wages and 840 full-time jobs. Western Management Consultants was also retained in 2018 to conduct destination area assessments for three destination areas: Churchill and area, Thompson and area and Northwest Manitoba (Flin Flon, The Pas, Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage). Recommendations from the destination area assessments have formed a key tool to communicate priorities to Northern communities and government. See section 3.1 for more information. In order to communicate important priorities, Travel Manitoba has met with key Northern tourism and community stakeholders, including councils, community development corporations, chambers of commerce, elected officials and others in the communities of The Pas/Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Thompson, Cranberry Portage, Lynn Lake, Cross Lake, Flin Flon, Snow Lake, Grand Rapids, Leaf Rapids and Norway House. A representative from Look North has been added to the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee and will attend meetings beginning in 2020. In addition to this government participation, Travel Manitoba also meets annually with the Premier and quarterly with the Minister of Economic Development and Training to communicate tourism priorities.
– Becky Cianflone, Greenstone Community Futures Development Corporation
PROGRESS REPORT
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #1: ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
KEY RESULT 1.3: SUPPORT FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING
KEY RESULT 1.4: NORTHERNERS ARE MORE POSITIVE ABOUT TOURISM AS A SECTOR
As part of an advocacy plan to promote the value of tourism to the tourism industry, government and the general public, Travel Manitoba has led the following initiatives:
DestinationNEXT Assessment
•• Created a video featuring local operators that highlights the value of the tourism industry in the North and its potential for growth. •• Launched a public campaign to promote the value of tourism through radio ads highlighting the economic and social impacts of tourism, running May 6 to June 2, 2019 in Flin Flon, The Pas, Thompson, Dauphin and Swan River/ Benito. These ads were also translated and aired in Cree. •• Travel Manitoba welcomed 100 people to the first annual Northern Manitoba Tourism Awards on April 24, 2019. Winners in five categories were selected from over 30 entries. The Northern Manitoba Tourism Awards were held in conjunction with the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce economic development tour. The value of tourism in the North video was played at this event.
Travel Manitoba worked with NextFactor to conduct a DestinationNEXT assessment for Manitoba in 2015 and 2019. This survey of tourism industry stakeholders measures perceptions of Manitoba’s tourism strengths and community engagement. Northern Manitoba shifted from the Mountaineer category to the Trailblazer category indicating stronger community alignment and increased destination strength in 2019 compared to 2015. From a destination strength perspective, Northern Manitoba’s perceived performance in events, accommodation, air access, convention and meeting facilities improved. Communications and internet infrastructure and mobility and access decreased in perceived performance compared to 2015. From a community engagement perspective, increases were achieved for Northern Manitoba in funding support and certainty, industry support, regional cooperation, organization governance model and economic development. Small decreases were seen in hospitality culture and workforce.
•• Travel Manitoba manages the Manitoba North Facebook page (over 700 followers) which shares social media content from tourism providers in the North as well as relevant news and Travel Manitoba consumer posts. It focuses on sharing new developments and celebrating successes with Northern tourism industry stakeholders. These activities have increased awareness of the potential for tourism in the North and have also improved local community pride and support for tourism.
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Industry Survey In November 2019, Travel Manitoba conducted a survey with industry partners in the North to gather feedback on the impact of the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy. Seventyfive percent of survey respondents were aware of the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy. Of the respondents that were aware of the strategy, 57% indicated that they have experienced positive impacts on their business or community as a result of the strategy. The survey also measured awareness and impact of key marketing initiatives. Awareness of the North MB Regional Travel Guide (70%) was higher than the North MB website (41%) or Facebook page (40%). The majority of respondents who were aware of Travel Manitoba marketing efforts have felt positive impacts on their business or community.
NORTHERN MANITOBA TOURISM STRATEGY: AWARENESS AND IMPACT
Positive impacts shared by survey respondents:
“There is a greater awareness of the impact of tourism on the economic development in Northern Manitoba and therefore overall more support and engagement within the communities for tourism growth.”
“We have seen an overall increase in business and inquiries and it is so beneficial to have a regional representative who clearly understands the challenges businesses face in the North.”
“Partnering with Travel Manitoba has allowed me to showcase my operation in ways that I could never have done on my own.”
“At this time I believe that the Northern Tourism Strategy helps to promote our area and brings awareness to what our communities have to offer. The Northern Tourism Strategy helps to show how we celebrate our cultures and how we use the lands as food sustenance, as recreational use and just to enjoy being outside with nature.”
70% AWARENESS OF THE NORTH MB REGIONAL TRAVEL GUIDE
41%
40%
AWARENESS OF THE NORTH MB WEBSITE
AWARENESS OF FACEBOOK PAGE
“I have been very impressed by the work of Travel Manitoba and the amount of time dedicated to improving tourism in Northern Manitoba. I want to indicate my support for the full time position in the North. The move from Tourism North as a standalone organization to having a staff person for Travel Manitoba in the region has been a tremendous success.”
PROGRESS REPORT
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #2: TOURISM MARKETING
KEY RESULT 2.1: TRAVEL MANITOBA ALIGNS MARKETING PLANS WITH THE NORTHERN MANITOBA TOURISM STRATEGY
Marketing Travel Manitoba has led several marketing initiatives to promote Northern tourism including: •• Created content – six new blog posts (65,000 page views) and five new videos (908,000 views on Facebook for 2019).
Place Branding Travel Manitoba initiated a unique place branding program in 2017 to help destinations communicate their identity and tourism assets. Place brands were launched for Flin Flon in 2018 and in Thompson in 2019. A place brand for The Pas/OCN is in progress with input from community stakeholders. The program is helping communities view their destination through a different lens and is generating a strong sense of Flin Flon Visual Identity Guidelines | July 16, 2018 pride of place. As the brands take root, many residents will become ambassadors for tourism in the North. In Flin Flon, The Flin Flon community uptake of the place brand has been strong. It is tourism logo colours featured on everything from hoodies to fishing hooks. Shown below are the specific colours used in the Flin Flon tourism logo. Always refer to these colours to ensure accurate reproduction, and never alter the logo colours in any way.
PMS: 7692 C CMYK: 100 45 0 45 RGB: 0 85 135 HTML: 005587
PMS: 7719 C CMYK: 96 0 49 50 RGB: 0 109 104 HTML: 006D68
–– 80% of visitors reading Northern content are from Winnipeg, which aligns with Travel Manitoba’s targeting. •• Reached 330,000 unique people (targeted in Manitoba) and had one million impressions with Northern content in 2019. –– Ad engagement is 9.7% (compared to 13.21% for all Facebook ads)
Readers of Northern blog content account for 7.2% of overall blog traffic. Read time for these posts are consistently high, averaging 4:12 minutes comparted to 3:17 minutes for the entire site. This means these readers are highly engaged and interested in this content. •• Created and printed 5,000 copies of North MB Regional Tourism Guide for distribution through Travel Manitoba’s visitor information centres and partners; 15,000 distributed through Winnipeg Free Press in March 2019. Northern content is featured on TravelManitoba.com (English and French), EverythingChurchill.com, and our Manitoba North microsite (TravelManitoba.com/Manitoba-North) launched in April 2018.
PMS: 633 C CMYK: 98 6 10 29 RGB: 0 115 150 HTML: 007396
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“[The brand] is something that will now be available as a tool on a regional basis, with all the different organizations, companies and municipalities within the region to work with and develop other things.” – Glenna Daschuk, municipal administrator for the City of Flin Flon
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–– Since January 1, 2019, the Manitoba North microsite has had 54,737 sessions from over 47,000 users, amounting to nearly 80,000 pageviews of Northern Manitoba – specific content. –– Completed a full content update on EverythingChurchill.com and relaunched the site as a Travel Manitoba microsite (TravelManitoba.com/ Everything-Churchill) on January 1, 2020.
N O R T H E R N M A N I T O B A T O U R I S M S T R AT E G Y
Manitoba North microsite North MB Regional Tourism Guide
Northern Lights Campaign Digital Ad
•• An “always on” search campaign driving Manitobans to the Manitoba North site has earned over 84,600 impressions and 5,590 clicks since January 1, 2019. •• The 2018/2019 Northern Lights campaign (December 2018 – January 2019) saw over 3,424,000 impressions in long haul U.S. markets, driving over 15,300 sessions to TravelManitoba. com and 6,770 clicks to our participating Churchill partners. •• The 2019 Northern Lights Plane/Train campaign (December 2018 – February 2019) saw over 279,000 impressions in Manitoba, driving over 16,000 sessions to TravelManitoba.com and 822 clicks to partner packages. •• The 2019 Arctic Summer campaign (February 2019 – March 2019) saw over 3,464,000 impressions in long haul U.S. markets, driving over 15,300 sessions to TravelManitoba. com and 9,732 clicks to our participating Churchill partners. •• The integrated 2019 Fall Bears campaign (April 2019 – May 2019) saw over 4,481,000 impressions in long haul U.S. markets, driving over 16,600 sessions to TravelManitoba.com and 14,725 clicks to our participating Churchill partners.
•• The 2019/2020 Northern Lights campaign (November 2019 – January 2020) saw over 46,479,000 impressions in long haul U.S. markets, driving over 14,100 sessions to TravelManitoba.com and just under 4,000 clicks to participating Churchill partners. •• The Northern Snowmobiling integrated campaign (November 2019 – January 2020), currently still running at the time of publication, targeted southern Manitoba/Winnipeg/ Brandon/Regina snowmobilers. –– To date, the digital campaign has seen over 3,622,000 impressions, driving over 6,000 sessions to the Manitoba North microsite for information on snowmobiling trips in Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage, The Pas, Snow Lake, Swan River and Thompson. •• In addition, Travel Manitoba is currently running a newsletter campaign with Snorider magazine and will be doing a content piece with the publication in February to promote snowmobiling in the North.
•• The Northern Summer campaign in 2019 targeted Manitobans and highlighted The Pas/OCN, Flin Flon and Thompson. The campaign saw over 34,422 sessions and 1,299 clicks for Northern partners.
PROGRESS REPORT
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #2: TOURISM MARKETING
Product Development
KEY RESULT 2.2: COLLABORATE ON MARKETING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Cooperative Marketing Partnership Engagement Travel Manitoba partnership revenues for cooperative marketing from Northern Manitoba tourism operators have increased over the last three years from $151,745 in 2017 to $199,393 in 2019. The number of partners in the North has also increased significantly from 19 in 2017 to 49 in 2019 – a strong indicator of increased engagement and buy-in for Travel Manitoba’s marketing efforts from Northern communities and tourism operators.
Partner Revenue Number of Partners
12
2017
2018
2019
$151,745
$166,190
$199,393
19
21
49
The Northern Manitoba Snowmobile Tourism Strategic Plan 2019-2023 was developed in February 2019 in consultation with industry and community stakeholders. The strategy is being led by North Central Community Futures Development Corporation with Travel Manitoba participating as part of the project management team. The strategy identifies the need for infrastructure development including establishing a trail link between Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage, online access for licenses and Snopasses, development of snowmobile events, increased tourism services and enhanced marketing. Travel Manitoba is actively marketing snowmobiling in the North, with new website content and a digital campaign, results of which were previously detailed.
N O R T H E R N M A N I T O B A T O U R I S M S T R AT E G Y
STRATEGIC PRIORITY #3: TOURISM PRODUCT AND EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Medium Term Priority Recommendations
KEY RESULT 3.1: ESTABLISH DESTINATION AREA TOURISM PLANS
1. Improve the measurement of tourism
The destination area assessments completed by Western Management Consultants for the three destination areas (Churchill and area, Thompson and area and Northwest Manitoba (The Pas/Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Flin Flon, Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage)) outlined a number of priority recommendations:
2. Provide a high level of training to and for local tourism workers in Churchill so they meet international standards of service 3. Create a turnkey product in Thompson to serve the train market to Churchill and independent visitors 4. Improve Snow Lake as a tourism community
Travel Manitoba is collaborating with leaders in the three areas to advance these recommendations.
Short Term Priority Recommendations 1. Ensure provincial parks operate in support of tourism in addition to local camping and recreation 2. Accelerate development of the Boreal Discovery Centre in Thompson 3. As Churchill markets grow in volume, encourage new hotel and restaurant development by local or non-local investors 4. Improve Churchill’s town and area infrastructure to change the visual experience of the town 5. Improve Flin Flon as a tourism destination and regional hub community 6. Improve the hub community of The Pas/Opaskwayak Cree Nation to better receive and support tourism from Authentic Experiencer and Cultural Explorer markets
KEY RESULT 3.2: ACCESS TO EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN TOURISM/HOSPITALITY
University College of the North (UCN) has been conducting tourism related training in Swan River, The Pas and Flin Flon in association with Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC). UCN is also conducting small business training in Thompson, The Pas and Swan River. Travel Manitoba works with entrepreneurs to provide product development and training advice in partnership with Regional Economic Development Corporations. Travel Manitoba also produces the Exploring Tourism: Opportunities for Entrepreneurs booklet, which provides recommendations on starting a tourism business as well as lists funding and support programs.
PROGRESS REPORT
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #3: TOURISM PRODUCT AND EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT
KEY RESULT 3.3: NEW MARKET-READY PRODUCTS LEAD TO INCREASED VISITATION
KEY RESULTS 3.4: INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCES ARE ESTABLISHED
Travel Manitoba has been working with entrepreneurs to develop market-ready products in Northern Manitoba. Success stories include:
Travel Manitoba has met with Indigenous leaders and First Nation communities including Cross Lake, Opaskwayak, Norway House and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO).
•• Opening of a snowmobile trail link in the 2019-2020 season between Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage.
Travel Manitoba signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) in 2018. ITAC is leading Indigenous tourism product development initiatives throughout Manitoba including the North. ITAC is currently working with Opaskwayak Cree Nation to develop their annual traditional pow wow event and is actively meeting with communities and entrepreneurs in the North to identify opportunities.
•• Travel Manitoba provided a design phase grant for Grace Lake Boardwalk and Trail in The Pas. •• Travel Manitoba provided funding to support murals at the Boreal Discovery Centre in Thompson. •• Travel Manitoba provided funding to support Nanuk Operations, a new northern lights operator in Churchill. •• Travel Manitoba supported the establishment of the Cranberry Portage Tourism Group to advance product development in this community. •• North Central Community Futures Development Corporation is leading the Real Northern Experiences project involving development of an online marketing and booking platform for small Northern tourism businesses, called Real Northern Adventures. The website will be operational in 2020.
In 2020, Winnipeg will be hosting ITAC’s International Indigenous Tourism Conference. The conference is an opportunity to showcase Indigenous tourism experiences throughout the province, including the North. Travel Manitoba will be partnering with MKO to conduct an Indigenous tourism business plan competition in 2020. Travel Manitoba will also be collaborating to establish a First Nations festival in Thompson in August 2021.
•• Travel Manitoba has worked with Northern hunting and fishing lodges to improve their marketing capacity and skills. •• Several new tourism products are expected to be available in 2020 as a result of Travel Manitoba efforts including: Round the Bend Farm (The Pas), Grace Lake Boardwalk and Trail (The Pas), Howling Wolf Tours (Thompson), Northern Adventure Tours (Snow Lake), Arctic Gold Honey (Thompson), Canadian Kraft Paper (The Pas), Grand Rapids Fish Hatchery, Blueberry Jam Music Festival (Flin Flon).
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KEY RESULT 3.5: STRATEGIES ARE IN PLACE FOR NORWAY HOUSE, YORK FACTORY AND FISHING AND HUNTING OUTFITTERS AS SPECIAL INTEREST DESTINATIONS
KEY RESULT 3.6: EXTEND THE TOURISM SEASON IN DESTINATION AREAS
Travel Manitoba held planning sessions with Norway House and York Factory to communicate the potential of tourism for these communities. Travel Manitoba has also provided marketing support to Northern hunting and fishing lodges, with a focus on developing the ice fishing market through long-term partnerships with influencers in Canada and the U.S. Travel Manitoba has also partnered with Destination Canada and other provinces through the National Angling Program to promote fishing to the U.S. market. Travel Manitoba is supporting the development of a strategic plan for the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association in 2019-2020 and is working with the association to address key challenges facing the industry.
Travel Manitoba has worked to develop a number of tourism products that expand the range and seasonality of current offerings. Success stories include: •• In 2018, Travel Manitoba began actively marketing northern lights experiences to extend Churchill’s tourism season into the winter. These efforts have been supported by a Destination Canada campaign promoting northern lights in Churchill to key U.S. markets. •• As a result of Travel Manitoba’s efforts to promote ice fishing, participating Northern lodges saw increases in business, some exceeding 300% per season, through the development of custom video, editorial as well as influencer and third party media partnerships. Another significant area of focus is shoulder season fishing in the fall. •• Travel Manitoba is working with a number of lodges to winterize facilities to accommodate snowmobiling.
PROGRESS REPORT
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #4: INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT
KEY RESULT 4.1: STRATEGIC AIR, ROAD AND RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE IS ENHANCED AND MAINTAINED
KEY RESULT 4.3: SERVICE CENTRES PROVIDE AN IMPROVED VISITOR EXPERIENCE
The destination area assessments evaluated tourism transportation infrastructure in Northern Manitoba. The study noted the high cost of air travel and poor highway conditions, including a lack of tourism signage, rest stops, viewpoints and gas stations. Garbage and graffiti issues were identified on highways in some areas. The study indicates that highway conditions would not meet the needs and expectations of RV travellers. These issues are consistent with the findings of the Provincial Tourism Strategy for Manitoba and will be addressed with relevant communities and government departments through the execution of that strategy.
KEY RESULT 4.2: TOURISM SIGNAGE ENHANCES THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE
The destination area assessments identified gaps in tourism services in many areas including gas stations, information centres, rest areas, convenience retail, etc. Although significant work is still needed in this area, there are success stories including a project to establish electric vehicle charging stations in the North, the opening of Ponton Gas Station (intersection of highway 6 and 39) scheduled for the spring of 2020 and My’s Place gas station/restaurant in Cross Lake First Nation scheduled to open in 2020.
KEY RESULTS 4.4: DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS READILY ACCESSIBLE TO VISITORS AND OPERATORS
Digital infrastructure was identified as a priority under the Provincial Tourism Strategy. Look North is playing a lead role in addressing this challenge.
The destination area assessments identified signage as a key challenge in many communities. Improving signage and wayfinding on a province-wide basis was also identified as a priority under the Provincial Tourism Strategy. In response, Travel Manitoba is conducting a study in 2020 on best practises in wayfinding to develop the business case for increased investment in this area.
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY #5: ENSURE THAT THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTS ARE MORE CONDUCIVE TO TOURISM BUSINESS SUCCESS
KEY RESULT 5.1: GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ARE REVIEWED AND STREAMLINED
KEY RESULTS 5.2: TRAINING AND EDUCATION INITIATIVES ARE IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MANITOBA
Travel Manitoba has worked to identify permitting and regulatory challenges impacting the growth of the tourism sector and is communicating these challenges to government. These issues are also addressed under the Provincial Tourism Strategy as Travel Manitoba continues to advocate for a wholeof-government approach in support of tourism growth.
In 2020, Travel Manitoba will work with MTEC, Tourism Human Resources Canada and other partners to identify training and education issues in Northern Manitoba and ensure that training programs are accessible in the destination areas.
One success in this area is the implementation of integrated licensing for snowmobiling in 2020. Travel Manitoba, in partnership with SnoMan, advocated for the need for integrated snowmobile licensing and SnoPass registration.
“Travel Manitoba’s achievements in ensuring that regulatory environments are more conducive to tourism business success are akin to an iceberg – only a fraction of their effort is seen by the public. We know, however, that their work in the legislature and with community stakeholders is enormous, and their commitment to ensuring tour operators are well positioned to compete internationally is unrivaled.” – Gary Bell, Calm Air
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CONCLUSION Under the guidance of the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee, Travel Manitoba has made considerable progress in advancing the Northern Tourism Strategy. New and expanded products have improved the destination offering. Successful marketing campaigns have created awareness. Improved community engagement will support further destination enhancements. And increased awareness in the value of tourism will create an environment conducive to further growth. Travel Manitoba will work with the Northern Tourism Advisory Committee to update the Northern Tourism Strategy in 2020, reflecting its role as an implementation plan in support of advancing the goals of the Provincial Tourism Strategy for Manitoba.
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Travel Manitoba 21 Forks Market Road Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4T7 1-800-665-0040 www.travelmanitoba.com