Welcome! Tourism Planning Meeting Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, BC April 15, 2009

1. Welcome!Tourism Planning MeetingDawson Creek and Pouce Coupe, BCApril 15, 2009

2. Introductions Welcome and Round Table Introductions Dustin Bodnaryk, Tourism Dawson Creek

3. April Moi – Northern BC Tourism Agent Tourism British Columbia

4. Tourism Planning Session Agenda April Moi, Northern BC Tourism, Agent for Tourism BC • Tourism BC, Community Tourism Foundations and Community Tourism Opportunities Program Overview Simone Carlysle-Smith, Tourism BC Facilitator: • Development of Community Tourism Overview • Situation Analysis Summary • Plan Status Exercise • Sport and Event Tourism Dev. Exercise • Funding Options - Discussion • Tourism Advisory Committee • Community Engagement, Communications, Value of Tourism • Partnerships • Tourism Vision for Pouce Coupe • Next Steps

5. Tourism British Columbia • Crown Corporation with an industry led Board • Destination Management Model including Marketing / Development • Funded through 3 points of the 8% Hotel Tax • Work with communities through Tourism BC’s Community Development department and regional agents (i.e. NBT)

6. Online Tourism BC Resources HelloBC.com North American Consumer TourismBC.com Corporate Site – Industry Reference TourismBC.net Operator Access to TBC Marketing Systems TBCRegionalGallery.com Samples of current outputs

7. HelloBC.com

8. TourismBC.com

9. TourismBC.net

10. TBCRegionalGallery.com

11. Community Tourism Foundations • Designed to address the issues raised in community consultations conducted by Tourism BC in Dec. 2001 and March 2003. • Half of all communities interviewed requested assistance in creating a tourism development plan with Tourism BC identified as the key facilitator in this process. • Access to development and marketing funds was cited by over half of communities as an impediment to tourism development.

12. Community Tourism Foundations • High demand from communities - Dawson Creek / Pouce Coupe was selected from a large group of applicants based on the strength of their EOI. • Tourism BC felt this community had potential and community support to successfully grow tourism and contribute to goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2015.

13. Typical Development Activities • Local community support and understanding of the value of tourism • DMO structure/governance • Funding sources • Market research • Comprehensive Tourism Action Plan, including Marketing Plan

14. Program Success Completed Plans:DMOs created, committees formalized, funding established,partnerships formed, marketing initiatives implemented New Perspectives: communities working together based on what makes sense from a marketing perspective, not just a geographical perspective Community-Driven/Professionally-Led: communities obtaining assistance of facilitator while working with their local stakeholders More Industry Involvement: communities more involved in regional and provincial marketing programs

15. Community Tourism Opportunities Community Tourism Opportunities is a Province-wide program funded by Tourism BC and administered by the six Regional Destination Marketing Organizations (RDMO). Should the Community Tourism Opportunities program be identified as the option for funding support, and the project falls within the scope of the program guidelines, the RDMO prepares the project proposals on the community’s behalf. Communities may submitCTO requests for up to $15,000 per year. (50/50 Matching)

16. Tourism BC Facilitator Simone Carlysle-Smith

17. Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe Program Process • Expression of Interest submitted to Tourism BC (Tourism Dawson Creek and Village of Pouce Coupe) • Tourism BC facilitator assigned and preliminary research conducted • Community familiarization by facilitator and Tourism BC (Nov. 2008) • Initial meeting with community tourism stakeholders (Nov. 2008) • Initial meeting report (complete) • Draft and revised Work plans (complete) • Memorandum of Understanding between Tourism BC and lead tourism organization (complete) • Community produces inventory (initial draft in production)

18. Dawson Creek & Pouce Coupe Program Process • Situation Analysis (initial draft in production 130 pages plus support files) • Planning session (today April 15, 2009) • Situation Analysis final document (estimated for April 30, 2009) • Tourism Plan draft (estimated for May 12thstakeholder presentation) • Tourism Plan final (estimated for end of May, post presentation feedback) • Tactics and Implementation Plan – Annual Plan Year One (end of May) • Application for Community Tourism Opportunities Implementation Program (Community applies direct to Northern BC Tourism) • Community work with Regional DMO – guidance and advise

19. Development of Community Tourism What is tourism development? • An evolutionary process encompassing noticeable economic, physical and social re-structuring • The process of increasing the quality of life for host societies and visitors alike

20. Development of Community Tourism What is tourism development planning? • Step by step process of resource and market evaluation, action and review • Its broad purpose is to recognize gaps in the local product or markets • Identify project ideas to fill those gaps • Recommend actions to put those ideas in place • Planning process results in an action plan for the destination

21. Development of Community Tourism Why plan for development? • Avoid negative impacts • Achieve goals and objectives • Increase quality of life for residents • Economic diversification • New services and recreation choices • Cultural preservation

22. Development of Community Tourism Who does it involve? • All stakeholders in the community • Residents, business, government, organizations, developers, planners…you!

23. Development of Community Tourism What types of development are there? • Integrated (single promoter e.g. Disneyland) • Catalytic (major promoter encourages complementary development) • Coattail (natural assets draw visitors/development fills visitor needs) • Spot (no vision or plan)

24. Development of Community Tourism Destination Lifecycle • Stage 1: Conception/Early development (vision and plan) POUCE COUPE • Stage 2: Growth (product development) DAWSON CREEK • Stage 3: Maturity (products are developed/marketing/usage high) • Stage 4: Decline (well used, possibly run-down) OR Re-development, rejuvenation, return to Stage 1

25. Tourism Plan Preparation - Situation Analysis / SWOT Outcome • Tourism Attractions • Tourism Services • Tourism Infrastructure • Tourism Hospitality • Tourism Management • Tourism Marketing & Promotion

26. Tourism Plan Content • Community Vision (OCP) • Tourism Vision / Community and Organization • Goals and Objectives • Implementation • Tourism Planning, Management, Funding, Annual Action Plan • Destination and Market Development • Tourism Infrastructure and Development • Product Development • Information Management and Research

27. Tourism Plan Content Destination and Market Development continued. • Business and Industry Development • Marketing • Branding • Market Position and Targets • Integrated Promotional Mix • Marketing Partnerships and Programs • Promotional Tools and Materials • Visitor Services (Internal marketing)

28. Tourism Plan Content Plan Tracking and Communications • Tracking • Monitoring and Evaluation • Community Engagement and Communications Action Plan Priorities Work plan outline for each objective and strategy.

29. Dawson Creek / Pouce Coupe Current Situation Plans • DC has lots of plans: OCP, Current Tourism Plan, Communications Plan, Attractions Master Strategy, Heritage Strategy, Sport and Events Aspirations, dated ED plan, Sustainability Initiative • PC no tourism plan but good framework from TBC workshop, new economic development marketing strategy

30. Current Situation • Tourism BC program to provide an updated tourism plan for Dawson Creek and initial plan for Pouce Coupe. • The tourism plan will identify the need for additional planning • Driven by long-term goals, the destination is developed systematically through small actions, each contributing to the end result • Community Tourism Opportunities provides assistance for implementation of the Tourism Plan through NBT

31. Current Situation External • Forestry industry downturn • Global economic downturn • Canadian dollar down • Tourism spending follows after essentials • Baby-boomers largest market with potential to spend • Close-in regional markets will continue to be key targets

32. Current Plans – Exercise Pouce Coupe – Economic Dev, Mktg and TBC Workshop Dawson Creek – Planning Matrix • OCP / Sustaining Dawson Creek / 2006-2012 TD Plan • 2006-2012 Communications Plan, 2005 – Exercise • DC Attractions Master Plan, 2007 – Exercise • City of Dawson Creek Heritage Strategy, 2007 – Exercise • South Peace Multi-Plex and Sport and Event Strategy

33. Funding Options • Government (all levels) • Additional Hotel Room Tax • Industry Partnerships • Cooperative Marketing • Programs/ Merchandise

34. Tourism Advisory Committee • Tourism Management Framework • Tourism Advisory Committee to Tourism Dawson Creek

35. Community Engagement, Communications • Community Engagement • Communications • Value of Tourism

36. Partnerships • TAC Committee • List……

37. Pouce Coupe Vision

38. Next Steps • Input from planning session to be incorporated into situation analysis document • Inventory will be completed by Tourism Dawson Creek • Follow up research and information interviews • Draft tourism plan (high level document created) • Community to work together to deliver on their component of the plan for implementation • Tourism community to commit to planning process

39. Thank you for participating! Keep up to date by visiting: www.tourismdawsoncreek.com/tourism_foundations.php Tourism BC Contacts: Simone Carlysle-Smith, Tourism BC Facilitator 604 885-5924 1-888-306-6611 Email simonecs@telus.net April Moi, Northern BC Tourism - Agent for Tourism BC 250 561-0432 Email april@nbctourism.com