Morice Land and Resource Management Plan
Download 1.06 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Recommendations to the LRMP Table
- Tour Package Marketer
- Opportunity Analysis
Market AnalysisGuided Tours of Historic Mines and Prospecting Tours can be considered a cultural, adventure and nature-based tourism. Ultimately, within these categories it can be considered a form of “learning vacation”. In 2001 communiqué, the Banff Centre described learning travel as one of the fastest growing niche markets in the world and cited a 13% growth rate in Canada last year, twice the growth rate of world-wide tourism. Culture and natural habitat remain primary targets within any learning vacation. Experiencing an authentic Mining Exploration Camp would have within it the following interest drivers:
Learning Vacations are also called learning travel programs, study tours, educational holidays and travel study programs. People who are typically well educated, financially secure adults with a curiosity about the world often use these terms interchangeably. They are well-informed, articulate consumers who seek, demand and are willing to pay for high quality, unique, authentic educational travel opportunities. Many of these people are associated with affinity groups, such as alumni organizations, “friends of” societies and special interest groups. Often individuals purchase their learning vacation from an affinity group to which they belong, which might use it not only to provide an educational service to members but also to raise money for their institution. Developing a regional theme around “Mining Exploration” may have links to business travel, and the promotion of travel to the existing Exploration Sector which is rich in associations and corporate partnerships. Such a theme would also have to be clustered with other experiences in Northwestern BC so that an 8-14 Day guided or self-guided learning itinerary could be developed. Recommendations to the LRMP TableRecommendation - Consider mining tour sites that consider as part of an integrated tourism development strategy. Recommendation - Plan for public access, easements and tour sites. Recommendation - Plan for a public trail system that links with natural and private attractions, so that a cluster of activities can take place. Tour Package MarketerOverviewTour Packaging can be described as the act of assembling a variety of travel experiences, which might include a visitor’s flight to a destination combined with a tour experience and accommodation all within a single price. Packaged tours are designed for a variety of markets, within a vast number of price ranges and experiences. Such tours are either targeted to the wholesale travel trade, or direct to consumers. The role of the Tour Package Marketer in this instance would be one of Tour Design which would involve assembling a series of tourism partners that would include tour guide companies and accommodators who would provide wholesale prices based on popular attractions and experiences that would then be linked to a specific market. Each designed tour would include a specific Itinerary with partnership responsibilities all under a single price with dates of availability. The design process would include photographs and other marketing tools with promotional language for the tour, ready for market. The Tour Package Marketer would then assemble a plan or approach so that a specific tour or group of tours could then be linked to the wholesale travel trade. Wholesalers work with travel agencies and will often embellish such tours by making them a component of a larger tour of BC, Canada and even North America, and perhaps add airfare to a point of arrival and departure such as Vancouver. Presently, Tour Design for the Wholesale Trade is in its infancy in British Columbia and provides opportunities for business and communities to diversify tourism efforts; however significant infrastructure is needed with regards to market-readiness and tourism product development. Opportunity AnalysisThe Morice Region has within it natural attractions that would be of interest to the wholesale travel trade including wildlife viewing; the Sockeye Salmon Run; scenic excursions by foot or boat; as well as hunting and fishing. Traditionally, tour packaging has been done by individual business operators with the assistance of the Northern BC Tourism Region (NBCTR), which could then market those packages to wholesalers at Travel Trade Shows such as Rendezvous Canada or Canada West Marketplace; and through a variety of marketing publications targeted to wholesalers. However, gaps exist when it comes to the logistics wholesalers require in order to carry a product. Overseas companies often look for a company or individually locally to ensure that itineraries and tour package partnerships are in place upon the arrival of the tour group. This position is often not available to them, preventing many companies from utilizing an area such as Morice. This gap exists within many areas of BC due to the fact that the volume of wholesale bookings is not great enough to sustain a Tour Packager business or paid position A compromise is to build such a responsibility into the business plan of an existing accommodator that can be considered market-ready. If an independent Tour Designer were hired to assemble a number of packages with combined activities, those packages could then be managed by the accommodator, which could then be considered a contact-point for the wholesale travel trade. Such an accommodator could then sub-contract to a variety of tour providers such as fishing or hiking guides, which would then embellish the tour experience for the wholesaler. Alternatively, if a Travel Agency were to locate in the Morice area, they could supplement their outbound sales with an in-bound sales strategy charging a fee for service for designing tours, or under a sales commission formula. This opportunity for local travel agencies represents a fairly new idea and would require business planning and research on their part. Download 1.06 Mb. Share with your friends:
|