aTTRAction Newsletter Fall 2006

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FALL 2006
The International Association of Travel Research and Marketing Professionals - Canadian Chapter
L’Association internationale des professionels de la recherche et du marketing en matière de voyages - la section canadienne
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
from Marion Joppe - School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of Guelph
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
DON'T FORGET YOUR
PASSPORT: WHTI legislation
3
CESO:
Making a World of Difference
5
2006 CONFERENCE –
Another Success
6
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
2007 Conference Alert
6
The Canadian Chapter
of the Travel and Tourism
Research Association
#803 - 130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
www.ttracanada.ca
The summer and fall have turned out to be very busy again for your Board: not only were we
able to line up some excellent speakers for this year’s conference in Montebello, but we’ve
also contracted the space for both the 2007 and 2008 conferences in Charlottetown, PEI
and Victoria, BC, respectively. Book those dates now and plan to join us coast to coast!
Since last year’s
conference in Kelowna
was undoubtedly one
of the more successful
conferences held by
TTRA Canada (including
financially, with a net
result of $14,579 to support the Board’s
activities), the pressure was on to come up
with a program for Montebello that would raise
the bar. Thankfully both Scott Meis and MarieThérèse Guérin stepped into the breach when
your Chair, Martin Winges, decided to go into
the restaurant business and could no longer
dedicate his time to the planning of this year’s
conference. Together with Co-Chair Michael
Conlin, they were able to confirm Francesco
Frangialli, Secretary General, UNWTO, as our
keynote speaker on the first day. UNWTO has
been undergoing many changes to its role and
function, and Mr. Frangialli addressed these as
well as their implications for tourism world-wide.
Keeping with the theme of ‘Transitions in
Tourism’, the industry in the industrial world
in general, and Canada in particular, is also
undergoing many changes, to a large extent
driven by human resource challenges. Wendy
Swedlove, President of the Canadian Tourism
Human Resource Council, discussed these
emerging Issues, specifically labour shortages
and productivity. Parks Canada is another
critically important organization for tourism in
this country, responsible for many of our most
well-known tourism attractors. Carol Sheedy,
its newly appointed Director General, External
Relations and Visitor Experience, addressed
Parks Canada’s New Visitor Experience and
Social Science Initiative in the conference
concluding session.
Under the able leadership of my colleague
Hwan-Suk (Chris) Choi, TTRA Canada hosted
its second Student Symposium, expanded to
include both graduate students and senior
undergraduates. Building on last year’s success,
the Symposium was extended to a full day and
attracted 36 participants.
Two board members are stepping down after
having contributed significantly over the years to
making our chapter consistently one of the best
run and financially stable ones within the TTRA
family. Martin Winges, Chair, has reinvented
himself as a restauranteur (we sure hope he
did his market research!). Brian Singh has also
made a career change and has become a private
consultant.
The Board wishes to thank Martin and Brian for
their dedication to TTRA Canada and wish them
all the best in their new endeavours.
Marion Joppe, President
TTRA Canada
[email protected]
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2
MESSAGE DE LA PRÉSIDENTE
Une fois de plus, l’été et l’automne se sont avérés fort occupés pour votre conseil
d’administration. Non seulement avons-nous amené d’excellents conférenciers pour la
conférence de cette année à Montebello, nous avons aussi confirmé les destinations pour
les conférences de 2007 et 2008 à Charlottetown, Ile du Prince-Édouard ainsi que Victoria,
Colombie-Britannique. Inscrivez ces dates à vos agendas et joignez vous à nous d’est en ouest.
..et celle du Canada
plus particulièrement à
l'effet que le pays traverse
une période de grands
changements qui émanent
principalement des
ressources humaines.
Une fois de plus, l’été et l’automne se sont
avérés fort occupés pour votre conseil
d’administration. Non seulement avons-nous
amené d’excellents conférenciers pour la
conférence de cette année à Montebello, nous
avons aussi confirmé les destinations pour les
conférences de 2007 et 2008 à Charlottetown,
Ile du Prince-Édouard ainsi que Victoria,
Colombie-Britannique. Inscrivez ces dates à vos
agendas et joignez vous à nous d’est en ouest.
La conférence de l’année dernière à Kelowna
ayant connu le plus grands succès (entre
autre financier avec des revenus de 14 579$),
la pression était donc forte pour l’équipe de
programmation de cette année à Montebello.
Suite au départ de votre président du
conseil, Martin Winges, pour le monde de
la restauration, Scott Meis et Marie-Thérèse
Guérin n’ont pas hésité à mettre la main à
la pâte pour la planification de la conférence
2006. Ensemble, avec Michael Conlin, ils ont
confirmé Francesco Frangialli, Secrétaire général
de l’OMT comme conférencier vedette de la
première journée. L’OMT aurait connu plusieurs
changements au sein de son rôle et dans ses
fonctions dernièrement et Monsieur Frangialli
nous a fait part de l’impact de ces changements
sur le tourisme mondial. Il nous a aussi parlé
de l’importance des partenariats public-privés
et des tendances globales dans l’industrie
touristique.
TTRACANADA.CA
Le thème de la conférence « le tourisme en
transition » représente bien la situation actuelle
de l’industrie mondiale et celle du Canada
plus particulièrement à l’effet que le pays
traverse une période de grands changements
qui émanent principalement des ressources
humaines. Wendy Swedlove, présidente du
Conseil canadien des ressources humaines
en tourisme, nous a présenté les différentes
problématiques, spécifiquement en termes de
pénurie de main d’œuvre et de productivité. Un
autre important joueur de l’industrie touristique
au pays est Parcs Canada l’instigateur de
plusieurs de nos meilleurs attraits touristiques.
Carol Sheedy, nouvelle directrice générale,
relations externes et expérience des visiteurs,
a parlé de la nouvelle initiative de l’expérience
visiteur et sciences humaines de Parcs Canada
lors de la session de fermeture.
Sous l’excellent leadership de mon collègue
Hwan-Suk (Chris) Choi, TTRA Canada a tenu
le deuxième symposium étudiant lequel s’est
élargi pour accueillir les étudiants de niveau
baccalauréat ainsi que ceux des niveaux
universitaires supérieurs. Suite au succès
sans précédent de la première édition l’année
dernière, le symposium a été prolongé d’une
journée entière et a attiré 36 participants.
Deux membres du conseil nous quittent après
plusieurs années. Grâce à leur contribution, le
chapitre canadien de TTRA est un des chapitres
les mieux financièrement gérés de l’association.
Martin Winges, notre ancien président,
s’est récemment transformé en restaurateur
(nous espérons qu’il a bien fait sa recherche
marketing!). Brian Singh a lui aussi fait un
changement de carrière en devenant travailleur
autonome. Nous les remercions tous deux
pour leur dévouement et nous leur souhaitons
la meilleure des chances dans leur nouvelle vie.
Marion Joppe, Présidente
TTRA Canada
[email protected]
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3
D O N ’ T F O R G E T Y O U R P A S S P O R T:
Passport WHTI Legislation and New Realities in the Tourism Industry
Barbara A. Carmichael, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and
Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, N2L3C5.
tel 519 884 1970 ext 2609, fax 519 725 1342. Email: [email protected]
and Wayne W. Smith - Assistant Professor, Department of Hospitality and Tourism
Management, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424-001 USA,
tel 843.953.6663, fax 834.953.5697 Email: [email protected]
..will result in a loss of
nearly 7.7 million trips and
cost the Canadian tourism
industry approximately $1.6
billion in lost revenues.
The events of September 11, 2001 and their
repercussions on the travel industry and global
travel patterns are yet to be fully analyzed
(Beirman, 2003, p. 66) and continue to unfold.
One major consequence was the increasing
level of security measures along US borders in
an attempt to more tightly control access by
international travelers and returning residents.
On April 5th 2005 the US Department of
States and Homeland Security announced the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
which will require Americans traveling to
Canada to present a passport for re-entry into
the USA.
The Conference Board of Canada (2005)
estimates that this legislation (for the years
2005-2008) will result in a loss of nearly 7.7
million trips and cost the Canadian tourism
industry approximately $1.6 billion in lost
revenues. Beyond the fiscal damages, there
could be a change in perception regarding
Canada’s position in relation to the United
States. While this legislation is being
enacted with safety in mind, it also presents
tourism marketers with a new challenge.
Tourism marketers are now presented with
the challenge of how to inform potential
visitors to Canada of the new legislation
while still presenting the country as a safe,
easily accessible destination especially for the
traditional short haul market.
The Canadian market from the US in 2005
suffered a decline, especially in the short haul
market (Shifflet &Associates, 2006 p.1), This
may be the result of the cumulative effects
of multiple barriers (exchange rate, border
hassles, document requirements, price of gas)
and may be giving rise to an “is it worth it”
perception (p. 3). Research on the American
market by Roper Reports 2004, indicates
that while 55% of respondents were budget
conscious, 43% said they were willing to pay
for quality (Roper Report, 2004 cited in Canadian
Tourism Commission, 2005). Canadians are
responding by focusing their marketing efforts
on quality experiences for the elite market
(skiing, fly-in fishing, gay-lesbian friendly
destinations), while tending to ignore the
“cost” concerns of some of the traditional
short haul market.
Recent research from three focus groups in
South Western Pennsylvania in May 2006
also suggests a high level of price sensitivity
in the short haul market (Smith, Carmichael &
Batovsky, forthcoming). As was revealed during
the focus group sessions, some were very price
sensitive citing “cost” as a barrier to travel. In
fact their major concerns were “cost” rather
than “security” related. For others there was a
perception that the money paid for a passport
would be better spent on the trip itself. Also,
given the spontaneous nature of a weekend
getaway, most focus group participants stated
they would just choose another destination
in the United States. What should not be
forgotten, however, was that if the focus group
participants who did not have passports did
follow through and get them, they would be
more likely to travel to Canada in order to,
‘get their money’s worth.’ This indicates that
a potentially negative situation, if addressed
properly could lead to an opportunity to
develop customer loyalty. Recommendations
from the focus groups on possible mitigation
strategies that could defray costs included:
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coupon books (which was mentioned in two
groups); casino chips (for Niagara Falls);
discount travel packages (get a percentage off
if you show your passport receipt) and; cash
back options.
4
From what seems to be a negative situation for
the Canadian tourism industry, there may be an
unrealized opportunity to use this legislation
as a catalyst to develop a loyalty program.
Indeed, the Caribbean Tourism Organization
is at present using a web based awareness
and education campaign for American visitors
with regards to passport legislation as well as
investigating the policy of paying for passports
for Americans when they book a trip to the
Caribbean.
From what seems to be a
negative situation for the
Canadian tourism industry,
there may be an unrealized
opportunity to use this
legislation as a catalyst to
develop a loyalty program.
Terrorist attacks with the magnitude and
directness of those that took place on
September 11, 2001 are disasters that have far
reaching effects. The WHTI is an example of
a far reaching “reactive response” that is part
of what Turner refers to as the sixth stage of a
crisis labeled “full cultural readjustment”. In
this stage, “an inquiry or assessment is carried
out and beliefs and precautionary norms are
adjusted to fit the newly gained understanding
of the world” (Turner, 1976, p. 381).
When such new understandings lead to
changes in legislation, the tourism industry
must continue to adjust to new market
realities in the tourism system. Indeed, market
turbulence as a result of legislative change
influences existing patterns and creates new
barriers and opportunities. As observed by
Scott and Laws (2005), focusing on a system
perspective is useful because it includes the
idea of system resilience, changes of system
states, and the fact that disasters are one
way for a system to change. The outcome
of a disaster does not necessarily mean a
return to a “normal state” as experienced
before a disaster, rather there is likely to be
a change of state to reflect the new realities
in terms of perceived risks, barriers and
opportunities to travel. While the WHTI is
American legislation, the responsibility for its
‘fall out’ on US/Canadian travel rests on the
Canadian government and tourism industry as
they develop policy to respond to these new
realities.
TTRACANADA.CA
References
Beirman, D. (2003).
Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis A
Strategic Marketing Approach
Wallingford Oxon: CABI International.
Canadian Tourism Commission (2005).
The Long Road from Surviving to Thriving.
CTC Tourism Intelligence Bulletin
–Issue 27, May, 19 pages.
Conference Board of Canada (2005).
The Potential Impact of the Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative Passport Requirement on
Canada’s Tourism Industry.
Ottawa: Canadian Tourism Commission.
Scott, N. & Laws, E. (2005).
Tourism crises and disasters: enhancing
understanding of systems effects.
Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 19
(2/3), 149-158.
Shifflet, D.K. & Associates (2006).
Changing US Travel Trends to Canada Executive
Summary of the US Task Force Research.
Ottawa: Canadian Tourism Commission.
Smith, W.W., Carmichael, B.A. & Batovsky, N.M.
(forthcoming)
Understanding the Potential Impact on
the Image of Canada as a Weekend Travel
Destination as a Result of Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative Passport Requirements.
Paper under review by Journal of Travel and
Tourism Marketing.
Turner, B.A. (1976). The organizational and
inter-organizational development of disasters.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 21, 378-397.
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5
CESO:
Making a World of Difference in Tourism Development
Implementation of successful tourism
development projects and programs can be
critical to the economic growth and vitality of
developing economies. Core benefits include
the preservation of a region’s historical or
cultural legacy, increased employment, income
generation and transfer of operation skills and
management knowledge to communities in
need.
The Canadian Executive Service Organization
(CESO), is a not-for-profit organization that
supports clients all over the world. Since
its inception in 1967, CESO has assisted in
the implementation of hundreds of tourism
and hospitality projects and in total has
completed approximately 40,000 assignments
in more than 50 countries, and in recent years
completes approximately 1,500 assignments
annually.
CESO’s mission is to promote the economic
growth and governance of developing nations,
emerging market economies and of the
Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal peoples in
Canada through the transfer of knowledge by
Volunteer Advisers (VAs). CESO has over 3,000
Volunteer Advisers on its roster, all seasoned
experts in their respective fields, who share
their professional experience by serving as
mentors, advisers and trainers.
Tourism planning, eco-tourism development
and strengthening hospitality sector operations
have been areas in which CESO has achieved
notable successes in the past. CESO VAs have
worked with communities as close to home
as Cobourg, Ontario and Saint-Basille, New
Brunswick and as far afield as the Philippines,
Georgia, Bolivia, Russia and China to help
partners build sustainable tourism programs.
Assignments range from the creation of
complex tourism master plans and supporting
marketing strategies, to the management of
protected park areas, to hotel management and
to the development of standards in culinary
operations and customer service.
A good example of a tourism planning related
project is the Needs Assessment assignment
carried out recently by CESO VA Pamela Wight
for the Georgian National Hospitality Institute.
The project identified key constraints the
Republic of Georgia faced in the development
of its tourism industry. Several strengths and
weaknesses were highlighted in the report,
including areas that required immediate
assistance. As well, the report provided
recommendations for the orderly development
of the tourism industry and prioritized the
assistance needed from CESO and other
potential sources.
In Sri Lanka, CESO has completed 135
projects related to the tourism sector since
1976. Exemplary of CESO’s work there,
CESO VA Caspar Beuk, an accomplished
chef and member of the Chefs Federation of
Canada, has, over a number of assignments,
advised clients on the implementation and
improvement of standards in the culinary
sector, as well as advised partners on
upgrading kitchen equipment.
Although many CESO VAs are retired, a good
percentage are working professionals who
make the time to help others during their
holidays, sabbaticals, or other periods of
“time off” from their jobs. Ultimately, through
the assignments, CESO advisers find great
satisfaction in helping others while enjoying
exposure to unique and foreign cultures.
To find out more about CESO or how to join
CESO’s roster, please visit the website at
www.ceso-saco.com. For inquiries, please
contact CESO Roster Manager Nicole Gold at
[email protected]., or call 1-800-268-9052,
ext. 223. We at CESO look forward to your
inquiries.
Patrick Lohier is the Public Engagement Officer
for the Canadian Executive Service Organization
(CESO). His mission is to mobilize CESO’s
volunteer advisers to help sensitize the Canadian
public and media about issues in international
development.
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6
2006 CONFERENCE
Another Success
The Board extends a big thank you to the over
130 attendees – members and non-members
alike – who made the Montebello conference
such a success. A beautiful and historical
property, informative and engaging case study,
excellent plenary sessions, thought provoking
concurrent sessions, lively networking events,
capped off with a great banquet and dance, all
combined to produce a memorable event.
The Board is happy to report the conference
surpassed all its goals: attendance; sponsorship; a strong, integrated program; and, a
timely, relevant theme. Much of this success
is due to the hard work of the following four
people: Jennifer Hendry, Scott Meis,
Marie-Thérèse Guérin and Michael Conlin.
The silent auction, absent for several years,
made a very successful return. Over 46 items
as diverse as weekend getaways, text books,
clothing, and a learn to drive a Porsche
package, helped raise over $2,400 which will
be put toward future conferences.
If you have any conference photos you would
like to share please email them to Sandra Louie
at [email protected] or Tracey
Grindal at [email protected] The
goal is to put together a conference pictorial
for the website.
2006 Student Symposium
The second annual student symposium
was also extremely successful, attracting 36
participants up from 13 in 2005. The Board
owes a big thank you to Dr. Chris Choi for
his hard work in organizing the event. Watch
out for information on the 2007 student
symposium and some new ideas to make
some of the student’s presentations a highlight
of the main conference.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
2007 Conference Alert
The 2007 TTRA-Canada Conference will be
held at the Rodd Charlottetown – a Rodd
Signature Hotel in beautiful Charlottetown, PEI
TTRACANADA.CA
from October 18-20, 2007, with the Student
Symposium occurring on October 17. The
theme of the conference is “Tourism Without
Borders.” TTRA has secured an excellent rate
of $134 + taxes (single/double occupancy) for
this historic downtown property. Built in 1931
by CN Railway, the hotel features elegance
and attention to detail synonymous with the
historic Canadian National Railway Hotels. A
limited number of suites are also available for
$179 + taxes.
The call for refereed papers and practionner
presentations, as well as information on the
Student Symposium will be posted to the
website shortly, so please keep tuned. Lee
Jolliffe, University of New Brunswick Saint
John; Melissa MacEachern, University of Prince
Edward Island; and Michael Conlin, Okanagan
College are pleased to be conference co-chairs.
2007 Conference Theme
The theme for the 2007 conference is “Tourism
Without Borders” – an exploration of the
relationship between spatial, political and
conceptual borders in tourism, with three interrelated sub themes:
1. Breaking down boundaries
a. Tourism and urban planning
b. Disseminating tourism research
c. Land management and tourism
d. Industry and academic collaboration
2. Tourism with or without borders
a. Rural and urban tourism
b. Cultural and heritage tourism
c. Island tourism
d. Virtual tourism and e-tourism
e. Impact of new technologies
3. Border and cross-border tourism
a. Safety and security
b. Impact of border regulations
c. Border, cross-border tourism and tourists
d. Tourism labour migration
e. Tourism partnerships and destination
management initiatives
The call for refereed papers and practionner
presentations, as well as information on the
Student Symposium will be posted to the
website shortly, so please keep tuned.
The Canadian Chapter
of the Travel and Tourism
Research Association
#803 - 130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
www.ttracanada.ca
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