Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/1150172
Economic Development Winnipeg | Tourism Winnipeg 19 Visitor experience trends › Many cities are closing their doors on storefront visitor bureaus and taking their message on the road by outfitting trucks or vans with iPads, map murals and music to draw visitors to this new generation of visitor centres. › Smartphones are now the most-watched medium providing informational content. › Visitors are looking for more in-depth knowledge, insights and unique experiences that are available to them (i.e. ways to experience the essence of the destination). › Frontline staff require more training, not only on in-depth product knowledge (for the local area, the region and the province as a whole), but also on how to respond to a customer and to meet their expectations and demands. › According to Google, 85 per cent of leisure travellers decide on activities only after having arrived at a destination. Source: Government of Nova Scotia Department of Business Industry familiarization tours Tourism Winnipeg will organize familiarization tours of attractions for guest services staff in order to increase their knowledge of Winnipeg's attractions and events. Firsthand knowledge, through familiarization tours, provides guest services staff with memorable experiences, so they can speak with authenticity and expertise when travel counselling on what to see and do in Winnipeg. Visitor experience services Tourism Winnipeg enhances visitor experiences by assisting and advising tourists coming to Winnipeg about the breadth of activities available, thereby encouraging them to do more and stay longer. Thorough visitor services contribute to boosting overnight visitations and positive visitor experiences. Publication distribution Tourism Winnipeg distributes visitor guides, Taste magazine, Winnipeg maps, The Loop and Winnipeg Tours brochures to hotels and attractions on a monthly basis to ensure travellers have optimal access to the best visitor information. Personal travel counselling Tourism Winnipeg provides exceptional travel counselling for traditional and online visitor inquiries through Twitter, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Tourism Winnipeg's website chat and other travel-related social media channels. To generate optimal exposure and conversation, Winnipeg video segments are posted on YouTube, while images are shared on Instagram and CrowdRiff. Online hotel reservation system Tourism Winnipeg will offer a complimentary online hotel reservation system through Expedia on www.tourismwinnipeg.com for hotel partners to generate incremental business and increase brand awareness. Mobile visitor services Tourism Winnipeg will provide visitor information booths for citywide conventions and special events to encourage visitors to see and do more while in Winnipeg. Tourism Winnipeg will continue to develop tools to elevate visitor services and conduct visitor surveys as opportunities arise. Visitor experience marketing Tourism Winnipeg will produce and enhance its publications and marketing materials featuring the latest developments and value propositions that promote all things to see and do in Winnipeg for visitors. Tourism Winnipeg will also continue to increase engagement on social media to better service visitor enquiries in the digital space. What's happening in Winnipeg Tourism Winnipeg will distribute What's Happening in Winnipeg weekly emails to attractions and hotels to ensure guest services staff can provide visitors with the most up-to-date and accurate information highlighting what's going on in the city. Visitor experience servicing Tourism Winnipeg will provide hotels with seasonal elevator posters to promote what guests can see and do in Winnipeg, as well as notify industry, including taxi and ride-sharing companies, when citywide conventions are in the city for optimal visitor servicing. Website Tourism Winnipeg will continue to evolve the website www.tourismwinnipeg.com with features such as live chats, itinerary builder, online hotel reservation system, etc., in order to elevate visitor experiences. Mike Peters