Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/715764
2017 Destination Marketing Plan & Partnership Opportunities | Tourism Winnipeg 23 Be an Ambassador! Launched in the spring of 2016, the website mywinnipeg.ca is the 'Coles Notes' of what's happening in Winnipeg. It is a one-stop site that highlights Winnipeg in the news, major investments and great places to eat and play in the city. Mywinnipeg.ca supplies tools for community members to become great hosts, while also providing fodder and bragging rights on all the exciting things happening in Winnipeg. Be an ambassador with mywinnipeg.ca Industry Ambassador Program Tourism Winnipeg will continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders to enhance the visitor experience by providing frontline staff presentations, toolkits, weekly "What's Happening," and familiarization tours to provide first-hand experience of local attractions. Tourism Winnipeg will continue to promote its Bring it Home Program to attract sports, corporate business and meetings to Winnipeg through professional and personal associations. Workforce Development Tourism Winnipeg will collaborate with the Manitoba Tourism Education Council in order to identify specific training and educational requirements that will result in an enhanced curriculum. Tourism Winnipeg will also collaborate with post-secondary colleges and universities in support of the development of a professional tourism workforce. Tourism Winnipeg has also brought together the Manitoba Tourism Education Council and Rainbow Resource Centre to deliver a LGBT training program for frontline staff. Boards and Committees Tourism Winnipeg serves on the following boards as part of its community engagement and tourism industry support: › Assiniboine Park Conservancy Board › Canada Games 2017 Marketing Committee › Cities Research Partnership › Destination Canada's Business Events Canada National Committee › Destination Marketing Association International's Certified Destination Management Executive board › Destination Marketing Association International's Destination Marketing Accreditation Program board › Downtown Winnipeg BIZ Marketing Committee › Comite Riel, Economic Development for French Municipalities Tourism Committee (CDEM) › Exchange District BIZ Marketing Committee COMMUNITY RELATIONS Tourism Winnipeg will enhance community relation initiatives to improve the cohesion of the tourism industry and visitor experience. This will position the organization as the central force in one of the city's most important economic generators. Community Engagement Tourism Winnipeg will collaborate with stakeholders to promote a culture of participation and action with regards to Winnipeg's tourism landscape; continue to host tourism-related workshops and industry forums for experiential product development; recognize stakeholders through the successful Winnipeg Tourism Awards of Distinction; and celebrate Winnipeg's tourism industry during National Tourism Week. Winnipeg Tourism Awards of Distinction Tourism Winnipeg will host the 6th annual Winnipeg Tourism Awards of Distinction program during tourism week to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Winnipeg's tourism industry, and to acknowledge those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer a superior tourism experience to travellers in Winnipeg. Trends Leisure Travel Trends › Virtual and augmented reality is becoming a larger and larger trend across all industries but especially in the tourism industry. By 2020, augmented and VR is predicted to be a $150 billion industry, according to Digi-Capital's 2015 Augmented/Virtual Reality Report › Mobile platforms and apps continue to rise, becoming the primary engagement platform for travellers › Travellers are demanding more information, control, interaction, and personalization on all phases of the trip including research, booking and visitation › Geo-targeting and localization are becoming more prevalent as smartphone use continues to rise. › Peer-to-peer buyer influence is driving customer purchases, solidifying the importance of social media Source: Skift.com Continued on next page