Tourism Winnipeg

12 2018 Destination Marketing Plan and Partnership Opportunities GOALS RESULTS VISITOR SERVICES Tourism Winnipeg's visitor services platform enhances visitor experiences through increased distribution of visitor guides, events guides, itineraries and maps. Tourism Winnipeg also provides the most current tourism information for frontline staff and manages a mobile information centre at special events. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg continued to partner with priceline.com to offer an online hotel booking system; conducted frontline training and visitor information presentations to 33 hotels, attractions and industry partners; organized two frontline familiarization tours for a cumulative total of 75 attendees; sent weekly "What's Happening in Winnipeg this Week" emails; and staffed visitor information booths for five citywide conventions. Tourism Winnipeg distributed more than 200,000 tourism publications and responded to live chats, online visitor enquiries and in-person travel counselling. INTEGRATED MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Tourism Winnipeg produces and distributes collateral that enhances the perception of Winnipeg and motivates travel to the city. Tourism Winnipeg continues to improve its web strategy and also uses traditional advertising and social media marketing to generate interest in Winnipeg. Tourism Winnipeg increased social media advertising and increased engagement across all platforms through contesting, Facebook boosted posts, Instagram walks, Pinterest boards, and Only in the Peg and Peg City Grub blog posts. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg produced visitor and events guides, Winnipeg maps, a Winnipeg lure brochure, a factoids brochure and a culinary guide; distributed monthly leisure e-newsletters; launched a photo contest and a Pinterest contest; and conducted a winter leisure advertising campaign, a Google AdWords digital advertising campaign and a spring break packages and deals promotion; and distributed a direct mail flyer targeting 30,000 households in Grand Forks, Fargo, Brandon, Thompson and Thunder Bay. Tourism Winnipeg also incorporated user-generated content to increase stakeholder photos on www.tourismwinnipeg.com. COMMUNIT Y RELATIONS Tourism Winnipeg continues to enhance community relations initiatives to improve visitor experiences and to promote cohesion within the tourism industry through community engagement and workforce development. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg celebrated National Tourism Week (May 28 to June 3) through a welcome at the airport by Winnipeg mascots, a Bring It Home Winnipeg Free Press newspaper wrap, a social media mixer for applicable staff at attractions and hotels, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce's Celebrate Winnipeg luncheon and the sixth annual Winnipeg Tourism Awards of Distinction (recognizing 24 nominees and 12 finalists). Tourism Winnipeg also connected with stakeholders via a biannual "From the Desk of Karen" email, monthly e-newsletters, weekly media hits and ongoing communications using Simpleview's extranet site. FINANCIAL RESOURCES Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. gets its core funding from the Province of Manitoba via annual funding and the City of Winnipeg by way of an apportionment of the accommodation tax. The Special Event Tourism Fund (SETF) was established by the City of Winnipeg in 2008 to provide financial assistance in attracting major sports and special events. As of June 30, 2017, the SETF has committed a total of $9.3 million to 179 meetings, conventions and events spanning 2009 to 2023. These events cumulatively represent more than $152 million in direct expenditures for Winnipeg. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Tourism Winnipeg desires peak performance and improved efficiency as an organization to ensure it operates at an optimal level. This is accomplished through a destination marketing accreditation program, corporate responsibility initiatives and professional development opportunities. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg held staff team-building events at Oak Hammock Marsh and Across the Board Café. As well, staff attended client events at Inn at the Forks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Holiday Inn Airport West. The marketing director (Cody Chomiak) also attended the Destination Marketing Association International's Marketing Innovation Summit and the annual Destinations International conference. Tourism Winnipeg continued to support local charities through employee-initiated programs.

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