Tourism Winnipeg

D E A R S T A K E H O L D E R S Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. (EDW) is pleased to share Tourism Winnipeg's latest destination marketing plan and partnership opportunities document. This new edition offers fresh insights, inventive ideas and innovative ways to work with us as you connect with potential customers. The favourable results achieved in 2017 capitalized on the unprecedented momentum our city is experiencing. At home and abroad, the Winnipeg brand is being cast in a positive light. Even Vogue.com has weighed in, calling Winnipeg "vaguely exotic, totally obscure and an absolute must-visit destination." It goes on to say Winnipeg is "…stealthily gathering cred among those in the know." EDW's ongoing goal is to tell Winnipeg's story in a way that inspires and influences stakeholders and encourages people to come to Winnipeg and stay. The corporation's three entities—EDW, Tourism Winnipeg and YES! Winnipeg—are collaborating like never before. One team with a unified vision for Winnipeg: that's how we now operate, and that's how we can maximize our value. EDW is purposely moving in a direction where its tourism experts work in concert with its business experts. If YES! Winnipeg is wooing a prospective firm to set up shop in Winnipeg, for example, perhaps there is an industry conference this company is known to attend whose location scouts should be approached by Tourism Winnipeg? Conversely, what windfalls might result if YES! Winnipeg's business development professionals were connected directly with promising leads at the meetings and conventions their Tourism Winnipeg colleagues have already attracted? We're confident this cohesive new structure and complementary new attitude will yield better results in the days ahead. Important inroads already forged with EDW's provincial and municipal counterparts support this view. But operating at peak effectiveness means we need to stay relevant, and we get in front of our applicable audiences by pairing the right message with the right medium at the right time. This elusive target is forever changing, and how we market our services needs to change along with it. This is also true of stakeholders like you who operate within the same spaces we do. When contemplating this evolution from a tourism perspective, consider the following statistics from Google: 40 per cent of travellers used a destination marketing organization (DMO) website in the past year, 62 per cent of travellers get inspiration from applicable video content, 20 per cent of searches are now voice-related as we move from just smartphones to enhanced digital assistants, 60 per cent of destination searches originate from mobile devices, and 85 per cent of leisure travellers decide on activities only after arriving at a destination. Paying attention to these trends is critical, and Tourism Winnipeg is responding accordingly to stay ahead of the curve. On the ensuing pages, you'll find detailed information about our priority markets as well as returning and new partnership opportunities. We encourage you to stay informed and engaged as you build your business. Let's keep growing our city together by leveraging ways to maximize our tourism economy. Warm regards, Dayna Spiring President and CEO Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. Karen Goossen Executive Director Tourism Winnipeg

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