Mayor touts ‘new way of thinking’ about economic development
OBJ Staff
Mayor Watson said the creation of Invest Ottawa is proof that economic development will be a top priority for his administration.
Among other achievements, the mayor pointed to the Major Events Office that will operate in partnership with Ottawa Tourism. The office will try to bring major events, such as the NHL All-Star Game, the 2012 Juno Awards and possibly the 2015 FIFA Women’s Cup, to Canada’s capital.
Along with the new Convention Centre, he said these major events can help grow the city’s tourism sector.
Full story on the OBJ website: Mayor touts ‘new way of thinking’ about economic development
Convention centre top new business of 2011
Scott Taylor, Ottawa Sun
Dubbed “Canada’s Meeting Place” when it opened in April, the Ottawa Convention Centre lived up to the hype with brisk business and positive word of mouth.
On Thursday, it was honoured as New Business of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).
A release from the TIAC stated the reasons for the award:
“The facility, an iconic addition to Ottawa’s tourism infrastructure, opened on time and on budget on April 12, 2011 to launch a new and unprecedented era in the meetings and conventions sector in Canada’s Capital, with triple the space of the former Ottawa Congress Centre.”
The project took three years and about $160 million to complete.
It’s estimated it will bring $82 million in tourism and hospitality revenue each year into the city.
Mark Sutcliffe: Serve well in tourism, and Ottawa can lead
Mark Sutcliffe, The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — What makes Ottawa a great tourist destination? The sights are spectacular and there are many unique things to do. But ultimately it’s the people of this city that define whether or not visitors have great experiences and lasting positive memories that make them want to return.
And which people have the greatest interaction with visitors? Those who work in the tourism and hospitality industry and serve them throughout their visit.
It’s as simple as this: Terrible customer service can ruin a visit to the most beautiful destination on the planet. Excellent service can enhance a great vacation or even turn a nightmare into a positive memory that lasts decades.
That’s why the Stars of the City gala, at which I had the honour of presenting the awards on Wednesday, is one of the most important events in Ottawa. It doesn’t get as much attention as many other events, but it honours the people who go above and beyond the call of duty in the tourism sector.
City ‘missing’ out on staycation market
Elizabeth Howell, Ottawa Business Journal
Operators targeting local residents lack assistance from tourism officials
A local tour boat operator says the city’s tourism marketing agency is missing out on an opportunity to tap into the growing “staycation” market. Kurt Huck, a co-owner of Capital Cruises, says area residents represent a increasing percentage of his four-year-old business, which takes passengers on tours of the Ottawa River.
Fuelled by rising gas prices and the high Canadian dollar, several tourism operators and hoteliers say they are observing more local residents choosing to spend their vacation in Ottawa, and are adjusting their marketing efforts as a result.
But with a focus on selling packaged tours that include hotel rooms, Ottawa Tourism is not oriented to promote individual attractions, says Mr. Huck.
“Their mandate … is (hotel) room nights. Unfortunately, they’re missing the drive-in people and the regional people,” he says.
Read more on the Ottawa Business Journal website: City ‘missing’ out on staycation market
Tourism industry pushing ‘exotic’ Canada
The Canadian Press
A tundra buggy ride to photograph polar bears in northern Manitoba. Inching across a swinging suspension bridge over a ravine in the Columbia Mountains. Tidal bore rafting on Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie River.
They’re prime examples of what Canada’s tourism sector is hoping to use to attract big-spending international visitors who are looking for something out of the ordinary on their next vacation.
“Travellers spent $1 trillion on tourism globally in 2010 — that’s $3 billion dollars a day or $2 million a minute. We want more than our fair share of that revenue,” says Michele McKenzie, the president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Read more on the CBC News website: Tourism industry pushing ‘exotic’ Canada
Canadians vacationing in-country boosts tourism
Below is an excerpt from a story by the The Canadian Press that appeared on the CBC.ca website. There is lots to see and do here in Canada and we need to get out and explore more of our own country — and of course a great place to start is right here in Ottawa, Canada’s Capital Region.
Statistics Canada reports it was the seventh straight quarterly increase in tourism spending, which has risen 6.5 per cent since the second quarter of 2009.
Spending by international visitors in Canada declined 3.5 per cent in the first quarter, following five consecutive quarterly increases.
Full story on the CBC.ca website: Canadians vacationing in-country boosts tourism
Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation: What Are Your Competitors Paying?
Marketwire.com
OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – June 27, 2011) - The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) has released the results of the 2010 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study. This biennial study gathers and analyzes data on human resource practices, compensation, and benefits in the tourism sector in Canada. The study contains valuable information on salary and wage trends, gratuity splitting practices, perquisites, benefits, attraction and retention trends, employee turnover, and minimum wage rates. Included in the study are national, provincial and territorial wage tables that show the median annual salary and/or hourly wage for 31 tourism occupations by industry group, region, and employment status.
The report found that participating tourism businesses had focused their human resource efforts on initiatives such as providing competitive wages, basing employee advancement and recognition on job performance rather than seniority, and investing in job coaching and training for employees. In fact, compared to the 2008 results, the study details a significant increase in participants reporting that they offer a training and development program to employees.
Measuring the impact of festivals on tourism
Snapshot of visitors to 13 festivals adds to local economic development strategy debates
Almost one-third of visitors to a selection of Ottawa festivals came from out of town, according to a survey conducted last year.
Elizabeth Howell, Ottawa Business Journal
The information adds hard data to an ongoing debate surrounding how much emphasis the city should put on tourism – and festivals in particular – in its economic development strategy, which some feel has traditionally focused on supporting the tech industry.
Although Ottawa Festivals said tourism was not the main focus of its research, the organization’s executive director Barbara Stacey noted tourists are a part of every festival, whether they had come to town specifically for that reason, or not.
Read more information on the Ottawa Business Journal website: Measuring the impact of festivals on tourism
Watson Heading to China to Encourage Ottawa Tourism
Josh Pringle, CFRA
Mayor Jim Watson is set to leave on a trade mission to Beijing.
Watson is leading a Tourism-focused Business Mission to promote Ottawa tourism, encourage economic growth and promote the Capital’s tourism assets.
The Trade Mission has three goals: to work with Ottawa Tourism to promote the Nation’s Capital, highlight the Ottawa Airport’s goal of strengthening its relationship with the China-Canada Market and direct foreign investment from China to Ottawa.
The Ottawa-Gatineau Hotel Association, Ottawa Tourism, the Ottawa Convention Centre and several hotels will be among the organizations and companies on the trade mission.
The delegation will visit the Beijing International Tourism Festival which runs from Wednesday to Sunday.
Tourism Week Begins
Tourism Week kicks off this week highlighting some of the economic and social roles Canada’s tourism sector has in areas such as government, the media and the public. It also offers tourism industry members a chance to discuss its state on a national, provincial and territorial level, as well as help to generate buzz about its economic benefits with various organized events.
David Goldstein, Tourism Industry Association of Canada(TIAC) President stopped by A Morning to discuss Ottawa’s bustling tourism sector and its affects on the economy.
Source: A Morning Video
