The 2011 Economic, Social and Community Impacts of Tourism Vancouver. March 2012

Transcription

1 The 2011 Economic, Social and Community Impacts of Tourism Vancouver March 2012

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION This report describes the economic, social and community impacts arising in 2011 from the activities and initiatives of Tourism Vancouver. The economic impacts include those arising through the attraction of visitors, the extension of visitor average length of stay and the increase in visitor spending. The social and community contributions include those arising through the creation of business and community partnerships, development of opportunities for trainees and interns, contributions to community groups and development of cultural events. ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TOURISM VANCOUVER ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives make major contributions to Metro Vancouver s tourism sector. We estimate Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives to result in $483 million in output, $234 million in provincial GDP, employment of 6,166 full-time equivalents (FTEs) and $44 million in revenues to the federal, provincial and municipal governments Economic Impacts of Tourism Growth Created by Tourism Vancouver s Activities and Initiatives Impacts Output GDP Employment (FTEs) Federal Tax Provincial Tax Municipal Tax Direct $288.8 $ ,649 $8.7 $11.1 $3.9 Indirect & Induced $194.2 $92.2 1,517 $9.3 $8.5 $2.0 Total $483.0 $ ,166 $18.0 $19.6 $5.9 Expressed as a percentage of the entire Vancouver Tourism sector, Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives account for between 8% and 9% of total tourism economic activity Estimated Total Annual Impacts of the Tourism Sector in Vancouver Impacts Output GDP Employment (FTEs) Federal Tax Provincial Tax Municipal Tax Direct $3,395.9 $1, ,682 $100.2 $128.7 $43.2 Indirect & Induced $2,285.5 $1, ,848 $108.6 $100.5 $24.1 Total $5,681.4 $2, ,530 $208.8 $229.2 $67.3 Percentage Due to Tourism Vancouver s Activities and Initiatives 8.5% 8.6% 8.5% 8.6% 8.6% 8.8% i

3 ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF TOURISM VANCOUVER ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES In addition to the economic impacts, Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives provide additional economic benefits, including: Local Resident Spending. Certain Tourism Vancouver activities (e.g. Dine Out Vancouver (DOV), Tickets Tonight, Be a Tourist in Your Own Town etc.) generate economic impacts throughout the BC economy as a result of the spending incurred by local residents on such activities. While there is little data available regarding the spending incurred by local residents on tourism-related activities, anecdotal and other evidence exists to demonstrate the many ways in which Tourism Vancouver encourages local resident spending. Economic Activity Enabled by Tourism Vancouver. Economic activity results from the operations of other organizations because of activities undertaken by Tourism Vancouver. For example, Tourism Vancouver played a key role in attracting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to Vancouver. The construction and operation of the Winter Games as well as the tourism impacts it generated had a significant impact on the BC economy, creating an estimated $2.3 billion in incremental real GDP and roughly 45,500 jobs between January 2003 and March 31, Creation of Partnerships. Many of Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives are augmented through partnerships. Some of the partners and organizations Tourism Vancouver has collaborated with include the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism BC, Vancouver Coast & Mountains tourism region, the Vancouver Attractions Group, the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, the City of Vancouver, Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia, the Vancouver Economic Commission, the Lower Mainland Tourism Alliance, the Hotel Association of Vancouver, Tourism Whistler, Tourism Victoria, the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Alliance for Arts and Culture, Vancouver Airport Authority and the Metro Vancouver Port Authority as well as individual members. Tourism Vancouver is also a member of BestCities Global Alliance, a global convention bureau partnership comprised of convention bureaus that deliver the world s best service experience for international meeting planners. Business Attraction and Development. Tourism Vancouver plays a role in supporting and developing local businesses as well as attracting new businesses to the region. Tourism Vancouver also works to bring major TV shows to Vancouver. Opportunities for Trainees or Interns. Tourism Vancouver offers various ways through which individuals can obtain internal and external training and work-related experiences. Tourism Vancouver works with many local colleges and universities to offer volunteer and paid job opportunities. Partner organizations include Capilano University, Vancouver Community College, UBC, SFU and BCIT. In collaboration with a number of organizations, Tourism Vancouver also helped launch and continues to support TaxiHost training program which is designed to elevate the level of taxi service in the Metro Vancouver area to be among the best in the world. 1 Report 6: Economic Impact of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on British Columbia and Canada: ii

4 COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL BENEFITS Included in the additional community and social benefits generated by Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives are: Contributions to Local Community. Tourism Vancouver supports the local community in number of ways including participating in volunteer programs, sponsoring local organizations and working with the local Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) group to advance their businesses and interests. In addition, immediately following the Stanley Cup Riots, Tourism Vancouver launched a campaign targeted to the local community in Metro Vancouver to promote social-media made examples of good deeds, civic pride and heroism in the local Vancouver community. Cultural Impacts. Tourism Vancouver is an active participant in the city s arts and culture community. Tickets Tonight is part of Tourism Vancouver s commitment to marketing arts and culture to visitors and locals, providing consumers with access to the variety of performing arts, cultural and sporting events that Vancouver offers. Tourism Vancouver also plays an important role in the City of Vancouver s comprehensive Cultural Tourism Strategy and BC Culture Days. Tourism Vancouver was also involved (and is still currently engaged) in the creation of MaxGuide, the Metro Vancouver arts and culture website. iii

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary... i Introduction... i Economic Impacts of Tourism Vancouver Activities and Initiatives... i Additional Economic Benefits of Tourism Vancouver Activities and Initiatives... ii Community and Social Benefits... iii Introduction... 1 Background and Study Purpose... 1 Our Approach... 1 Report Limitations... 1 Tourism In Metro Vancouver... 2 Tourism Defined... 2 Vancouver s Tourism Market and Market Segments... 3 Overview of Tourism Vancouver... 5 Linkages to Other Industries... 6 Economic Impact Analysis... 8 Categories of Economic Contribution... 9 Economic Impact Modelling Approach... 9 Impact Results from Tourism Vancouver Activities and Initiatives Additional Economic Benefits Economic Impacts of Local Visitor Spending Additional Economic Activity Enabled by Tourism Vancouver Creation of Partnerships Business Attraction and Development Opportunities for Trainees or Interns Community and Social Benefits Contributions to Local Community Cultural Impacts Appendix A About MNP iv

6 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND AND STUDY PURPOSE Tourism Vancouver is a business association representing roughly 1,000 members in tourism and related industries. The association works to market Metro Vancouver as a destination for leisure, meeting and event travelers. Tourism Vancouver s primary customers are meeting planners, travel influencers, travel media and independent tourists. Tourism Vancouver utilizes person-to-person and technology-based sales, marketing and visitor servicing activities to achieve results. Through positive positioning of both the organization and the destination, the association s leadership benefits the society, culture, environment and economy of Metro Vancouver. The strategic focus of the organization is guided by longterm planning initiatives from Rethink Vancouver and its annual business plan. Tourism Vancouver engaged MNP LLP (MNP) to conduct an impact assessment of its activities and initiatives in The objective of the study is to quantify and describe the economic, social and community impacts that arise as a result, in whole or in part, of Tourism Vancouver s programs and initiatives. OUR APPROACH In preparing this report, MNP carried out the following activities: Conducted research through publicly available statistics, articles and reports Conducted interviews with representatives of Tourism Vancouver as well as case study representatives Gathered data and statistics through Statistics Canada and BC Stats Applied an economic impact model using data collected through Statistics Canada, BC Stats and estimates of tourism dollars attributable to Tourism Vancouver REPORT LIMITATIONS This report is not intended for general circulation, nor is it to be published in whole or in part without the prior written consent of MNP LLP ("MNP"). The report is provided for information purposes and is intended for general guidance only. It should not be regarded as comprehensive or a substitute for personalized, professional advice. We have relied upon the completeness, accuracy and fair presentation of all information and data obtained from Tourism Vancouver and public sources, believed to be reliable. The accuracy and reliability of the findings and opinions expressed in the presentation are conditional upon the completeness, accuracy and fair presentation of the information underlying them. As a result, we caution readers not to rely upon any findings or opinions expressed as accurate or complete and disclaim any liability to any party who relies upon them as such. Additionally, the findings and opinions expressed in the presentation constitute judgments as of the date of the presentation, and are subject to change without notice. MNP is under no obligation to advise of any change brought to its attention which would alter those findings or opinions. Finally, the reader must understand that our analysis is based upon projections, founded on past events giving an expectation of certain future events. Future events are not guaranteed to follow past patterns and results may vary, even significantly. Accordingly, we express no assurance as to whether the projections underlying the economic and financial analysis will be achieved. 1

7 TOURISM IN METRO VANCOUVER TOURISM DEFINED For the purposes of this study, we have applied the definition of tourism put forward by BC Stats tourism statistics program. 2 BC Stats defines a tourist as someone who travels to and stays in a place outside their usual environment 3 for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated within the place visited. This particular definition of tourism includes the activities of visitors that are temporarily away from their permanent residents for a variety of reasons. These visitors may be: leisure travellers; visiting family and friends; visiting a vacation home (provided it is not their usual place of residence, but if visited for the purpose of recreation); travelling to obtain health care; travelling on business; or temporarily away from home for other reasons. Individuals temporarily living and being paid for work done at a location other than their usual environment are not included in the definition. It should also be noted that BC residents travelling for business or pleasure purposes would be included as tourists, as long as they travel at least 80 kilometres away from their usual place of residence. The tourism industry includes industries that provide services used by tourists. While BC s economy includes both goods-producing and service-producing industries, it is assumed that goods-producing industries do not deal directly with tourists. It is worth nothing that tourists need not account for the bulk of servicing-producing activities; they need only account for a measurable portion of the industry s business, which can be attributed to the tourism sector. The specific industries deemed to have a tourism component are listed in the following table. Retail Trade Industry Transportation & Warehousing Information & Cultural Industries Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing Administrative & Support Services Arts, Entertainment & Recreation Accommodation Food Services Other Services Public administration Tourism-related Activities Purchase of recreational vehicles, groceries, souvenirs, clothing etc Air, water, rail, bus, taxi and other transportation services Visits to movie theatres, telecommunication services purchased by tourists Purchase of cabins and other vacation homes, special insurance coverage for travellers Services of travel agents and tour operators Performing arts, skiing, golf clubs, other recreational services Accommodation services Restaurants and drinking places Tourism associations, motor vehicle repairs, personal services Government activities in support of tourism 2 Measuring the Size of British Columbia s Tourism Sector 3 Usual Environment is defined as the area including within about 80 kilometers of a person s home and place of work or study and other places frequently visited 2

8 VANCOUVER S TOURISM MARKET AND MARKET SEGMENTS Tourism is a major industry for BC and for Metro Vancouver. In 2011, there were an estimated 8.3 million 4 overnight visitors in Vancouver. As indicated in the following chart, about three-fifths (62.4%) of the visitors were Canadian residents. Visitors from the US accounted for 22.6%, while overseas visitors accounted for the remaining 15.0% of overall visitor volume. Figure 1: Visitor Volume (Overnight) by Market Origin (2011) 22.6% 15.0% 62.4% Canada US Overseas Source: MNP estimates based on MNP Visitor Volume Model and Statistics Canada 2009 Cities Data Canadian visitors accounted for the majority (52.5%) of visitor spending, while Overseas and US residents accounted for 26.7% and 20.8%, respectively. Figure 2: Expenditures by Market Origin (2011) 26.7% 52.5% Canada US Overseas 20.8% Source: MNP estimates based on MNP Visitor Volume Model and Statistics Canada 2009 Cities Data 4 Based on MNP s visitor volume model. Please note visitor volumes for the month of December are forecasted. 3

9 The majority (46.8%) of visitors come to Vancouver for leisure purposes, followed by those visiting friends and relatives (35.9%), business visitors (7.8%), and convention attendants (9.5%). Figure 3: Purpose of Overnight Visit (2011) Visiting Friends & Relatives (VFR) Business 46.8% 35.9% Convention 9.5% 7.8% Leisure Source: MNP estimates based on MNP Visitor Volume Model and Statistics Canada 2009 Cities Data Tourism Vancouver invests in the various markets based on its ability to influence and add value to the tourism industry. 4

10 OVERVIEW OF TOURISM VANCOUVER Tourism Vancouver is an industry-led business association that acts as the Convention and Visitors Bureau (also referred to as a Destination Marketing and Management Organization) for Metro Vancouver. Tourism Vancouver represents more than 1,000 targeted member businesses in tourism and related industries/activities. The association works to effectively market Metro Vancouver as a destination for leisure, meeting and event travelers. More specifically, Tourism Vancouver aims to achieve its goals of attracting visitors to the region, encouraging them to stay longer and ensuring that they return. In doing this, Tourism Vancouver works aggressively in the marketplace to generate greater economic impact for the destination and its member businesses. Through positive positioning of both the organization and the destination, the association s leadership benefits the society, culture, environment and economy of Metro Vancouver. Tourism Vancouver utilizes person-to-person and technology-based sales, marketing and visitor servicing activities to achieve results. Tourism Vancouver operates official visitor centres which offer free reservation and booking capabilities to service visitors while in the region. In addition, Tourism Vancouver Sales, Marketing and Servicing Teams work to build tourism business for the Vancouver destination and its members. Descriptions of these teams and the ways in which they target travel influencers and tourists are provided in the following table 5. Team Meetings & Conventions Sales and Servicing Team Leisure Travel Sales and Market Development Team Consumer and Digital Marketing Team Visitor & Delegate Services Sales Team Description Tourism Vancouver acts as the intermediary between the meeting planner and member businesses in the convention business. Tourism Vancouver, working closely with the Vancouver Convention Centre and the hotel community, booked 209 meetings in 2011, representing 283,129 future room-nights. Customer groups include association, congress, corporate, incentive, sport and others. Members receive referrals, leads and participation opportunities based on customer needs. Tourism Vancouver acts as the intermediary between the travel trade and members in nine core markets and two emerging markets. Customer groups include cruise lines, airlines, major tour operators, wholesalers and travel agents. Members receive referrals, leads and participation opportunities based on customer needs. Trade campaigns in 2011 generated 1,119 business leads and the training of over 900 registered Vancouver Specialists. Tourism Vancouver undertakes campaigns in short and mid-haul markets with consumers who book direct to Vancouver. Reservations are booked direct to hotels and through Tourism Vancouver s online central reservation system. Click through conversion on digital campaigns in 2011 was 35%. In 2011 Tourism Vancouver had 2.8 million visits to its corporate website generating 14.7 million page views, and 813,000 visits to its blog Tourism Vancouver currently operates a flagship visitor centre, one mobile delegate services centre and a newly opened Satellite Visitor Centre. Tourism Vancouver s staff counsels over 220,000 visitor parties annually generating over $6.3 million in gross sales. Trained visitor counsellors refer and book member businesses. Tourism Vancouver staff and volunteer members act as key intermediaries for member businesses targeting independent travellers and convention delegates

11 Team Travel & Trade Media Team Member Services & Sponsor Marketing Team Operations & Corporate Services Team Description Tourism Vancouver hosts approximately 425 qualified travel and trade media annually, who generate an estimated $30 million in earned media coverage. Travel media staff act as key intermediaries between media and member businesses. Tourism Vancouver s Member Services team provides educational, sales and marketing opportunities to more than 1,000 businesses in the tourism industry. In addition, the Corporate Sponsorships team works with companies to deliver incremental promotional opportunities throughout the year including Dine Out Vancouver TM and Be a Tourist in Your Own Town. Tourism Vancouver provides internal and external support services including marketing research, business planning, marketing services and branding, business technology solutions, finance, administration and human resources. Tourism Vancouver s work is done through a coordinated group action of members and staff working together. The organization s team includes 60 full-time staff, roughly 20 part-time staff, seasonal and contract positions as well as more than 200 volunteers. In addition, strong leadership and guidance is provided to Tourism Vancouver by its Board of Directors which consists of 15 members representing a broad spectrum of Metro Vancouver s tourism industry. Tourism Vancouver s operating budget for 2011 was $14.7 million. I am obliged to say these green shirted greeters were first class ambassadors for their city. If all the others I saw in the green shirts are as good as these representatives of Tourism Vancouver, your front line relationship with the tourists visiting your gorgeous city are in superb hands..it is individuals like your ambassadors who make Vancouver such a tremendous city. David Johnston, visitor to Vancouver LINKAGES TO OTHER INDUSTRIES For Tourism Vancouver, the direct economic impacts of its activities and initiatives result from the spending by tourists. Indirect and induced impacts arise from the linkages that exist with suppliers and other sectors. Such linkages are often displayed through a value chain that illustrates the components of the sector and the individuals and organizations with which it interacts. The value chain for Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives is on the following page. 6

12 Tourism Vancouver Activities and Initiatives Value Chain 7

13 ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS To estimate economic impacts, MNP utilized an input-output methodology using economic multipliers published by BC Stats. Input-output modeling is a widely-used and widely-accepted approach, making it recognizable by many different stakeholders and audiences. The structure of the approach also facilitates easy comparisons between reported results for different projects and facilities. In general, economic impacts are viewed as being restricted to quantitative, well-established measures of economic activity. The most commonly used of these measures are output, GDP, government tax revenue and employment: Output is the total gross value of goods and services produced by a given company or industry measured by the price paid to the producer. This is the broadest measure of economic activity. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or value added refers to the additional value of a good or service over the cost of inputs used to produce it from the previous stage of production. Thus GDP is equal to net output, or the difference between revenues and expenses on intermediate inputs. It is the incremental value created through labour or mechanical processing. Total GDP is a more meaningful measure of economic impact, as it avoids double counting during each round of impacts. Government Tax Revenues arise from personal income taxes, indirect taxes less subsidies (e.g. HST), corporate income taxes and natural resource royalties. Employment is the number of additional jobs created. Employment is measured in terms of fulltime equivalents (FTE). Economic impacts may be estimated at the direct, indirect, and induced levels. Direct impacts are changes that occur in front-end businesses that would initially receive expenditures and operating revenue as a direct consequence of the operations and activities of a facility. Indirect impacts arise from changes in activity for suppliers of the front-end businesses. Induced impacts arise from shifts in spending on goods and services as a consequence of changes to the payroll of the directly and indirectly affected businesses. In contrast to economic impacts, economic benefits include measures that may be broader in scope, and may include both activity-based and outcome-based measures. These benefits may also describe longterm or downstream activity that would not normally be captured in economic impacts. While economic impacts utilize standard measures that can be estimated for nearly any type of project, economic benefits and their accompanying measures may vary greatly from project to project. Economic benefits may include: Creation of business partnerships Opportunities for trainees or interns Development of technological innovation Attraction/retention of qualified workforces Area revitalization Social or community benefits may be quantitative or qualitative in nature and may address contributions made to local communities and general social development. Social benefits may include: Contributions to community groups Stronger and more cohesive communities Reduced reliance on social safety net programs 8

14 CATEGORIES OF ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives create and enable economic activity in a number of ways that can be categorized into three distinct categories: 1. Economic activity created by Tourism Vancouver s own operations. This category includes economic activity related to Tourism Vancouver s own operations. Tourism Vancouver impacts the BC economy through its expenditures on goods and services and the employment of staff. Because the focus of this study is on the effect of Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives rather than on its own operations, we have not included these impacts in our analysis. 2. Economic activity arising through growth in the tourism sector as a result of Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives. This category includes the economic impacts arising through the growth in the tourism sector as a result of Tourism Vancouver being able to attract additional visitors, extend the average length of stay and increase overall visitor spending. This is the focus of our study. 3. Economic activity enabled by Tourism Vancouver. This relates to economic activity arising from the operations of other organizations that occurs because of activities and initiatives undertaken by Tourism Vancouver. This category includes such things as economic activity arising from organizations that have relocated to Vancouver (in whole or in part) due to Tourism Vancouver. Also included are impacts generated from special events (e.g. the Olympics), and services (e.g. cruise lines) brought to Vancouver through Tourism Vancouver s efforts. While not included in our economic impact calculations, these impacts are described later in the report.. ECONOMIC IMPACT MODELLING APPROACH Data for the economic impact modelling were obtained from Tourism Vancouver, Statistics Canada, MNP, and BC Government sources. Additional material was collected through the review of publicly available statistics, articles and reports. Estimates of economic impacts were derived from BC Stats input/output model. When estimating the level of tourism attributable to Tourism Vancouver, assumptions and approaches were selected in cooperation with Tourism Vancouver representatives. Additional material was collected through the review of publicly available statistics, articles and reports. The economic impacts were estimated by BC Stats input-output model by using direct, indirect and induced multipliers. The model was used to estimate the output, GDP, number of jobs, and tax revenues attributable to Tourism Vancouver s activities focused on attracting additional visitor to Vancouver, extending average length of stay and increasing visitor spending. Main Assumptions The analysis presented in this report is based on a number of assumptions. The main assumptions are: Analysis is based on 2011 and dollar impacts are expressed in 2011 Canadian Dollars. Analysis approach is based on BC Stats suggested approach to modelling tourism impacts. MNP s visitor volume model was used to estimate the total number of visitors (by market origin Canada, US, Overseas) to Vancouver in Data from the model is complete until the end of November; forecasts were made for the month of December. Statistics Canada 2009 Cities Data was applied to the MNP visitor volume numbers to determine the volume and trip characteristics of the four categories of visitors: Convention Visitors, Leisure Visitors, Business Visitors and Visitors Visiting Friends and Relatives. Each category of visitors was analyzed separately and involved the analysis two different scenarios: the economic impacts arising from Tourism Vancouver s role in attracting visitors to Vancouver and the economic impacts arising from Tourism Vancouver s role in increasing average length of stay and visitor spending. 9

15 For Convention visitors, the following assumptions were used: Visitor Attraction Increasing Length of Stay and Spending Based on tracked room nights provided to us by Tourism Vancouver and On-the-Books data related to actual room nights, we have calculated an estimated proportion of room nights for which Tourism Vancouver is attributable. We have assumed the same proportion applies to visitor volume. For Convention visitors we analyzed the three visitor market origins (Canada, US, and Overseas) separately as Tourism Vancouver has more influence on some groups than others (there is tracked data that supports this). Assumed Tourism Vancouver influences visitors that it does not attract in the same way it influences visitors to come to Vancouver. We have applied the same proportions for each individual region of origin to the visitors Tourism Vancouver is not responsible for attracting. For Leisure visitors, the following assumptions were used: Visitor Attraction Increasing Length of Stay and Spending Based on tracked room nights provided to us by Tourism Vancouver and On-the-Books data related to actual room nights, we have calculated a proportion of room nights for which Tourism Vancouver is attributable. We have assumed the same proportion applies to visitors. Assumed Tourism Vancouver influences visitors that it does not attract in the same way it influences visitors to come to Vancouver. We have applied the same proportion to the visitors Tourism Vancouver is not responsible for attracting. For Business visitors, the following assumptions were used: Visitor Attraction Increasing Length of Stay and Spending Assumed Tourism Vancouver has no influence in attracting business visitors to Vancouver. Assumed Tourism Vancouver has no influence on increasing visitor length of stay or spending. For Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR), the following assumptions were used: Visitor Attraction Increasing Length of Stay and Spending Assumed Tourism Vancouver has no influence in attracting VFR to Vancouver. Assumed Tourism Vancouver is responsible for influencing the same percentage of visitors as they do for leisure visitors. We have assumed that Tourism Vancouver influences this proportion of VFR to stay one extra night. 10

16 IMPACT RESULTS FROM TOURISM VANCOUVER ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES In the table below we show the estimated economic impacts that result from Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives that attract visitors to Metro Vancouver. Table 1: 2011 Impacts of Tourism Growth Resulting from Attraction of Visitors Attributable to Tourism Vancouver Impacts Output GDP Employment (FTEs) Federal Tax Provincial Tax Municipal Tax Direct $226.7 $ ,645 $6.9 $8.8 $3.1 Indirect & Induced $152.2 $72.3 1,188 $7.3 $6.7 $1.6 Total $378.9 $ ,833 $14.2 $15.5 $4.7 In the table below we show the estimated economic impacts that result from Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives that increase visitor spend and length of stay. Table 2: 2011 Impacts of Tourism Growth Resulting from Increased Length of Stay and Spend Attributable to Tourism Vancouver Impacts Output GDP Employment (FTEs) Federal Tax Provincial Tax Municipal Tax Direct $62.1 $29.7 1,004 $1.8 $2.3 $0.8 Indirect & Induced $42.0 $ $2.0 $1.8 $0.4 Total $104.1 $49.6 1,333 $3.8 $4.1 $1.2 In the table below we show the combined impacts generated through attraction of visitors and the increase if visitor length of stay and spend. Table 3: Total 2011 Impacts of Tourism Growth Created by Tourism Vancouver Impacts Output GDP Employment (FTEs) Federal Tax Provincial Tax Municipal Tax Direct $288.8 $ ,649 $8.7 $11.1 $3.9 Indirect & Induced $194.2 $92.2 1,517 $9.3 $8.5 $2.0 Total $483.0 $ ,166 $18.0 $19.6 $5.9 11

17 Expressed as a percentage of the entire Metro Vancouver Tourism sector, Tourism Vancouver s activities and initiatives account for between 8% and 9% of total tourism economic activity. Table 4: 2011 Estimated Total Annual Impacts of the Tourism Sector in Vancouver Impacts Output GDP Employment (FTEs) Federal Tax Provincial Tax Municipal Tax Direct $3,395.9 $1, ,682 $100.2 $128.7 $43.2 Indirect & Induced $2,285.5 $1, ,848 $108.6 $100.5 $24.1 Total $5,681.4 $2, ,530 $208.8 $229.2 $67.3 Percentage Due to Tourism Vancouver s Activities and Initiatives 8.5% 8.6% 8.5% 8.6% 8.6% 8.8% 12

18 ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF LOCAL VISITOR SPENDING In addition to the economic impacts generated from visitors, certain Tourism Vancouver activities generate economic impacts throughout the BC economy as a result of the spending incurred by local residents on such activities. While there is presently little data available regarding the spending incurred by local residents on tourism-related activities, anecdotal and other evidence exists which helps to illustrate the ways in which Tourism Vancouver encourages local resident spending. Tourism Vancouver s Dine Out Vancouver (DOV) is a highly anticipated annual event designed to encourage locals (as well as visitors) to turn their attention to local food and drink. The program affects over 300 members in a variety of membership categories ranging from restaurants and hotels to printing companies and tour operators. Celebrating its 10 th anniversary in 2012, the DOV has grown from a simple restaurant promotion of 57 restaurants in 2003 to Canada s largest restaurants festival with 231 participating restaurants. By offering an excellent value proposition on dinners, hotel stays and events, supported by an extensive media campaign which includes social and traditional media advertising and contest, the festival drives locals into their favourite and new restaurants at a time when the hospitality industry needs it the most. 6 While the total number of people that dine during DOV is not tracked, OpenTable.com tracks online reservations at DOV restaurants that accept OpenTable.com reservations (56% of participating restaurants in 2011). According to OpenTable.com, over 55,000 dinners were served during the 14-day festival in Furthermore, more than 400 event tickets were sold and 166 room nights were generated during DOV in 2011, with the number of room nights projected to more than double in The Celebration of Lights festival, another attraction promoted by Tourism Vancouver, attracts a significant proportion of local residents. According to a survey conducted by Synovate in 2008, almost three-quarters (72%) of Celebration of Lights attendants are from Metro Vancouver, including 34% who are Vancouver City residents. Vancouver residents spend, on average, $43.90 per day due to the fireworks (either directly or indirectly) whereas other Metro Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) residents spend approximately $ Although Vancouver residents do not spend as much as other GRVD residents on a Each year, Tourism Vancouver s Consumer Marketing and Media Relations team generates local resident spending through the DOV. Tourism Vancouver works with numerous hotels (in 2011 they worked with 41 hotels) to create DOV hotel room rates and DOV hotel packages (i.e. valueorientated rate for the room, the DOV dinner and other amenities) which are exclusive to the DOV time period. These hotel offers are promoted through various avenues, including local newsprint, transit, media relations and other sponsored marketing. The offers encourage locals to make a night out of their dining experience by staying overnight in Vancouver. This helps smooth hotel revenues by driving sales in the slower, post-christmas period. The Media Relations team at Tourism Vancouver also engages in the promotion of the DOV through various means, such as news releases, the arrangement of interviews on TV, radio, print as well as coordinating media launches. These activities, in turn, encourage Vancouver residents to support their local restaurants. 6 Communication from Tourism Vancouver 7 Ibid 13

19 daily basis, they are more likely to attend all four nights of the event. The local impacts of the Celebration of Lights festival are felt year after year; between 2004 and 2008, Metro Vancouver residents attended the festival an average of 3.8 years and other GRVD residents attended 4.0 years, on average. 8 Tourism Vancouver s Be a Tourist in Your Own Town campaign invites BC residents to be tourists in their own city by taking advantage of over 30,000 free tickets to participating attractions. Each day, during the 27 days of the promotion, a different attraction is revealed as the attraction of the day offering BC residents a limited number of free admission tickets. While tickets are only valid for one day, locals who secure the tickets have the opportunity to experience a great day in Vancouver that will leave them inspired to share their experience with visiting friends and relatives. 9 Various other initiatives, such as the viral post campaign, Invite the World, are re-issued every few years to encourage locals to be ambassadors for the city to friends and family. The campaign entices Vancouver residents to show their civic pride by sending personalized, virtual postcards to their friends and family, encouraging them to visit Vancouver. When visitors come to Vancouver, local residents can entertain their guests by participating in all the activities Vancouver has to offer. This year, the campaign was managed by the Consumer Marketing team with collaboration from several funding partners including the City of Vancouver, Telus, Lululemon and others. 10 ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ENABLED BY TOURISM VANCOUVER Economic activity results from the operations of other organizations because of activities undertaken by Tourism Vancouver. For the purposes of this study, MNP has not included the economic activity enabled by Tourism Vancouver. However, findings from various other studies demonstrate the economic impact of activity enabled (in whole or in part) by Tourism Vancouver HSBC Celebration of Light Synovate Research Report, Presentation by Anthony Hong, August 26, Tourism Vancouver < /319/541/ 14

20 Tourism Vancouver works with various cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America, to position Vancouver as an ideal location from which to depart on an Alaskan cruise experience. Through sales calls, sales agent and reservation staff training as well as destination familiarization tours for cruise specialists and sales staff, Tourism Vancouver is able to influence key decision makers with respect to their marketing and product development strategies related to selling Vancouver as a destination. Through a coordinated effort with Port Metro Vancouver, the Vancouver International Airport Authority and Tourism BC, Tourism Vancouver has also contributed investments and provided ongoing support for and hosting of major cruise conferences including the Cruise Line Industry Association s cruise3sixty conference. Tourism Vancouver played an integral role in influencing the Celebrity Mercury to remain in Vancouver. The Celebrity Mercury had been in Vancouver for several seasons before the cruise line considered moving the ship to Seattle. Given the positive relationship with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Tourism Vancouver was contacted to see if they could help influence the decision in Vancouver s favour. In response, Tourism Vancouver and its partners offered marketing investment dollars as an incentive to stay and, as a result, the cruise line decided to keep the Celebrity Mercury in Vancouver. Tourism Vancouver played a key role in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, from launching the bid to servicing media, visitors and sponsors and marketing to consumers and key trade customers before, during and after the Games. The construction and operation of the Winter Games as well as the tourism impacts it generated had a significant impact on the BC economy, creating an estimated $2.3 billion in incremental real GDP and roughly 45,500 jobs between January 2003 and March 31, As one of the founding groups of the Convention Centre Expansion Task Force, Tourism Vancouver has been a long-time advocate of expansion, including a $90 financial contribution to the project on behalf of the industry. The expanded centre enabled Tourism Vancouver, the Vancouver Convention Centre and the hotel community to host 25 citywide conventions in 2011, the strongest year ever. Major conventions held in 2011 included: Risk and Insurance Management Society, International Society of Nephrology, SIGGRAPH, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Report 6: Economic Impact of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on British Columbia and Canada: Communication from Tourism Vancouver 15

21 CREATION OF PARTNERSHIPS Many of Tourism Vancouver s activities and projects are augmented through partnerships dollars, marketing channels and in-kind product. Some partner companies and organizations include: the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism BC, Vancouver Coast & Mountains tourism region, the Vancouver Attractions Group, the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Economic Commission, the Lower Mainland Tourism Alliance, the Hotel Association of Vancouver, Tourism Whistler, Tourism Victoria, the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Alliance for Arts and Culture, Vancouver Airport Authority and the Metro Vancouver Port Authority as well as individual members. Some other examples of Tourism Vancouver s partnerships are highlighted in the following paragraphs. 13 In the summer of 2010, the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre partnered with Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia (AtBC) to showcase Aboriginal tourism products throughout the province. The main catalyst for this partnership was the high profile the First Nations people received during the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Winter Games as well the general lack of marketing presence in the Vancouver area. As part of the collaboration, Tourism Vancouver provided an area in the Visitor Centre to AtBC to present marketing materials and provide an on-site staff member to answer any visitor enquiries. The products showcased were from regions throughout the province. 14 The following summer, the Visitor Centre collaborated with the City of Vancouver to showcase Vancouver s 125 th birthday. The City of Vancouver decorated the Visitor Centre with archival photos and video footage. 15 In 2011, The Hotel Association of Vancouver (HAV) and Tourism Vancouver agreed to an innovative partnership by forming a "coalition of interests" as recommended in the Rethink Vancouver strategic plan. The intent is to achieve strategic alignment on destination marketing for Vancouver through joint decision-making on plans, budgets and performance targets. Historically, the Vancouver arts & culture community and the tourism industry worked in isolation. There was a perception that Tourism Vancouver was not an active partner in the cultural community. This all changed in 2002, when Tourism Vancouver and the Alliance for Arts and Culture created a partnership that launched Tickets Tonight, Vancouver s same-day halfprice and full-price ticket booth. The initiative has been a resounding success for both the cultural and tourism communities. Since its inception in 2002, Tickets Tonight has returned $14 million in revenues to arts producers, contributing to the economic vitality of the cultural sector. In 2011 alone, Tickets Tonight worked with 264 cultural producers and offered 222 half-price arts and entertainment events. The arts and culture community in Vancouver also benefits from the tremendous promotional leverage Tickets Tonight delivers with some $200,000 in advertising value in the Vancouver Sun, plus numerous other marketing vehicles including social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blog posts. Tourism Vancouver is also a member of BestCities Global Alliance, a global convention bureau partnership comprised of convention bureaus that deliver the world s best service experience for international meeting planners. In addition to Vancouver, these world premier meeting destinations include Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Melbourne, San Juan, Berlin, Houston and Singapore. 16 Members of BestCities are 13 Communication from Tourism Vancouver 14 Ibid 15 Ibid

22 committed to joint sales and marketing activities and to providing the world s best service standards to clients and delivering a consistent level of services across all partner organizations. 17 All members comply with 34 rigorous meeting and convention servicing standards, audited each year by Lloyd s. 18 Tourism Vancouver works in collaboration with various other global partners. Tourism Vancouver recently signed a marketing partnership with the Municipal Tourism Administration of Shanghai (Tourism Shanghai) to further enhance Vancouver s profile in the market and to exchange research and best practices. 19 BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND DEVELOPMENT Tourism Vancouver plays a role in supporting and developing local businesses as well as attracting new business to the region. Tourism Vancouver s role in attracting conventions to Vancouver drives business to food suppliers, staff, wine and beer suppliers, vineyards and other wholesalers across the province. In addition, the DOV has attracted the support of Kronenbourg 1664, which has used the event as a way to expand into the British Columbia market. Tourism Vancouver also works to bring major TV shows, including cooking shows, reality shows and travel shows, to Vancouver. Tourism Vancouver played a role in bringing the reality TV series, The Bachelorette, to Vancouver. The shows profiling of Vancouver elevated the city s reputation as a travel destination and also resulted in the hiring of local production crew and the driving of hotel room nights. 20 Tourism Vancouver has also recently collaborated with Tourism BC, Tourism Whistler, the CTC and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts to attract Top Chef: Texas to Vancouver. The show is expected to offer a major boost to Vancouver s international reputation as a dining destination. 21 OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINEES OR INTERNS Tourism Vancouver offers various ways through which individuals can obtain training and work-related experiences. Tourism Vancouver s Volunteer Program, for example, is in high demand amongst prospective job applicants who are looking to build their on-the-job knowledge, gain experience and develop their skill set. Tourism Vancouver works with Edible BC, founded by Eric Pateman in 2005, started as a two-person operation out of Granville Island with a small retail and tour component. In 2006, the business had some positive cash flow and decided to become a member of Tourism Vancouver. Tourism Vancouver supported the growth of the company by promoting it to media, tour operators and meeting planners. Over the years Edible BC has grown to become Edible Canada, Canada s largest culinary tourism and locavore retail company. Edible Canada now has a small army of staff, a successful restaurant on Granville Island, has secured major contracts with the Canadian Tourism Commission, and is in discussion to open additional stores, including one in Tokyo. Although it is Edible Canada owner Eric Pateman who deserves the credit for his company s success, Eric notes that Tourism Vancouver has been instrumental in our [Edible Canada s] success to date. Furthermore, Eric adds that with over 400 media articles in more than 5 years, we [Edible Canada] would not be where we are without the Tourism Vancouver Media Relations team. Finally, Eric feels as though Tourism Vancouver is a stepping stone for many, many people in this industry the organization is not just about supporting the businesses of Vancouver, but also about training leaders of tomorrow Communication from Tourism Vancouver 20 Ibid 21 Ibid 17

23 many local colleges and universities to offer volunteer and paid job opportunities. Partner organizations include Capilano University, Vancouver Community College, UBC, SFU and BCIT. 22 Tourism Vancouver s Visitor Centre also provides numerous training opportunities. All Visitor Centre staff are fully trained on all aspects of tourism products within Metro Vancouver and British Columbia, and work to become Visitor Counsellor Certified as recognized by the Province of British Columbia. 23 In addition, each year, Tourism Vancouver recruits and hires approximately 15 seasonal, part-time staff to work in the Visitor Centre. For many of these individuals, it is their first opportunity to work in the tourism and hospitality industry and the experience they obtain while in the position is often cited as a springboard toward their career goals and ambitions. Many of the staff who were once Tourism Vancouver Summer Visitor Counsellors have become tourism professionals within the industry and some have even grown with Tourism Vancouver and advanced into manager and associate positions. 24 In anticipation of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Tourism Vancouver and Capilano College (now Capilano University) entered into a memorandum of understanding related to personnel requirements for the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre and co-op positioning for Capilano College students. Capilano College accepted two intakes of students who acted as a labour pool for the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre in the summer of 2009 and during the Winter Games. Tourism Vancouver was able to hire more than 20 students who, as a result, were able to complete all required co-op hours and gain front-line tourism experience. Tourism Vancouver was able to maintain adequate staffing levels during months that are typically slower and had fully trained staff during the Winter Games as the staff had gained experience working in the Visitor Centre the previous summer. 25 Tourism Vancouver also engages in external training activities. In April 2011, Tourism Vancouver launched the Vancouver Specialist online training program. The interactive, online tool was designed to help travel agents and sales staff world-wide sell Vancouver more effectively. With this enhanced knowledge, travel agents are better positioned to service clients, even if they have never actually visited Vancouver. In 2011, over 900 travel trade representatives registered with nearly 65% earning their Vancouver Specialist Designation. In November 2011, the Vancouver Specialist Program was translated in its entirety into simplified Chinese and is hosted on a server in Beijing for the ongoing support and training of the travel trade in mainland China. 26 Tourism Vancouver, along with the Justice Institute of BC, the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Airport Authority and the Vancouver Taxi Association, helped launch and continues to support the TaxiHost training program which provides taxi drivers with a strong working knowledge of local geography, driver safety customer service, and road skills. The program is designed to elevate the level of taxi service in the Metro Vancouver area to be among the best in the world. 22 Communication from Tourism Vancouver 23 Ibid 24 Ibid 25 Ibid 26 Ibid 18

24 COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL BENEFITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOCAL COMMUNITY Benefits generated through Tourism Vancouver s activities include contributions to social development. Social contributions may have far reaching impacts on individuals and communities. Included in this are contributions (financial or otherwise) to local charities, organizations or individuals. Tourism Vancouver established a Volunteer Program in 1996 to support the visitor services and sales activities in the City of Vancouver and the Province of BC. The program is intended to influence the visitor experience in the destination and ultimately increase visitor spending and extend length of stay. Since its launch, the Volunteer Program has expanded from 13 volunteers to over 200 volunteers at multiple Visitor Centres 27 and City Host 28 locations. 29 In addition to supporting Tourism Vancouver s indestination activities, mission, and vision, the Volunteer Program contributes between 24,000 and 38,000 volunteer hours (approximately 14 FTEs) to the community annually. Supporting Tourism Vancouver and its paid staff, the volunteer Visitor Counsellors and City Hosts touch and influence the experience of over 300,000 visitors annually and help to sell over $3 million in local BC tourism products and services. 30 Tourism Vancouver s Volunteer Program is highly regarded in the community and often supports other community groups, programs and events, such as the Summer Live Community event, St. Patrick s Day Parade, Illuminnaires, Vancouver Bikefest, Latincouver Festival, Festival of Lights and Canada West Marketplace. 31 The City Host program, one of the initiatives within the volunteer program, provides a special connection and support to the local community and businesses. The program started as an Olympic partnership between Tourism Vancouver and the City of Vancouver in efforts to extend the organization s positive influence on the way visitors experience the destination throughout the City. Although no longer financially supported by the City, Tourism Vancouver chose to continue this legacy program on a very small scale Immediately following the Stanley Cup Riots, at the request of the Mayor of the City of Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver, in tandem with DDB launched This Is Our Vancouver, a campaign targeted to the local community in Metro Vancouver. The community campaign dovetailed with the Mayor s Task Force to reclaim the City s positive brand. It involved the launch of a web-based initiative that would be used to centralize and promote social-media examples of good deeds, civic pride, and heroism in the local Vancouver community as a counter to the negativity surrounding the riots. 27 Visitor Centres include flagship Visitor Centre at 200 Burrard, Delegate Services at the Vancouver Convention Centre and Satellite Visitor Centre Kiosk near Robson Square 28 City Host program extends our servicing and sales activities through roaming volunteers in key downtown Vancouver pedestrian corridors from May-October. 29 Communication from Tourism Vancouver 30 Ibid 31 Ibid 19

25 during the peak summer months. Through this initiative Tourism Vancouver volunteers are able to assist with positive community relations and positively influence an additional 34,000 visitors and refer over $10,000 in additional business. 32 Since 1994, Tourism Vancouver s Visitor Centre has been a sponsor of the Vancouver Tourism Awards Society by contributing in-kind as well as financial support. Without the funds provided through sponsor donations, the Vancouver Tourism Awards Society could not exist. The Vancouver Tourism Awards Society was established in June 1989 to recognize individuals on the front-line that have shown outstanding hospitality to visitors to Vancouver. Each month a deserving front-line representative within Metro Vancouver is recognized for their outstanding service, based on ballots received from visitors to the city. In addition to the monthly recognition, an annual Gala Breakfast is held in which all nominees from the year are recognized. 33 Tourism Vancouver s Consumer Marketing group works closely with the local Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) group to advance their businesses and interests through their marketing efforts. Marketing outreach for this niche market is designed to build awareness and brand for the city as a gay-friendly destination in specific target markets such as New York, Chicago and various cities in California. Marketing activities targeted at this group include data capture through sweepstakes and promotion through media relations and events, Pride and Travel show sponsorship as well as print and digital advertising. Tourism Vancouver s Travel and Trade Media Relations team targets the GLBT group through media outlets such as Out Traveler, Passport, and Seattle Lesbian. Periodic staff and member training is also conducted by the Consumer Marketing group to ensure Vancouver s claim to gay-friendliness is truly authentic. 34 David Paisley of Community Marketing Inc. has noted that Vancouver is identified as one of the three most visited cities in Canada by GLBT travellers in our annual survey [Community Marketing Inc.], and often ranks or ties for the number one most visited Leisure destination. Tourism Vancouver s engagement in the market continues to build brand and drive interest in the city every year. In addition to the efforts mentioned above, Tourism Vancouver is committed to programs and activities that encourage proper care of the urban and natural environment. In 1996, the organization partnered with the City of Vancouver and other community groups to launch Keep Vancouver Spectacular, which has become an annual city-wide cleanup campaign. Under Source: Remy Scalza Ricardo and I just want to send another thank you to all of you, Tourism Vancouver, and especially PASSPORT for providing us with a true trip of a lifetime. We had so much fun in what we both agree is one of the most blessed and gorgeous places on the planet..we were in Vancouver for what had to be one of the greatest weekends anywhere Pride, the Outgames, Celebration of Lights all of our friends who have seen our pictures and heard our raves on the delights of Vancouver are planning their own BC adventures now. John & Ricardo, PASSPORT (America s #1 Gay Travel Magazine) contest winners 32 Communication from Tourism Vancouver 33 Ibid 34 Ibid 20

26 the City s leadership in 2011 a record 18,500 volunteers in over 150 groups came together to fill thousands of bags with litter. Other environmental initiatives have been pursued over the years, including a partnership with BC Hydro with the aim to reduce energy consumption within Vancouver's tourism industry. Tourism Vancouver has assisted BC Hydro in delivering conservation workshops and education programs with its members. In 2011, the two organizations agreed to create a full-time position which will directly advise businesses on methods to reduce their energy consumption. CULTURAL IMPACTS Tourism Vancouver is an active participant in the city s arts and culture community. Tickets Tonight is part of Tourism Vancouver s commitment to marketing arts and culture to visitors and locals, providing consumers with access to the amazing variety of performing arts, cultural and sporting events that Vancouver offers. Some of the events marketed and sold by Tickets Tonight include: Festival of Lights, Vancouver TheatreSports, Arts Umbrella, and PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Tourism Vancouver also co-chaired the steering committee and co-authored the City of Vancouver s comprehensive Cultural Tourism Strategy, developed in partnership with various arts and cultural organizations prior to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Tourism Vancouver is currently assisting to update the Cultural Tourism Strategy. 35 Tourism Vancouver is also an active participant and is represented on the taskforce for BC Culture Days. In addition, Tourism Vancouver was involved (and is still currently engaged) in the creation of MaxGuide, the Metro Vancouver arts and culture website. 36 Tourism Vancouver was instrumental through the process of bidding for and planning our conference. They supported our bid in Melbourne and have always been available to offer valuable advice. We are forever indebted to the extraordinary team at Tourism Vancouver for all of their hard work, professionalism, and enthusiasm. Heather Wilson Strosher, University of Victoria International Union for Health Promotion & Education Conference The Be a Host program is an innovative sales and marketing initiative designed to identify and support local community members in bringing their association or corporate national and international meetings to Vancouver. As 80% of international associations require a local host committee, it s essential to get local industry leaders on board. An integral part of the Meeting and Convention sales strategy, the program includes research, face-to-face meetings with local professionals, and educational workshops to secure local hosts. The current Be a Host database continues to grow and comprises more than 6,300 contacts. 35 Communication from Tourism Vancouver 36 Ibid 21

27 APPENDIX A ABOUT MNP MNP is the fastest growing chartered accountancy and business advisory firm in Canada. Founded in 1945, MNP has grown from a single office in Manitoba to more than 50 offices and 2,600 team members across Canada. In British Columbia MNP has more than 450 staff located in 15 offices across the province. MNP is a member of Praxity AISBL, a global alliance of independent firms, which enables us to access a broad range of industry specific expertise worldwide. At MNP, our professionals are the driving force behind our success. They continue to demonstrate our culture and values which is integral to the way we conduct business, both internally and externally. As such, MNP is proud to be recognized for the third year in a row as one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada by Report On Business magazine. MNP provides a wide range of accounting, finance and business advisory services to clients. These include: Assurance Taxation Corporate Finance Mergers and Acquisitions Enterprise Risk Services Forensic Accounting Consulting Insolvency and Corporate Recovery Succession Valuations and Litigation Support 22