Product Innovation. Objective: To enhance the menu of experiences and itineraries to be promoted by DCBA based on consumer demand and research.

Transcription

1 Industry Update June 2018

2 Product Innovation

3 Product Innovation Objective: To enhance the menu of experiences and itineraries to be promoted by DCBA based on consumer demand and research. Distribution of 2018 Cape Breton Experience Guide. Analytic data will be monitored for demand to provide guidelines for further experience enhancement. DCBA continues to develop core experience itineraries. Locals Know program focused on core experiences and not trails.

4 Product Innovation Product Innovation Objective: To prioritize and implement next Enhance steps the based industry on niche partnership product inventories program for and the assessments. promotion of experiences: Winter Distribution Inventory of 2018 and Assessment Cape Breton Report: Experience reviewed Guide. survey results; lack of Analytic snow mentioned data will throughout be monitored for surveys; plan to meet with Winter demand to provide guidelines for Product Partners in September to enhancement. discuss Work with local advocates on the development of interest-based itineraries: of hiking trails as part of the Hiking Project. DCBA continues to develop core experience itineraries. Locals Know program focused on initial core discussions experiences about and positioning not trails. Trails Review & Inventory Assessing the level of difficulty for the inventory Outdoor Tourism Product Inventory Cape Breton Island.

5 Product Product Innovation Innovation Enhance the industry partnership Objective: Facilitate the expansion of program for the promotion of the tourism season in the shoulder and experiences: winter season. Distribution of 2018 Cape Breton Member Experience of Ad Guide. Hoc Committee overseeing Analytic data the Cape will be Breton monitored for Recruitment demand to and provide Retention guidelines project for enhancement. focused on labour force shortage issues. Work with local advocates on the development Successful consultant of interest-based has been itineraries: identified. DCBA continues to develop core experience itineraries. Locals Know program focused on core experiences and not trails. DCBA has provided Cape Breton Island data along with program information on incentives to assist operators who stay open.

6 Marketing Update

7 350, ,000 cbisland.com Website Sessions January 1-May 31, , , , , , , ,000 50,000 68,995 99, * 2016 sessions have been adjusted to remove 476,551 sessions that are attributed to the Trump Bump. Source: Google Analytics Website sessions were up 61% over 2017.

8 cbisland.com Website Sessions by Market January 1-May 31, ,000 80,000 76, ,000 67,336 60,000 50,000 40,000 44,184 33,500 40,003 49,650 30,000 26,797 24,978 20,000 10, ,611 12,519 10,293 2,079 Ontario Quebec Maritimes Northeast US AB/BC UK +73% +129% +24% +151% +143% +502% Source: Google Analytics

9 cbisland.com Analytics YTD January 1 May 31, 2018 Pages per session -27% (2.3 pages) Session duration -32% (1:55) Goal conversion rate -26% (46%) A combination of awareness ads in new markets in Q1 and Facebook ads delivering traffic that is not engaging with the site has resulted in lower engagement overall. However, goal completions are up 19% and clicks to operator websites are up 79%. Source: Google Analytics

10 Social Media 2017 Results Result as of June 1, Final: 43, YTD: 51, Final: 7, YTD: 8, Final: 8, YTD: 10, Social Media Footprint = 59, Social Media Footprint = 70,678 (+18.28%) Note: The Goal is a 17% increase to 70,000 followers. Total engagements on all platforms (likes, comments, shares): 230,813 (+34% over Jan 1 June 1, 2017) #ExploreCB hashtag usage YTD: 16, 670 uses (plus 522 uses of #ExploreCBWinter) Facebook Video views: 1,941,844 (+422% over Jan 1 June 1, 2017)

11 Experience Guide Local Distribution Pilot Pilot based on model in Shuswap, BC. Distribution to 16,700 households on-island subscribers of Post or Herald. Measuring usage with visiting friends and relatives + overall tourism knowledge.

12 Advertising Television Advertising Ontario campaign in April in GTA and Ottawa Maritimes campaign began April 30 Digital Advertising Digital Advertising Program initiated with Tourism NS ($300,000 cost-shared) in ON, QC, Northeast US, AB, BC Regional advertising continues through Google Grant and social ads Specialty Print Full page ad (on left) placed in Apr/May issue of Saltscapes Magazine

13 Travel Media Travel Media Tiffany Thornton cycling on Celtic Shores Coastal Trail, luxury, lobster Cabot Trail Biker Tour two media/influencers Brandy Yanchyk Seeing Canada, PBS One Ocean Expeditions post fams for Fiddles & Sticks and Fins & Fiddles cruises Alan Lynch hiking and coastal adventures Michael Hiller food and golf Darcy Rhyno Indigenous Travel Media Association of Canada Conference Victoria, BC, May 30-June 2

14 Travel Trade Travel Trade Workshop - TNS May 2 in Baddeck 30 industry participants Rendezvous May in Halifax 75 appointments with tour operators Post event fam on Cape Breton Island Chinese brochure and itinerary developed Other Bay Ferries fam WestJet partnership

15 Content Top Experience Category Videos Refresh to 1 minute in length 12 in total Shared on social, video ads, landing pages Featured Experience Videos 30 seconds, using existing inventory 25 being created Content Partnership Program being planned with partners on Island Content to be shared with TNS

16 Hiking Enthusiasts Community #HikeCapeBreton 25 local hiking ambassadors - collective following of 140,000+ Social media training session Hike Nova Scotia Summit May Content strategy developed Hiking section of website expanded Influencers invited to visit Blogs being created with local ambassadors Contests being developed for 3 Peaks Challenge and Hike the Highlands Festival

17 CREATIVES WEEKEND June 1-3 Cape Breton Highlands 14 Micro-Influencers selected with combined Instagram following: +140,000 Open application process for remaining 23 participants: 230 Applicants 37 Influencers selected: +250,000 June 1 15, 2018 (2 weeks) +368 followers (+83% increase in daily follows Pre meet daily follower average 15.4 post daily follower average ) #HikeCapeBreton = 289 uses *37 Tagged photos 50+ owned photos with rights 3 Micro-ambassadors intend to return for social media take over (+20,000 followers each) Participants: Added our handle & hashtag info in bio Used #HikeCapeBreton & #ExploreCB Providing 5-10 High Res Photos

18 Golf 2018 Total Booked YTD: $384,063 Total Rooms Booked: 570 Total Rounds Booked: contacts booked through Golf CB bringing 482 golfers 2017 Total Booked by June 2017: $397,850 Total Rooms Booked: 695 Total Rounds Booked: contacts booked through Golf CB bringing 409 golfers

19 Golf Marketing Digital Marketing Program being continued with TNS ($20,000 cost-shared). Digital advertising ran on pgatour.com during The Masters targeting Ontario and New York.

20 golfcapebreton.com Sessions January 1 May 31, ,000 20,000 20,500 16,646 15,000 12,903 10,000 8,868 5, Website sessions are down 18.8% from 2017 due to a reduced advertising budget and the lack of a TSN campaign that delivered strong traffic from Ontario. Source: Google Analytics

21 golfcapebreton.com Sessions by Market January 1 May 31, ,000 10,564 10,000 8,000 6,000 6,014 4,000 2,000 1,923 2,763 0 Ontario Northeast US Ontario is down (-43%) due to the lack of a TSN campaign, while the Northeast US is up 23%. Source: Google Analytics

22 Small Ports / Superyachts Luxury Cruise ship visiting Louisbourg - September : 247 passengers looking for activities in the community. Three additional calls for 2018 bringing Louisbourg total to 11; 5 pending for 2018, 1 confirmed for 2019.

23 Key Performance Indicators

24 Room Nights Sold (000s) Cape Breton Island Room Night Sales by Month January-March, Jan Feb Mar Room nights sold in Q1 - down 2% overall, likely due to the combination of the flood impact on rooms in 2017 and the lack of snow for the winter season. Still the second best Q1 in the past five years. Source: Tourism Nova Scotia

25 Thank You!