Vision Statement That Tourism Dawson Creek be recognized as a provincial leader and innovator in destination development and marketing while leading the City of Dawson Creek towards sustainable economic growth and development utilizing the tourism industry. Mission Statement To facilitate and coordinate the development and promotion of the tourism industry within the City of Dawson Creek for the benefit of the community by creating year-round, memorable visitor experiences through quality visitor information and visitor services management, sport and events, destination development, marketing, communication and education. Operating Principles Tourism Dawson Creek will operate on the following operating principles: An advocate for industry standards and professionalism Entrepreneurial, creative Research based and industry driven Passionate about customer service, satisfaction and loyalty Inclusive and innovative
Overview Activity Report April 1, 2005 ~ Nov 20, 2006 The staff at Tourism Dawson Creek continues to be extremely busy and active within the community and region with several new and ongoing projects: Activities that have demanded most of the staffs attention: Dawson Creek Communications Plan Dawson Creek Attractions Master Plan Alaska Highway House Peace Country Routes Tear Map In-House publications Travel Motivations Survey Carriage tours Caravans Staffing and Training 2006 2011 Dawson Creek Development Plan Strategic Direction - Destination Development Goal: To Improve the quality of the visitor experience and enhance Dawson Creek s Tourist Attractions Dawson Creek Development Plan Creation of the 2006 2012 Dawson Creek Development plan This document uses the Community Tourism Essentials workshop information and combines previous work and future items in a document that outlines the next steps that Dawson Creek must take to move forward to become a tourist destination and regional tourism centre. Dawson Creek Communications Plan Finished compiling Open House comments and surveys and have circulated the results to workshop attendees, City Council, Downtown Merchants Association, Chamber of Commerce and the public at large Have received a quote to complete next steps; this will be forwarded on to the City by the Downtown Merchants Association Have the City and Downtown Merchants move the initiative forward with Tourism Dawson Creek Consultation - 2 -
Dawson Creek Attractions Plan Applied through the UBCM City of Dawson Creek entitlement to fund this project Working on developing a comprehensive city wide attractions master plan. Five key components include: NAR Park/Mile 0 Concept, Walter Wright Pioneer Village, Dawson Creek (city wide), development of management recommendations to support the list areas of focus, and develop an economic analysis and framework to support the above components Have conducted site visits and a secret shopper experience in August and have met with all the stakeholders identifying where they are now, where are they going in the future and how are they going to get there Will need guidance and clarity from City Council and Administration regarding next steps Bear Mountain Recreation Signage Worked with Ministry of Transportation, and Ministry of Forests to implement and install highway signage emphasizing Bear Mountain recreation opportunities Self Guided Dawson Creek Historic Walking and Mural Tour Have completed and printed 8000 of the 2006 brochure and have distributed it throughout Dawson Creek Will be expanding the tour for the summer of 2007 Very well received by locals and visitors Applied and have received 50% funding through BC Heritage Society to recreate and remount pictures with new larger images on buildings throughout the downtown core. Pioneer Village Walking Tour Continue to work in partnership with the Mile 0 Park Society to create a new and more informative walking tour brochure for Pioneer Village Real McCoy Carriage Tour Proceeded with year three of operation of the carriage tour Received an overwhelming positive feedback about the tour 44% increase over last year s ridership Re-signing a contract with Glen McCoy Goal: To Improve Tourism Services Wireless Dawson Creek Created partnership with PRIS to offer wireless internet in the downtown core that covers the areas of NAR Park, and the Mile Post Have completed a soft launch and testing the use and functionality before the hard launch in the summer 2007 Creating promotional pieces, logo, etc.. to complement initiative Goal: To Improve Tourism Hospitality - 3 -
Alaska Highway Community Initiative Working in partnership with NRAHTA and region Participated in the Regional Round Tables Strategic Direction Sports and Events Goal: To develop Dawson Creek as a year round sports and events centre Dawson Creek Air Show Staff assisted in the organization of the 2006 Dawson Creek Air Show 2008 NBC Winter Games Met with Charlie Parslow regarding Tourism Dawson Creek s role within the games Opportunity to share a new staff person between the Games organizers and Tourism Dawson Creek s proposed Sports and Events Coordinator 2007 CN/Northwest Tel Conference Assisting with the conference Goal: To develop the City as a place for meetings, conferences, business travel and events (MCBTE) Howdy! Welcome to Dawson Creek Program Dawson Creek Wedding and Special Events o Developed brochure to assist wedding organizers on Dawson Creek amenities o Worked with wedding organizers in pre arrival mail out packages Conference, Reunion, Events servicing o Program to assist organizers with services for their event Goal: To encourage visitors to stay longer in Dawson Creek Sports and Events Strategic Direction Communication - 4 -
Goal: To communicate to stakeholders, operators and citizens of Dawson Creek Mile 0 Signal Communicated with DC Stakeholders, operators through the Mile 0 Signal preparing for the next Mile 0 Signal, a quarterly newsletter aimed to increase our communication with local operators, stakeholders and interested parties Our Community assisted in the preparation in the City of Dawson Creek s Fall our Community publication feature on Downtown Revitalization Goal: To maintain industry relations Meeting with the Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts Attended a Dawson Creek Spirit of BC Committee Attended the Historic Roads conference in Boston, MA Attended the NRAHTA AGM and Rendezvous in Dawson Creek Attended the NBCTA AGM and Conference in Terrace Attended the Regional Round Table in Fort St. John, Chetwynd and Dawson Creek Attendance at the Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce luncheons Attendance at the Dawson Creek Downtown Merchants Association meetings Hold memberships in: o Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance o BC Sports Tourism Network o Canadian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus o Northern BC Tourism Association o Northern BC Film Commission o Northern Rockies Alaska Highway Tourism Association o Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce o American Bus Association o National Tour Association - (NRAHTA) o Branding the Peace - (NRAHTA) o Council of Tourism Associations of BC - (NRAHTA) o Tourism Industry Association of Canada - (NRAHTA) o Tourism Industry Association, Yukon - (NRAHTA) Strategic Direction Visitor Services - 5 -
Goal: To Improve Tourism Services Secondary Visitor Center/Staffing Worked with the DC Fall Fair Board to run their information booth on site and operated it as a secondary Visitor Centre during the Fall Fair Worked with Yo 360 to train participants in becoming a Visitor Centre Counsellor Goal: To influence visitors travel choices to Dawson Creek and the surrounding region Peace Country Routes Map Produced and created 20,000 Peace Country Routes maps Partnered with all Peace County region communities Expanding to include Fort Nelson and McKenzie Be a Tourist in Your Home Town Raised the awareness to of Dawson Creek s built and natural attractions Local media exposure and proclamations Counsellor to Councillor program Direct mail piece every house hold in DC Goal: To Increase the length of visitors stay to Dawson Creek Strategic Direction Marketing and Promotion Goal: To Improve Tourism Promotions Travel Motivations Survey Northern BC Working with UNBC and Texas A&M University, Tourism BC, NRAHTA, NBCTA, Elkhart, IN Convention and Visitors Bureau to do qualitative research on Travel Motivations in Dawson Creek this coming summer This research will include: self completed survey, in depth surveys and focus groups This will be follow up research to the work done to the 2003 Northern Rockies Alaska Highway Visitor Research Project Goal: To use a variety of marketing mediums to market Dawson Creek - 6 -
Web Site Completed and submitted the tourism components for the interactive map Completed the updating of the 2006 Community Partner Organizations online database Creation of stayandplay.ca Visitor Guide Have submitted corrections, changes and images to the contractor to create draft of the 2007 DC visitor guide Family Publications Have printed our in house brochures o DC and Area Birding, DC and Area Fishing, DC Services, DC Moving, DC Services, DC Transportation, DC Restaurants Combined the Gas Stations and Campgrounds along the Alaska Highway brochure to save printing costs Tourism Advertising Purchased all advertising in key publications for the 2007 visitor season Stay and Play Campaign - Events Dawson Creek Produced 60,000 Dawson Creek Signature Series, Stay and Play events flyers and distributed them to every household in Grande Prairie, rural NW Alberta, and rural BC, Prince George and Dawson Creek. Distributed them at the Kiwanis Trade Show Showcasing our major summer events that draws regional tourists to our City Worked with local radio stations to re-broadcast the events update programs on 890 CJDC four times a week, and the same on Peace FM Received the 2006 Northern Promotion Award from NBCTA for the Stay and Play campaign Creating an events calendar that projects the major events for the next four years Consumer and Trade Shows Attended the Kiwanis Trade Show, had an excellent response Will Attend the Edmonton Motorcycle Show, Edmonton RV Show, Quartzite RV Show and the American Bus Association Dawson Creek Caravans and Bus Tours Coordinating the 2007 bus and caravans to Dawson Creek Creating escort notes for tour buses, itineraries and summary of opportunities for Dawson Creek Redeveloped Welcome to Dawson Creek presentations Preparing for attending the American Bus Association in Grapevine, Texas - 7 -
Strategic Direction Education Goal: To raise the level of customer service, satisfaction and tourism professional development opportunities within Dawson Creek SuperHost Held a SuperHost Fundamentals workshop on May 5, 2006. It was well attended by the business community. Front Line Management Solutions Course was held during small business week. This course was very well attended and very well received 15 November 2006 Ryan MacIvor Date Tourism Development Coordinator 15 November 2006 April Moi Date Executive Director, NRAHTA - 8 -