Canada Aims To Boost Incentive Travel Revenue

<I>Ottawa</I> - To raise Canada's profile on the periscopes of U.S. incentive planners, the Canadian Tourism Commission has introduced a new and aggressive strategy that's expected to increase incentive travel revenues here by 5 to 7 percent annually.

The centerpiece of the program is the distribution of a comprehensive manual that details sample itineraries and provides basic information about the Canadian travel market.

"What we're trying to do is simply make it easier to book Canadian destinations," said Chris Cahill, executive vice president of Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts and chairman of the incentive marketing committee of the Canadian Tourism Commission, a joint government-industry body in Ottawa that markets Canada internationally.

"The American meeting planner doesn't always have Canada at the top of his mind," said Cahill. "When they do, the ones who have been here have knowledge of a particular part of Canada and say they know Canada because they once did a program in British Columbia. But they really don't know anything about Ontario and they don't have a lot of knowledge outside our gateway cities."

The manual, titled the Great Canadian Adventure, is available from any one of 11 meetings, incentive and business travel specialists posted at Canadian consulates throughout the United States, including Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

The guide provides planners with national and regional information, including taxes, currency, airline contacts, geography and climate. But even more important, each regional section offers several sample incentive or combination incentive and meeting itineraries, a description of each experience, accommodations, the name of the destination management company organizing the program, contact names, program options and extras, minimum and maximum number of participants and suggested per-person costs.

The incentive programs are varied, offering a range of outdoors and urban adventures as well as educational and experiential itineraries. Each program has been approved by an incentive travel specialist to ensure it is of high caliber.

"By no means are they cast in stone," said Frank Verschuren, marketing officer with the Canadian Tourism Commission. "The intention here is to give a snapshot of it, and if you're interested in that, let's customize it to whatever way you want to go."

By providing incentive planners with a broad selection of specific programs, Verschuren believes the book will make it easier for U.S.-based incentive travel houses<B> </B>to sell Canada.

In the new edition released last fall, 46 itineraries are identified. Verschuren expects at least another dozen to be added in the 1997 edition.

The manuals are being distributed solely by consulate representatives to U.S.-based incentive travel houses and travel agencies with specialized incentive divisions.

Each incentive travel specialist attached to a consulate maintains a key account management system. Manuals will go only to those accounts-or new ones once the travel specialist determines that the travel arranger plans or is capable of planning an incentive trip to Canada.

Phyllis Campbell, the incentive travel specialist stationed in Minneapolis, said her recipients include Carlson Marketing Group and BI Performance Services.

Initially, Campbell and her counterparts in 10 other U.S. cities are targeting major incentive houses, leaving it up to them to present the manual and its information to corporate clients.

Verschuren believes the product will have the greatest impact in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Dallas and Chicago, principal markets for Canadian incentive buyers.

But getting the book out isn't the only service the consular representatives are providing, Verschuren said. They also are charged with working to hook up U.S. planners with Canadian suppliers.

For suppliers, the program is designed to help local Canadian hotels and destination management companies market their products more effectively.

Of course, the program's overall objective is to boost the country's incentive travel industry. Canadian officials estimate that U.S. incentive spending here is about $92 million, or 4 percent of the $2.3 billion spent annually around the world. Officials want to increase those numbers by 5 to 7 percent a year.

"It's an extremely lucrative segment of the industry," Verschuren said. "Based on a per-delegate spend, it's probably the highest return on investment.