2013 DCBA Strategic Plan - Destination Cape Breton Association

vii. Support working groups in the implementation of recommendations as a result of Roger Brook’sOpportunity Assessments of the Tourism Product on the Ceilidh Trail and Cabot Trail. For theCeilidh Trail, focus on:a. The Hidden Gems,b. “Locals know” itineraries, andc. The Best of the Ceilidh Trail.viii. Provide further administrative support to the two participating Strategic Tourism ExpansionProgram (STEP) communities.ix. Identify and recommend 2-3 Cape Breton experiences for the Canadian Signature ExperienceCollection through the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)x. Develop and foster strong relationships with key stakeholders, operators, and product clubsthrough community engagement and participation efforts (STEP, workshops, AMR, etc.)xi. Work closely with Municipality partners and Sales and Industry Relations to encourage industryto develop exciting new experiences and packages to market onlinexii. Place emphasis on Cape Breton Island travel motivators based upon the travel intentions surveyand other in-house visitor researchIn order to ensure that we have the proper in-house capacity to deliver product development initiatives,the periodic hiring of consultants may be deemed necessary.Product development goals for 2013:i. In partnership with our Municipal partners and Product Development Committee, establishcriteria for experiences and packages to be used for promotion online and in print.ii. Work with Municipality representatives to develop an inventory of existing experience andpackage offeringsiii. Work with representatives in the Municipality of the County of Inverness to create a “LocalsKnow” weblink on www.CBIsland.com, including:a. Hidden Gems,b. The Best of the Ceilidh Trail, andc. Itineraries.i. Itineraries will be filtered through the local VICs to DCBA.iv. Deliver five industry workshops on topics such as experiential tourism and packaging inconjunction with Dr. Nancy Arsenault, The Tourism Café, and potentially Experience PEI.v. Increase the number of new, purchasable market-ready experiences on novascotia.com,cbisland.com and in print collateral by 30. By delivering workshops and providing the tools andtechnical support to private sector partners, we will aggressively work with partners to createpurchasable experiences in support of our core experiences / travel motivators.vi. Work with a product development expert to develop a marketing and mentorship initiative thatmotivates accommodations, attractions, and experience providers to continuously strive towardexcellence.vii. Offer the Accelerated Market Readiness Program (AMR) to operators (Target 40). AMR refers toa business improvement program that offers individual tourism operators the ability to increasetheir standards of excellence and be more responsive to emerging tourism trends in aninexpensive and timely manner.viii. Working with the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council and Economic and RuralDevelopment and Tourism Assess as partners, the training needs of Cape Breton Islandoperatorsix. Roger Brooks to conduct a destination assessment in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.19