Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 227 -other organizations the team is working with, such as HNL on education and standards, DTCRon marketing, etc.Exhibit 12 illustrates the business model for the teams, which would also be used for the regionalDMO’s discussed below.Regional DMOsWe recommend that the system of regional tourism associations (RTAs) be re-engineered in afundamental fashion. The system the industry has struggled with has, in most cases, beeninadequate to accomplish the desired outcomes. This is particularly the case with marketing,where it takes a considerable ‘critical mass’ of budget and effort to be effective. With fewexceptions the following weaknesses are inherent among the RTAs:o Too manyo Too smallo Under-fundedo Under-staffed, both in terms of number and skills/experience, particularly in tourismmarketingo Too few tourism operators involved in leadershipo Too much reliance on public agency people in this roleo Too little buy-in and participation by tourism operators in programsThis is not to fault the organizations themselves or their boards and staff, who have worked hardwith what they had available to them. No, the fault is in the concept of attempting to makeorganizations constituted in this manner work, or in expecting them to be able to do so.Tourism development officials need to confront the reality that it takes money andknowledgeable, experienced people to be able to do things that work. The current model lacksboth. We need to rationalize, consolidate and fund such organizations adequately, particularlywith respect to marketing.Also, the right kind of organization to do marketing isn’t the right kind of organization to doproduct development, so we need to look at two different but complementary models. Oneshould be a destination marketing organization; the other a regional tourism developmentassociation or committee. We will address the DMO model first; then the other one.Being effective in marketing requires significant resources. It’s expensive to do it right. It alsorequires leadership from those involved in its programs, and competent staff.THE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study