Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 232 -2. Meet with the existing RTAs in each region to discuss the implications of the proposalsfor their organization and how they might best participate and proceed in future.3. Facilitate in establishing a working group in each region to prepare a plan for theirRegional DMO in the context of this strategy, both an organization plan as well as aninitial marketing plan. (The Avalon Region already has the ACVB. Labrador has aplan Destination Labrador. ACOA has recently funded studies to address this issue inthe Central and Western Regions.)4. Facilitate negotiations to have their plans accepted and approved for initial funding.Sector Alliance and Regional DMO Program Review in 3 to 5 YearsIn order to avoid the risk of once again ‘institutionalizing’ an industry organization model that isdifficult to change, we recommend that both the strategic sector alliance and Regional DMOprograms be reviewed in 3 to 5 years and modified where necessary to ensure their effectiveness.In fact, it would be better that these programs ‘sunset’ (dissolve automatically) in five years, inorder to ensure that, a) a review takes place and, b) that any continuance of the programs aresubject to making new commitments to their support. This will put pressure on both the DMOsand their supporting organizations to ensure that they work or that they are fixed wherenecessary to make them work.Human Resources and Skills Development Support (HRSD) to Industry OrganizationsHRSD funding works well for make work projects and workforce entry/re-entry, but not forfunding coordinators and others that need real expertise and experience to be effective. Also, theterm of support is so short (6 months) that the people just learn a little and then get let go.There needs to be a tourism-oriented support program from HRSD for these other kinds ofpositions, one appropriately designed to be effective. The focus shouldn’t be just on assistingentry into employment, it should look more broadly at creating a position that can, in time, besupportable by the employer without continuing assistance. Also, HRSD shouldn’t be the onesto select staff – it should be the employer.Unless and until the foregoing is accomplished, we recommend that staff for tourismorganizations not be funded by this agency, except for junior, entry level positions such as VICseasonal staff, but certainly not coordinators or management positions. (On the other hand, incases where the association has professional level support at the board level or more senior staff,then junior coordinator staff could certainly be useful, as long as they work under the direction ofthese more experienced professionals.)It will be important for the agency partners to meet with HRSD to see what can be done in thisregard, and whether HRSD could establish a pilot program of customized support forprofessional level staffing in the context of this strategy, at least for a period of time sufficient tohelp get the sector alliances and Regional DMO organizations started on the right footing.THE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study