Objective 2: Promote Our Capabilities, Strengths & Advantages

Promote Tourism

Advance Trade & Investment Develop Transportation Linkages Promote Immigration Promote Tourism Promote Energy, Science & Technology Advance International Education

Tourism is a vibrant industry in Manitoba, contributing almost $1.4 billion (or about 4%) to our Gross Domestic Product in 2003, and sustaining over 17,000 direct jobs. Tourism generates over $530 million in export revenues for Manitoba.

To ensure that this growing area of our economy continues to expand and prosper, the Province created Travel Manitoba, a special Crown agency, to take a lead role in tourism marketing, visitor information services, product development, research and public information. This agency facilitates private sector input and engagement and allows quick responses to rapidly changing tourism market conditions.

Travel Manitoba works closely with a small secretariat in the Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism and with the travel industry, support industries, the Government of Canada, as well as other public and private organizations both inside and outside Manitoba.

Travel Manitoba has a focussed approach to marketing internationally based on research and driven by market demands. Travel Manitoba pays close attention to trends and demographic shifts in order to adjust its strategy to meet short-term goals and prepare for long-term success.

Travel Manitoba generates $220 of receipts for every dollar it spends in its overseas marketing efforts and $129 for every marketing dollar it spends for marketing aimed at the United States.

Travel Manitoba currently targets the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany as the primary markets for our tourism products. It is exploring the potential of China, Mexico, Australia and Korea as secondary markets.

Strategic Actions

The Government of Manitoba will work with Travel Manitoba to:

• Increase the economic benefits achieved from tourism from $1.4 billion in 2002 to $1.7 billion in 2008.

• Focus marketing efforts in areas of emerging tourism demand such as adventure travel and ecotourism.

• Aggressively promote our province through international trade shows aimed at package tour operators. Target markets will be the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany.

• Develop and implement an international events acquisition strategy to attract major sporting and cultural conferences and events.

• Develop and grow international partnerships to promote Manitoba as a desirable tour destination. For instance, the 2 Nation Tours partnership with North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota is targeted to American group tour and packaged travellers.

• Build the capacity of tour operators and travel planners and cultivate our potential as an international tour and convention destination. Travel Manitoba will conduct "familiarization tours" that showcase the province, often in conjunction with the Canadian Tourism Commission and Destination Winnipeg.

• Grow Manitoba's media image and brand through media tours. Magazine, newspaper, television and film crews will be hosted to showcase our tourism products that range from urban activities to wilderness canoeing, fishing and wildlife viewing. Manitoba will receive broad coverage under a public relations program aimed at the U.S. and overseas markets.

• Develop more inter-provincial partnerships for international marketing, such as the partnership with Tourism Saskatchewan supports a tourism representative in Germany. Partnerships help raise Manitoba's profile and have facilitated the development of tour packages into Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

• Build on the strength of Travel Manitoba's website as an international marketing tool. Already a well-used and powerful resource, Travel Manitoba's website will be enhanced to offer better marketing services.

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