By PAULINE CLARK
SAULT STE. MARIE"Web-based marketing and partnership marketing in the tourism industry has witnessed growth over the last few years, and can provide the means by which tourism operators can reach the markets they are targeting.
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And two men involved in the tourism industry in Ontario and Michigan brought proof that partnerships work to the recent Winter Cities Conference held here.
"Pooling dollars extends your reach," said George Zimmermann, vice-president of Travel Michigan, during a session on economic partnerships, held at the Winter Cities Conference in early February.
Zimmermann, also the author of three travel books, told the audience the process used in Travel Michigan's use of partnerships could be applied to any endeavour in any sector.
He suggested businesses first map out what it is they want to accomplish.
"Brainstorm about who your partners are, or could be; meet and compare goals; track the results jointly and modify as needed," he urged.
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| name="valign" top > IAN MCMILLAN |
Joint Web promotions and contests are a good way to form a partnership, says Zimmermann. He used Travel Michigan's recent "Beachtowns" promotion as an example of this form of initiative. (
www.michigan.org/beachtowns
). Zimmermann suggested people also look for non-traditional partnerships, citing Travel Michigan's pairing with Kroger Food stores as an example of a cross-promotional partnership with no money exchanging hands.
Ian MacMillan, director of tourism for Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, reinforced Zimmermann's thoughts on partnerships when he spoke to conference attendees about community and international partnerships.
MacMillan, who was instrumental in getting The Canada Store up and running in Mackinaw City, told the group the tourism industry has had some image problems with a lack of co-ordinated effort, which has made moving forward difficult.
"Smaller communities often don't have tourism offices or are understaffed," MacMillan said. "And too many times, there's too much "what's in it for me?""
Begin to think outside of the box, MacMillan urged.
"Start thinking of other businesses as your partners, not your competitors," he said. "Seek commonalities and new partnerships. Non-traditional partnership are the key."
McMillan suggested such unusual partnerships as Toronto and the Sault and Ontario and Michigan.
"The Canada store concept, an interactive visitor information centre and store, became a partner in a Michigan entity," he said.
Canadians staff the Mackinaw City store and McMillan estimates that 35 per cent of the 150,000 people who went through the store last year changed their travel plans afterwards.
Another example of nontraditional partnerships has been the trains, planes and ferryboats - a five-day trip that involves Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. as well as Mackinaw Island.
"We need to think about the experience more than the destination as goals," he said.
MacMillan noted how market share programs, in place now for eight years, have increased visitors to the city's two major attractions, Searchmont Resort and Agawa Canyon.
McMillan pointed out in the past year 1,600 more people took the Agawa tour train and 900 more toured the Soo Locks, than in the previous year. There was an increase in occupancy levels in hotels and also at other attractions - outperforming the provincial average.
"We started out offering visitors package deals to the attractions and additional private-sector businesses have since come into the program," he said.
Tourism Sault Ste. Marie is taking things to the next level with various partners committing dollars according to a fee schedule towards a $1.6-million budget that will promote not only accommodation-based businesses, but also restaurants, retailers, festivals and varying partners with the aim of promoting the whole package.
