Media Release
Tourism Winnipeg Launches Strategic Master Tourism Plan Representing a Renewed Vision for Winnipeg's Tourism Sector
January 20, 2011: Winnipeg, MB – Tourism Winnipeg is unveiling an ambitious and comprehensive five-year Master Tourism Plan that will guide the city’s tourism development efforts, create unprecedented synergies in establishing Winnipeg as a desirable site for meetings and conventions and sports and special events, as well as a destination for leisure travellers.
The Master Plan will be unveiled today at 2:30pm at the Radisson Hotel Downtown Winnipeg by Marina R. James, President and CEO, Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. and Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Senior Vice President, Tourism Winnipeg.
“The Master Plan will serve as a blueprint for growing Winnipeg’s tourism industry and will be instrumental in increasing visitation to Winnipeg,” says Marina R. James, President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg Inc.
“After attending Destination Marketing Association International’s Annual Convention in July 2010, tourism leadership identified the need for a robust, integrated tourism economic development plan in order to grow Winnipeg’s economy through tourism expenditures,” says Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Senior Vice President of Tourism Winnipeg. “It was determined that the best vehicle to accomplish this was by way of the development of a Master Tourism Plan.”
The planning process included the solicitation and aggregation of research on industry trends, input and analysis from tourism industry partners and consultation with private and public stakeholders.
The resulting Master Tourism Plan is a holistic document aimed at growing Winnipeg’s competitive tourism position in the global market, encapsulating broad based strategic direction and identifying key initiatives that affect Winnipeg tourism product development, visitor experience, community engagement and ultimately the desire to grow tourism visitations and expenditures.
The Master Tourism Plan is an aggressive platform to expand Winnipeg’s tourism industry. It reflects new realities in tourism attraction and presents workable and efficient solutions to growing export revenues for Winnipeg over the long-term. Over the next five years, Tourism Winnipeg will bring together stakeholders and traditional and non-traditional tourism partners to creatively and collaboratively examine and elevate Winnipeg as a tourist destination. The Master Tourism Plan is a living document that will be implemented in stages from 2011-2016 and beyond.
According to the 2008 CITIES Profile for Winnipeg, the city’s tourism industry generates more than 12,000 jobs and represents approximately 2.6 million visitors each year, bringing in more than $483 million in direct annual expenditures.
Recognizing tourism as a proven economic driver for the city of Winnipeg and province of Manitoba, the Master Tourism Plan identifies the following priorities for moving forward:
- Establish strategic partnerships and collaboration in the areas of marketing, investment, development, growth, advocacy and the management of tourism.
- Drive long-term transformation through destination product development.
- Lead Winnipeg’s destination sales and marketing efforts with a focus on business development that attracts leisure visitation, meetings and conventions, sports and special events and travel trade.
- Expand leisure marketing efforts to focus on the creation of signature experiences and niche markets.
- Strengthen external positioning through digital marketing and social media.
- Build, engage and support a world-class tourism workforce.
- Gain sufficient funding in order to implement the Master Tourism Plan, thus creating economic growth from tourism expenditures.
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About Tourism Winnipeg
Tourism Winnipeg, a division of Economic Development Winnipeg Inc., is the city of Winnipeg’s destination marketing organization. Tourism Winnipeg is responsible for increasing overnight visitations to the city through a wide array of initiatives.
For further information please contact:
Julia Adams
Manager, Communications and Media Relations
Tourism Winnipeg
Phone: 204.954.1977 Cell: 204.294.1752
julia@economicdevelopmentwinnipeg.com
www.tourismwinnipeg.com
