The 14th Annual Manitoba Tourism Awards – a celebration of excellence in our tourism industry – takes place Monday, September 10, at the Radisson Downtown. Please join us in congratulating the finalists:

Aboriginal Tourism Award: Aboriginal Peoples Television Network; Manito Ahbee Festival Inc.

Aspiring Youth Award: Tanis Chalmers; Skye Thoreifson; Steve Langston

Award of Distinction: Gimli Film Festival; Doug Webber

Event of the Year Award: Folklorama; Winnipeg Folk Festival; City of Winkler – Beach Boys Concert; Dauphin’s CountryFest

Marketing Excellence Award: Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre; Melita and Area Tourism Committee

Partnership Award: Leigh Cochrane Memorial Visitor Centre/Fisher River First Nation; Frontiers North/Polar Bears International; Tourisme Riel

Product Development Award: Adrenaline Adventures; Churchill Wild Arctic Safari; Heartland International Tours

Service Excellence Award: Whytewold Emporium – 3 Sins; Goldwing Ambassadors WAA

Sustainable Tourism Award: Churchill Northern Studies Centre; Second Nature – Adventures in Discovery

There are tons of great fishing spots in Manitoba – and we wanted to showcase these abundant, diverse and high-quality angling options at Fish Tales – a media day in Selkirk on June 21.

Twelve media from local TV, print and radio outlets came out to drop a line, not only for a big fish, but also a big story.

“Sure we have lots of anglers in the province, but we thought we could use a few more. Fish Tales Media Day gave us the opportunity to showcase our product and have the media carry that message forward,” said Shel Zolkewich, Travel Manitoba’s Fish/Hunt Consultant who put together the day.

Both CTV and Global aired their morning shows live on location on the banks of the Red River, while stories appeared in the Selkirk Journal, Metro News and CityTV. Rachel Legace of CTV Morning Live caught the biggest fish – a channel catfish measuring 38 inches.

A special thanks to sponsors Manitoba Canola Growers and Cabela’s, who offered $500 prize packs for a contest that was open to the public. Thanks as well to helpers Manitoba Wildlife Federation, Todd Longley of City Cats, Paul Turenne of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association, Katherine Ward of Manitoba Fisheries and Benjamin’s in Selkirk who supplied a fabulous shore lunch.

As part of our ongoing consultation with industry, Travel Manitoba collects feedback and market related information from Manitoba tourism businesses to aid in the planning of future Travel Manitoba services and programs.

The most recent industry survey’s objective was to track general awareness and satisfaction with Travel Manitoba services, programs and communications, to generate visitor profiles and identify new tourism experience offerings, and finally, to measure the industry’s outlook.

The survey showed that industry members are in line with the focus and objectives of Travel Manitoba to zero in on North America, as 96% of respondents’ marketing budgets are dedicated to those markets.

The survey also showed that industry communication is essential in order to increase awareness and participation in our partnership and industry programs. While some programs are seen as more valuable than others, respondents are eager to learn more about marketing and promotion – identified as the area that would help their organizations grow.

The survey respondents emphasized the importance of marketing and industry development, with one third of them planning on new products, experiences or packages in 2012. This echoed the overall view of tourism growth in Manitoba, with half saying it will stay the same and nearly 40% saying the industry growth will gain momentum.

Next time you see a request to respond to a Travel Manitoba survey – please take the time to complete it. Your participation is very much appreciated and needed as we work towards growing tourism in Manitoba.

Like many organizations, Travel Manitoba is facing a new budget reality when the $300,000 we are receiving from the federal Economic Partnership Agreement for international marketing in 2012/13 is eliminated.

On June 25, Travel Manitoba hosted an international marketing summit, comprised of attractions, hoteliers and tour suppliers currently doing business in international markets in order to hear their thoughts on this new budget environment, and specifically, to see how industry might coordinate its efforts with those of Travel Manitoba to maximize the effectiveness of reduced resources.

The session looked at where industry is investing their international marketing budgets, outlined and sought feedback on the corporation’s 2012/13 international travel trade and media relations marketing plans, and looked to attain agreement on both short term and long term priorities.

Industry feedback clearly indicated that the foundations already established in our principal international markets, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, must not be lost, despite difficult conditions facing both marketers and travelers.

“Notwithstanding the challenging global economic environment we are experiencing, and the scarcity of program investment for Travel Manitoba, it is critical that we maintain our proactive presence in our core international markets,” said Merv Gunter, Travel Manitoba board member and owner of Frontiers North. 

“When these markets emerge from their current economic malaise, and they will, Travel Manitoba must ensure the Manitoba tourism industry is positioned to be ‘front of mind’ for consumers in these markets, so we capitalize on the ultimate revival of the pent up demand for those consumers to travel internationally.”

The industry sees Travel Manitoba’s role not only as leader in establishing and maintaining the Manitoba brand, but also as a link to international tour operators, travel writers and travel trade specialists with our presence at international marketplaces, trade shows and media events.

“It is important for smaller attractions like ours to have representation from the province at the international level in order to increase our visibility and to build a larger and sustainable audience,” said Jacques Bourgeois, who does marketing, promotion and event planning for Oak Hammock Marsh and who counts on Travel Manitoba to make those important connections in international markets. “We are limited with our marketing budget and having people from Travel Manitoba attend some of those international travel trade shows…on our behalf is crucial for us.”

To learn more about Travel Manitoba’s travel trade marketing plan and Featured Supplier program, contact Dene Sinclair at desinclair@travelmanitoba.com, or for information on our media relations plan, contact Cathy Senecal at csenecal@travelmanitoba.com.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But how much is a double page spread with pictures and a thousand words worth? Getting media coverage of your tourism product or experience is one of the most effective ways to influence travelers’ decisions. Travel Manitoba’s media relations team's goal is to secure that media coverage – whether it be in print, online, broadcast or via social media.

“Traditional advertising is expensive and has far less credibility than earned features and mentions in publications, print or online,” explained Cathy Senecal, Travel Manitoba’s Manager Global Media Relations.

But, it’s not just newspapers and magazines that should be in your crosshairs.  You can’t discount the advocacy of family, friends and influencers on social media venues, such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

“We are working with influencers who may only have a relevant blog with lots of engagement, a large Twitter following and regular online presence,” Cathy noted. “Releases and stories typically released to traditional media are also being distributed to online influencers and directly to consumers.”

So, how do you go about securing media coverage of your tourism experience or attraction? Simply put, focus on the media that you believe reaches your potential consumers, whether that be the Winnipeg Free Press, a U.S. fishing network, or The Independent in London. Think of what might be news to the media or online outlet.

Be honest about your offering because media receive massive amounts of information, releases and trip invites. Have you created a new experience? Do you have a unique angle? Do you offer a value-added experience? Compile a media database. Craft a news release or a media trip invitation and tell them about your experience or invite them on a hosted visit.

Journalist Amy Rosen, whose stories on Manitoba adventures have appeared in the National Post, the Globe and Mail and enRoute magazine among many others, knows that an enticing pitch will lead to an amazing story.

“The [media relations] team has pitched me ideas and sent me on trips that are unparalleled in their uniqueness and Canadian exoticism. Lately, every time I return from Manitoba, be it for a polar bear safari, snorkelling with belugas, whitewater paddling down the Bloodvein River, or even exploring the thriving TV production industry in Winnipeg, all of my adventures are deemed unexpected by my editors, family and friends, and for sure my readers.”

Contact Travel Manitoba for co-hosting assistance with travel, accommodation and/or experience costs through the Media Tour Program. Travel Manitoba works closely with the Canadian Tourism Commission to fly qualified international media to Manitoba. Through the Media Tour Program, we also work closely with industry partners to co-host media.

Also, keep the media relations people at Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg informed of your experiences. Send us an email, invite us for a visit or add us to your communiqués. We want your news because we include it in many of our communications—story idea sheets, media trips, newsletters, live pitches—to thousands of travel media and social media influencers around the world.