Table of Contents
Executive Summary: .............................................................................................................. 2
Tourism in Cape Breton Island: 2011-Present Day ...................................................................... 4
The next steps and go forward opportunity .............................................................................. 10
DCBA - Pillars of Business .......................................................................................................... 10
1.0 Cape Breton Island’s Industry Development Agenda.................................................... 12
1.1 Product Development 2011-2014 ........................................................................................ 12
1.2 Product Development Goals for 2013-2014 and Results ..................................................... 14
1.3 Industry Relations ................................................................................................................ 21
1.4 Visitor Services ..................................................................................................................... 22
1.5 Moving Forward: Industry Development 2015-16............................................................... 23
2.0 2014 Marketing Agenda.............................................................................................. 30
2.1 2014 Recap ........................................................................................................................... 30
2.2 2014 Objectives Review ....................................................................................................... 31
2.3 Marketing Go Forward ....................................................................................................... 36
2.4 Social Media ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
APPENDIX A - Partnership Opportunities with DCBA .............................................................. 56
APPENDIX B - Industry Needs Assessment Criteria and Results Criteria ................................... 57
APPENDIX D - Cape Breton Island’s Top 10 ............................................................................ 62
APENDIX E - Cape Breton Island ’15 in 15’ Festivals and Events Program ................................. 64
APPENDIX F - Locals Know Feedback Summary ...................................................................... 65
1
Table of Figures
Figure 1 - Product Development Participation .............................................................................. 13
Figure 2 - Discovercb.ca homepage ............................................................................................... 16
Figure 3 - Discovercb.ca content sample ....................................................................................... 17
Figure 4 - Cbisland.com content sample ........................................................................................ 18
Figure 5 - Locals Know Sample Card............................................................................................... 19
Figure 6 - Tri fold Sample ............................................................................................................... 19
Figure 7 - Cape Breton Island Room Sale 2011 - 2014 ................................................................... 32
Figure 8 - Advertising Recall 2011 - 2014 ....................................................................................... 32
Figure 9 - Website Visits 2011 - 2014 ............................................................................................. 33
Figure 10 - Average Spend per Visitor Party 2011 - 2014 .............................................................. 33
Figure 11 - ROI 2011 - 2014 ............................................................................................................ 34
Figure 12 - Blocking Chart for 2014 Media Buy.............................................................................. 35
Figure 13 - Origin of Website Visits 2011 - 2014 ............................................................................ 36
Figure 14 - Cape Breton Content Display on Novascotia.com ....................................................... 44
Figure 16 - Cape Breton Content Display #2 on Novascotia.com .................................................. 45
Figure 17 - Blocking Chart for 2015 Media Buy.............................................................................. 49
2
Destination Cape Breton Association (DCBA) is the Island wide tourism organization for Cape Breton Island.
In January 2010, it transitioned from a regional tourism organization to a destination marketing
organization and shortly thereafter a tourism levy was implemented by municipalities across the Island.
DCBA administers this levy and is also supported by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Cape
Breton, formerly Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC). DCBA moved from a membership driven
organization to one that sees everyone as a stakeholder within the tourism industry – a vital industry on
our Island and one that continues to drive significant economic impact.
In addition to marketing efforts, DCBA has played a key facilitation role, sitting in the centre of the
mobilization of the tourism industry on Cape Breton Island. The organization has worked to identify
synergies for many independent tourism initiatives throughout the Island, ensuring they align directly with
the efforts of DCBA. Furthermore, in adhering to the ACOA plan, resources, training, product development,
marketing opportunities and insightful support are all a part of the role DCBA plays within the industry
they represent.
In recent time, some factors have surfaced that are changing the landscape in Nova Scotia and the region
of Cape Breton Island. In 2011, the provincial tourism landscape shifted significantly with the development
and implementation of the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency (NSTA), an arm’s length organization supported by
the Government of Nova Scotia. Throughout the transition, DCBA continued to build the tourism product
in Cape Breton Island and now works to align as closely as possible with the NSTA focus and goals.
In April 2014, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC) the standalone organization of ACOA ceased to
exist and an office of ACOA was transitioned. Additionally, in early 2014, The One Nova Scotia report was
released. It was developed by a commission, based on research, to outline challenges and opportunities
that exist within the current direction of our province. While the outlook was bleak, new goals were set
forth to reverse the trend of an aging and shrinking population and very low rates of economic growth.
Moving forward, the efforts of DCBA will be focused on one goal in particular:
GOAL 14: TOURISM EXPANSION
As Nova Scotia’s leading source of service sector exports, gross business revenues from tourism will
reach $4 billion (approximately double the current level). 1
1
Now or Never: An Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians, 2014
3
Tourism in Cape Breton Island: 2011-Present Day
In 2011, ACOA completed a 5 year tourism strategy that DCBA immediately began adhering to and in
essence, bringing it to life on Cape Breton Island. The research based plan focused on answering one
question:
Why are they coming?
For Cape Breton Island, the answer aligned almost completely with what research found for travellers to
Atlantic Canada:
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Touring
Coastal experiences
Culture
Signature Events
Experiential Accommodation
Outdoor experiences
In addition, DBCA identified culinary as a core experience on why people travel to our region based on
visitor exit survey research conducted by Nova Scotia tourism.
4
Tourism Atlantic - ACOA the federal organization that oversees tourism for Atlantic Canada developed an
industry toolbox that allowed operators and communities to enhance their product offering. These tools
included:
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Best practice missions
Tourism technolocy.com website development program
Gros Morne Institute of Sustainable Tourism (GMIST) Edge of the Wedge program
Sustainable Tourism Expansion Plan (STEP) for communities
Accelerated Market Readiness (AMR) for all operators
DCBA developed its initial plan that focused on the research will drive product development that will drive
marketing continuum while working with the toolbox. In 2012, our organization brought together partners
that included our municipalities, Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, ECBA, and Parks Canada who all committed
to working with industry to develop experiential products that would result in Cape Breton Island being a
destination leader in experiential development. The following has resulted:
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DCBA is recognized as the tourism organization for Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island has had growth in its room nights sold for the past two years.
Operators have participated Island wide in over 150 workshops and missions to enhance their
product offering.
Additionally:
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Inverness County developed and approved a tourism strategy for $2.5 million. The strategy is
based on and aligns with the DCBA plan and model.
Richmond County has developed and approved a $6.8 million plan. The strategy was based on
and aligns with the DCBA plan and model.
Louisbourg and Parks Canada have formed Synergy Louisbourg and developed a $10 million plan
for the community as a result of going through a STEP process administered by DCBA and ECBC.
Baddeck and area Business and Tourism Association (BABTA) has developed a tourism plan for
the community as a result of going through the STEP process administered by DCBA and ECBC.
5
DCBA has a primary focus of marketing to the leisure traveller. Additionally the destination has product
that aligns with three key niche markets. The niche markets are golf, cruise and meetings and conventions.
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Golf
Golf Cape Breton has been in existence since the early 2000’s. Three years ago this entity evolved
to be a full time marketing position under DCBA, and now operates as marketing consortium
whose primary objective is to be a strong pillar of the tourism economy, contributing to the
economic growth and quality of life on Cape Breton Island. The organization’s primary market is
the traveler who states that their main motivation for choosing a destination is the quality of its
golf courses. The consortium operates within a tiered structure, consisting of golf courses as well
as accommodations partners and Cape Breton Island experiences.
The key partners for the consortium consist of the island’s top six courses:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cabot Links in Inverness
Cabot Cliffs in Inverness (opening July 2015)
Highlands Links in Ingonish
Bell Bay in Baddeck
Le Portage in Cheticamp
The Lakes in Ben Eoin
The consortium partners each contribute to the budget for promoting the island’s golf product.
Like the NSTA and DCBA, Golf Cape Breton has also adopted an icon strategy in its promotion,
using Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs and Highlands Links as the lure in marketing campaigns. Highlands
Links and Cabot Links are both regularly featured in the world’s top courses, and Cabot Cliffs is
anticipated to debut in the world’s Top 10.
The call to action for Golf Cape Breton marketing is the website, Golfcapebreton.com, and the
concierge service. The golf concierge helps to facilitate golf vacations by building itineraries and
making booking arrangements on behalf of the golfer. Many local accommodation and attractions
participate in the consortium through smaller contributions and are sold as part of golf itineraries
by the golf concierge.
6
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Cruise
Atlantic Canada has been actively promoting itself as a cruise destination through the Atlantic
Canada Cruise Association (ACCA) and the Port of Sydney is one of the five anchor ports of this
regional consortium.
There has been an opportunity within the past few years to look at the region as one that could be
a destination for the small cruise shift and exploration vessel market. DCBA has been proactive in
having the three small ports of Baddeck, Louisbourg and Cheticamp go through small port
readiness. We are presently embarking on building a strategy to position Cape Breton Island as a
small port destination. The Port of Sydney is engaged and supportive of the process.
Cruise Cape Breton was formed in early 2013 to promote the Bras D’Or Lake as a premier
destination for pleasure craft and luxury private yachts. Alignment with the Halifax Waterfront
Development Corporation will significantly enhance the growth of this sector.
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Meetings and Conventions
In June 2013, Events Cape Breton (ECB) was re-launched after being dormant for eight years with a
new Executive Director in place to position Cape Breton Island as a venue to host meetings,
conferences and cultural and sporting events that utilize more than one facility. Additionally ECB
works closely with DCBA to promote the area as a pre and post destination for delegates attending
conferences that are hosted in Halifax.
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Cape Breton Island has long been recognized as a destination where culture thrives. Eighteen years ago the
Celtic Colours International Festival was launched and the vision of this event has grown and flourished to
impact over 40 communities island wide annually for the 9-day event. In 2014, Celtic Colours attracted
visitors from over two dozen countries and the economic impact of the event exceeded $10 million dollars.
Celtic Colours also laid the foundation for cultural product clubs in Cape Breton Island to align and grow.
Cultural partnerships are now established in Cape Breton Island for our Celtic / Gaelic partners, Acadian
partners and First Nations partners.
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Celtic Heart of North America
In its 6th year, partners that profile Gaelic and Celtic product throughout Cape Breton Island have
marketed themselves as a consortium to bring new business / travelers to Cape Breton Island. An
annual plan that adheres to the DCBA continuum is executed and based on return on investment
and conversion. Co-operative initiatives between DCBA and Celtic Heart of North America increase
annually.
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Unama’ki
The Unama'ki Tourism Association has been working together and has a mandate, mission and
governance that have been developed by the five island band councils. Membertou and Eskasoni
are already attracting tourists through cruise ship stops in Sydney and the European visitors are
particularly interested in an authentic First Nations experience. Aligning this unique product is a
key ingredient to culture product on Cape Breton Island.
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Acadian
The Acadian product in Cape Breton Island has been significantly advancing in the Cheticamp area
with the development of both hard and soft product the past number of years. In early 2015,
advanced steps are being taken to bring together the partners in Isle Madame and Fortress of
Louisbourg Association and Parks Canada to develop an island wide strategy for growing this
tourism product. The plan will adhere to the ACOA / DCBA continuum.
8
Other groups that influence Cape Breton Island as a vibrant and growing tourism destination include:
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Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail has undergone two trail/destination assessments by Roger Brooks, community branding
and destination marketing expert. The first assessment took place in 2010 followed by a re-assessment
in 2012. Recommendations stemming from the assessments formulated product development and
marketing plans for a Cabot Trail working group. The working group, which represents businesses
along the Trail, is currently working toward kiosk upgrades and viewscape maintenance, in addition to
joint marketing initiatives including a Trail map.
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Parks Canada
Cape Breton Island’s Parks Canada sites not only comprise an integral piece of our product offering, but
also develop and deliver Canadian Tourism Commission’s criteria based ‘Signature Experiences’. The
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, The Cape Breton Highlands National Park and The
Alexander Graham Bell Museum appeal strongly to the visitors we target (explorer quotient defined)
because of the programs and partnerships that have been developed, particularly over the past four
years.
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Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design
The Cape Breton Centre of Craft and Design is a pillar in mobilizing growth for the craft sector,
internally and externally. In addition to providing programs for local artisans, they also work to take this
product to the visitor market through innovative campaigns and initiatives. Discussions and plans to
establish the destination as one for artist in residence is a piece of a long term plan.
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Food and Culinary
DCBA has a working relationship with Dorothy Cann Hamilton (Founder and CEO of the International
Culinary Center - ICC) to promote the unique aspects of the Cape Breton Island culinary landscape with
a primary focus on lobster and shellfish. In addition to hosting media events featuring Forchu lobster at
the ICC in New York, plans are now being initiated to create an International Seafood Training Centre in
partnership with NSCC.
Cape Breton Island is also a partner with Right Some Good, a province wide foodie festival that features
pop up kitchens and chefs from all over the world and is on the advisory board of the Cape Breton Local
Food Hub project.
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Film
DCBA has been working extensively with DPA, a company that oversees gifting suites at major awards
shows such as The Golden Globes. Cape Breton Island has been consistently featured as a coveted gift
amongst celebrities and producers. While a promotional activity, this has led to the leveraging of
opportunities to attract producers and actors to explore Cape Breton Island as a film location. The Book
of Negroes mini-series utilized the Fortress of Louisbourg as a location site in 2014.
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The next steps and go forward opportunity
In an effort to present the full picture of tourism in Cape Breton Island and demonstrate how collective
initiatives adhere to the ACOA Tourism Strategy and Nova Scotia Tourism Plan, the time is now to bring
together all partners who hold a piece of the tourism story and product on Cape Breton Island to build a
document that is reflective of the work that is being done.
In the spirit of the One Nova Scotia Initiative, together we can align as one voice, as the region of Cape
Breton Island, to continue to build our tourism industry well into the future.
Steps to bring this document vision to fruition include:
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CEO to meet with Mayors and Wardens and gain approval to proceed with building of an
integrated plan based on what each municipality is presently doing in tourism.
This integrated plan is not meant to be one owned or solely implemented by DCBA. DCBA is
proposing to take the lead on creating a single document that tells the current story of tourism
across Cape Breton Island.
Timeline: March 2015
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CEO to meet collectively with CAOs from the municipalities to review bringing together the
respective plans.
Timeline: Late March
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CEO to bring together partners from the three niche product groups, the three cultural groups and
The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design to review respective plans.
Timeline: Mid April
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CEO to meet with other stakeholders to ensure that all additional, relevant products and programs
are included.
Timeline: Late April
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Draft integrated plan ready for review early June 2015.
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DCBA - Pillars of Business
Much of the additional work facilitated by the DCBA team falls within two pillars of business –Industry
Development (a combination of product development, industry relations and visitor servicing) and
Marketing. An overview of the priorities for our pillars of business is shown below, with full details in the
overall plan for each category outlined in this document.
Industry Development Priorities for 2015
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Promote tourism as an economic driver throughout CBI; increasing awareness of the tourism
product.
Facilitate communication and product development efforts within our product clubs.
Develop a product inventory of market-ready festivals and events, packages, and experiences,
including resources and tools.
Continue to build the culinary product as an economic driver within Cape Breton Island.
Maintain existing communication channels (i.e. Tourism Connect, dcba-info.com).
Operate the Cape Breton Island kiosk on the Halifax Waterfront. It is anticipated that upon
completion of our lease in 2016, we will not continue to operate the Halifax kiosk, but rather
strengthen our relationship with the NSTA’s waterfront kiosk, and populate it with Cape Breton
Island Marketing and content.
Operate the Cape Breton Island kiosk from the Port au Basque ferry terminal in Newfoundland;
staffed daily during the peak tourism season, three hours prior to each vessel’s departure.
Provide direct promotion of the Top Cape Breton Island Experiences; and
Ensure consistent user-friendly resource tools for VIC/Operators to build better communication.
See Appendix A for information on industry partnership opportunities.
Marketing Priorities for 2015
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Capitalize on upcoming opportunities to drive incremental visitation increases such as the opening
of Cabot Cliffs in 2015
Strengthen strategic marketing partnership with NSTA
Foster media relationships to maintain accolades such as one of CNN’s “Top 10 Dare to Go Places
in 2014” and USA Today’s “Top Motorcycle Drive in North America”
Increase in room night sales to 396,000 (1% increase over 2014 results)
Increase spend per visitor party to an average of $1179
Increase average length of stay to 5.9 nights
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The scope of Destination Cape Breton Association’s (DCBA) product development function has grown and
diversified significantly since it became a focus for DCBA in 2011. We chose to align with the ACOA Growth
Strategy for Tourism to guide our regional strategy development and decision-making, and to utilize the
resources for enhancing visitor experiences available in “The Tourism Atlantic Toolkit”. The original
product development committee was formed in October 2011, and was represented by a member from
each municipality and the Town of Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia Tourism Agency (then Department of
Economic and Rural Development and Tourism), Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation, Parks Canada and
DCBA. Since that time, the committee has expanded to include the various product clubs existing
throughout Cape Breton Island, including golf, culture, and craft.
Four years later, a defined product culture throughout the whole of Cape Breton Island has emerged and
the product development pillar will now evolve to a scope of activities called industry development.
Industry development will encompass:
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Product development
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Industry relations
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Visitor servicing
These activities will combine to work concentrically to enhance the Cape Breton Island tourism industry as
a whole. A summary of the efforts of all three activities to date are below, followed by an outline of
priorities and goals for the new pillar of Industry Development. It must be recognized that industry
relations was not originally a part of DCBA scope, it became apparent with ongoing product development
initiatives that we had to connect with Industry to determine what needs were required.
1.1 Product Development 2011-2014
The map below identifies, island-wide, what tools have been provided to industry to enhance our product
offering:
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Figure 1 - Product Development Participation
Strategic partnerships and alignments have been a critical component of product development priorities
over the course of the organization’s evolution.
Accordingly, DCBA remains focused on aligning with the strategic priorities/principles of the:
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Federal Tourism Strategy‘s priorities of increasing awareness of Canada as a premier tourist
destination, encouraging product development & enhancing visitor experiences;
Canadian Tourism Commission's priorities of promoting experiences that are relevant to traveler's
interests & values of travelers;
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s priorities of developing competitive, productive, strategic
industry sectors while strengthening community infrastructure in rural communities;
Nova Scotia Tourism Agency’s priorities of building pride of place, developing and enhancing
higher-quality products and experiences, & making evidence-based marketing decisions;
Others - including Parks Canada, four municipal governments and the Town of Port Hawkesbury,
local tourism associations (including TIANS, NSTHRC), & operators.
Cape Breton Island has experienced significant mobilization over the past four years; evidenced within our
municipalities, our local tourism associations, as well as within tourism operations. Some notable
initiatives include:
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Inverness County Strategic Tourism Plan – $2.5M plan
Richmond County Tourism Strategy – $6.8M plan
Louisbourg Strategic Tourism Expansion Plan – $10M plan
o Communities in Bloom
Baddeck Strategic Tourism Expansion Plan
Downtown Sydney Beautification and Development Strategy
Cabot Trail Working Committee (support received for kiosk and viewscape upgrades)
o Chéticamp, Communities in Bloom
o Chéticamp, second phase of façade program
40+ Accelerated Market Readiness plans for individual businesses
Inverness façade program
1.2 Product Development Goals for 2013-2014 and Results
1. Enhance tourism operator training opportunities.
a. By responding to industry feedback, offer ten (training, customer service) workshops to
various levels of tourism operators (i.e. management, front-line staff).
i.
Four WorldHost workshops took place May-June 2014 in the following regions:
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•
•
•
•
Ingonish (10 participants)
Louisbourg (12 participants)
Sydney (12 participants)
Baddeck (14 participants)
•
Total 48 front-line staff; all satisfied or very satisfied.
Results
*There was also a WorldHost workshop offered in Chéticamp (en français). 11 frontline staff participated
(with our partners at Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse).
b. Offer five social media workshops on topics including: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and
Trip Advisor; all the while educating on the importance and benefit of business
engagement.
i.
Workshops scheduled as follows:
a. March 11th, 2015: Chéticamp
b. March 12th, 2015: Baddeck
c. March 13th, 2015: Sydney
c. Offer the Accelerated Market Readiness (AMR) Program to eight operators.
i.
Seven operators participated and completed the AMR Program, including:
a. Maritime Inn, Port Hawkesbury
b. Hebridean Motel, Port Hood
c. Rankin Ceilidh Boat Tours, Mabou
d. Inverary Resort, Baddeck Bay
e. Kidston Island Development, Baddeck
f. Bird Island Boat Tours, Big Bras d’Or
g. Eskasoni Cultural Journeys, Eskasoni
*Eighth participant cancelled
2. Increase the awareness of tourism product in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
a. Work with representatives in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to create a “Locals
Know” weblink on www.CBIsland.com, including:
1. Hidden Gems,
2. The Best of the Ceilidh Trail, and
3. Itineraries.
i.
Content has been populated and is now available on both discovercb.ca and
cbisland.com visitor information platforms.
Homepage of discovercb.ca whereby website visitors can explore each of the Island’s regions:
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Figure 2 - Discovercb.ca homepage
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An example of content you find within each of the region’s pages:
Figure 3 - Discovercb.ca content sample
Top experiences and hidden gem content housed on cbisland.com:
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Figure 4 - Cbisland.com content sample
3. Have tourism become a “top of mind” product for all tourism front line staff island wide.
a. Expand the Locals Know initiative to reach businesses island-wide. The initiative will
include:
1. Distribution of festival and event information,
2. Development of tent-cards for use in accommodations, restaurants, attractions,
etc., and
3. Develop and execute the first annual industry “Open House Day.
i.
Distribution of festival and event cards to 900+ recipients began July 7th, 2014 and
wrapped up mid October.
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Sample card:
Figure 5 - Locals Know Sample Card
ii.
Tri-fold brochures distributed to approximately 500 participating accommodations
and restaurants
Sample tri-fold:
Figure 6 - Tri fold Sample
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iii.
“Open House Day” took place June 28th. Participants included: Celtic Heart
partners, FireHouse Ironworks, and the Cape Breton Miner’s Museum.
4. Gain an understanding of the culinary product on Cape Breton Island.
a. Work with key industry partners to coordinate the development of a culinary plan for Cape
Breton Island that will allow us to understand the level of operator knowledge on the
Island’s culinary product, and additionally gain an understanding to the quality and
diversity of our product offering.
i.
Nine chefs trained at the International Culinary Institute late April, describing the
experience as “inspiring” and “educational”. Some new techniques included:
forcemeats & pastry.
ii.
“Taste of Cape Breton” event took place June 10th, 2014 at the International
Culinary Centre in New York targeting key media from food and travel
publications.
iii.
Preliminary meetings have taken place between various CBI stakeholders and
Dorothy Hamilton, Founder and CEO of the International Culinary Institute, re:
feasibility of a seafood graduate school for chefs.
iv.
Align with NSTA and Taste of NS provincial efforts to enhance and heighten
culinary product offering.
v.
Terms of reference has been developed for CBI culinary strategy.
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1.3 Industry Relations
Industry relations tactics have evolved significantly over the past two years as well. In 2014, DCBA
contracted Dr. Laurel Reid to conduct an industry needs assessment study. Industry feedback identified
that a focus should be placed on partnerships, development, and industry mobilization versus
communication as the primary principal. This industry feedback was subsequently developed and
executed in 2014, and will continue throughout 2015 within the Industry Development pillar. The role of
industry relations encompasses the following:
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Develop, implement and manage the success of an industry communications strategy
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Consult with operators on their initiatives; develop co-operative opportunities
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Consult with VIC Coordinator to identify and leverage opportunities to increase visitor
participation in revenue generating activities such as cultural, culinary and artisan experiences, and
increase in length of stay at paid accommodations
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Manage the communication and logistics of, identified trade shows and related events
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Provide bi-weekly reporting on progress of industry engagement and revenue initiatives
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1.4 Visitor Services
As with product development and industry relations, the scope of visitor services, specifically the
management of CBI’s visitor information centres (VIC), has progressed significantly over time. The Island’s
VICs now operate in partnership between DCBA and the local tourism association or municipality, based on
developed Memorandums of Understanding. DCBA administers funding in partnership with Nova Scotia
Tourism Agency, and also provides training to the travel counsellors. Baddeck and Area Business and
Tourism Association (BABTA), Margaree Tourism Association, Municipality of Richmond County, Synergy
Louisbourg and Cape Breton Regional Municipality (through an annual grant) are fully engaged financially
within their respective VICs to cover any costs not covered by the NSTA subsidy, and continue to play a
more active role in the management of their local area VICs each year. DCBA continues to provide training
and supervision to the VICs covered under these agreements, as well as to the community VIC located in
Chéticamp. In 2015, DCBA will work with industry, municipal partners, and community partners to develop
a strategy that meets the needs of the visitor, while driving incremental tourism revenue increases in Cape
Breton Island.
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1.5 Moving Forward: Industry Development 2015-16
The following are priority areas for the new pillar of Industry Development. While these will continue to
evolve over time, one thing remains consistent – we must all work together to develop and enhance
product offerings and grow tourism revenues for Cape Breton Island tourism operators.
Inventory Creation: Over the past four years, significant work has been done to create an understanding,
communicate the benefits, and provide industry the tools to develop experiences and package offerings.
Industry has invested considerable resources into developing experiences and packages, and in turn,
market-ready product has emerged within each municipality, product club, and niche market. It is
imperative that from an inventory perspective, we gain an understanding of our full inventory of product
offerings (festivals and events, packages, and experiences), facilitate information sharing between industry
partners, including but not limited to: NSTA, municipal partners, product clubs, community organizations,
business owners, and other tourism stakeholders, and finally, promote all available product offerings to
our visitors (on a calendar basis).
DCBA must continue to identify and showcase our authentic experience offerings and work with operators
to create unique packages for purchase.
Strengthen and Grow the Locals Know Initiative: In 2014, DCBA commenced an initiative that saw the
island-wide distribution of festival and event information done by way of a “Locals Know” card. The
program aligned completely with what is identified in the Tourism Strategy for Nova Scotia, developed by
NSTA - “to build pride among Nova Scotians in what the province offers visitors; enhance Nova Scotians’
awareness of their role as hosts and ambassadors, and enhance their appreciation of the value of the
visitor economy”.
The goal of the “locals know” initiative was to provide information and knowledge to non-traditional
tourism businesses that are traditionally touch points for visitors. By providing “what’s going on
information” to non-traditional tourism businesses, we can empower front line staff to become
ambassadors to help promote their area, as well as encourage family and friends to visit.
There were three components to the “Locals Know” campaign: an open house day for residents,
distribution of festival and event cards, and the development of municipality-specific tri-fold brochures for
restaurants and accommodations across CBI.
The first annual Open House Day took place June 28th, 2014. Moving into 2015, there is significant
opportunity to expand the number of participants (from both a business and resident perspective) and
increase awareness. The second annual open house day will again take place in late June.
For the festival and event cards, the collection of information, population of content (including French
where relevant), and delivery to each of the municipal hubs was carried out by an in-house summer
student. Post the initial distribution, each municipality assumed the weekly distribution of cards to
businesses within their respective jurisdiction for the season.
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A survey requesting feedback was distributed to all participants of the “Locals Know” initiative towards the
end of the seasonal program. The feedback and recommendations received were extremely valuable, and
will be used develop goals to improve the program for 2015. The survey details can be found in Appendix
F.
Elevate the Niche Port Offering and Develop a Strategic Partnership: In 2011, Cape Breton Island’s three
niche ports of Baddeck, Louisbourg and Cheticamp each underwent a small port readiness exercise that
had stakeholders attend sessions to identify opportunities and challenges associated with niche port
development. The sessions were facilitated by Melanie Colpitts of Aquila Tours, and recommendations and
outcomes from each session were provided in report form to workshop participants and stakeholders from
each niche port.
The Atlantic Canada Cruise Association is the marketing body that promotes Atlantic Canada as a cruise
destination. While initially focused on the main ports of Sydney, Halifax, Saint John, Charlottetown and
Cornerbrook; in recent years, the emerging of niche ports to accommodate smaller cruise vessels and
exploration vessels has become a new area of focus. ACCA niche ports had an initial niche port strategy
session in November 2013, and a second niche port strategy session in November 2014, both facilitated by
Melanie Colpitts of Aquila Tours. The outcome of the second session was the development of a high-level
strategy that ACCA niche ports members could work from.
In December 2014, a meeting took place at the Port of Sydney with representatives from our three niche
ports, the Port of Sydney, Boating Cape Breton, Destination Cape Breton, and Atlantic Canada Cruise
Association (ACCA). The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize the ports with the work of ACCA, and
commence a conversation on mobilizing the niche ports in Cape Breton Island.
In February 2015, the niche ports invited Melanie Colpitts to facilitate a strategy session that would result
in a plan. DCBA will act as the catalyst between the niche ports and ACCA to ensure that potential growth
in this market can materialize.
It is worthy of mention that in July 2015, One Ocean Expeditions will use Louisbourg as the turnaround
port for an 8-day tour. It is the first time that One Ocean has ever used an eastern turn-around port on
their cruise itinerary.
Heighten the Acadian Product Offering on Cape Breton Island: L’Experience Acadie is a product club of
the Acadian communities throughout the Maritime Provinces. The product club has been active in
promoting Acadian culture in various marketing mediums for nearly 15 years. In 2014, when the
organization shifted from a membership-based model to a destination market organization, Chéticamp
had been the sole Acadian destination represented on Cape Breton Island. Within its current, more
inclusive parameters, the product club can now focus on the promotion of all Acadian culture within the
whole of the Maritimes (including Parks Canada and Isle Madame on Cape Breton Island).
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In February 2015, Acadian partners from Chéticamp, Isle Madame and Parks Canada (Fortress of
Louisbourg) came together for a day-and-a-half facilitated session to discuss opportunities and challenges
associated with building and enhancing Acadian product in a cohesive manner. A partnership between
l’Experience Acadie, ACOA, NSTA, Parks Canada, and industry partners emerged, identifying the need for
further development of product, and thus the establishment of an Acadian Product Club. Next steps were
determined at the session:
●
●
●
●
Celtic Heart of North America will be the best practice that L’Experience Acadie will follow in Cape
Breton Island to grow their product club
DCBA will facilitate a meeting of Acadian partners (as listed above) with Celtic Heart of North
America representatives to discuss the steps required to develop a plan that aligns with the ACOA
toolkit and tourism strategy.
DCBA will play an active role in preliminary meetings,
DCBA will develop a terms of reference for Consultant Advisory Services through ACOA post the
meeting with Celtic Heart partners to assess the present product offering, identify the region’s
Unique Selling Proposition, identify available product development initiatives, and recommend
immediate marketing opportunities.
Enhance the Culinary Offering on Cape Breton Island:
As stated by Patrick Sullivan, CEO of Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, “In our recent NSTA online panel survey,
seven in ten past visitors reported that our food culture was an important contributor to their decision to
visit Nova Scotia.”
Heightening the culinary product offering, as identified in the NSTA Tourism Strategy, is a critical piece of
the industry development plan for Nova Scotia. Subsequently, Cape Breton Island will develop a plan with
associated tactics to support the NSTA focus.
The culinary strategy will allow DCBA to gain an understanding of the culinary product available on Cape
Breton Island and position the destination as a leader in a niche product offering.
It is expected that this strategy will:
●
●
●
●
provide a better understanding of the current state of the Island’s culinary product;
identify partners and their role;
determine the steps (challenges and opportunities) required to enhance Cape Breton Island’s
brand as a “sea to spoon” destination (e.g. seafood graduate school); and
Identify initiatives to support the growth and enhance the quality of our culinary product
experience for locals and within dining establishments island-wide.
25
Industry Communication: In 2014, DCBA worked with Dr. Laurel Reid to conduct an assessment of our
existing industry relations and communication methods in order to better understand the information and
opportunity requirements of Industry and Stakeholders. Appendix B outlines the assessment criteria used
by Dr. Reid, in addition to the outcomes and recommendations that were realized as a result of the study.
Industry Development Priorities for 2015-2016
i.
Act as the conduit that brings together the various product clubs across CBI (culture, Parks Canada,
cruise, cycling, etc.).
ii.
Provide support to the NSTA-led development of an Acadian cuisine road trip.
iii.
Provide support to the development of culinary experiences (i.e. authentic seafood or oat cake
experience, Red Shoe Pub, Dancing Goat, and Cabot Links).
iv.
Provide support to the Municipality of the County of Inverness as it relates to the Celtic Shores
Coastal Trail plan (per NSTA strategy).
v.
Continue to identify training opportunities and development programs.
vi.
Gain an understanding of existing product offerings, and facilitate the establishment of an Acadian
product club.
vii.
Enhance communication between niche ports, shore excursion providers, excursion guides, and
cruise agents.
viii.
Operate the Cape Breton Island kiosk on the Halifax Waterfront. It is anticipated that upon
completion of our lease in 2016, we will not continue to operate the Halifax kiosk, but rather
strengthen our relationship with the NSTA’s waterfront kiosk, and populate it with Cape Breton
Island Marketing and content.
ix.
Operate the Cape Breton Island kiosk from the Port au Basque ferry terminal in Newfoundland;
staffed daily during the peak tourism season, three hours prior to each vessel’s departure.
x.
Provide direct promotion of the Top Cape Breton Island Experiences; and
xi.
Ensure consistent user-friendly resource tools for VIC/Operators to build better communication.
*In order to ensure that we have the proper in-house capacity to deliver product development initiatives,
the periodic hiring of consultants and tourism experts may be deemed necessary.
26
Industry Development Goals and Associated Tactics for 2015-2016
The priorities outlined above have combined to define the following goals and associated tactics for
Industry Development:
1. Promote tourism as an economic driver throughout CBI; increasing awareness of the tourism
product.
a. Continue the Locals Know initiative throughout CBI. The initiative will include:
1. Distribution of festival and event information,
2. Development of tri-fold brochures for use in accommodations, restaurants,
attractions, etc., and
3. Develop and execute the second annual industry “Open House Day” with
increased operator participation.
b. Work with industry and residents to identify the “best of” Cape Breton Island, including to
but not limited to: beaches, lighthouses, rainy day activities, etc.
2. Facilitate communication and product development efforts within our product clubs.
a. Build Cape Breton Island’s niche port offering and enhance the awareness of CBI as a
cruising destination.
i. Conduct a situational analysis of excursion options, price points, and guest
satisfaction.
ii. Bring together shore excursion providers and guides to ensure alignment with
what our product is and what is being sold.
iii. Assess training lines, and prioritize accordingly based on perceived interest in Cape
Breton Island.
iv. Establish a niche ports product club based on Celtic Heart of North America model.
v. Develop a strategic plan to pursue the niche cruise market that will include a
budget for strategic initiatives.
b. Work with partners to develop a plan for building Acadian product on CBI.
i. Bring partners together with Celtic Heart of North America representatives with
Acadie partners to discuss the steps required by Acadie partners to develop a
strategic plan based on Celtic Heart past experience.
ii. Develop a terms of reference for Consultant Advisory Services through ACOA post
the meeting with Celtic Heart partners to assess the present product offering,
identify the region’s Unique Selling Proposition, identify available product
development initiatives, and recommend immediate marketing opportunities.
27
3. Develop a product inventory of market-ready festivals and events, packages, and experiences,
including resources and tools.
a. Develop an experiential calendar.
b. Develop a package inventory.
c. Create a product development resource toolkit, including funding programs, worksheets,
etc.
d. Create a calendar of product development initiatives.
4. Continue to build the culinary product as an economic driver within Cape Breton Island.
a. Per the Provincial efforts to enhance the culinary product offering, develop a culinary
strategy for CBI.
i. Explore the opportunities to enhance the culinary product as a result of the
strategy.
b. Work with NSCC to determine the feasibility of a seafood graduate school for chefs.
c. In conjunction with the NSTA, ensure island-wide participation of culinary workshops:
Signature Menus, Breakfast of Champions, and Beyond the Boil (lobster themed).
5. Maintain existing communication channels (i.e. Tourism Connect, dcba-info.com).
6. Manage and Maintain Visitor Servicing Human Resource Initiatives:
a) The knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm of VIC staff add value to the visitor experience. We
must continue to teach staff to read the customer and their requirements, tell our story, and
capture customer details. This information is extremely valuable from a marketing
perspective; in order to fully understand the visitor experience.
b) Enhance visitor satisfaction through high quality welcome and information services.
c) Continue hosting Monday Morning Information sessions with VIC staff to discuss progress
toward 2015 goals, provide market updates, and foster a cooperative approach.
d) Integrate staff with marketing activities to create a pro-active culture.
e) Extend the outreach of information gathering and sharing currently happening between VICs
and operators to engage others to expand our information network.
7.
Integrate with marketing activities to reinforce Cape Breton Island brand.
a) Work with industry and marketing to make it easy for potential visitors to plan and book their
visits to and within Cape Breton Island.
b) Support Cape Breton Island major marketing campaigns (“15 in 15”, Locals Know, Festival &
Event information) by providing relevant information and facilitating storytelling to visitors.
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8. Create a tourism culture between VICs and Industry:
a) Engage industry and extend the outreach currently happening between VICs and operators to
expand information network – create a tourism culture.
b) Work with TIANS to provide common service standards and training for industry front-line
staff.
c) Work with industry to become active in Visitor Services.
9. Develop and enhance partnerships:
a) Develop stronger partnerships with entry point VICs – Amherst, Halifax & Yarmouth – in order
to ensure Cape Breton Island product knowledge is top of mind.
b) Manage the MOU and partnerships with area associations and municipalities; strengthened
with long-term planning.
c) Formalize an MOU for VICs within the CBRM.
d) With visitation at the Sydney River VIC declining and growing demand at the Sydney Port
evidenced, reallocate resources from Sydney River to the Port accordingly.
e) Sydney River VIC councillors and students will attend festivals and events to increase
knowledge and information in an effort to lengthen visitation and increase spend.
*Moving into 2015, DCBA will continue its partnership with the Golden K at the Sydney Marine Terminal
Information Kiosk, as well as maintain our presence at the Port Aux Basques Marine Atlantic terminal by
means of a staff person.
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2.1 2014 Recap
Several significant changes were made in 2013/2014 to the way that Cape Breton Island is marketed as a
destination. The One of the most notable changes involved an update to the brand of the Island.
In the early 1990s, Cape Breton Island was beautifully and accurately branded as “Nova Scotia’s
Masterpiece”. This brand message worked for a number of reasons including the allure of Nova Scotia to
visitors.
In 2000, the funding for marketing Cape Breton Island as tourism destination ended. The Nova Scotia’s
Masterpiece brand remained unused until 2009 when funding was reinstated.
In 2013, a new campaign was developed for the island which included new imagery, creative elements and
messaging; the key message being “Your Heart Will Never Leave”. Through research and visitor response,
it was recognized that this message resonated heavily with our visitors. In 2014, that message became the
new brand message for Cape Breton Island tourism, and was embraced by locals, partners, and visitors
alike.
The message also aligns with the Brand message for Nova Scotia, “Take Yourself There”. Cape Breton
Island’s brand complements the provincial message and encourages people to follow their heart to our
Island.
30
2.2 2014 Objectives Review
DCBA defines objectives to align with its mandate: to increase the economic impact of the tourism industry
on the Cape Breton Island economy. Each objective plays a strategic part in achieving the overall goal.
The recap of objectives and results for the 2014 marketing plan are as follows:
Objective
Result
Notes
Source
Increase room sales by 1%
over 2013
Room sales have
increased by 1%
392,000 rooms sold
NSTA
Increase visitor spend by
5%
Visitor spend increased
by 5.2%
2014 total spend by
visitor party was $1075.
Traveler conversion study
Increase length of stay by
4%
Length of stay increased
by 17%
2014 average length of
stay was 5.6 nights.
Traveler conversion study
Maintain a strong ROI
from advertising spend
ROI was $26.89 per dollar
spend
Industry objective is
$10 per dollar spend
Traveler intention study,
conversion study, and Google
Analytics
Reach 250,000 website
visits
222,169 visits were
achieved
Google algorithm
update disrupted traffic
for 8 weeks starting
May 20
Google Analytics
Maintain a website bounce
rate of 40% or less, and
35% or less for Google
AdWords
Overall bounce rate was
40.1%, Adwords bounce
rate was 35.8%
Google Analytics
31
The charts below depict the results and trends for key measurements over the past four years.
The chart “Room Night Sales” shows the number of units sold per year based on reports from all fixed-roof
accommodations in the region. The source for this data is the Key Indicator report provided by the NSTA.
https://novascotiatourismagency.ca/current-tourism-activity
Figure 7 - Cape Breton Island Room Sale 2011 - 2014
The chart “Advertising Recall” shows the percentage of survey respondents who recalled seeing
advertising for Cape Breton Island tourism prior to visiting the official tourism website (Cbisland.com). The
percentage is calculated as the number of respondents who recalled advertising divided by the total
number of survey respondents. The source for this data is the travel intentions survey (as outlined in
Appendix C – Research sources).
Figure 8 - Advertising Recall 2011 - 2014
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The chart titled “website visits” shows the number of visits or sessions to cbisland.com. Cbisland.com is the
only official tourism website for Cape Breton Island, the call to action for all DCBA marketing campaigns.
The source for this information is Google Analytics.
Figure 9 - Website Visits 2011 - 2014
The chart “Average Spend” shows the average amount of dollars spent per visitor party. Average spend is
defined as the amount of money spent while in a destination, excluding travel expenses to get to the
destination. The source of this information is the conversion survey as outlined in Appendix C (Research
sources).
Figure 10 - Average Spend per Visitor Party 2011 - 2014
33
The chart “Return on Investment” shows the ROI for the DCBA marketing campaigns for 2011-2014. The
calculation for determining ROI is outlined in the table directly below:
Metric
Source
Notes
Advertising Spend
Unique web visits
Average web visits per person
Adjusted unique web visits
Marketing Codes specific to
advertising budget category
Google Analytics
Travel Intentions Data
Calculation
Include paid, booked and future
anticipated spend for the fiscal
Same timeframe as survey
% who recalled advertising
# who recalled advertising
Travel Intentions Data
Calculation
% of web visitors surveyed who
travelled to CBI
# of web visitors surveyed who
travelled to CBI
Average spend per visitor party
Travel Intentions Data
Total Spend
Calculation
ROI
Calculation
Calculation
Travel Intentions Data
Unique web visits divided by average
visit per person
Adjusted web visits multiplied by %
who recall advertising
Based on conversion respondents
# who recalled advertising multiplied
by % who visited
From SSPS data. Remove any spend
over $5000 and under $100 and use
the mean as average spend
# who visited multiplied by average
spend per party
Total visitor spend divided by ad
spend
Figure 11 - ROI 2011 - 2014
34
* There was a slight decline in advertising recall in 2014 over 2013. With decrease in the amount of spend
focused on Cape Breton in 2014, a decrease in recall can be expected (LB300 promotion boosted the 2013
awareness of CB)
The blocking chart below shows the timeline and mediums used for marketing Cape Breton Island in 2014:
Figure 12 - Blocking Chart for 2014 Media Buy
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2.3 Marketing Go Forward
When looking ahead to define future objectives, it’s imperative to look back at research results from
previous years as well as the partnerships and other opportunities that may be available in the coming
season. Some of the factors DCBA considers in determining go forward are the following:
●
●
●
●
●
●
The destination’s target market(s): geographic, demographic and psychographic
The most effective mediums to reach the targeted visitors
Strategic marketing partnerships
Defining the message
Engaging the visitor
Objectives for growth
Geographic Markets:
Canadian
Between 2011 and 2014, Canadian visitation to the destination’s website (cbisland.com) made up 68% of
the overall traffic to the site.
Figure 13 - Origin of Website Visits 2011 - 2014
36
The majority of Canadian traffic is from Nova Scotia and Ontario. During the same time period, traffic from
Ontario has made up 26% of the Canadian traffic and Nova Scotia has made up 46%.
In addition to monitoring website traffic, DCBA also uses a travel intentions and conversion study to
determine geographic markets. (These studies and other research sources are defined in Appendix C.)
During the same time period, 35% of respondents to these studies were from Ontario and 33% from Nova
Scotia.
American
American traffic made up an average of 26% of the destination’s website visits between 2011 and 2014.
Massachusetts, NY and Florida were the states to show the most interest in visiting Cape Breton Island.
Demographic Markets:
DCBA defines the target demographic for marketing by determining factors such as average age range,
gender, traveler party composition, annual house hold income (HHI) and employment status. These factors
are evaluated yearly through online surveys of people who researched the destination on Cbisland.com for
a possible vacation, and also to those who have actually visited.
The Demographic profile for Cape Breton Island visitors has remained steady from 2011-2014 with the
following factors describing the destination’s average visitor:
●
●
●
●
●
Visitors travel as couples
Females do the research online
Average age of travelers is 45-64
Most are Employed
Average HHI is $50,000-$75,000, with a large number of those from Ontario and Northeast US over
$100
Google has recently introduced the ability to capture demographic data from website visitors.
Demographics and Interests data provides information about the age and gender of your users, along with
the interests they express in their online travel and purchasing activities.
DCBA began capturing Google Demographic and Interest data in October of 2014. To date the data has
remained consistent with the visitor demographic profile defined above. DCBA will continue to monitor
this data from Google as another source to define and confirm the visitor demographic profile for Cape
Breton Island, and will make adjustments accordingly.
37
Psychographic Markets:
DCBA uses the Canadian Tourism Commission’s (CTC’s) Explorer Quotient (EQ ®) to define the
psychographic market for Cape Breton Island visitors. The CTC has gone beyond traditional market
research to find out why people travel and why different types of travelers seek out different experiences.
The result is the EQ, which relies on psychographics to look deeper at people’s personal beliefs, social
values and how those factors drive visitors to seek out their desired experiences.
Although NSTA has traditionally used slightly different definitions for its market, it is moving toward
adoption of the EQ profiles.
Of the different traveler profiles defined by the EQ, there are two that have been associated with visitors
to Cape Breton Island. They are outlined below:
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Defining Effective Mediums:
Each year, visitors are asked the question of whether they recall seeing advertising for Cape Breton Island,
and if so, in which mediums (i.e. Television, newsprint, online, etc.) and specifically which publications or
outlets (i.e. CTV, The Chronicle Herald, Trip Advisor, etc.).
The chart below shows the percent by which our surveyed visitors recalled advertising by medium for
2013/14.
In 2014, DCBA gained further granularity for this data by asking what advertising helped to motivate the
respondents to learn more about Cape Breton Island as a travel destination. The results are shown in the
chart below:
The marketing campaigns during the timeframe of this strategy will be influenced by previous and ongoing
research as shown above, and by leveraging a marketing partnership with the NSTA.
39
Strategic Marketing Partnership: In Line with Nova Scotia Tourism Agency
The Nova Scotia Tourism Agency (NSTA) has the responsibility of promoting the province of Nova Scotia to
prospective visitors in its defined markets. Destination Cape Breton’s responsibility is to promote visitation
to the N.S. region of Cape Breton Island. In recent years, DCBA has placed a marketing emphasis on the
regional Atlantic Canada market, due to the economic environment and the need to regain market share
after years of no presence in the marketplace. This strategy worked very well, as there has been a positive
visitation trend as evidenced by room night sales growth and by the large percentage of visitors to Cape
Breton Island coming from the other regions of the province. This year DCBA will make some adjustments
with geographic focus to align with the markets targeted by the NSTA and to leverage the greater reach
afforded by the larger provincial budget and more widespread campaign.
The NSTA campaign targets the following markets:
● Ontario (primarily Toronto);
● Quebec (primarily Montreal);
● Northeastern United States (primarily Boston and Hartford/New Haven);
● The rest of Canada (through a national buy); and
● Overseas markets (UK and Germany).
DCBA does not have the budget to pursue all of these markets, so priorities must be established. Following
are DCBA’s geographic priorities over the next three years.
Ontario
A primary focus will be placed on this market for the following reasons:
● It is a target market of the NSTA plan;
● They skew higher in terms of household income, thus supporting the focus to target visitors who
stay longer and spend more;
● There is strong visitation to cbisland.com from this market with relatively little resources directed
there;
● There are direct flights from Toronto to Sydney to support access; and
● Ontario was a traditional market of Cape Breton Island, so there is likely some residual brand
equity.
Within this market, the emphasis will be placed on the Greater Toronto Area. This aligns with the
geographic focus for NSTA and is supported by Google Analytics location data for cbisland.com.
Nova Scotia
Although not a focus of NSTA, Mainland Nova Scotia remains an important market for Cape Breton Island.
However, given the primary focus of capitalizing on Ontario with NSTA, resources dedicated to Mainland
Nova Scotia will be reduced as an overall portion of the budget. Efforts will ensure that Cape Breton Island
remains top-of-mind as a getaway option and will have a retail focus with specific packages, experiences or
events highlighted to drive interest and conversion.
40
Visitor surveys state that 89% of off-island Nova Scotia visitors to Cape Breton Island are repeat visitors.
The lure of the island is strong in this market, and two campaigns were initiated in 2014 to support the
continuation of repeat visitors and to lure new visitation.
A campaign to promote events as a driver of incremental visitation increases and was heavily promoted
within region. The campaign was marketed as the “Top 14 in 14” and highlighted 14 of Cape Breton’s top
events. A unique URL (14in14.ca) and landing page on Cbisland.com were created which provided details
of all events as well as recommended itineraries to support an increase in length of stay around each
event. This promotion will continue with the Top 15 in 15 and beyond as part of the message within the
regional marketing buy. Please refer to Appendix E for criteria required to participate in the Top 15 in 15
promotion.
Cape Breton Island’s “Top 10 Experiences” were also defined and marketed to encourage visitors to fully
explore and experience each one. The Top 10 are outlined in Appendix D in this document.
The emphasis of ongoing campaigns will continue on Greater Halifax, as analytics show that Halifax and
Dartmouth are by far the largest Mainland Nova Scotia markets.
Other Markets
To leverage and support NSTA’s investment in other domestic and US markets, DCBA will dedicate a
smaller portion of its budget to the following markets:
Northeastern United States
With a significant investment in this market to support the Nova Star ferry, Nova Scotia saw a 28% increase
in visitation. DCBA will include select, cost effective tactics in this market, particularly in the Boston,
Hartford and New Haven markets that are targeted by NSTA.
Quebec
This market is a traditional market for Nova Scotia and NSTA focuses on Montreal. DCBA will include select,
cost effective tactics in this market that focus on English speakers in Montreal.
Alberta
Nova Scotia has experienced strong growth from this market with no concentrated marketing effort and
are planning to do some pilot testing in 2015 with an eye to a more substantial market launch in 2016.
DCBA has also experienced strong website visitation from Alberta, primarily Calgary and Edmonton. The
DCBA strategy will monitor NSTA plans and evaluate opportunities to partner with NSTA and WestJet in
that market.
Develop a digital partnership with NSTA
The NSTA launched a new website in March of 2014. From the time of launch until Oct. 29, an equal
number of web visitors have viewed content related to Cape Breton Island on the provincial site as have
visited the regional site of Cbisland.com for 2014 which was over 200,000 visits.
41
The Nova Scotia Tourism Agency site received over 2.5 million visits in 2014. To capitalize on the
opportunity presented by the provincial website to drive significantly more visitors to Cape Breton Island
content and Cape Breton Island operators, DCBA is working closely with NSTA to develop a strategic digital
partnership. The elements of this partnership include investment to the
NSTA’s Search Engine Marketing (SEM) plan to direct traffic to Cape Breton Island content, updated video
and written content on the Cape Breton Island section, and quality packaging and experiences by Cape
Breton Island operators. This will help to position Cape Breton Island as a top regional destination for
prospective visitors researching their travel options on Novascotia.com.
Messaging
The marketing message to be delivered to the target audience will follow the NSTA principle to deliver a
clear and consistent message in the marketplace. To do so, these guidelines will be followed:
An icon strategy
Following the NSTA approach and the ACOA strategy, the message will focus on an icon strategy that
highlights the island’s key travel motivators. Primarily the Cabot Trail, as it is consistently the #1 travel
motivator for the island according to visitor surveys and is one of the icons being promoted within the
Nova Scotia campaign.
A new focus in messaging in the coming seasons will include the rising lure of Cape Breton Island as a
premier golf destination. With the current fame gained by Cabot Links, and the excitement among golf
enthusiasts about the soft opening of Cabot Cliffs in 2015 and grand opening in 2016, both the NSTA and
DCBA will dedicate a portion of its marketing message to promote these courses as rising icons for the
destination.
Alignment with EQ
The imaging and message will be aligned to the EQ profiles of the target market, following the CTC’s
guidelines for Cultural Explorers and Authentic Experiencers.
Say one thing at a time
The messaging will also follow the clear and consistent principle of “saying one thing at a time”, as
prescribed by tourism consultant Harvey Sawler. This matches the creative direction that has been
adopted by NSTA for 2014 with a clear, simple message combined with a single signature image.
Consistency across channels and platforms
The marketing message will be applied consistently across all channels and all platforms in text, audio, and
visuals to create a strong, cohesive, and effective brand message.
42
DCBA Marketing Goals 2015-16
For the DCBA marketing strategy to be deemed a success, it must achieve measurable results for increasing
visitation and increasing revenues. As a result, these primary goals have been defined:
●
Increase room night sales to 396,000 (1% over 2014).
The number of total rooms sold in Cape Breton Island in 2014 was 392,000. This was up 1% over
the banner year of 2013 during which a 4% increase was achieved. The objective for 2015 is to
continue the momentum with an additional 1% or 4,000 room nights.
●
Obtain an average spend of $1128
This metric provides an indication of overall revenues within the tourism sector. The average
spend per visitor party was $1075 in 2014, therefore, to obtain an average $1128 would require
an increase of 5%.
●
Obtain an average length of stay of 5.7 nights
This metric also provides an indication of overall revenues, as a longer length of stay has a direct
correlation to the amount a visitor spends. The average length of stay was 5.6 nights in 2014. To
obtain an average of 5.7 nights, an increase of 2% would be required.
Below are secondary objectives and tactics to support the achievement of the primary objectives.
●
To maintain a return on investment on the advertising spend that is stronger than the industry
objective.
The industry objective is an ROI of $10 for every dollar spent, so the DCBA advertising ROI will
strive to be higher. It was calculated to be $26.89 in 2014.
●
To achieve a 7.5% growth in website visitation for Cbisland.com.
Website visitation to cbisland.com was 222,169 in 2014. A 7.5% increase would bring website
visitation to over 238,800 in 2015.
●
Achieve 15% growth in visitation per year to Cape Breton Island content on Novascotia.com
The Nova Scotia Tourism Agency invests heavily into marketing campaigns that drive visits to
Novascotia.com. The site received over 2.5 million visits in 2014, which was an increase of 24%
over the previous year.
A 7.5% increase on Cbisland.com, and 15% increase in visits to Cape Breton Island content on
Novascotia.com will drive over 50,000 additional prospective visitors to these sites and begin their
process of deciding on a visit to Cape Breton Island.
43
The digital team at NSTA will provide monthly reports to show key performance indicators such as
number of visits, time spent viewing Cape Breton Island content, bounce rate, and conversion.
Conversion in this instance is defined as clicks to a Cape Breton Island operator’s website from
their listings on the site.
Figure 14 - Cape Breton Content Display on Novascotia.com
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Figure 15 - Cape Breton Content Display #2 on Novascotia.com
●
Achieve and maintain a bounce rate of less than 40% for Cbisland.com website visits.
Ensuring that 60% or more of the visitors to the website view more than one page is key to overall
engagement and conversion. The bounce rate was 40.1% in 2014, so it is very close to this level.
●
To drive conversion through an increase in retail product offerings
The number of tourism products that may be offered through retail offerings (packages,
experiences, online bookings) will be increased significantly and promoted through marketing
activities, including the concierge service.
45
Engaging the Visitor
To effectively drive demand, the marketing strategy is structured around a visitor engagement process,
which brings the target audience through the process of Lure – Sample – Buy, as follows:
Lure
First, awareness must be generated that will pique the visitor’s interest and lure them to want to know
more. This step is aimed at reaching as many members of the target market as the budget will allow. The
goal is to get the visitor to respond to a call to action to visit the website or follow one of the social media
networks.
Sample
Next, awareness must be translated into interest by Sampling the experience they could be offered and
bringing them into a deeper level of engagement. The goal is to engage visitors with content on the
website, through social media channels or through other destination presences.
Buy
Finally, the deeper level of engagement and interest must convert visitors to buy the experience. The goal
is to entice them to buy a package or experience, plan a trip through the concierge service, book online, or
plan their own trip.
The visitor engagement process for 2015 is outlined below for each geographic market
Ontario (Greater Toronto Area)
Lure Lure
Sample
Buy
TV Advertising (CTV)
Cbisland.com
Concierge service
Online:
- Programmatic, pre-roll, etc.
- Google AdWords
- Facebook and Twitter Advertising
- TripAdvisor
NovaScotia.com Cape Breton
Island content
Retail packages
Retail experiences
Social media channels
Online booking
E-blasts
Newspaper (Toronto Star)
Media Relations
46
Mainland Nova Scotia (Metro Halifax)
Lure
Sample
Buy
TV Advertising (CTV)
Cbisland.com
Concierge service
Online:
- Programmatic, pre-roll, etc.
- Facebook and Twitter
Advertising
NovaScotia.com Cape Breton
Island content
Retail packages
Social media channels
E-blasts
Retail experiences
Online booking
Newspaper (Chronicle-Herald)
Magazine (Saltscapes)
Trade (Saltscapes Expo)
Northeastern United States (Boston, Hartford, New Haven)
Lure
Sample
Buy
Online:
- Google AdWords
- Facebook and Twitter
Advertising
- TripAdvisor
Cbisland.com
Concierge service
NovaScotia.com Cape Breton
Island content
Retail packages
Retail experiences
Social media channels
Starboard (Nova Star Ferry
guide)
Online booking
E-blasts
Media Relations
47
Quebec (English speaking Montreal)
Lure
Sample
Buy
Online:
- Google AdWords
- Facebook and Twitter
Advertising
- TripAdvisor
Cbisland.com
Concierge service
NovaScotia.com Cape Breton
Island content
Retail packages
Retail experiences
Social media channels
Media Relations
Online booking
E-blasts
Alberta
Tactics will be determined once NSTA plans for the market are finalized.
All Markets
Lure
Sample
Buy
Doers and Dreamers Guide
Cbisland.com
Concierge service
Motorcycle Guide to Nova
Scotia
NovaScotia.com Cape Breton
Island content
Retail packages
Travel Cape Breton
Social media channels
Retail experiences
Online booking
E-blasts
48
Figure 16 - Blocking Chart for 2015 Media Buy
49
2.4 Social Media
As social media becomes more common and more utilized, the need for us to evaluate results and focus
our efforts on areas that are most effective is imperative. To determine areas of focus that provide the
strongest results, we look back at research from the previous period.
2014 Results to Quantifiable Goals:
Objective
Result
Notes
Source
Increase Facebook
followers by 40%
Achieve a 20%
engagement rate for FB
posts
A 37% increase was
achieved
7827 FB followers as of Dec.
31, 2014
FB analytics
A 16% engagement rate
was achieved
Calculated as the number of
people who interacted with a
post divided by the number
reached by a post
Manual calculation
Increase conversion of FB
fans to website visitors by
25%
Increase Twitter followers
by 15%
A 45% increase was
achieved
A 25% increase was
achieved
Google Analytics
3989 Twitter followers as of
Dec. 31, 2014
Twitter
The following results are for objectives that were not quantifiable in nature:
●
●
●
●
Develop an online personality to personalize and target messages to our visitor psychographic.
o With our research in for 2014, we will now be able to take this approach into early 2015.
Utilize twitter to identify, and connect with strong media or travel influencers that could
integrate with our media relations goals or who could assist in raising our profile as a
destination.
o Have connected with a number of writers and engaged them with DCBA Media Relations
team.
Continue to search key terms and words and get involved in the conversation when appropriate
to share our story and build awareness of Cape Breton Island as a destination.
o Continues as an ongoing effort in the day to day activities of the team.
Set up and manage profiles on Instagram and Pinterest while tracking effectiveness at driving
traffic to our website.
o The results of these channels were not worth the effort put into maintaining the profile.
Very little traffic being converted to website visitors, and in turn not much more than an
awareness building platform.
50
With our key channels coming close but not achieving the goals set out for 2014, we can see that a more
focused approach can be effective for the future growth and to assist in meeting the overall marketing
goals.
As social media becomes more common and used on a more regular basis, the need for us to evaluate
results and focus our efforts on areas that are most effective is imperative. From our survey results, we
know that social media is one of the strongest performing areas for recall to investment ratio, and with the
ability to use video in most social channels, we know that social media can be a high motivator for decision
making to travel to a destination.
In the Google travel study from June 2014, the following data was gathered about on-line usage among
leisure travelers from North America. (https://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/2014-travelers-road-todecision_research_studies.pdf)
●
65% begin looking on the web prior to deciding where to go
●
Sources of information that inspires travel
o
Family, Friends or colleagues (off line) - 56%
o
Internet - 56%
o
TV - 39%
o
Family, Friends or colleagues (on line) - 32%
●
Search Engines (61%) and Youtube (42%) play a large role in travellers inspiration for choosing a
destination
●
66% of travellers watch online travel videos when they’re thinking about taking a trip, and 65%
watch when they’re choosing a destination
In recent years we have tested and tried social media channels that were trending and being used by large
numbers of the population such as Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. It is now time to re-focus our energy
on the channels that are consistently working towards our overall marketing goals. Rather than turning our
back on the potential visitors that use these channels, we will shift our focus from maintaining a profile in
these channels to pushing relevant content through to the Nova Scotia channels for Instagram and
Pinterest. We will continue to maintain a profile on Facebook and Twitter and work to convert our on-line
audience to travelers or ambassadors. Overall our efforts will focus on the following general principles.
General Guiding Principles:
●
Targeting our messages towards specific markets based on what our research shows.
●
Continuing to work towards providing engaging content that would be useful or helpful in a visitor
making a decision to visit.
●
Pushing relevant content in the form of pictures, video, stories, etc. through to the Nova Scotia
social media channels.
●
Working more closely with Nova Scotia and other local industry channels on Social Media to
broaden our net and feed more of our Cape Breton Island content out into varying social media
channels.
51
As a go forward for social media, our high level strategy will drive the creation of our annual plans and
tactics, and our strategy will follow the following three approaches:
1. Social media marketing activities will be focused on sharing a targeted message to a specific
market with the goal of building awareness and providing a link through to additional
information or ability to convert
2. Markets targeted and social channels used will be based on:
a) channels that are trending and being successfully utilized in travel and tourism
b) those identified in the Nova Scotia tourism annual plans
c) Channels that provide us with the ability to share our message in and engaging and
community building way with the ability to helps us convert this community into
future visitors.
3. The use of content calendars and regular, weekly evaluations of postings will continue to assist
us in growing our reach and engagement of our messaging, allowing for continued improvement
and growth in effectiveness.
Efforts in social media can have a multi-level effect on a visitor. Social media channels can be the first point
of awareness through a search or share from a friend. A destination’s social media channels can impact
the activities and events you experience while at a location. Social channels are part marketing tool, part
visitor services, and all authentic and real. Our efforts in the past were focused mostly on awareness
building; the future growth in our social channels exists in growing the connection between our past
visitors and those who are interested in coming. By providing content, space and a tool in which to share
this content, past visitors can become great ambassadors for Cape Breton Island. This will allow us to
access a large portion of travelers who are inspired to travel through friends and family, in turn increasing
the visitors choosing Cape Breton Island as their destination. With such significant growth in the use and
reliance on mobile devices, our social media efforts have great potential to influence what people are
doing when visiting Cape Breton Island and can act much like a visitor service agent through twitter and
mobile Facebook applications.
52
As social media, and those that use it, mature and grow more comfortable, there are new and emerging
opportunities to use these channels to reach and motivate our followers to visit or become ambassadors
for Cape Breton Island. With that in mind, the goals for Destination Cape Breton Island’s Social Media
channels in 2015 are as follows:
Facebook:
Facebook has consistently shown positive results in annual growth and follower engagement. With changes to
how Facebook serves posts into a person’s timeline in 2014, we have experienced little change in engagement
rates. Our approach to sharing content and information required by our audience is integral in maintaining their
interest in us as a page.
For 2015, we will work to strengthen this engagement and provide an opportunity for people thinking about
visiting Cape Breton Island to connect with people who have visited or have some strong knowledge of Cape
Breton Island to share with others. The following are our 2015 Facebook objectives or goals:
●
Increase our Facebook followers by 30%
o
●
Maintain an engagement rate of 15%
o
●
From 7827 to 10,175
Achieved a 16% engagement rate in 2014.
Increase the conversion from Facebook to website by 50%
o
Achieved a 45% increase in the conversion rate in 2014
In order to achieve these results, the following list of tactics will be implemented and managed through the
2015 season with regular reviews on their performance and success.
●
Boosting Posts
Posts will be planned with audience and geographic market in mind, and where possible, Facebook
content will be promoted through paid targeting in geographic regions where our other advertising
dollars are being spent, complementing the campaign.
●
“Plan your Cape Breton Island Vacation” Facebook Group
Facebook groups have become one of the most trending tools on Facebook in 2014, due to the level of
engagement generated in these groups. It is believed that because someone has to “join” a group as
opposed to just “liking” it, they are more engaged.
In order to make best use of this tool, while focused on our overall goal of increasing visitation, we will
set up a group where people that are actively planning a trip to Cape Breton Island can join this group
and gather insight and advice from those who have been before or have a strong knowledge of Cape
Breton Island tourism products.
●
Video uploads
Due to Facebook’s changes, we will start uploading videos directly to Facebook in order to achieve a
higher engagement rate. Videos shared through Youtube, websites or other sources are not given the
same profile in size and function as videos added directly to Facebook generate.
●
Rich media content will be used to drive engagement, while clickable links and info postings will be
used to drive website traffic and conversions.
53
Twitter:
In past years, our Twitter focus has been on watching or listening to what is happening on-line, connecting
with media and injecting ourselves in the conversation with influencers who could help send visitors our
way. As Twitter evolves with the exponential growth in use of mobile devices (and the largest growth of
twitter users being grandparents) the time is right for us to slightly shift our focus and use Twitter more
specifically for sharing our message(s). The following outlines the goals and some tactics Destination Cape
Breton Island will focus on in using Twitter 2015:
●
Increase Twitter followers by 20%
o 3,989 in 2014 to 4,786 by December 31, 2015
● Increase conversion from twitter to website traffic by 100%
o 502 Clicks through to CBIsland.com from twitter in 2014
Goal of 1004 in 2015.
● Achieve an engagement rate of 5% on twitter posts
o The engagement rate for 2014 was 2.3%
With our change of focus in how we use Twitter, these goals should be achievable, and the following
tactics will be utilized to help reach the stated goals.
●
50/50 Tactic
50% advance postings / 50% Real time postings
This tactic means that the content that will be shared through twitter will be 50% awareness
building and 50% events and activities happening within a 3 day window. The goal here is to
continue what we have done with awareness building, while also having a better impact on
travelers who are on the road now. Twitter stats show significantly more engagement by mobile
device users then by desktop users, so feeding relevant and timely information to a traveler who is
on the road could help impact the length of stay and dollars spent while here.
●
Custom Formatted Tweets
Most tweets can become lost in live feeds that seem to stream on with no end, but custom
formatting tweets is sure to catch a reader’s attention. Line breaks or a unique font colour add
welcome change to the monotony of short-form messaging we see every day.
●
Rich Media Sharing
Using the strong videos and images that represent Cape Breton Island will help in meeting all goals
noted and act as great content to be retweeted to enhance our engagement.
●
Watch for trending #travel related #hashtags
By connecting with and injecting ourselves into relevant travel conversations on twitter, we can
potentially influence a travel decision by sharing content at the right time of the customer decision
making process.
●
Link Placement
Data shows that links placed in the middle of a tweet as opposed to at the end of a tweet received
a much higher click through rate. Presenting the link earlier catches a reader's attention faster, and
is different from the majority of tweets placing the link at the end.
54
●
Re-posts
With the twitter streams being so full of content and turning over every couple of minutes, the old
adage of “here today, gone tomorrow” has become “here now, gone in 60 seconds”. With this in
mind, there are some success stories from organizations improving their reach and engagement
through simple re-posting efforts during off-peak hours. For example, we could post about the
amazing designations we have received as a travel destination at 10 AM. Posting the same content
again later in the day could potentially reach a completely new and different audience; half the
work for double the reach.
Google+:
Destination Cape Breton maintains a profile on Google+ and will continue in 2015. The purpose for
maintaining this profile is simply to assist in the effectiveness of our Search Engine results. The goals and
objectives for Google+ are basic and simple:
● Maintain the Google+profile and share the same posts through this channel as are shared through
Facebook.
Youtube:
Destination Cape Breton maintains a Youtube profile and will continue in 2015. The purpose for
maintaining this profile is to have a presence - on the 2nd most searched online platform - as well as hold
our promotional video content for sharing and embedding on websites.
The objective for Youtube is:
●
Maintain and keep all Destination Cape Breton videos on our YouTube Channel so they can be
shared, and easily embedded on industry operator’s websites.
LinkedIn / Pinterest / Instagram:
In 2013 and 2014, Destination Cape Breton worked to maintain and keep up to content postings in
LinkedIn, Pinterest & Instagram. Due to a number of factors, including resources and market reach, these
channels have not produced strong enough results to justify a continued focus on these channels. In 2015,
we will focus our resources on sharing the content we have with Nova Scotia Tourism Agency’s Pinterest
and Instagram channels, having more impact on the conversation using hashtags and links through their
channels directed at Cape Breton Island specific content. This will effectively get our message in front of a
new audience. It is our hope that through this approach, we can spend more time sharing content about
Cape Breton Island rather than spending our limited resources managing the profile itself. This will also
help to make the Nova Scotia profiles on these channels more effective and engaging as well.
The Social Media plan and execution for Destination Cape Breton Island is to be managed and overseen by
Dan Coffin of Dan Coffin Content Marketing (DCCM) and will be implemented and maintained daily by a
designated and trained Destination Cape Breton employee. The Destination Cape Breton marketing team
will evaluate and oversee the efforts on a regular basis and make recommendations for improving the
effectiveness of the Social Media efforts as the season moves forward.
55
DCBA recognizes that its phenomenal industry partners are a key reason why visitors echo the
destination’s brand message by stating that they left part of their heart in Cape Breton Island.
As a key stakeholder for DCBA, the organization strives to provide industry with communication and
support through a variety of channels and through each line of business it supports.
Some of the opportunities are listed below by line of business:
Product Development:
●
●
●
●
Training in customer service
ACOA programs such as Accelerated Market Readiness
Developing experiential product
Developing experiential packages
Marketing:
●
●
●
Promotion of industry accommodation, attraction, package or event on Cbisland.com and through
DCBA’s social channels
o Visitor facing facebook page is www.facebook.com/TourismCB
o Local facing facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/Our-Cape-Breton
o Industry facing facebook page is www.facebook.com/groups/DestinationCB/
o Visitor facing Twitter page is twitter.com/tourismcb
Promotion of events through participation in the Events with Heart campaign ( Top 15 in 15)
Collaboration with the DCBA marketing team on media purchasing. Collective purchasing can help
to expand reach and strengthen the destination’s presence in mutual markets. (I.e., in 2014, Celtic
Colours and The Cape Breton Center for Craft both coordinated the purchase of TV advertising in
conjunction with DCBA’s buy. The placement strategy for commercials granted additional exposure
for the destination and reinforced the message that Cape Breton Island has much to offer as a
destination)
56
Visitor Services:
●
Promotion of industry accommodation, attraction, package or event through brochure distribution
and video screens at applicable visitor centers
● Opportunity to keep visitor service staff updated on your products or services through
participation in annual familiarization tours and through visiting the centers
Other opportunities are communicated on a season basis. To ensure you receive all communication on
opportunities, sign up for the newsletter through the industry website DCBA-info.ca and join the industry
facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/DestinationCB/
Dr. Laurel Reid was contracted to assess the Cape Breton Island tourism industry to determine how / what
they wish to see from DCBA. The following criteria were used:
●
Gain a clear understanding of the type of information desired by tourism operators/stakeholders
(to help make them more effective in delivering tourism products/services/ experiences).
● Identify the “how” – the desired mechanisms for delivery of this information, including type and
frequency of contact.
● Ensure that DCBA opportunities and resources are aligned with operator/stakeholder needs and
wants.
● Establish “want/need benchmarks” for Industry Relations on Cape Breton Island. Project Purpose
and Objectives
An on-line survey of operators and 15 one-on-one interviews took place. On-line Survey: Of a total of 602
tourism stakeholders, 89 responded to the on-line survey (15% response rate).
57
Recommendations & Deliveries
1. Communication
A. Continue with present communication vehicles and channels: Tourism Connect, DCBAinfo.com, etc.
I.
Focus content on Marketing Opportunities, Industry Updates and Media
I.
Tourism Connect now focuses mainly on these topics.
II.
Move to a monthly format for Tourism Connect (increase e-blast send for
time sensitive/call to action items)
I.
Initiated.
III.
Show in subject line of e-blasts Time/Date Stamp for deadline
sensitivities also incorporate the use of subject line flags.
I.
Initiated.
IV.
Start with Facebook (group creation, communicate, promote
membership and build content etc.)
I.
Created August 28th, 201. To date, 80 members.
V.
Create a Toolbox/Online Resource for: funding applications with online
submission, online purchasing of marketing opportunities, cbisland.com
tutorials etc.
I.
DBCA-info rebuild which will encompass these components in
progress for March 1st 2015 launch.
B. Establish a program of one-one-one meetings with operators.
VI.
Scheduled dates were sent to industry to enable booking of one-on-one
meetings however no appointments were booked. We were able,
however, to accommodate two team meeting requests from Cape Breton
Resorts and Keltic lodge to help with strategic market planning.
2. DCBA Road Show: Consider a “Town Hall Road Show” once or twice yearly at locations in each of
the four Counties to present DCBA successes and upcoming opportunities.
A. Topics were chosen for the sessions through an Industry survey. Topics included:
Marketing Results and Analytics, Market Research, Visitor Services Overview, Product
Development, and Opportunities & Partnerships. Sessions were held Tuesday Nov 18,
CBRM (14 participants), Wednesday Nov 19, Victoria County (12 participants), Monday
Nov 24, Inverness (12 Participants), Thursday Nov 27, Richmond (14 Participants) Total
participation 42.
3. Database: Refine the DCBA database by sector and type of stakeholder so that it is the “definitive”
source for tourism stakeholders (i.e. the industry) on Cape Breton Island.
A. Database maintenance is ongoing.
58
4. Information Sessions/Workshops: Continue to offer information sessions and workshops.
Working with TIANS and NSTA to identify available and relevant workshops
A. Currently in planning stages for a Facebook session via the Nova Scotia Tourism Human
Resource Council.
5. Product Development -- CBI Event Calendar: consider taking on the centralized events calendar
function.
A. New calendar function on cbisland.com launched Feb 2015.
6. DCBA Toolkit for Operators: Consider assembling a Toolkit for operators that is a step-by-step
how-to guide of how to undertake initiatives that are offered through DCBA.
A. Dcba-info.com is currently being rebuilt around these specific criteria with direct links to
relevant information on NSTA and TIANS under a specific Toolbox section. Launch date
March 1st, 2015.
7. DCBA Marketing & Product Development Calendar: Consider developing an annual calendar of
DCBA marketing and product development upcoming events and deadlines with the 10-12 most
important initiatives of which operators should be aware
A. As the DCBA 2015/16 plan is rolled out, these calendars will be developed and distributed
to industry April 2015.
59
With DCBA’s strong focus on research for decision making, several sources are used to obtain and validate
data. Those sources are defined below:
Travel Intentions Study
●
●
●
●
●
Administered on our behalf by third party research firm
Used by many States and Provinces to gather visitor research, including NSTA
Data gathered through survey request populating to visitors of Cbisland.com
Survey runs simultaneous with marketing activities
Used to analyze
o Visitor demographic
o Visitor geographic
o Advertising recall
o Intent to travel to Cape Breton Island
o Expected number of travel days
o Effectiveness of campaign and mediums
Conversion Study
●
Administered on our behalf by third party research firm
60
●
●
●
●
Next step after Travel Intentions
Data gathered through follow up survey to those who responded to the Travel Intention survey
that they would participate in a second round
Survey runs from October - November
Used to analyze
o Average length of stay
o Average spend per visitor party
o Top travel motivators
o Most popular activities
o Return on investment from advertising buy
Google Analytics provides:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Number of site visits
Geographic location of visitors
Visitor engagement i.e. time spent on site and bounce rate
Changes in visitor behavior over user defined time periods
Sources of traffic to the site
Most popular site pages
How visitors use the site
Impact of Google Adwords
Operator Surveys
●
●
●
Data gathered and analyzed in Survey Monkey
Survey runs throughout tourism season
Surveys are used to analyze
o How business is going for operators in the current season
o What if any changes operators are experiencing in their visitor base over past years
o If operators are connecting with our visitor services staff to keep them updated on
available experiences
Cross reference results by region, business changes, and partnership with DCBA
61
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
Explore the largest historical reconstruction in North America where military drumming, musket firing and
lively townsfolk compete for your attention. The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site turns history
into humour during dinner theatre performances, streets into stages at evening concerts, and cannons into
candid vacation moments. It’s the allure of Louisbourg.
Let the Cabot Trail amaze your senses
The Cabot Trail’s magnificent world-renowned drive is an experience unlike any other. Hike the celebrated
Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, be moved by soulful fiddle tunes that echo off the
hills near Baddeck and dine on fresh seafood in Ingonish. Plan to savour every moment, every experience.
Take time to unwind and enjoy this masterpiece.
Golf like no one is watching
Proclaimed by Forbes magazine as ‘The Hottest Island in Golf’, our courses have long been recognized as
the best in the country. Cape Breton Island is home to Cabot Links, Canada’s only true Links course, as well
as award-winning masterpieces such as Stanley Thompson’s Highlands Links.
Observe a masterpiece in the making
You will discover every kind of artisan at work here—makers of kilts and quilts, baskets and glass, along
with art created from old industrial labours—blacksmithing, leather and woodworking. Our artisans have
found unique methods to preserve our history while creating one-of-a-kind treasures that celebrate our
Island.
Kick up your heels at a ceilidh
North America’s only living Celtic culture thrives here, and you can be sure we know how to put on a
Ceilidh that will keep you on your feet! With more fiddlers per capita than any other destination in the
world, you won’t have to look far to find some jigs and reels. Just ask a local where the party is and we can
show you a move or two!
Get your hands on our history
Delve into the mind of a genius at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Read a page from his
personal notebook, take a step with his walking stick, and explore the many inventions created by this
extraordinary man. Tour an underground coal mine with a retired miner as your guide at the Cape Breton
Miners’ Museum, and participate in a Gaelic milling frolic at the Highland Village Museum! There’s no need
to search for history here - we’ve put a bit of time travel into each exit.
62
Coastal adventure
Our coastal playground will delight those who are as comfortable afloat as afoot. Explore our shores, lakes
and rivers by sail, kayak or canoe. Enjoy relaxing paddles on gentle waters, or an exciting journey over
rolling swells for a close encounter with some friendly whales. If you prefer to sit back and enjoy the view,
take a front-row seat to some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet with endless coastline
horizons.
Live our vibrant culture
Cape Breton Island is home to many beautiful cultures – Celtic, Aboriginal and French to name a few. Our
culture is also rooted in our mining and steel-making history. We hold our traditions close, and love to
share with visitors.
Paradise is just a hike away!
With some of the world’s most celebrated landscapes, Cape Breton Island calls out to be explored. Our
hiking trails range from easy strolls to rugged challenges, but the terrain yields the same result –
exceptional viewscapes that will leave you breathless.
Sail Canada’s largest inland sea
Canada’s 16th Biosphere Reserve and largest inland sea, the Bras d’Or Lake is known for gentle, fog-free
waters, beautiful anchorages, and hundreds of coves and islands. The Lakes are an international cruising
destination and offer varied boat tours, from seabird tours and ecological sailing tours to elegant cruises.
63
Destination Cape Breton Association’s ‘15 in 15’ Festivals and Events program provides marketing support
on a regional, national, and international platform for eligible major events taking place on Cape Breton
Island. These major events will align with the unique creative spirit of Cape Breton Island and foster growth
in the key areas of sporting, active living, arts, music, and culture.
The ‘15 in 15’ Festivals and Events program will provide marketing support for eligible events via inclusion
in DCBA efforts to market and promote Cape Breton Island as a tourism destination. This may include a
listing on web based and print materials promoting the included events, highlighting event title, date,
location, and other distinguishable information.
Qualification
Eligibility for the Cape Breton Island Signature Events program is based on an application process and
evaluation of signature events criteria. Criteria may include, but are not limited to:
●
●
●
●
●
Marketing: ability to demonstrate marketing strategy and outline sources of paid and unpaid
marketing effort
Culture: ability to demonstrate the unique First Nations, Celtic, and/or Acadien heritage of
Cape Breton Island
Community: demonstrates support and involvement of community groups and volunteers that
have palpable impact on the signature event
Economic impact: demonstrated ability to affect measurable economic benefit and increase
tourist visitation to Cape Breton Island
Expertise and experience: demonstrated capacity of the event organizers to successfully
manage the event
Eligible events must also demonstrate elements of ‘Major Events’ criteria. Such events may:
●
●
●
●
●
Be recognized nationally or internationally
Have economic multiplier of at least 4
Showcase facilities and attractions of Cape Breton Island
Create opportunities for local businesses
Have significant media exposure
64
Responsibilities
By applying to the Cape Breton Island Signature Events program, your event commits to:
●
●
●
Having accessible event information available during the entirety of the program (up to date
website, print materials, social media, and other marketing materials)
Participation in DCBA events promoting the ’15 in 15’ (examples: sponsoring artists, providing
video and print materials, participation in marketing process, sending representatives for
visitor servicing)
Inclusion of the Cape Breton Island ’15 in 15’ Events logo in marketing efforts and on site at
the event
Please refer to DCBA-info.ca for an official application.
Surveys were distributed to all participants of the Locals Know towards the end of the seasonal program.
Feedback and recommendations were used to develop goals and distribution strategy for 2015. Survey
details are listed below:
 When asked their preferred method of distribution, 31 participants (63%) indicated that their
preferred method was electronic.
 Of the 55 responses received, 19 respondents completed the questionnaire and indicated that they
receive the “Locals Know” information physically; 13 indicated electronically.
Of the physical distribution participants:
• 18 (95%) rated their overall satisfaction as very satisfied or satisfied
• 18 (95%) indicated that they/their staff are learning something new about local
festivals and events
• 15 (79%) feel empowered
• 14 (74%) feel an enhanced sense of pride in their community
• 17 (89%) feel this initiative is making a difference for visitors
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Of the electronic distribution participants:
• 10 (77%) rated their overall satisfaction as very satisfied or satisfied.
• 10 (77%) indicated that they/their staff are learning something new about local
festivals and events
• 9 (69%) feel empowered
• 8 (62%) feel an enhanced sense of pride in their community
• 8 (62%) feel this initiative is making a difference for visitors
Based on industry feedback, considerations for 2015 include:
• Re-introduce the “Locals Know” program to participants March 2015 (e-blast by CEO)
• Initial physical distribution should take place early season to explain the program to all
participants; subsequent cards will be distributed electronically or via fax (via VIC if applicable) per
operator preference.
• Content will be available in original format as well as 8 ½ X 11 print-out
• Font will be increased on cards
• Reminders for content will accompany electronic distribution
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A survey to operators who had the tri-fold brochures was also done to gather feedback and
recommendations that could help improve and grow the program.
In total, 27 responses were received, 15 completed the questionnaire and indicated that they were familiar
with the information contained in the tri-fold brochure.
• 12 respondents (80%) were either very satisfied or satisfied with the usefulness of the tri-fold
for both themselves and their staff
• 10 respondents (67%) indicated that they feel their guests/customers find the information on
the brochures useful
• 8 respondents (53%) felt that this initiative is making a positive impact for visitors to their
region
Go Forward for 2015 based on feedback and recommendations:
• Work with Municipalities to move away from Municipality-specific content to trail-specific
content
• Re-introduce the brochures to participants March 2015 (e-blast by CEO)
• Restaurant references will be eliminated (some exceptions may apply as deemed appropriate
by DCBA/Municipal partners, e.g. Dancing Goat, Red Shoe Pub)
• Appropriate updates will be made in January/February 2015; brochures ready for early
distribution April 9, 2015 (Industry Day)
• Cape Breton Travel Guide map insert that incorporates the Locals Know content (designed by
DCBA) will be available at VICs and available as a take-away (as requested by participants)
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