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PentictonWineCountryVisitorCentre
Evaluation&Recommendations
March2016
Final
MargaretMcCormick
AuthenticExperiencesConsulting
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ExecutiveSummary
In light of pending changes to infrastructure, increased technology opportunities and
evolving visitor needs, consultant and former Destination BC executive Margaret
McCormickwasengagedtoreviewPenticton’scurrentvisitorservicingoperationsand
makerecommendationsonfutureservicesinkeepingwithprovincialperspective.
Anin-depthreviewandanalysisofavailableresearchwasconductedandkeypersonnel,
industrystakeholdersandexpertswereconsulted.Fromtheanalysis,keyfindingswere
developedandcommentaryontheopportunitiesalongwithconcreteexamplesfroma
varietyofjurisdictionsispresented.
In addition to general consumer trendswhich indicate visitors are finding alternative
waystoaccessinformation,themostcriticalfindingsweretherateofvisitationdecline
and thedisproportionatebudget assigned to visitor servicingwith limitedmeasurable
return.Counterbalancingthesefindingsisthetremendousopportunityforanewand
excitingprogramembracingoutreachactivitiesastheoperationisfoundedonexcellent
customer service staff and a strong co-locatedpartner interested in participating in a
restructure.
The result of the work is an overarching recommendation supported by eight key
strategies.
Develop aVisitor Services Strategy thatmaintains the core functionof a bricks and
mortarvisitorcentreandincreasesreachthroughacombinationofmobile,socialand
technologiesapplications.
Strategies:
1. ExploretheopportunitytodevelopadeeperpartnershipwiththeVQA
2. Increasemobile,street&socialmediapresence
3. Exploretechnologysupportsystems
4. Transitionnon-coreorduplicativeactivities
5. Restructurestaffmanagement
6. Expandrecruitment&trainingstrategy
7. Ensureallactivitiesalignwithbrand
8. SetmeasurabletargetsThe success of this approach relies on all partners willing to change the way that
businessisbeingconductedandembraceuniquelydifferentiatingrolesthatwillcreate
incrementalgrowthforthedestination.
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ProjectOverview
Pentictonhasbeenexecutingavisitorservicingstrategythatwasdevelopedaspartof
theprovincialVisitorCentreNetworkestablishedseveraldecadesagoandwhileitisfelt
thatsomeelementsofthevisionmaystillberelevant,manyofthestrategiesandtactics
withintheplanneedtobeupdated.ApendinglocationmoveforthecurrentPenticton
Wine Country Visitor Centre (PWCVC) was the impetus for a review of current
operations and the development of a new plan in line with the updated provincial
mandate. The Network’s revised direction presented in October 2015maintains the
importance of consistent service delivery while encouraging communities to expand
theiroperationstoaddresstheimpactofsocialmediaandtheopportunitytoreachout
tovisitorsthroughalternativemeansinadditiontotraditionalbricksandmortar.
Approach
TheCityhiredconsultantMargaretMcCormicktoevaluatetheopportunityandprovide
expertopinionandrecommendationsonthefollowing:
• Servicedeliveryapproachincludingpotentiallocationsand/orservicetype
• Viabilityofwinestoreasoneofortheexclusivebricksandmortarlocation
• Operatinghoursandseasonality
• Staffingincludingpotentialforvolunteerprogram
• Trainingrequirements
• Transitionfromthecurrentmodel
Theprojectwasbrokenintofoursegments
• Information&ResearchReview
• StakeholderInput
• Analysis
• Recommendations
Information&ResearchReview
Awide varietyof informationwas sourced includedall existinghistorical data for the
PWCVC,visitorstatisticsandprofile;areviewoffourteencasestudiesandtwenty-eight
pilotprojectsproducedbyVisitorCentres throughoutBCwitha focusonmodernizing
thedeliveryofvisitorservicing.
Case studies ranged from Tourism Langley who have closed their “bricks & mortar”
operationandoperatesolelythroughsocialmediaandamobilevantoPowellRiverwho
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implemented roving ambassadors and a mobile unit and maintained a street front.
Penticton’spopupinformationcentreexecutedthissummerwasalsoreviewed.
Pilotprojectsalsoprovidedawiderangeofnewvisitorservicingapplicationsincluding
interactivetouchscreensinKimberley,Kaslo,Rossland,NakuspandPrinceGeorge.
“Global Innovative Servicing Project November 2015”, produced for Destination BC
which focusedoutsideof theprovincial border tounderstandhowother destinations
aroundtheworldareevolvingtheirvisitorservicesfunctionwasreviewed.Withinthis
documentsixty-threecommunitieswereexploredandtwenty-sixtourismprofessionals
fromallovertheworldprovidedinputresultinginseventypagesoffindingsinsixbroad
categoryareas.
Additionalpapersandreportsincluding;“IstheSmartPhoneKillingtheVisitorCentre”
submittedtoTnooz,Feb1,2015byDougLansky,TourismConsultantand“TheFutureof
VisitorServices”,BronwynWhite,Travel&TourismMarketResearcher,SydneyAustralia
werereviewed.
The consultant spent 1.5 days in Pentictonwith TourismPenticton ExecutiveDirector
Kelly Hopkins and Visitor Centre Manager Marsha Morrish understanding current
business practices and conducted a site visit of the current location as well as other
potentiallocations.
Interviewswereconductedwithindustry&marketingexperts:
§ LauraKowalchuk,PentictonWineCentreManager
§ KathleenHarvey,ManagerVisitorServices,DestinationBC
§ KarenTunkara,Manager,VisitorCentresDestinationBC
§ MilesProdan,BCWineInstitute
§ KiraHoward,CertifiedFolderBrochureDistributionServices
§ ChelseaStoelting,ReThink
§ NancyCameron,CEOTourismKelowna
§ DeborahKulchiski,ExecutiveDirector,TourismLangley
§ KristaMorten,AlignConsulting
StakeholderInput
PhoneinterviewswereconductedwithlocaltourismbusinessesasidentifiedbyTourism
Penticton. Participantswere asked six questions focusingon their perceived valueof
thecurrentoperationandwhatservicestheywouldliketoseeinfuture.Conversations
rangedfromfifteentothirtyminutes.
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§ LyndieHill,HoodooAdventures
§ GordFerguson,PatioBurger&IceCream(formerlyRamadaInn)
§ MilesKarn,TopCatTours
§ KatherineMackenzie,RedRoosterWinery
§ LauraHunt&PaulO’Beirn,PentictonTradeandConventionCentre
§ HeatherGlynes,BenchMarket
§ SheilaPerapalkin,PentictonSandman
§ ChrisBower,formerCEOTourismPenticton&OkanaganOutdoor
Adventures
Thefollowingisasummaryofstakeholderresponses. Notefocusof interviewwason
VisitorServicingandnotTourismPentictonbroadermarketingmandate:
1. q.DoyoufindvalueinthePentictonVisitorCentre?
a. Allparticipantsansweredyes(anecdotalratherthanmeasured).Quality
ofstaffprovidingservicewasmentionedseveraltimesandhavingabricks
andmortarlocationofsomekindwasaconsistentresponse.
2. q. Ifyes,whatprogramorservicesdoyoufindofMOSTvalueandwhy?
a. Referrals to business was the most common response followed by
opportunitytodirecttheirgueststotheVCeitherbyphoneorinpersonto
actasa concierge service for further information;greatwelcomingand
representationofthecityandregionwasacknowledged
3. q. Whatadditionalserviceswouldyouliketosee?
a. Thisquestionprovidedthemostvarietyofresponsesrangingfrommore
engagement with businesses at their operations, more participation in
famtoursandsitevisits,greateropportunityforincreasedcrosstraining,
greater collaboration with Penticton Indian Band (retail), extension of
outreach programs (some knew about the pilot projects previously
executed) and suggesteda hotline for industry direct access. Increased
site-specificeventsupportprogrammingwasalsomentioned.
4. q. DoyouknowhowmanyreferralsyoureceivefromtheVisitorCentre?
a. Threebusinesseshadatrackingmechanismtounderstandwhatbusiness
was derived from the Visitor Centre using codes and coupons. One
businessstatedthattheVCprovidedasignificantnumberofreferralsand
inadditiontopaidadvertisingwastheinthetoptwooftrackedreferrals.
5. q. WhattypeofvisitorcentreshouldPentictonhaveinfuture?
a. General responsewasmoreoutreachandengagementwithvisitorsand
industry, higher use of social media and digital technology. All
acknowledged there is no perfect location and VC likely only serves a
small percentage of visitors to Penticton but that a storefront of some
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kind is important. Discussion with additional stakeholders further
supported theneed for a bricks andmortar locationandacknowledged
therearelikelymanywaystocreateadditionalefficiencyandtoincrease
outreach. Most mentioned the importance of maintaining the human
touchandauthenticityoftheservice.
6. Does itmatter to your business if the newVC is co-locatedwith theWine
Centre?
a. Generallyparticipantslikedandunderstoodthevalueofco-locatingwith
theWineCentrebuthadnostrongopinion if itcontinuedtodosofrom
theirbusinessperspective. Anecdotally itwascommentedthatbringing
friends and family to a co-located facility was appreciated and it was
speculatedthatthetwoserviceshadclientsynergies.
FinalComments:
Allwerepleased tobeasked toparticipateandconcurred thata reviewofoperations
withafocusonthefuturewasagoodidea.
Analysis
A detailed analysis of historical visitor centre statistics and comparative analysis to
aggregated provincial trends and regional operations was conducted. Key learnings
fromBCVisitorCentreCaseStudies&PilotProjectsandtheGlobalInnovativeServicing
Project that matched the Penticton opportunity were identified. A SWOT (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) conducted by previous Tourism Penticton
management was reviewed and Tourism Penticton’s budget for Visitor Servicing was
examined.InDestinationTripPlanningResearchcommissionedbyDestinationBC2014
wassourcedforfoundationalinformationregardingVisitorServicingandCentretrends.
KeyFindingsfromAnalysis
1. Visitors to the PWCVC have declined at a rate higher than the provincial
average.
Identifiedthroughallresearchreviewed,visitationtovisitorcentresworldwideis
in decline as visitors find alternative ways to access information. The PWCVC
experienceda44%decline invisitationbetween2010and2015comparedtoa
16.5%declineprovincially.ReviewingoverallvisitationtovisitorcentresinBritish
Columbia,theaveragedeclinewasmostnoticeablein2013(possiblecorrection
duetochangeinmanagement*)andcontinuedatasignificantratehigherthan
the provincial average in 2014 (Penticton -8.0% BC average +2.3%) and 2015
(Penticton-8.9%BCaverage+2.9).Fortunatelytheintroductionoftheroaming
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visitor centre staff at events in 2014 and the pop up visitor centre in 2015
returnedvisitationdeclinepercentageclosertotheprovincialaverage.
*Whiletheconsultantisunabletofirmlyestablishreasons,someofthedeclinemaybeattributed
to the correlation between tracking visitation and funding from Destination BC. However it
shouldbenotedthatthisfundingmethodologywasappliedprovincewide
In contrast, theWine Centre manager anecdotally reported annual growth in
business indicating that while visitors are finding other ways to access
information,theretailsalesopportunityforwineproductsisgrowing.
Looking at overall visitation, the PWVCV centre itself (not including pop up)
served31,571thousandvisitorsin2015with15,342(50%)servedinJune,July&
August.Thisrepresentsa-16.4%declinefromthesameperiodin2014andthe
highestpercentageofdeclineforallquartersin2015.
Whileoverallvisitationnumbersindicatethereremainsaviableneedforabricks
andmortarlocation,itisinterestingtonotelocalresidentsrepresentthehighest
percentage of 40% of annual visitation. Dependent on the mandate, this
indicatestheopportunityre-evaluateoperationactivities.
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Penticton 6.0%-11.1%12.0%-12.7%-9.6%-10.9%-35.0%-8.0%-8.9%
Penticton+PopUp 2.6% -0.6%
AllBC 0.0% -6.4%2.4% 0.3% -5.5%-6.5%-5.0%2.3% 2.9%
-40.0%
-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
AnnualVisitorDeclinebyPercentage
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2. ExpensesfortheVisitorCentrerepresent40%ofTourismPentictonBudgetand
services approximately 23%* of visitors to Penticton which represents a
disproportionateexpendituretovisitation.
Source:Budget2016CityofPenticton
*this number could actually be lower as 23% is the provincial average taken from 2014 “In
DestinationTripPlanning”researchconductedbyDestinationBC.Inanotherstudy“TheFutureof
VisitorServices”byBronwynWrightaveragevisitationatEurobodalla,thepercentageisquoted
asbetween5-14%.TheconsultantfoundnoreportsoftheactualnumberofvisitorstoPenticton
toverify.
Local
Resident
40%
BCResident29%
Alberta15%
OtherCanada5%
Washington2%
California0%
OtherUS/Mexico1%
Europe7%
Asia/Australia1%
Other0%
PWCVCVisitorPro<ile
Marketing$426,78960%
VisitorCentre$281,40940%
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The current Visitor Centre budget shows building lease and expenses such as
utilities and janitorial is the 2nd largest expense at 40% after salaries. This
includes a significant space for retail and ticketing services. It should also be
notedthatwithinthecurrentmodel,theCityprovidesfreemaintenanceservice
anddoesnotcollecttaxesthereforeexpensecostsareconservative.
Basedonthecurrentoperationandvisitorvolume,theaveragecostperenquiry
is$12.57(averagecostscanbeinthelowrangeof$3andmediumrange$5to
$7). One contributing factor could be the high number of operating hours the
Visitor Centre is open. If current suite of services offered and volumedecline
continues,itisexpectedthecostperenquirywillincreaseandthevisitorcentre
% of overall budget will increase decreasing the value of overall investment
(basedoncurrentratestructure).
3. OperatingNonCoreProgramswithinthePWCVCtakeupover50%*ofstaff
timeandtakesahigherprioritythanvisitorservicing.
*VisitorCentremanagementwasaskedtoapproximatetheamountofstafftimeusedtosupport
ticketsales.Notethisfigureisforticketsellingonlyanddoesnotincludetimeordering,stocking,
conductinginventoryorsellingofretail,consideredforthisreportanoncoreactivity.
ThePWCVCcurrentlyprovidesawiderangeofserviceswithvariousobjectives
that sometimes conflictwith its primary purpose. Theprimary objective of a
visitorcentreshouldbetoconnectvisitorswithtourismbusinessesresulting in
extended stay and increasedexpenditures. Over thepast numberof years, in
addition to providing information, trip ideas and recommendations to visitors,
revenue-generatingprogramswere introduced including ticket and retail sales.
ObservingtheVisitorCentreoperationsforseveralhoursduringthesitevisit,it
wasnoted theextraordinary lengthof timeexpended to sell tickets forevents
including thosenot takingplace inPenticton. Oneguestwas in thecentre for
over an hour for Vancouver concert tickets (which could be accessed online).
Generallystaffestimatedtheaveragetimetosella ticketcouldbeasmuchas
thirtyminutes.ThecommissiontotheVContickettransactionsforTicketmaster
is1%.Whilenottracked,itcanbeassumedthatthehighpercentageofresident
traffic(40%)usestheticketingservice.
Duringthesitevisititwasalsonotedandconfirmedbymanagementthatphone
callsandinpersonvisitsforticketstakepriority,asticketrequestscanbetime
sensitive.Itwasalsonotedthatthereareticketssoldforlocalproductionsbut
eachactivityhasitsownmethod(somemanual)andallaretimeconsuming.
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It is understood that selling tickets was introduced several years ago by
managementlookingforwaystoincreaserevenueandoffsetexpenses.Itisthis
consultant’sopinion thatwhile localshavecometoenjoy thisverycustomized
service, the time and expense does not support the activity. The ticket sales
program is cumbersome, time consuming and returns approximately $2,000 in
gross revenue. Given there is box office service with regular business hours
providedattheSouthOkanaganEventsCentre,thisservicecouldbeconsidered
duplication.
Retailsalesofsouvenirandotheritemshaveexpandedovertheyearsandnow
take up a significant footprint within the centre. The Visitor Centremanager
manages inventory and product ordering manually. Retail sales return
approximately $20,000 in gross revenue (not including staff time or operating
costs/space).
4. Thecurrentvalueoftheco-locationoftheBCVQAWineInformationCentre
andthePWCVCisnominalbuthastremendousuntappedpotential.
BothVisitorCentreandWineCentremanagementwere interviewedandasked
their opinion on the co-location of services. As previously noted, industry
members were also asked their opinion. While there is no hard evidence to
support, anecdotally all believe there are synergies with common clients and
thereisalogicalconclusionthatbecausethedestinationhassuchastrongwine
product,thosecomingtothecentretobuywineorgetinformationhavesimilar
interests.
From an operational perspective, it can be assumed there are cost savings on
sharedservicessuchaswashroomfacilitiesandparking.
This consultant observes that current operations simply share common space
with no integrated approach. There are however areas of duplication that if
addressedcouldfurtherenhanceoperationsfrombothefficiencyandcustomer
satisfactionlevel.
Asanexample,currentlywinestaffredirecttheircustomerstothevisitorcentre
when asked about local information including wine touring. This approach
requiresthevisitortocompletetheirexperienceinthewinecentrethenrepeat
theirrequesttovisitorcentrestaff.
Furtherareasthatcouldbenefitfromintegrationinclude:
- Retail;display,inventorysystem,pointofsalesystem,purchasing
- Staffing;management,sitestaff
- Informationdisplay
- Technology
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5. To meet consumer demand and maximize influence, it is practical that
Pentictonvisitorservicesexpandbeyondbricks-and-mortartotakeadvantage
oftheabilitytoconnectwithvisitorsvianewdigitalinformationandservicing
opportunities.
“In Destination Research Report” identified that online is the most common
information source for visitors while in-destination. In fact, 62% of visitors
surveyednotedthattheygatheredinformationonlinefortheiritinerarywhilein-
destination.Talkingtopeopleandprintpublicationswerealsopopularsources
ofin-destinationinformation(51%and44%,respectively).Lessthan1-in-4(23%)
visitors went to a visitor centre while on their last trip to British
Columbia. This figure is expected to further decline as additional sources of
informationandtechnologyevolve.
BritishColumbiaVisitorServices
ResearchSummary&SituationAnalysis,June2014
SocialMedia
Being accessible and providing a personalized, human touch to visitors is still
essential.Butwhathaschangedishowwecommunicate.Withthegrowinguse
ofmobile devices and socialmedia in daily life, these are often the first place
visitorsgotowhentheyneedinformation,recommendations,anddirections,or
toproblem-solveon the road. Currently,TourismPentictonsupports its social
media activity through its marketing department. Due to operational
obligations, theVisitor Services teamdoes not have capacity to support social
media.Themarketingoutreacheffortshaveasolidfoundationregularlysharing
beautiful images about the destination targeted to key demographics on their
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various channels but there is potential to increase activity should greater
capacitybecomeavailable.
DestinationBChasavisionforvisitorservicing inadigitalworldthatsees“the
digitalvisitortoBCsupportedbyanetworkofcustomerservicespecialiststoadd
maximumvalue to thedestinationexperience”. Or inotherwords, leveraging
the strength of the visitor centre network to create a “digital visitor servicing
network”.
Destination BC is undertaking a Pilot Project inwhich socialmedia technology
enables visitor centre participants to engage with visitors interested in their
communityandprovidedigital“concierge”services.
Communitiesparticipatinginthepilotproject:
Vancouver Whistler
Victoria Kamloops
RadiumHotSprings DawsonCreek
Vernon Langley
Kelowna Tofino
TourismPenticton could bewell positioned to participate in thenext program
phase.
Mobile
Moving out into the community to engage visitors is a trend becoming more
widely accepted by the Visitor Network and supported by the Destination BC
VisitorServicesstrategy.
In2015,TourismPentictonparticipatedinaCaseStudyfundedbyDestinationBC
thatreachedanincremental2,172peopleinJulyandAugustthroughplacement
ofaninflatablePopUpVisitorCentreinstrategiclocationsthroughoutPenticton.
This figure represents an incremental 17% in visitor engagement and was
deemedasuccessbythestakeholder.Manylessonswerelearnedandthispilot
isagoodstepping-stoneforfutureprogramdevelopment.
The twenty-eight pilot projects and 13 other case studies actioned by Visitor
CentresthroughoutBCin2015representedasimilarrangeofprojects ineffort
tomobilize visitor servicing into communities andhad successful results and a
widerangeoflearnings.
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Thisapproachisfurthersupportedgloballywithexamples:
MobileVisitorCentres:Banff–LakeLouiseAlberta,SpokaneWashington,Toronto,Ontario,CapeTownSouthAfrica,
EugeneOregon,ArlingtonVirginia,andLouisville,Kentucky
Toronto’s“InfoToGo”MobileUnits
Ambassador&GreeterPrograms:JuneauAlaska,TorontoOntario,BrightonChesterKentandLondonEngland,NewYork,NewYork,
SalemOregon,IrelandandGuam
Locals who love their community are willing to share it with visitors. For
example,volunteerambassadorandgreeterprogramsarepopularandgrowing.
There are 15-20 Oregon communities in the process of developing greeter
programs.
Tourism destinations are also using locals to provide visitors with accurate,
detailed and authentic information about their community. More and more,
visitors are looking for experiences that are off the beaten tourism track, are
personalizedandaretailoredspecificallytothem.Programsthatengagelocalsto
providethat informationrespondtoconsumerdemandbyprovidingauthentic,
personalized advice either on the web during preplanning or in destination.
Often called “Ask a Local”, these volunteer programs can be highly successful
howeveritmustbenotedthatvolunteerrecruitmentandmanagementisoneof
themostdifficult taskswhencoordinating localengagementprograms.Oregon
hasbeensuccessfulinimplementingthisprogramon-line.
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Inaddition to increasing themobilityofVisitorCentres throughPopUpVisitor
Centres, Mobile and Street Teams, community Destination Marketing
Organizations areexploring theuseof technology suchas interactive kiosks to
reachvisitorswhenahumaninteractionisnotpossibleorcosteffective.
Online research shows thatkiosksareused inoroutsidevisitor centresandat
busylocationsthroughoutthecommunity.Visitorinformationkioskswerefound
at destinations worldwide including Africa, Vietnam, Australia, Europe, the
United States and Canada. A smaller communitymay have one or two kiosks
whereas larger cities canhavea seriesof 10-40 kiosks spread throughout the
city
Considerations as developed from Case Study and Pilot project key learnings
include:
• Lease rather than purchase units. Kiosks like new cars depreciate the
momentyoutakepossessionandleasingeliminatestheneedforalarge
capitaloutlay.
• Ensure the technology provider is committed to maintenance and
upgrades.Nothingworsethat“outoforder”signsonyourmarketingand
informationservice!
• Userfriendlyinterfaceiscritical–fastandeasyorvisitorswillnotuseit
orworse,useitandhaveabadexperience
• Repurpose content – any solution considered must utilize existing
content and not require customized sourcing which is time consuming
andexpensive
• Consider the kiosk as an extension of the visitor centre and ensure in
designthatitmustprovidethat“expertopinion”notreadilyavailableon
thevisitorsphoneorvia“Google”.
• Transaction capability (coupon/ticket/reservation) that canbeuploaded
tothevisitorsphoneisavalue-addserviceandclosesthesale. Printing
capabilityisnotrecommended
• Make sure any solution provides excellent and timely analytics and
provides a way to continue the conversation (email or phone number
acquisition)
Tourism Prince George and Tourism Rossland engaged the services of a
technology vendor to build touch screen kiosks providing real time visitor
informationdesignedtoimprovevisitorexperience.Bothprojectsweredeemed
a successby theirorganizationsandplansare inplace to increaseandexpand
theservice.
Tourism Golden is conducting research on the value of kiosks and this
informationwillbeavailablewithinthenextfewmonths.
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PrinceGeorgeDigitalKioskInitiative
Livechatapplicationsaredesignedtoprovideonlineassistancetowebsiteusers.
The softwareprovides instanthelp to visitorsonawebsite. There isusually a
buttononthemainpagethatallowspeopletoaskquestionsofcustomerservice
staff.Thereareawidevarietyofsoftwareapplicationsandthebusinessmodel
usuallyinvolvesamonthlysubscriptionraterangingfrom$11to$44permonth.
TourismSaintJohn,NBandTourismWinnipeghavebeensuccessfullyusingLive
Chat on their destination websites for the past several years to provide “Live
Concierge”servicesandfeelforthelowcostthereisasolidreturnandabilityto
furtherconnectwiththevisitorandgainretention.TourismLangleyispoisedto
rolloutLiveChatwithinthenextfewmonths.
IfLiveChatisnotanoption,emailonlineoutreachisthesimplestwaytofurther
engage visitors and is predominantly used during the pre-planning stage.
Ensuringthedestinationwebsiteisfullyoperationalandinvitingtovisitorstoask
questions is important and personalizing the experience often increases
engagement.TourismChilliwackandTourismLangleyaretwogoodexamplesof
personalizedemailoutreachoffers.
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6. Penticton geography determines there is no “perfect location” for an iconic
visitorcentre.
When evaluating visitor servicing, every destination marketing organization
strivestofindthatperfectspot.Theonethateffortlesslyreceiveshighvolumes
oftherightkindofvisitorprimedtobeinfluencedtoparticipateinallthegreat
tourismproducts the communityhas tooffer. Thisperhaps is the singlemost
difficultdecisionandeverycommunitystruggleswithit.
a. Tobeonahighwayormain corridorwhere thegreatest traffic volume
exists? Lotsofvolumebutoftennottherightkind. Merritt isprobably
thebestexampleofpotentialforagreatlocationbutthevisitorisnotthe
right kind. That visitor centre has resulted in extremely high cost in
providingrestareaservicesandverylowreturntoregionalandprovincial
tourismandprovidesvirtuallynoreturntothelocalcommunity.
b. To be downtown in the heart of the community? Many communities
havemanyheartsandwhilethedowntownisacentrallocation,itisnot
always thebest for visitor servicingdue to lackofparking, access, high
cost of facilities. Visitors havemany opportunities to ask questions of
store,hotelandrestaurantstaffandoftendon’tfeeltheurgencytousea
visitorcentre.
Penticton’s geography clearly provides a challenge in site selection. Visitors
clusterinseveralareasonandbetweenSkahaandOkanaganLake.Inreviewing
multiplepotentiallocationsitwasdifficulttoidentifyonethatisthesweetspot.
ForPenticton,theopportunitytochangethemodelfromonecentrallocationto
atypeofhubandspokeapproachappearsmosteffective.
Inthismodel,asmallermoreefficientbricksandmortarvisitorcentrelocationis
chosenandsatelliteoperationsinkeylocationsandinmanyformsaugmentthe
service.
7. Rebrandingexerciseistimely
In light of the upcoming merge of Tourism Penticton and the Penticton
HospitalityAssociation,thetwogroupsdecidedtomoveforwardwithsomehelp
fromacreativeagency.ReThinkfromVancouverhasbeenhiredandisworking
onnewpositioningandbranding.TheVisitorCentreneedstoalignwiththisnew
brand,anddependingontheoutcomeof thedecisionwhere to relocatecould
alsoneedtoconsiderbrandingwiththewinecentreandthecasino.
Furthermore,thereistremendousopportunitytoextendthenewbrandoutside
ofthebricksandmortarfacilitythroughoutreachengagementactivities.
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8. Highretentionstaffwithgoodskillscanbebetterutilized
OnlinereviewssuchasTripAdvisorindicatestaffattheWineCentreandVisitor
Centre provides excellent service (these services are not seen by visitors as
mutually exclusive). Both managers interview indicated the importance of a
strongcustomerserviceculture.Staffretentionratesaregoodwithmanystaff
returning for multiple seasons and this has been noticed and appreciated by
industry.Thisisafabulousfoundationtoworkfrom.
On the flip side, focus of effort is on visitors to the centre and on non-core
activities leavingnotimetoprovidesupporttothemarketingteamintermsof
responding to the growing need within social media or other opportunities
includingoutreachengagement.ThelearnedexpertisewithintheVisitorCentre
needs tobecapitalizedonwhichwill likely requireadditional trainingandmay
altertherecruitmentstrategy.
9. Partnershipsarekeytosuccess.
Developmentofpartnershipstodeliverconsistentvisitorinformationandservices
isessential.TheoperatingcostsofastandaloneVisitorCentreexceedthereturn
on investment and there are many other viable options that can reduce
duplication and extend reach. There is potential to explore partnerships to
deliver connectivity, access software, change distribution methods, provide
mobilityandcollaborateinservicedelivery.
Partnerships continue to be a driving force for visitor services. As identified in
“GlobalTrendsinVisitorServices”,twoofthemostcommonkindsofpartnerships
includethosewhere:
ü Visitorcentressharealocationwithanotherorganization.
These partnerships are popular because they share infrastructure costs,
drawmorevisitorsintothespaceandareconvenientforvisitors,and
ü Visitor services staff work with software businesses to provide digital
informationforvisitors.
Avisitorcentredoesnotnecessarilyhavetobetheanchortenant.Acollaboration
betweenMacy’sHeraldSquarestoreandNewYorkCityresulted inabrandnew
stateoftheartVisitorCentrewithinthestorethathastheopportunitytoreach
Macy’s6millionvisitors.
Visitor Centres can also be extended via partnership to other businesses. In
Vermont, an Ambassador program has over 50 private sector businesses
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designatedasAmbassadorInformationCentreswhoaftergoingthroughatraining
programarecertifiedandbrandedtoprovidetravelinformationandassistanceto
theircustomers.
From a technology perspective, Travel Oregon works with Trip Advisor, Google
FieldTripandRoadtrippers.comandNYC&CompanypartneredwithGoogleMaps
to power the Visitor Center's interactive kiosks map and directions function,
providingtoolsforvisitorstomoreeasilynavigatetheCity.
Early tomarket launched in2013andsomething tomonitor,beacontechnology
(low energy transmitters that emit a signal that interacts with a mobile device
when within range) is being tested in a number of tourism destinations most
recently Queensland Australia who installed 150 ibeacons at airports, visitor
centres,parksandattractions.
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Recommendations
Thereisexcellentopportunitytoreviseoperationstobemuchmoreeffective.Declining
visitationwithanovervaluedpercentageoflocalresidentusecombinedwithincreased
anddisproportionateexpensesoffsetmarginallybyprogramsnotparttheorganizations
mandateindicatearealneedforchange.
OverarchingRecommendation:
Develop aVisitor Services Strategy thatmaintains the core functionof a bricks and
mortarvisitorcentreandincreasesreachthroughacombinationofmobile,socialand
technologiesapplications.
StrategiestoAchieve:
1. ExploretheopportunitytodevelopadeeperpartnershipwiththeVQA
Recent developments with changes to VQA licensing have opened the door for
dialogue with the BC Wine Institute and BC Liquor Board to explore a deeper
collaboration and integration of services between theWine Store and theVisitor
Centrepreviouslynotpossibleduetolegislationanddifferingmandates.
WiththeintroductionofthenewCascadesCasinoproject,TheBCWineInstituteis
interestedinexpansiontofurthershowcasewineandculinaryofferingsratherthan
simply replicating their current operation. The following is taken from a paper
craftedin2007andisthefoundationfortheconcept.
“Develop a flagship facility designed to promote and embody the physical and cultural
experienceofwinecountry,highlighttheeconomichealthoftheprovince’swine,foodand
agri-tourismindustries,andprovideadestinationspotfor localconsumersto learnabout,
tasteandcelebratewhattheregionhastooffer”.
Alreadylistedasthe“#1thingtodoinPentictonbyTripAdvisor”aflagshipfacility
providinganevenwidervarietyofprogrammingwillbea furtherdrawandcould
easilyexpand itsservicestoprovideseamlessrepresentationonallaspectsof the
destination and the wine sector. Destination information in the form of
publicationsanddisplays (includingdigital) couldbe incorporated into theoverall
footprint (rather than separated as they do now) and staff schedules could be
integrated to ensure that operational objectives are properly supported. This
locationwould act as a hub for TourismPentictonprogrammingbut by adjusting
onsite staff presencemakesway for increasedmobile and socialmedia activities.
Thisopportunity supports thenatural synergiesalready identifiedby thepartners
andstakeholders,reducesduplicationandincreasesreach.
RetailwouldbecentralizedandmanagedbythePentictonWineCentreexpanded
their current selection to include local souvenirsandmemorabiliaandmagnifying
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thenewbrand. Retailcouldalso includeagreaterrepresentationofFirstNations
artandproduct.
Thisconceptisintheearlyexploratorystagesbuthasthepositiveendorsementof
theBCWineInstitutewhohashadinitialdiscussionswithGatewayCasinos.
2. Increasemobile,street&socialmediapresence
ExpandonthesuccessofthefirstPopUpMobileVisitorCentrebyincreasinghours,
locationsandapproach. Inasecondphase,explore feasibilityofapartnership to
provide a branded and sponsored mobile visitor centre (likely phased in once
brandingiscompleted)toprovideadditionalpresenceandseasonextension.
Purchase a second tent andmobile equipment to double exposure and allow for
oneateachendoftownandatevents(Farmer’sMarket,GranFondoetc.).
Beyond theMobileVisitorCentre, createaStreetTeam (brandedname tocome)
who will visit Penticton tourism businesses reaching out to guests to provide
conciergeservicesaswellassocialmediacontentontheexperience.
For example, the Street Team staff person visits Penticton’s new climbing wall,
chatswith a family enjoying the experience andoffers toprovide informationon
further activities in the area. From a tablet, the Street Team staff sources bike
rentals and makes the reservation, takes a photo of the family, tags it with the
businessandPentictonmarketinghashtagsandsendsitoutthroughsocialmedia.
ParticipateinDestinationBC’sDigitalVisitorServicingstrategytoharnessextensive
visitorservicingexperienceacrosssocialmediachannels.
Increasesocialmediapresenceforeventsbyreachingouttodelegatespreeventto
offer concierge services. Work with event planners to engage delegates and
providesupport.
3. Exploretechnologysupportsystems
Whenimplementedcorrectly,digitaltechnologyhasthepotentialtobeanaffective
andefficientwaytoprovideinformationandcontentaswellasextendbrand.This
strategy requires considerable research and evaluation outside of contract scope
buthasthepotentialtoincreaseengagementandextendreach..
Kiosks
There are many companies who provide this service and further investigation is
required to determine the appropriate solution for Penticton. Should the
integrationbetweentheVQAandtheVisitorCentre takeplace,aneffectivekiosk
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could beof great benefit providing general information to visitorswhile staff are
engagedindetailedenquiriesandsales.
AdditionallocationscouldincludetheAirportandtheEventCentre.Dependingon
thesolutionandthepackage,stakeholdersmaybeinterestedinhosting.
As previously noted, research underway in Golden may provide some further
insights
Reservation&ActivityTicketingSystems
WhilethemajorityofvisitorstoPentictonhavealreadymadetheiraccommodation
reservations,theremaybetheopportunitytoprovideactivitybookingsonbehalfof
stakeholders.Itisrecommendedhoweverthattheprocesstomanageandselecta
systembetheresponsibilityof theprivatesectorandTourismPentictondoesnot
enter into any development or management of a system. Rather, should the
private sector provide a solution that represents multiple stakeholders, Tourism
Penticton could consider using the application to close the sale and as a result
increase efficiency and customer/stakeholder satisfaction. During stakeholder
interviewstwosystemswereidentifiedasunderdevelopment.
Used by Top Cat Tours and Landsea Tours, Zaui Software http://www.zaui.com/
providestheabilitytobooktransportation,tourandticketingcapability.Okanagan
Adventureshttp://okanaganadventures.com/ is alsodeveloping ticketing software
and Rezgo https://www.rezgo.com/ is a Vancouver based company who provide
ticketingtoawidevarietyofclientsthroughoutNorthAmerica.
Thismaybeanareafornewpartnershipswithexistingproviders.
LiveChat
While the scope of this project was for in destination visitor servicing only, this
consultant felt itwasuseful tooffer this recommendationas it notonlyprovides
proactivevisitorengagementbutalsoisaservicethatcouldeasilybeprovidedby
theVisitorCounsellors,especiallyintheoffseasonwhenindestinationtrafficislow
andvisitorsareactivelytripplanning.
AskaLocal
Alsooutofscopeforthisprojectandasignificantinvestmentintimeandresources,
thisprogramcouldhavesomeexcellentreturnsandcouldbeconsideredinafuture
phase.
4. Transitionnon-coreorduplicativeactivities
Transitionticketsales toanothersupplier. For thestaff timeandminimal return,
there is anegative returnon investment. To reduce local residentangstanother
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vendorshouldbesourced.Itisnotedthataboxofficewithregularbusinesshours
alreadyexistsandtheSouthOkanaganEventsCentre.
IfthepartnershipbetweentheVQAandtheVisitorCentrecontinues,transferretail
responsibilitytoVQA.Whileitisacknowledgedthatretailbringsafinancialreturn
totheVisitorCentre,thetime,spaceandeffortrequiredtakesawayfromactivities
thatcouldhaveabetterreturntobuildingtourismbusinessandtheVQAisbetter
positionedtooperatethatprogram.
Brochures will continue to be a good source of information for visitors but the
maintenance,storageandmanagementiscostlyandtimeconsuming.Decreaseout
ofregionbrochuredisplayandexplore3rdpartycontractforbrochuredistribution
to reduce time and space requirements. Certified Folder Display Service
http://www.certifiedfolder.ca/currentlyprovidesbrochuredistributioninatseveral
locations in Penticton and initial discussions with them indicated an interest in
providing distribution services. The concept would be that CFD would provide
complimentarystorage,inventoryandstockinginreturnforrackingspacefortheir
clients. The British Columbia Visitor Centres and BC Ferries are two of Certified
FolderDisplayclients.
5. Restructurestaffmanagement
Currently two Managers operate independently with little collaboration or
integration run the VQA and the Visitor Centre. It is recommended that
responsibilities be redistributed to reduce duplication and provide strategic
direction for both operations. The VQA Centre Manager could oversee onsite
operations with a major focus on product sales and off season in-store visitor
counselling. The Visitor Services Manager could oversee peak season visitor
counsellingandmobileoperationsincludingpop-up,vehicle,streetteamsaswellas
manage social media and content development in the off season. Details on
specificareasofresponsibilitytobedetermined.
6. Enhancerecruitment&trainingstrategy
AstheVisitorServicesrolewillbemuchmoreproactiveandengaging,thecurrent
recruitment strategy may need adjusting to find staff who are comfortable in
approaching strangers and conversation starting. In addition to the traditional
recruitmentsourcessuchastourismprogramstudentsandsummerstudents,drama
students who are trained to tell “stories” and create “personas” are a possible
sourceforstaff. RecommendationsfromTourismSquamish’sStreetTeamproject
included “Recruit, hire and retain highly motivated, self-starters with an
entrepreneurial skill set and allow them to take the lead and ownership of the
project.Mustbeoutgoing!“
Develop a cross training program with VQA staff. All basic training for both
operationsshouldbeconsolidatedtooptimizeresourcesandexpandreach.
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Get staff socialmedia savvy.While Destination BC’s Digital SocialMedia strategy
will provide some training, gettingaheadof the curveandensuring that staff are
comfortable and knowledgeable in social media is important and should be
consideredwhenrecruiting.
7. Ensureallactivitiesalignwithbrand
Itisparamountthatallactivitiessupportthenewbrand.Forexample,aslearnedin
theTofinoandPowellRivercasestudies,–amobilesolutionneedstobemorethan
awrapwithalogobutmustreflectthebrandinitsentirety.Tofino’smobilecentre
isaretrofittedVWVolkswagenVannamedChestervan(ChestermanBeachisoneof
the local iconicbeaches)andthevanreflectsTofino’spersonaof laid-backsurfing
andchillingenvironment.
8. Setmeasurabletargets
Oneofthechallengesintheprojectwasthelackofmeasurabledata.Changingthe
modelfromreactivetoproactivealsochangesperformancemetrics,orinthiscase
needtobedefinedandexecuted.CurrentlythePWCVCstatisticsformthebasisfor
targets and numbers are dependent on visitation to the centre of which the VC
really doesn’t have any influence. In a proactive engagementmodel, staff must
outreachandtheabilityto influence issignificantly increasedbasedontheextent
towhichstaffarecomfortableengagingvisitors.Itisrecommendedthattargetsfor
outreach(perhour,perday)bedeveloped.
The key purpose of visitor servicing is to influence visitor behaviour resulting in
extendedstayandexpenditures.Whiletheactualinfluencevaluecanbecomplex
tomeasure,connectingtheexperienceatthevisitorcentrewiththeparticipationin
destination activities can be tracked. Stakeholders reported interest in greater
measurable engagement such as the visitor centre distributing introduction cards
(discountsetc.),“ShowyourBadge”programsforeventdelegates.
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OverallVisitorServicingMeasurements:
1. Volume – number of engagements (visitor centre, socialmedia,mobile, email
etc.)
2. Satisfaction–didthevisitorreceivewhattheywerelookingfor(benchmark)and
more(elevation/influencegoal)?
3. Profile–whoisthevisitorservicingprogramtargeting?(increasing%ofvisitors
vs.residentengagements)
4. Costperenquiry - currentoperation costperenquiry is approximately$12.57.
Increasingvolumeanddecreasingexpenseswillreducethiscost.
5. NetPromoterScore–thisisarelativelynewmeasurementandwasintroduced
by to the industry in BC by Destination BC in their 2014 Corporate Strategy
http://www.destinationbc.ca/Resources/Monitoring-and-Evaluation/Net-
Promoter-Score.aspx. The Net Promoter Score is a simple metric that helps
organizations monitor the engagement of their customers. It reflects the
likelihoodthatcustomerswillrecommendaproduct/company/placetofriends,
family or colleagues and fits well within the context of the tourism industry.
Withinthenextfewweeks,DestinationBCwillbereleasingtwopiecesofwork;
IntroductiontoNetPromoterScoreandHowtoMeasureNetPromoterScorein
BC Communities. Should Penticton execute a NPS project, including Visitor
ServicingmeasurementsinNPSresearchisadvised.
Timing&Transition
KeytothisstrategyistheadoptionofanewpartnershipwiththeBCWineInstituteand
thePentictonVQASociety. It is recommended thatdiscussionsbegin immediately to
determineiftheconceptinprincipleisacceptabletotheparties.
Amemorandumofunderstandingor letterof intentwill need tobedraftedoutlining
therolesandresponsibilitiesofeachpartner.
TheinterimsolutionprovidedbyGatewayforanewlocationthissummerforboththe
winestoreandtheVisitorCentreprovidetheopportunityto“test”thisconceptmore
fully acknowledging there may be limitations in the short term. The majority of
strategies2,4,6and8canbeactivatedthissummerwithsomeadjustmentstocurrent
operations. It is understood that the interim location will be provided rent-free
allowingagreateropportunitytore-directresources.
Adetailedbudgetfortheenvisionedoutcomeneedstobedeveloped.
Depending on timing of the brand work, Strategy 7 will be implemented as new
programsareintroduced(i.e.mobileexecution).
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Strategy3 isamidtermprojecttowhichresearchcanbeginassoonasresourcesare
allocatedwiththegoalofactivationnextspring.
All strategiesshouldbe inplace in timefor theopeningof thenewfacilities inMarch
2017.
KeyMilestones
InterimPlanfor2016isdevelopedandapproved May2016
DraftthreeyearStrategicPlanincludingbudgetisdeveloped May-Sept2016
CommunicationPlanisdevelopedanddelivered June2016,Fall2016
&Spring2017
Newprogrammingtested Summer2016
TestingevaluatedandresultsformbasisoffinalStrategicPlan Fall2016
Strategyisapproved,Partnershipisapproved Fall2016
Newbuildcomplete,newoperationcommences Spring2017
Options
Should the full value of the opportunity defined in Strategy 1 not be realized, it is
recommended the visitor centre continue to operate with the VQA and attempt to
eliminateareasofduplicationandnoncoreactivitywhile transitioningtoanoutreach
strategy.
Prior to learning of the BCWine Institute’s interest in expanding their operation, the
determinationwasmadethatco-locatingwiththeVQAwas inthebest interestsofall
stakeholders.Thisrecommendationismadeduetothesynergiesofthetwooperations
andthevaluetheVQAbringsastheanchortenantwhichprovidestheVisitorCentrethe
greatest flexibility to transitionas consumer trends continue tomigrate toalternative
models.
A secondary but less viable option is to co-locate within other tourism businesses.
CriteriaforsuccesswiththismodelwouldbetoensurethattheVisitorCentreisnotthe
anchor tenant but rather rents space that can be scaled as necessary and that it is a
financiallyviablealternativenotrequiringtheVCtoparticipateinprojectsthatcouldbe
consideredoutofscope.
Consideredwastheoptiontoco-locatewiththePentictonTrade&ConventionCentre,
Library/Museum or the Art Gallery. Over the next ten years the City of Penticton
FacilitiesMaster Plan, Phase 2 identifies the need formassive upgrades and possible
consolidation.Duetotheextendedlengthoftheprojectandmultipleunknownsaswell
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astheneedforatimelysolution,theconsultantwasunabletoproperlyevaluatethese
asviablealternatives.
This consultant does not recommend a stand-alone Visitor Centre bricks andmortar
operationinanycircumstance.
***
Whileperhapsabitextremeinhisthinking,finalcommentsquotedfromarecentarticle
authored by tourism consultant Doug Lansky on the viability of stand alone Visitor
Centres.
Cities and regions keep building and maintaining tourist offices and visitor centers, but do these buildings serve a necessary function, especially in urban areas? Or are destinations just running
them out of habit? …
…If the tourist office is not a destination-driver, nor a top experience, nor a necessary resource for sharing information … how important is it? In fact, if we hadn’t invented the tourist office
concept before, would we be able to justify creating one today?
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SOURCES
DestinationBC
1. VisitorServicesNetwork
ConsultationEvaluation
PhaseII:SummaryofConsultationSessionFindings
OverallCommunityReviewJune2015
2. GlobalTrendsinVisitorServices
VisitorServicesNetworkNovember2015
3. CaseStudies&PilotProjects2015
4. InDestinationTripPlanning
ResearchSummaryandSituationAnalysisJune2014
5. VisitorNetworkStatisticsProgram2010-2015AnnualData
TourismPenticton
1. TourismPentictonBudget2016
2. SWOTAnalysis(dateunknown)
3. PentictonPopUpVisitorInformationCentreCaseStudy2015
4. ScheduleAVisitorInformationServicesAgreementwithCityofPenticton
5. PentictonVisitorCentreStatistics
Other
1. DestinationMarketingOrganizationWebsites
TravelOregon
TourismWinnipeg
TourismToronto
2. Articles
IstheSmartPhoneKillingtheVisitorCenter?,DougLansky,Tourism
Consultant,Tnooz,February1st2016
3. Presentations
TheFutureofVisitorServices
BronwynWhite,Travel&TourismMarketResearcher,TrendWatcher,
Futurist,SydneyAustraliaNovember232015