How to Package and Market Irresistible Agritourism ExperiencesWorkbook

8/12/2019 How to Package and Market Irresistible Agritourism ExperiencesWorkbook

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ability to state ones identity as defined in the essence of the enterprise. The message heshares is about the importance of being what you say you are.

He points out that as traditional goods and services increasingly become commoditizedbusinesses must stage experiences and guide transformations to establish differentiation andgenerate economic value: By understanding this new reality, forwardthinking enterprises can

create entirely new ways of adding value to their offerings, their individual customers, andtherefore their businesses.

Pine with colleague James Gilmore is cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a USbasedthinktank that focuses on what they view as a fundamental shift in the very fabric of theeconomy. He presented a session entitled Authenticity in Direct Farm Marketing andAgritourism at the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA)January conference in Calgary.

Authenticity: connecting with customers

Im just a shopkeeper in a building thats been blessed to be standing for 130-odd years, saysDave Forestall, owner of Slocum & Ferris at Saint John's City Market. A self-proclaimedhistory buff, Forestall was born and raised in Saint John, but it was not until he returnedfrom ten years away from his hometown that he came to truly appreciate the inventory ofheritage buildings in the maritime city. So when Slocum & Ferris (in its same location in theSaint John City Market since 1895) went up for sale, it seemed natural for he and his wife topurchase it.

Forestall describes the market experience as the anti-mall where his goal is as much toengage the customer in friendly conversation as it is to make the sale. He recounts the storyof one lady whose family had just moved to Saint John from Los Angeles and confessed shewas absolutely hooked on Saint John because it was the first place shes ever lived where from the minute she walked into the building four or five vendors were greeting her son byhis first name. The tenants in the market try to connect with the customers," says Forestall,whether theyre visitors or locals; we feel thats what our job is.


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Prelude: The Rise Experiential Tourism

1. The experience economy is much more than a flashy buzzword. It is the acceptance thatthe world in which we trade today has evolved, from a realm where both standardizedand customized goods and services were delivered through benefits markets, into anemerging new realm of competing economic offerings where forging emotionalconnections with consumers plays a greater role.

Lists the reasons why your customers say they come to you (use others sheets if needed):

What type emotional connections are created with your customers in the process?

2. It is often said that establishing relationships between partners is one of the foundationsof success in the tourism sector. In agriculture, these partners are often referred to aslinks in an operations value chain.

Describe the links in your agritourism operations value chain:

3. Value chains are inspired by a clever mixed of research, market intelligence analysis,product innovation, sales strategies, delivery mechanisms and consumer satisfactionindicators.

What unique selling proposition does your operations value chain allow you to impart to your economicoffering?


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Developing for authenticity

Authenticity. The word itself is used more and more in tourism circles, as operators anddestinations alike grapple with what it means for them as well as for consumers.

Authenticity could be expressed as the imperative to reflect local identity. Tourism managersin places like Canmore, Alberta (where tourism generates massive economic activity in whatused to be a mining town) are deeply aware of this imperative; the need to preserve the"sense of place" matters a lot to people like executive director of Tourism Canmore JohnSamms:

Would I describe Canmores product as authentic? The feeling of what you see in thedowntown core comes out of our background. The coal mines closed in 1979 and the townwas virtually at a stand still. Then, the downtown core evolved, picked up and startedgrowing again, evolving as a community downtown core as opposed to a resort downtowncore. So in that sense, I would use the term authentic. Canmore conveys to the visitor asense of a real community, not something propped up, developed or designed to please the

visitor.Given the current period of rapid change and growth in Canmore, Samms believes thechallenge now is preserving that unspoiled character. While on the one hand he mustcontinually promote the need to keep things authentic, he is also instrumental inorchestrating change.

"That is the paradox of tourism, Samms points out. "The solution lies in engaging thecommunity while remaining committed to a marketing approach aimed at attracting peoplewho share the core values of the community," he says. Bringing in that key component ofour sustainability is essential in developing a sustainable tourism industry, because if we failto attract visitors who share the values of our community, it wont bode well for our

industry. If we are really committed to reaching into markets we have identified ascompatible with us, then it is possible for us to bring that way of thinking to the people whoare the developers.

That approach is consistent with what the City of Saint John, NB, is doing. Lori Jensen iswith Tourism Saint John: We always thought we offered a unique experience here, this beingthe oldest incorporated city in Canada. We attribute a lot of our authentic character to theheritage sites and historic buildings in the area; for us, authenticity delivers a uniqueexperience of your particular town and what it has to offer.

But there is more. Jensen views the citys built heritage as only one aspect of authenticity,which must be complemented by local hospitality. We are proud of our history and that

shines through but it is really the people you encounter, not just the infrastructure andservices, that makes the difference," says Jensen. "We have just conducted interviews withthree different business owners in the Saint John area who we felt delivered a unique andauthentic experience. One is an antiques and art collector, another is a vendor at our OldCity Market, and the third is a restaurateur who immigrated here some years back fromGermany and who offers a new type of ethnic cuisine which is really starting to comearound in Saint John. We have tried to capture these aspects in travel media stories,newsletters and that sort of thing, to put the word out that those offerings are available.


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There may be a lot more value to that approach than mere marketing considerations, as JillVandall, a partner with The Tourism Company in Toronto, will attest: Authenticity is criticalfor a number of reasons. It differentiates destinations and cities. Authenticity or thedelivery of authenticity needs to be well thought out because it cannot be so staged thatyou dont allow for the natural things which happen during the day. Part of it is peoplewanting to discover authenticity on their own; they dont want to think they are being soldauthenticity. Getting people going out onto the land is a critical part of authenticity, (using)folks who have lived a certain part of the story or history, telling the tale from theirperspective. This is a great way is to use active seniors as a resource in downtown cores."

Quebec's Eastern Townships: steeped in county living

Quebecs Eastern Townships region perhaps illustrates most vividly that quality of tourismexperience expressed by the French word villgiature. "Villgiature" refers to the kind ofbucolic holidaying around countryside and small villages that seem to emanate a deep sense

of place a sense of place powerful enough, it would seem, to rejuvenate the soul.The Eastern Townships offers this, and more. The region boasts being the premier cyclingdestination in Quebec, with 500 kilometres of trails along the Vloroute des Cantons. (Theroute is divided into seven circuits designed to let cyclists enjoy the most picturesque cornersof the region.) Furthermore, the Townships Trail is a new driving route that meandersaround the countryside over 415 kilometres, crossing 31 municipalities from Ulverton toBromont.

For an even more in-depth experience of the Townships Trail, drivers can pick up atwo-CD pack which brings the regions history to life, a history that plays a critical role inimparting a distinctive flavour to the region. After the American War of Independence

(1775-1783), the open lands that stretched along the border were surveyed by the British,and made available to exiled Loyalists from what became the United States of America. Theregional architecture is heavily influenced by those first settlers, who came mainly from NewEngland; after 1850, francophones started to settle in the region and today make up themajority of the population.

The Eastern Townships is home to quaint villages and a variety of remarkable tourismexperiences where, for example, one can board the magnificent Orford Express TouristTrain and enjoy the compelling landscapes of the Sherbrooke, Magog, Eastman andBromont regions, a pastoral landscape where mountains, valleys, prairies and lakes lendthemselves to scenic enchantment.

One may also visit lArgus Bleu, a museum dedicated to insects with more than 1,600species from some 50 countries at Lac Drolet, not far from Lac Mgantic. At lpope deCapelton/Capelton Epic (formerly Capelton Mines), visitors can go on a Tour duProspecteur (Prospectors Tour) and on Visites Nocturnes aux Flambeaux (Undergroundvisits by flaming torch) in a decommissioned 140-year old copper mine.


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Reflections of an almost exotic heritage

This summer, at the Vignoble de lOrpailleur, there will be workshops showcasing the craftof the cooper (barrel maker) and a new exhibition interpreting the harvesting of cork andhow it is made into stoppers for wine bottles. There will be numerous activities this yearthroughout the 14 wineries along the Eastern Townships Route des Vins (Wine Route).

At the Village of Fitch Bay, romantics at heart can discover Bleu Lavande, the leadinglavender producer in Canada with 220,000 plants. The company has added 10 new cosmeticand culinary products to the items on sale in the boutique for 2007. Every Tuesday in Julyand August, visitors can picnic in the lavender fields while enjoying the soothing strains ofclassical music: Les Mardi Bleu Classique (as the concerts are called) are produced inconjunction with the Centre d'Arts Orford.

It is fair to ask what factor has led to such a blossoming of regional tourism experiences inthe Eastern Townships. We contacted Melissa Provencher of the Manoir Hovey at NorthHatley. The Auberge Ripplecove & Spa and Manoir Hovey are two five-star inns located on

the shores of Lake Massawippi, just over one hour southeast of Montral and 20 minutesfrom the Vermont border. The two institutions are launching a joint biking package in May,for which the inns' chefs will prepare a gourmet lunch of local delicacies, packed into aninsulated picnic backpack (itself a gift included in the package price). By night, guests willenjoy guilt-free gourmet dining at the inns' dining rooms, both of which overlook oppositeends of Lake Massawippi. After two nights at the first inn, guests will leisurely bike their wayto the second inn along scenic back roads while their car and luggage are transported byvalet service and await their arrival.

Provencher says the package can be tailored for people of all ages because the distancetraveled is established by cyclists themselves: We planned for about 20 kilometers from oneinn to the next to get from the Manoir to Ripplecove Inn and Spa. For cyclists with ability

for greater distances, we help them with their itineraries.

Diversifying the market

"We expect most people to come from Montral, Qubec or other points of origin," shecontinues. "Our inns have traditionally attracted quite a few people from the US, perhapsfewer for the cycling package. We are just starting with this package, but about 60% of ourguests used to originate from the US and 40% were composed of Quebeckers, Germans andEuropeans in general.

Provencher says that with the exchange rate being the way it is (against the American dollar),there are fewer US visitors to the region and the effects are felt in nearby villages: I havenoticed some of the gift stores that rely on tourism have closed in places like Knowlton andSutton, so we must continue to tap into the unique character of our villages to find newrevenue streams. From the perspective of our inn operations, the reason why there seems tobe so much going on in the Eastern Townships on the tourism front is a need we feel toreach a younger audience that is passionate about our roots because we are very much ahistorical village."


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Provencher continues: "We are working hard to lure younger consumers while maintainingthe relationship we enjoy with our regular clients who have been coming here for the last 20years. It is like in any sector facing economic sustainability challenges; we must showinnovation and we are coming up with new ideas and packages so we can acquire these newclients.

Fortunately, Provencher says, the Eastern Townships region is putting extra emphasis onpromoting regional products. Such products are inspired by culture, worldviews, landscapes,livelihoods through the ages, and the contrasts between what consumers experience in theirday-to-day life, and the experiences enjoyed by folks who inhabit host destinations. Touristsseek a chance to become temporary inhabitants, where they are exposed to pleasures theycant enjoy at home.

The Eastern Townships, it seems, can deliver these experiences, and deliver them withconfidence and authenticity.

Learning tour niche going mainstream

A survey of US travellers taken last year by the Travel Industry Association found that 56%said they were interested in taking an educational trip and 22% said they were moreinterested now compared with five years ago, according to a report by David Wilkening(TravelMole February 22, 2007). Universities and museums have organized learning-orientedtrips in the past, but the trend has been booming in recent years and is now becoming partof the mainstream business of the travel industry. An article in USA Today reports that, foruniversities, alumni travel programs offer another method of fundraising and "a means oftightening bonds with their alumni and encouraging future donations".

For travel companies, extra features like lectures from scholars help sign up customers for

group travel, especially sophisticated baby boomers and people who have ever more optionsfor booking discounted flights and hotels online.


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Module #1: Travel Motivation Trends in Pictures and Numbers

4. If one word could be used to describe what consumers engaging in tourism activitiesseek, that word would likely be discovery.

What opportunities for discovery does you agritourism operation offer to consumers?

What opportunities for discovery do you offer your partners?

5. Authenticity of experience is emerging as one of the greatest assets agriculturalproducers and rural communities can tap into to develop and market new value-addedtourism products.

How do you define an authentic experience?

List the authentic aspects of experiences staged at your agricultural operation?

How do you currently leverage this authentic character during the course of your day to day businessactivities?

What untapped opportunities can you identify?


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The changing profile of tourists and their behaviorDeloitte recently released the results of its latest US travel survey, identifying trends that willhave "a significant impact on industry expectations, strategies and brands" in 2008. Havingpolled 2,027 consumers in late October, 2007, the survey highlights five key issues expectedto have a continued dramatic effect on travel behavior:

1. Globalization: Increased access to information about global destinations and cultures,transnational agreements such as "Open Skies" between the US and the EU, and growth inaffluence in markets such as China and Russia mean an increased demand for internationaltravel.

2. The Changing Customer: Consumers are looking for flexible travel experiences that suittheir specific needs. For instance, business and leisure travel are increasingly showing overlap,with business travellers needing not only amenities for meetings and conventions but alsoaccommodations which cater to the family or friends they've brought along.

3. Safety, Privacy, Security: Health and safety concerns are inextricably linked to theincreasing global travel.

4. Technology: User-generated content, social media and social networking mean that today'sconsumers are exponentially more knowledgeable than they were prior to the media boom.Businesses who harness the internet's capabilities gain a competitive edge.

5. Environmental and Social Responsibility: The words "green" and "ethical" saturate traveldiscussion in contemporary media. As a result, "corporate responsibility is becoming a keyattribute for consumers in selecting products and services."

View the full report at http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/pdf/THLtrends3-final.pdf.

Travel Activities and Motivations Survey (TAMS)

U.S. Travel Market: Participating in Agro-Tourism While on Trips of One or More NightsA Profile Report

August 27, 2007

Executive Summary

Over the last two years, 10.4% (23,067,110) of adult Americans participated in an agro-tourism activity while on an out-of-town, overnight trip of one or more nights. Going to anentertainment farm (4.9%) or a fruit-picking farm (4.6%) were the most popular activities,followed by dining at a farm (2.8%) and visiting a harvesting or other farm operation (1.2%).23.8% (5,489,762) of those participating in agro-tourism reported that this activity was themain reason for taking at least one trip in the past two years.


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that are run in small communities are traditionally an integral part of these communities, hesays. Most of the fairs have been running for at least 100 years.

He mentions as an example one of the newest of his member agricultural societies, theCarlton Trail Ag Society which holds the Bruno Cherry Festival each year. The communityof Bruno, which has a population of about 500, attracts 2,500 people to the cherry festivalannually. The fairs create gathering places; they bring a lot of visitors.

Some communities will host a rodeo and other different types of events. SAASE, which has62 member organizations across Saskatchewan, conducted an economic impact study a fewyears ago to evaluate the benefits stemming from all the provinces fairs. It found there are101 million dollars spent at fair events annually, and 192 million in spending at eventsorganized at all the other facilities the agricultural societies run over the course of the year.

There is also a significant impact in terms of jobs, according to Duck: The fair industrywithin Saskatchewan involves 400 full-time/part-time positions and 800 seasonal/casualworkers. But of real importance is the over 200,000 hours of volunteer time that is donated

by members in the communities, who help put on the fair and the event. That is atremendous economic impact in itself, he points out.

When people come to fairs, they eat in local restaurants, stay in local hotels, buy fuel andgroceries locally. They are camping in the community; there are cattle and livestock sales, andpeople are sending money in the communities around those events.

When we consider these economic impacts, if fairs didnt exist, wed have to invent them.

Targeted marketing starts with detailed intelligence

Le Qubec maritime was founded in 1997 by five tourism associations seeking to promote

their regions to markets outside Quebec. Christian Ouellet, a research officer with theorganization, says he has noticed an important consumer shift since 2002 in how consumersfind out about products. Consumers are less and less likely to access tourism productsthrough travel agents and are becoming more autonomous when planning their trips, saysOuellet. This is mainly because of the increasing role played by the internet.

Ouellet refers to a 2005 study conducted among visitors to the region which found that two-thirds of those surveyed had made use of the internet to plan their trip. The internet isbecoming a very important planning tool, he points out. This means it is also becoming animportant marketing tool, which compels Qubec Maritime to change its practices. Moreand more, we use the web to lure consumers; for instance, this year we worked inpartnership with Tourisme Qubec and the Socit des tablissements de plein air du

Qubec (SEPAC) to stream 20-second short videos introducing the Qubec maritimeexperience on outdoor activity and weather websites. The intent was to get the web usersattention and to lead them to our marketing campaign sites where products and tourismofferings were featured in greater detail.

Depending on their profile, surfers were directed to different web channels. Contemplativevisitors were directed to one channel, and surfers identified as outdoor enthusiasts weredirected to another. This approach, Ouellet says, fosters a market segmentation which


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allows us to get to know our clients better. It is also harmonized with our exit survey of1,500 tourists from outside Quebec (English Canada, the US and Europe).

With this intelligence in hand, Ouellet says they are able to flesh out a general portrait oftheir visitors. It allows us to not only establish our visitors point of origin, but also totarget regions, cities, neighbourhoods and streets. With the help of available statistics (likethose from Statistics Canada), we can get to know the profile of people who live there, whattheir specific family income is, whether or not they have children, are part of the workforce,or are retired. By gaining greater knowledge of visitors profiles, it becomes easier to speakwith them in terms they can relate to.

Ouellet says his team has witnessed a growth in marketing tactic performance as a result. Italso yielded valuable intelligence, like an observed increased concern for the environment:We need to offer a quality experiences that respect the client as well as the environment.

The other emerging aspect which matters is authenticity, Ouellet finds. Along with beautifullandscapes, considerations around nature, local hospitality and culture also matter. More

specifically, he highlights consumers curiosity around what is commonly referred to asfree culture (as opposed to museum or artisans shop visits). The memorability of thetravel experience often stems from people finding themselves suddenly on shared, yetunfamiliar ground, thereby creating opportunities for exchange. That is often the essence ofthe journey, and an element that is all too often put aside.

Americans value family travel

Vacations are shorter, but Americans still see their trips as a birthright, according to a recentaddress given by Peter Yesawich, chairman and CEO of Pepperdine, Brown & Russell.Yesawich was keynote speaker at conference reported on by Tom Groening in the Bangor(Maine) Daily News.

Americans with children are seeking to use their vacations to reconnect with the family unit,said Yesawich, who based his report on an annual survey of 1,600 Americans consideredactive travellers. "Consumers want to reconnect with what they feel is really important intheir lives," Yesawich continued, and that something is family. Surveys have shown 71% ofparents wish they could spend more time as a family, and 69% wish they had more time tosit and talk with their children. Fully 61% of parents said they are willing to take theirchildren out of school for a family vacation.

The survey also found that the internet is present in 80% of homes, but just 56% of activetravellers use the Web exclusively to make travel decisions. Yesawich concludes that theinternet's impact as a marketing tool may have reached reached a plateau. Further supporting

this view: the survey showed 68% of those using the Web to research travel report havingdifficulty finding what they want, and 76% report banner ads are a "nuisance." In 1998,banner ads were "clicked" by 4.6% percent of users, compared to just 0.2% today.


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Module #2: Packaging for a New World

6. Factors in the travel marketplacelike the gradual lowering of commissions from manysuppliers and increasing Web-based activitiesare changing the ways of doing business.How people get to your destination, the distance they must travel to get there, the leadtime between the actual booking and the time of arrival at the destination are all in astate of flux and are significantly complicating the dynamic that some marketingexecutives must now deal with (Cline 2002).

List the range of services you currently offer your customers as part of the one-top shopping experienceyou stage:

Please identify your competitors and describe the experience they offer :

How do you currently acquire new customers?

What means are currently used to retain customers (what your customer relationship managementstrategy consists of)?

What are the habits and preferences of your customers?

Are there niche products and services you that you are in a position to offer though e-commerceapplications or through the resources of your current value-chain partners or those of new potential

partners?


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Voluntouring, North American style

While turning the pages of any number of travel magazines these days, one word seems toappear more than any other: voluntourism. Whether it's Bill Clintons global trek, orAngelina Jolies ambassadorship, or the newest addition of the Lonely Planet family(Volunteer: A Travellers Guide to Making a Difference Around the World), to say nothing ofa multitude of websites, volunteer vacations are in vogue.

More than that, theyre generating significant tourism revenue. A 2005 survey by the TravelIndustry Association of America reported nearly one-quarter of travellers were interested ina volunteer or service-based vacation. In 2006, Euromonitor International projectedvoluntourism would be one of the fastest growing travel segments over the next three tofour years.

When the subject is first brought up among Canadians, the reaction is often to associatevoluntourism with people from affluent countries (like Canada and the US) travelling tothird-world or stressed countries. To be sure, one can read innumerable articles about, as

Cond Nast Traveler put it, the age of virtuous travel, and Canada hasnt figuredprominently. South America and Africa, on the other hand, have.

When people think voluntourism explained Rogier Gruys, product specialist at theCanadian Tourism Commission (CTC), they think exotic. They think 'going to a village,building a well.' Indeed, it appears that, because Canada is one of the worlds best when itcomes to quality of life, we might have to work a little harder to attract the voluntourismmarket.

Or maybe not, suggests John Vanden Heuvel of WWOOF (which stands for World WideOpportunities on Organic Farms as well as Willing Workers on Organic Farms), the largestvolunteer organization in Canada (www.wwoof.ca). Vanden Heuvel says the WWOOF

program, which asks travellers to share their organic farming skills in exchange for room andboard, is thriving without carrying out any advertising whatsoever. Our greatest PR by far isword-of-mouth, says Vanden Heuvel. Service is paramount: WWOOF is a people-orientedproject. Were not into making it bigger, richer, better. We offer a good service, a quality up-to-date product (including a 52-page booklet detailing the program), and we answer e-mailsalmost immediately.

How, then, do we position Canada as a compelling voluntourist destination, given thatCanada isnt a country in need? Vanden Heuvel's answer may seem surprising; he dispels thenotion that people's image of our country hinders our competitiveness in the globalvoluntour market: We attract a lot of Europeans because of their romantic vision ofCanada as a place of wide open spaces and unspoiled wilderness.

On top of that, Vanden Heuvel states theres a productive overlap between voluntourismand other contemporary trends, like ecotourism. And Beth Kelly Hatt of New BrunswicksAquila Tours Inc. agrees: voluntourism in Canada works, she says, so long as it has a greenfocus.

With products on offer such as whale-tracking off the shore of BCs Great Bear Rainforestand monitoring carbon change in the Arctic ecosystem, Canadas voluntours have


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thumbprints as green as they come. Available products give volunteers the chance to flexdifferent skill sets: Research is what people can do in Canada, says Gruys. And thoughinitially the word research might conjure up the thought of long hours spent pouring overuniversity projects or crunching data at work, it can be far more exciting: voluntourism inCanada means all those things for which weve been known land and nature and all thosethings by which we want to be people, adventure and story. From blue whale biopsies inthe Gulf of St. Lawrence to unearthing Canadian history at a Fortress of Louisbourgarchaelogical dig, committed voluntourists can readily pursue their aspirations for a trulyrewarding vacation.

A la carte tours: the emergence of group F.I.T. travel

Baby boomers are once again redrawing the tourism map, pushing innovative operators todevelop new kinds of product offerings, as the middle-aged travel set demands moreflexibility and more personalized tour packages.

One of the more interesting developments is the trend towards tourists planning a TripDesigned by Me, as its been described by one industry-watcher. Rather than signing on toa pre-set tour, this kind of package allows tourists to select the excursions and activitieswhich suit their individual tastes. These can be any type of experience: a scenic tour,wine-tasting, shopping, golf: any activity that has enough interested tourists to make itviable. Youre on a tour bus with a group of people, but its never the same group ofpeople explained Gord Phillips, president of the Economic Planning Group, who has beenmonitoring the phenomenon. It sounds like a contradiction, but this is best described as'Group FIT travel'.

There have been countless studies on the characteristics of baby boomers, and virtually all ofthem agree this demographic bulge continues to drive new products and services. Boomersmay be entering retirement age, but still want individual and meaningful experiences.Build-your-own-tour travellers tend to be discriminating, experienced and educated. As agroup, they know what they want and are comfortable on their own, but prefer theconvenience, social-networking and safety that group travel offers.

Tour packagers are finally catching up to the new kind of demand, according to theOpportunity Guy, Joe Veneto, a tourism packaging and marketing expert. We startedseeing this trend 10 years ago, he said. Tour operators are finally getting on the bandwagon. One example he cites is the Road Scholar program introduced by Elderhostel.Road Scholar promises the next generation of learning and travel opportunities. Theprogram features high-end, small group, personalized travel that scours the world to provideadults of all ages with hands-on activities and behind-the-scene experiences which wouldbe difficult or impossible to arrange on their own.

Elderhostel is not the only tour promoter on the bandwagon. One of the many Canadianoperators catering to this segment is Brewster Inc. According to Joanna Buckingham, sales &marketing manager, flexibility and customization is key. Brewster offers independentvacations allowing customers to design and personalize itineraries, schedules and budgetsmatching clients travel needs. To create further customization, all bus vacations can be


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combined with train travel, self-drive vacations or guided excursions. Its really up tothem, she explained. They start with a basic itinerary, and can add or subtract days, changeexcursions or upgrade hotel rooms. It can be as simple as adding a day of golf or aselaborate as combining their Brewster experience with an Alaska cruise.

These packages are pulling in tourists who just dont see themselves as the bus-

tour type.Atlantic Canada-based Ambassatours finds that build-your-own package products areattracting two completely different kinds of traveller, according to its CEO, DennisCampbell: One group of people are those who have taken packaged tours in the past, butwant more flexibility today. They might be eighty years old, but theyre healthier,younger-at-heart, and more active; they want to know whats going on outside the bus.

The second group Campbell described are those who are turned off by the idea oftraditional tour bus vacations, but love the idea of building their own specialty trip, whichmay happen to use a bus to move them from spot to spot. Some of them, men particularly,come kicking and screaming at the idea of being on a tour bus, he chuckled, but once theystart their holiday, and they really start to understand whats involved, theyre completely soldon the whole idea.

This is an example of the 'Age of the Empowered Consumer', but within the context oftourism, Phillips concluded. Boomers are still a force in the marketplace and smart tourismbusinesses are working to provide the goods and services this demanding, but lucrative,segment desires. Boomers may be greying, but theres still a lot of gold out there.

A heritage museum where guests become the hired help

For several years Upper Canada Village has been offering popular youth programs that allow

children to immerse themselves in 1860s life. Now adults can also become a part of villagelife when they participate in an Adult Overnight Live-In Adventure. From Saturdayafternoon until Sunday afternoon on select weekends in 2007, adults can become 19thcentury village inhabitants.

Upper Canada Village marketing officer Jancis Sommerville likes to remind people that theinstitution has been creating trends since it came into being in 1961: We have always offeredquality and award-winning attractions at our living history museum where all interpreterswear period costumes. We have operational mills, farms and animals, right down to thegardens, so guests are able to step into the past," she continues. "We started this latestinitiative last year. Adults can now come and get into costumes themselves and actually learnhow to do some of the artisans' trades, work in the mills or engage in heritage cooking

activities.

Sommerville believes this is a natural evolution in terms of product offering for theinstitution, and a timely one as it allows guests to become part of the museum instead ofonly being invited to visit. We are just getting one step deeper into it, she concludes.


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Motorcoach travel resurgence among US consumers

Motorcoach travel at the end of 2007 "was enjoying a significant rebirth and was expandingthroughout the country at the fastest rate in more than 40 years," according to a new studyreleased by the DePaul University School of Public Service.

The independent research study, titled "The Return of the Intercity Bus: The Decline andRevival of Scheduled Service to American Cities, 1960-2007," was authored by ProfessorJoseph P. Schwieterman, PhD and several researchers.

"Our research shows that this growth is being driven by improvements in service and strongconsumer demand," the study reveals. "As a result, more growth will likely occur in the yearsahead."

The study cites several reasons for the positive outlook: "The industry is engaged in moreaggressive marketing than in previous years and reaping the benefits of persistently high fuelcosts." Additionally, the industry is capitalizing on its strategic communications campaign "to

build awareness that it is an environmentally friendly ('green') travel choice."The study cites many remaining challenges for the industry, from illegal curbside operatorsto heavily subsidized federal transit systems. But nonetheless, the report concludes, "theintercity bus is again off and running -- and regaining respectability among the travelingpublic." The full study is available at: www.depaul.edu/~chaddick.

"This study confirms that more Americans are choosing motorcoach travel as congestionworsens, delays and hassles become more prevalent, and environmental stewardship is top ofmind," said American Bus Association president and CEO Peter J. Pantuso.


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Module 3 #: Its all in the Story (mastering the theme)

7. When we refer to a tourism experience, one of the emerging considerations is theflavour imparted by its character. The flavour is influenced by the tourism image ofthe attraction, destination or the region. If we are lucky, the theme will flow from theexperiences natural attributes. Most times, however, tourism experience stagers mustinvest considerable efforts to developing the theme, breathing some life into it. This iswhere the storytelling techniques used in journalism can be useful in helping us come upwith original concepts lending themselves to exclusive story angles.

If you were to pitch a story idea to media representatives (from local, regional, national, specialized orniche outlets) to reach motivated consumers seeking relevant experiences, what theme(s) do you feel wouldcompel them most if you wanted to bring to their attention an agritourism experience you currently offeror are offering for the first time?


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Babymoon pregnant with possibility

Many expectant couples are packing their bags and taking one last vacation before the babyarrives. More than half of expectant couples take 'pre-baby' vacations for rest and relaxation,according to an article in USA Today. The travel industry is paying attention. Leading namesin travel and parenting now offer the first "Babymoon" vacation packages.

According to a recent survey by Liberty Travel (a large US travel agency) and BabyCenter,the most popular online resource for new and expectant parents, 59% of new parents havetaken a special vacation, or "Babymoon," that included an overnight stay away from home.

"Like Honeymoons, Babymoons have become another special vacation couples take andremember forever," noted Lisa Vachna, a Liberty Travel vacation specialist. "The surveyconfirmed how important this trip is for expectant couples, and also gave us insights on thespecial touches that are essential for a perfect Babymoon."

More than two million babymoons are taken by US parents-to-be each year, and 43% of

couples are looking for rest and relaxation, while 41% take this trip as 'one final getaway forjust us'. The survey also shows that 62% of Babymooners opt to do nothing or just relax,59% prefer to shop, and 48% prefer sightseeing. The average Babymoon takes place duringthe second trimester. Typically, the Babymoon is from two to four nights long. Moreinformation can be found atwww.babycenter.com.

Weddings: an MC&IT product?

When a city destination marketing organization (DMO) scores a two-day meeting of 100 ofthe top brass from a nationalorganization, it has to be a cause for celebration. But if youreally want to talk tourism, how about hosting a wedding!

Think about it. Two hundred guests, of whom 150 are relatives and friends from out oftown. Two days? That's no time at all; between rehearsals, stag and stagette parties, and giftopenings, these events can drag on for three, four, or even five days! Granted, some of theout-of-town guests stay with relatives, but a whole bunch book hotel rooms, eat atrestaurants, carouse at local watering holes, take scenic tours, and visit museums. And boy, dothey ever shop!

These conventions don't just happen in the cities, either. Many small towns and villagescount on revenue from hosting wedding festivities to support their community facilities;these events can mean tens of thousands of dollars to small-town halls every year. Some

entrepreneurs have taken it a step further: the historic Traveller's Hotel B&B in Langley, BC together another local heritage landmark, the Murrayville Hall has been specializing inhosting weddings for years.

It's big business to owner Wally Martin: "Ninety percent of our business has to do withweddings," he says, "and we don't even do the receptions. Even though our building hasalways been a hotel at 120 years, the oldest one in the province in fact our location isresidential, so we need to keep things quiet. We do some of the smaller ceremonies in our
http://www.babycenter.com/http://www.babycenter.com/http://www.babycenter.com/


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hotel, of course, but what we mainly do is provide accommodation for the bride and groomfor their wedding night, and perhaps for a mini-honeymoon."

The baby-boomer generation has a significant effect on the wedding business. "All of them(the boomers) settled down and had three kids, and now there is this incredible number of

those kids getting married, certainly in our area," says Martin. "We have a seeminglynever-ending stream; if you think of it in factory terms, from our area alone there are about1000 brides coming off the assembly line each year!"

"Weddings are a great catalyst to create tourism," he points out. "Guests take advantage oftravelling to a wedding to spend even a week or two exploring somewhere they might neverotherwise visit. In the tourism (research) world, they might easily be mis-identified as golfingtourists, or adventure tourists, or something else, but in fact, they are wedding tourists thatis the trip purpose."

Weddings are Martin's specialty, to be sure: "Another thing we do is host four bridal shows(www.langleybridalshow.com) each year. We get to see about 1000 brides each year, and thatpromotes what we do, along with the service providers with whom we work. Brides willtypically attend about four shows of this sort each; these shows you could call them tradeshows have also become a major business for us."

Martin finds the average number of guests at the weddings that make up his market is about150. He points out, however, that there are huge halls in his area that have been built toaccommodate much larger weddings, with as many as 1000 guests. Every culture has its ownwedding customs.

"We are outside the greater metropolitan area," says Martin. If we had to rely simply ontourists, we would shut our doors; general tourists want to be within walking distance of the

city attractions; nobody wants to go thirty miles out of the city for a place to stay. But, forus, weddings work: we're probably one of the few hotels which can make the claim that100% of their rooms are filled with newlyweds pretty much all summer long!"

The average bride may not like to think of her special day as being a tourism resource, but inmany ways, a wedding has all the components of the perfect storm for the MC&IT sector!

Refresh, develop, and invest, say tourism experts

Canadian tourism operators need to invest in higher-end, more unique experiences if theywant to compete successfully against emerging competition elsewhere in world, according to

comments included in an article by Geoffrey Scotton of the Calgary Herald (April 18, 2007).

"We need to make sure that we improve the quality of our tourism product," RockyMountaineer Vacations president and chief executive Peter Armstrong is quoted as saying inan address to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. "The No. 1 thing that we've learned isthat you can reinvent yourself and create a new product and gain huge dividends."

Armstrong also suggests Canada's tourism industry needs to invest in order to build excitingand inviting new experiences or risk continuing to lose market share and dollars to other


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countries and locales. Derek Coke-Kerr, executive director of Travel Alberta, is quoted assaying the industry does need to invest in a broader offering. "You can only market themountains so much," said Coke-Kerr. "The private sector needs to get significantly moreinvolved from an investment point of view in developing additional products (and)additional attractions."

More Asian women are travelling

The CanWest News Service reports Asian women are travelling more than ever before, citinga recent survey which found out of every 10 Asian Pacific travellers four are women.That figure used to be one in ten in the mid-1970s.

The news agency notes that in the past 12 months, 54% of Chinese women surveyed hadundertaken an international trip for personal reasons, compared to 47% of men, accordingto the MasterCard survey, Women Travellers of Asia Pacific.

The most active female travellers originate from wealthier places like Tokyo, Singapore,Taiwan, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul, and tend to have higher education levelsand higher disposable incomes. Don Birch, president of Abacus International, anAsia-Pacific travel service firm based in Singapore, is quoted as saying these women arerepresented across demographic segments: From the young to businesswomen to energeticgrandmothers, they're travelling more often and further solo, in pairs with their femalecompanions or as members of women-only interest groups," he said.

Boom in youth tourism expected

Young travellers aged 16-24 are the travel industrys fastest growing sector, according to newstatistics from the World Youth Student & Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE)reported in TravelVideo.TV (February 27,07). Representing over 20% of all internationalvisitors, WYSE said adventurous young backpackers stay longer, spend more, seek outalternative destinations and enjoy a wider mix of travel experiences compared with averagetourists. Not surprisingly they are increasingly being viewed as the future of global tourismby the travel industry.

According to Amsterdam-based WYSE, it has recently launched a partnership with theUnited Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Together they hope to promoteand develop this multi-billion pound industry by encouraging governments to activelysupport and develop youth tourism products and services.


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Module #4: Assembling the Lived Reportage

8. Perhaps you seek to develop an effective marketing tactic involving non-traditionalpartners, to leverage your collective resources to mutual benefit; perhaps it is anirresistible new agritourism product that you wish to develop. You will need to build yourthemed experience as series of events (moments) staged to illustrate and reinforce thefocus/theme of your story (or Lived Reportage).

Whether it is a festival, a packaged product experience, touring routes and itineraries thatyou wish to develop, an event-based approach will allow you come up with originalsolutions that take consumer expectations into account.

Please identify your targeted markets:

Describe the series of events that best illustrates your developing Lived Reportage:

List the intended distribution channels and potential points of sale:

How would you quantify the business value of this experience (or the customer equity) for consumers?

How would this offering contribute to your overall customer relationship management (CRM) strategy?

How would you motivate your value-chain links/partners to go the extra length in helping you stage this

experience? What value is in it for them?


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B&B's niche market astronomically successful

The planets and star systems of the tourism industry are realigning themselves in light ofcurrent pressures in the tourism universe, and it seems niche markets once the neglectedblack holes of the industry are increasingly assuming supernova status. Jack and AliceNewtons Observatory B&B is perhaps the most vivid expression of a new phenomenonindustry watchers say will only amplify with time.

Jack is a retired Marks & Spencer department store manager who has always nurtured apassion for astronomy. His observations are well documented among his network of peers.Alice and he had a dream of one day welcoming guests from around the world, with whomthey could share their knowledge of the skies. This is something we obviously love to do,says Alice. We find parents sometimes will look for holidays that will involve a science anglein which their children can participate, providing an opportunity for them to learn as afamily.

The Newtons looked for a place in Canada with a minimal amount of light pollution and

cloudless skies. They built on Anarchist Mountain in Osoyoos, BC, and created what couldwell be the only B&B destination of its kind. Picture a grand two-storey house on a hillside1,500 feet above the valley floor, fully-equipped with a 16-inch computer-controlledtelescope housed in a roof-top observatory. Even in daytime, Jack can view about 600 starswith his telescope.

A stay with us always includes an opportunity to scan the skies. Our guests even have achance to learn how to photograph their discoveries by registering for the optional imagingtutorial we offer, and they can take what they see through the telescope back home withthem on a CD-ROM; things like nebulae, galaxies and planets. We also offer morningobservations of the sun through H-alpha filters.

Jacks own collection of photography is an eloquent validation of this offerings quality.Visitors to the B&Bs website (www.jacknewton.com) can sample his vibrant images. Oncloudy evenings, Jack logs into the controls of one of a number of observatories around theworld that allow guest astronomers to make use of their facilities. There is always a clearsky somewhere," he quips. A giant home theatre screen at the B&B, complete with the latestaudio and viewing technology, then becomes the most luxurious of viewfinders.

This is the perfect example of the kind of tourism experience that differentiates itself fromanything else on the market. Jacks reputation in the field of astronomy precedes him andmakes for an irresistible drawing card in some circles. He has pioneered the field of amateurCCD (charged couple device) photography, especially the development of high resolution

tri-color imaging. Jacks photographs are well-known to readers of Astronomy, Sky &Telescope, and Sky News magazines. He is also a frequent contributor to other magazines,calendars and newspapers around the globe; his work has been featured in such publicationsas Newsweek, the Canadian Geographic Magazine, Photo Life, and The Audubon Society'sField Guide to the Night Sky. As author or co-author of a number of books on astronomy,his writings and images enjoy an international following.


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Jack is a popular lecturer who has been invited to present his stunning images at star partiesall over Canada and the US. In 1995 he traveled to southern England and Wales, where hespoke to more than 1,000 British Astronomical Society members during eleven lectures andworkshops on his marathon 21-day tour. His guiding experience includes leading solareclipse expeditions throughout the world to such distant locales as Russia, Indonesia andMexico. He headed a contingent of 300 enthusiasts to Peru to view Halleys Comet.

Jack and Alice were honoured to have Asteroid 30840 named Jackalice by the IAU(International Astronomical Union). To date, Jack has received credit on 17 supernovaediscoveries. No wonder people are willing to converge on the Observatory B&B, hopingperhaps to be with Jack and Alice when the next supernova comes around.

A fresh take on a prairie tradition

For many of us, a few years may have gone by since we attended our last barn dance, but afamily of Alberta entertainers has decided to provide a new dance experience to folks who

long for a chance to hit the planks again.

The Kunkels Great Canadian Barn Dance in Hill Spring, Alberta, is the anti-country clubin a way a no-nonsense, down home establishment in the middle of nowhere that hasgrown into one of the quirkiest family experiences in Canada. First inspired by his father,Lloyd, who started the place during the eighties, Trevor Kunkel is one of two brothers who,with their families, are gradually taking the reins of a business whose success is spreading likeprairie fire.

We have always entertained, he admits, as if thats what he was born to do. Dad started atan early age. We joined his band and we played in the Calgary area for a while. We then wentout on our own, while Dad continued as well. He was about to retire in 1985 when he cameup with the idea of doing barn dances something he used to do as a kid when everybodycame to the community dances on the prairies.

Fate tapped Lloyd on the shoulder on a day when the family was out working at a pancakebreakfast in Calgary. It came in the form of a stranger who introduced himself by saying:My name is Fred Brooks. I just bought Jack Adeys place north of Hill Spring. I have a barnthere and I dont know what to do with it.

His fathers eyes lit up, recalls Trevor. My Dad and Fred drove up to the barn it turns 94this year. There were still cows and horses in there. We offered to rent the barn; we cleaned itup a little and got going with the dances. The Kunkel family saw the potential right away:

200 people could fit in there. This gentleman had fixed up the floor, and his kids wereplaying basketball and roller-skating upstairs before we took it over. In 1991 we bought thebarn and about 30 acres that went with it.

Pretty soon people were phoning and showing up with RV rigs, asking if they could park inthe field overnight instead of driving back to the campground. This prompted the Kunkelsto add a 10-site campground. Now we are up to 90 sites. There is a little lake here where


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we go canoeing and do some row-boating. Initially we were running dances every Fridaynight in June, July and August."

"After a time, the landowner started to think things were getting a little too busy aroundhere, so he gave us his blessing to buy the rest of the property and 60 acres of land,"continues Trevor. We put cement down on the main floor where the stalls used to be. Wedivided it all up and put heating in, added a kitchen and a gift shop, and developed a nicelittle group area outside of the barn with two-seater swing chairs and benches overlookingthe lake. We started a bed and breakfast operation and built cottages as well.

The Kunkels kept busy with functions from May through October, with outdoor musicalfestivals in the summer and specialty dances in the fall. There were Cowboy Christmascelebrations, too. Weve been living here since 1998, so it became easier doing this full-time and adding dinner shows, confides Trevor Kunkel. Now my wife and my sons singand play in the dinner show. It has gone crazy.

When asked what it is about the quality of the experience presented by the Kunkel family

that makes them stand out, the discussion quickly turns to the conscious decision Lloydmade when he launched the operation: not to serve alcohol. His motivation may have beenreligious initially, explains Trevor (his father being of Latter Day Saints conviction), but whatcould have been a kiss of death for a dance hall has turned into a blessing: We have gainedmore business as a result of this decision. In the last 20 years, we have only had four peopledrive up and say, Oh! You dont serve any alcohol; we are out of here. The rest have beenvery happy."

Indeed, remaining true to oneself plays a big role at this operation. Looking after customerswith authenticity, while being innovative at the same time, are not mutually exclusive. Peoplecome; we feed them with our all-you-can-eat roast beef buffet. At 6:00 PM, Dad welcomes

them, gives the blessing on the food and they get in the buffet line and start eating. Afterdinner we do a little show with a few volunteers from the audience. People start giggling andlaughing; it just sets the tone for the night! At 7:00 PM, we send them upstairs and the dancelesson starts. They learn the basic line dance and the two-step. The hay wagon ride startsoutside the barn, and circles the lake. At 8:00 PM, we kick it in with the band and we playuntil about 11:30.

It was a gamble for the Kunkels; any operation needs a critical mass of guests to be viable,and Hill Spring is not exactly the centre of the universe. But the propertys appeal isundeniable: It is just amazing. We are in the middle of nowhere, but we are in some ways in the middle of everything with three World Heritage Sites nearby and a world-classcarriage museum. The kids are really over-stimulated these days, so just going back to thebasics is soothing for them. We bring everybody under one roof, feed them and play somehappy dancing music. They get to enjoy each others company. That is what we have doneand people see the transformation in their kids."

Reaching the kids is a big item, but the barn dances reach out to everyone. "We are reachingthe seniors who like to relive the old days, too," he continues. "We reach everybody. Mumand Dad can just relax because they know it is a safe place, and that is what keeps them


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coming back. It is kind of like going back to Uncle Jacks farm for a family reunion, butwithout the family!

Lighthouse Picnics: fresh take on a timeless tradition

When a tourism product captures the simple pleasures of life in a coastal town ofNewfoundland and Labrador like Ferrylands Lighthouse Picnics, a site visit can be almostlike a revelation.

Four years ago, Jill Curran and Sonia OKeefe embarked on a bold project. They startedoperating a scenic picnic business at the old Ferryland lighthouse, about an hour south of St.Johns. The lighthouse dates back to 1870 and is still operational, though it has beenautomated since 1970. For a whole century, it was staffed by families who lived in theintegrated quarters built for two households; the lighthouse is a timeless shelter in aformidable landscape.

Here lies one of the most dramatic views on the Avalon Peninsula, ever-

changing as youwalk along the Downs. On most summer days a variety of whales can be seen off FerrylandHead. During our very first year in 2003, we operated completely outside the building. Atthe time, we used to cook at Ferryland, drive ourselves out here, and set up a stand,umbrellas, baskets, the whole works. It raised a few eyebrows, admits Jill Curran. Peopleused to say you are giving up your full-time job to do what? It went really well. We didnteven have to advertise, which is another great secret of success.

Just getting there is a bit of an experience in itself. After a 25-minute hike along a well-usedtrack, lined on both sides with spectacular rocky shores, you arrive at the lighthouse. Peoplecome in, identify themselves and look at what we have on offer. We have a limited menu, butwe change it every day to add new desserts and things. We use only the freshest localproducts, and where possible, we use organic and Fairtrade products. All the bread is madehere, the lemonade, everything. Guests are given a picnic blanket and a flag. There are booksthey can take with them to read while they wait for their lunch, and they just find a spot andsit down. We get their lunch ready and deliver it right to them.

The flags are a customers idea. The word 'customer' sounds too formal, because the manypeople who have supported our business have become friends. This particular friend, whocomes here all the time, said girls, you need a system. As you can see there are no tablesnumbered 1 to 5. She suggested that we use a color-coded system. We needed to give clientssomething to identify them by because it was getting ridiculous. We used to write down:couple with two childrenone child has pink coat. We were spending a lot of time writing

down detailed descriptions. She suggested we use the signal flags. So we now use them asmarkers and it works with the lighthouse theme. We identify the picnic parties by the flagsand match them up with their order.

Lighthouse Picnics has become the talk of the tourism industry in St. Johns tradedevelopment circles, mostly because of the authentic character of this fresh new offering. Itis not surprising, given the operations almost overnight success.


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The word started spreading, recalls Jill Curran. That winter of 2003, we startedrenovating the lighthouse dwelling. The building had been closed for 21 years and it neededfloors and walls and had never had running water. Luckily we hired a really good contractorwho kind of oversaw the project for us. We opened in May of 2004 and we have hadtremendous support from the community. Since we opened, people have been giving uspictures of themselves at this site over the years, and we have recovered artifacts from thelighthouse that had been stored in local homes. They are all on display for our visitors; weare trying to capture some of the social history around the role the lighthouse played inpeoples lives here in Ferryland.

It is worth noting that Curran and her partner have obviously touched on a fundamentalaspect of life in a region where picnics are a timeless ritual. The picnic idea is a verytraditional thing in lots of societies, but particularly in Newfoundland. Whether duringSunday gatherings, or while people are out picking berries, cutting wood, fishing andhunting, people have always had this time when they just stopped to cook and sit down andenjoy the food and each others company. We have just put in a twist on a really old idea, andmarrying that with a beautiful location makes for a nice day for most people.

Much credit should go to both young women for having the foresight to believe the picnicexperience could be commercialized in a way that is genuinely value-added in a mannerthat eloquently makes picnics more accessible than they ever were for tourists. Jill stronglybelieves in this: It has been our commitment from day one. This operation used to be justthe two of us; in peak summer season, we now have about nine people who work with us.We are still committed to high quality food and a quality experience. (It's) not just running inand grabbing your food; it is more like come sit down and enjoy the ocean, enjoy the whalesand relax. That is the whole concept behind what we do.

As with all great ideas, the production of the picnics is quite demanding, Jill confides: Wehave to bring in our food, bring out our garbage. If our well goes dry we have to bring out

water for the well to wash dishes. We bring in all our drinking water and other supplies. Imonly 5 feet 2 inches so I have had to become very strong!

"It is a lot of work. We were here this morning at about 6:00 trying to get bread risingbecause we knew we would be busy today, and I had to pick up some last-minute supplieslast night and we were here until midnight. You have to really love what you do to be thatcommitted to your business. We are always learning, every single day."

I suspect that some of the people who come out to the Ferryland Lighthouse are drawn asmuch by the prospect of meeting some of the finest ambassadors of Newfoundland andLabradors cultural heritage as they are by the food and the scenery. Their business venture istruly an inspiration.

Elmhirsts Resort: ahead of the curve with local flavour

Few have been as committed to Canadas tourism industry as Peter Elmhirst. He has servedon the boards of the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Tourism industry Association ofCanada and the Canadian Tourism Research Institute. The impression one gets from runninginto him at industry events is a sense of modest eminence and solid know-how; this chap


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has turned Elmhirsts Resort into one of the signature establishments of Ontarios LakeCountry. His sons, Greg and Stephen, look after the operation now, while his partner, AnneMarshall, sends him to the plate to share some of the accumulated wisdom of his longcareer.

I am sort of relegated to farming, flying and fixing these days, he points out, as heacknowledges how blessed he and his family have been to have operated their resort on theshores of Rice Lake for over 100 years. He sees himself, more than anything else, as thesteward or the custodian of a fabulous resource.

Youd like to think that what you have accomplished is the result of some master plan, butin fact, you end up realizing that you have spent your entire career on the balls of your feet,trying to respond to a rapidly changing industry," admits Elmhirst. "My sense is that very fewpeople would be able to say: I foresaw 30 or 40 years ago the way things would be today. Inour case, we have been handed an opportunity by previous generations, and ourresponsibility is to leave the business as healthy as possible for folks in the next generation totake it on and give it their own stamp.

Elmhirst's overriding philosophy is the need to ensure that the property be it home orresort is as appealing as it can be for guests. You dont look at every piece of space andsay: can I put a trailer park there? There are four generations of the family living on theproperty today, and the bulk of it has been farmed by our family for generations."

Now the farm serves the clientele: We have quite a large riding stable, and we keepClydesdales for horse drawn-rides. But the most significant part of the farming operation byfar is centered around the fact that the beef you eat at our restaurants has been bred, born,raised and finished on our property. The only time the animal actually leaves the farm is togo to a government-approved slaughterhouse, where we witness the cutting of every singlebeef animal. The meat is not even taken out of the cooler after aging unless the chef, or I, or

my son are there. That is quite a commitment.

Not only do the Elmhirsts keep over 50 head of registered Black Angus cattle on theproperty, they take the whole notion of featuring local or Canadian products to new heights:This is very much where peoples minds are today. It goes hand-in-hand with our winecellar, where we only offer Canadian wines, and wines that are not available to peoplethrough the normal distribution channels. A lot of people thought we were sticking our neckout a long way when we went with an all-Canadian wine cellar here a few years ago. But theresponse has been absolutely fantastic. Not everyone goes away saying they have had the bestwine they have ever had, but a lot of people say: now I know when I am shopping for winesthat I dont need to buy an imported product. This also allows international guests to get the

opportunity to taste Canadian wine, rather than something they can get at home.This commitment to local production goes further: the resort is even equipped with a cornboiler which is used to heat the main building and swimming pool. We are able to purchasecorn from local farmers who are looking for new markets, Elmhirst notes. We also heatwith soy straw in the fall. This is unique and ties the philosophy together. And, manybusiness people come to see the boiler system and speak with Elmhirst about its pros andcons before making a purchasing decision.


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Ahead of the curve always

It is hard to talk about Elmhirsts Resort without mentioning Anne Marshalls contribution.Although this article is a celebration of Peter Elmhirst's accomplishments, you will get asense of how valuable a role Marshall plays from the way she talks about her partner:

Peter has, over the years, developed the European market before it was fashionable to doso, sold fly-in wilderness experiences to Europeans and Americans, offered fly-in polar bearviewing trips to the shore of Hudson Bay, and developed ATV tours and snowmobile safarisin an area with inconsistent snow. He has travelled across the country on his snowmobile,looked for remote Canadian rivers to paddle, and takes many Europeans on their first tripacross Canada by small aircraft; he seems to be ahead of the pack in all areas.

A few years ago Peter became aware that more and more people want to know where theirfood comes from," continues Marshall. So free range chickens became a part of the resort,which is great for kids and allows people to eat fresh eggs daily in the dining room. Ourgardens produce heirloom tomatoes, fresh vegetables and herbs, so we carry on the

commitment to fresh and from the land. It sounds simple but it creates a philosophy andmeets the needs of a new travel market at the same time.

Marshall's words highlight a little of the mutual admiration and inspiration and thecommon voice that emerges through Elmhirsts views:

We have tried to keep our property as close to the land and to traditional values aspossible, he explains. We very much feature the rest of Canada as a part of our productoffering; our high-end custom-air programs, right across Canada, are staged right from ourlakefront, and help give all our customers a taste of what we are about (even if that kind ofexperience is out of reach for the vast majority of them).

Adapting to the curves always

Elmhirst recalls that what he bought from his parents in the early seventies was a fishingcamp catering to blue-collar Americans, with 15 summer-only cottages. By the late 70s, itbecame apparent to me that operating the business as it had been operated for the past twoor three decades was unlikely to be sustainable for the next three. So we had to expand ourofferings enormously, changing from summer-only to year-round and introducing foodservice."

"At that time our clientele was not interested in restaurants or a year-round operation. Theywere interested in fishing and that was it. So that meant going to new markets and going to

Europe, 25 years ago, and trying to introduce the resort product to a market that was not inany way familiar with us. In 1979, our gross annual sales were 98% US dollars, and I donthave a number yet on this year, but that amount will likely be less than 5% of our grossannual sales.

In fairness, our annual sales now comprise fall, winter and spring, which was not a part ofthe business in 1979. It has a large food, beverage, and conference component. We still havea significant number of Americans in the few weeks during the summer, but they are greatly


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outnumbered by the British, for example. So all of the growth in the business has been fromareas where we did not traditionally draw our customers. Was it part of a grand vision? No!But it was part of the realization that things change and unless we change with them, and tryto interpret the trends and customer demand, then we are going to quickly be left behind.

Elmhirst has a knack for interpreting even the less obvious trends. For example, he could seean increased interest in the discovery of local cheeses: The resort established a cheese cellarand we now have about 15 artisan cheeses on our menu. There is a huge growth in that."And you have to know when to quit: "On the other hand we had jet-skis 5 or 6 years agoand they have been off our program now for three years because they had their time. Youdont want to over-commit to anything because things change too quickly.

He admits he has been fortunate through the experience and travels in the service oftourism organizations have taught him. One of the things I have learned is that it is easierto see what is coming, than it is to see what is going. If you care to participate, there is a lotof information out there, but dont expect anybody to mail it to you; you have to mine ityourself.

And he has. Peter Elmhirst looks to the future for inspiration and information, and hasinspired and informed a generation of tourism business people along the way.


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Some very useful agritourism publications available online for free:

Agritourism: An Economic Opportunity for IllinoisRural Research Report, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairshttp://www.iira.org/pubsnew/publications/IIRA_RRR_577.pdf

Agri-Tourism Workbook: Guide to Discovering New Ways to Build a SuccessfulAgriculture Business Through Direct Farm MarketingAgri-Business Council of Oregonhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdf

Considering an Agritainment Enterprise in Tennessee?Agricultural Extension Service, University of Tennesseehttp://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1648.pdf

Consumer Demand for Agricultural and On-Farm Nature Tourism

University of California Small Farm Centerhttp://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/agtourbrief013006.pdf

Cultural Heritage TourismNational Trust for Historic Preservationhttp://vision3.com/stuff/culturalHeritage/site/stories.htm

Cultural Heritage Tourism Practical Applications. A Guide to Help Arizonas History andHeritage Institutions Develop Heritage-Based Tourism AttractionsArizona Humanities Councilhttp://azhumanities.org/pdf/chtwrkbk.pdf

Defining Tomorrows Tourism Product: Packaging ExperiencesCanadian Tourism Commissionhttp://www.tirc.gov.yk.ca/pdf/TommorowsTourismProductPackagingTAMS.pdf

Preserving Our Past Through Heritage Tourism: Developing a Heritage IndustryUtah Division of State Historyhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdf

Taking the First Step: Farm and Ranch Alternative Enterprise and Agritourism ResourceEvaluation GuideSouthern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Board

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/RESS/altenterprise/FirstSteps.pdf

Western Profiles of Innovative Agricultural Marketing: Examples from Direct FarmMarketing and Agri-Tourism EnterprisesWestern Extension Marketing Committee, Cooperative Extension, University of Arizonahttp://cals.arizona.edu/arec/wemc/westernprofiles.html
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/wemc/westernprofiles.htmlhttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/RESS/altenterprise/FirstSteps.pdfhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdfhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdfhttp://www.tirc.gov.yk.ca/pdf/TommorowsTourismProductPackagingTAMS.pdfhttp://azhumanities.org/pdf/chtwrkbk.pdfhttp://vision3.com/stuff/culturalHeritage/site/stories.htmhttp://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/agtourbrief013006.pdfhttp://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1648.pdfhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdfhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdfhttp://www.iira.org/pubsnew/publications/IIRA_RRR_577.pdfhttp://cals.arizona.edu/arec/wemc/westernprofiles.htmlhttp://cals.arizona.edu/arec/wemc/westernprofiles.htmlhttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/RESS/altenterprise/FirstSteps.pdfhttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/RESS/altenterprise/FirstSteps.pdfhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdfhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdfhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdfhttp://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/general_information/documents/htplan.pdfhttp://www.tirc.gov.yk.ca/pdf/TommorowsTourismProductPackagingTAMS.pdfhttp://www.tirc.gov.yk.ca/pdf/TommorowsTourismProductPackagingTAMS.pdfhttp://azhumanities.org/pdf/chtwrkbk.pdfhttp://azhumanities.org/pdf/chtwrkbk.pdfhttp://vision3.com/stuff/culturalHeritage/site/stories.htmhttp://vision3.com/stuff/culturalHeritage/site/stories.htmhttp://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/agtourbrief013006.pdfhttp://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/agtourbrief013006.pdfhttp://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1648.pdfhttp://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1648.pdfhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdfhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdfhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdfhttp://www.aglink.org/members/programs/agritourismbook/Agri-Tourism%20Workbook.pdfhttp://www.iira.org/pubsnew/publications/IIRA_RRR_577.pdfhttp://www.iira.org/pubsnew/publications/IIRA_RRR_577.pdf

How to Package and Market Irresistible Agritourism ExperiencesWorkbook

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