BROUGHT TO YOU BY

TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

PROMOTING AND ADVANCING THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

IN THIS ISSUEPresident's View ............................. 2Executive Director's Report .......... 3TIAPEI Annual Golf Extravaganza ...4What's New at ACTP / Energy Savings .............................. 5Professional Certification Milestone / The Importance of Orientation ................................. 6On-Line Visitor Satisfaction Program ........................7

Occupancy Reporting .................... 8Restructuring at the CTC .............. 9Make Trip Advisor Work for Your Tourism Business ........... 10

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION:Imageworks Communication Group 118 Sydney Street, 2nd floor Charlottetown, PEI C1A 1G4 (902) 894.7071 www.iwpei.com

PUBLISHED BY TIAPEI25 Queen Street, 3rd FloorP.O. Box 2050, Charlottetown, PECanada C1A 7N7Phone: (902) 566-5008 Toll-free: 1-866-566-5008 Fax: (902) 368-3605 Toll-free fax: 1-877-368-3605

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�ank you to all ofour clients for being the

key to our success.

AUGUST 2010

TourismTides

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

DEAR TOURISM OPERATORS:

I hope your summer is going well and your fall season is looking strong. It is wonderful to see so many activities happening across PEI. I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past few weeks touring various areas of this great Province and, in doing so, one thing is very obvious: Tourism is everywhere! It is in every city and town, fishing port and rural community. I urge you all, when you have the opportunity, to visit your fellow tourism operators and experience PEI like a visitor. It will be well worth the time you take.

Each year there are reams and reams of research and evaluations done covering subjects such as visitor numbers, visitor origins, visitor spending, travel motivators and guest expectations and services. All of this valuable information is available to be used, not only for marketing purposes, but is very useful for you as an operator to help you understand who your customer is, what services and amenities they are looking for and what they thought of their experience.

For the most part, this research is being done for your benefit to assist you in making your business the best it can be. I believe it is very important that you take advantage of this great work. This research can be found in several locations such as the ACTP website at www.actp-

PRESIDENT'S VIEW

DEAR TIAPEI MEMBERS AND FELLOW TOURISM OPERATORS:

By the time this edition of Tourism Tides goes to print and arrives in your mailboxes July will have flown by and we will be fast approaching Old Home Week. All of the planning we did over the winter is hopefully paying dividends and our rooms, stores and attractions are filled with visitors eager to enjoy the “Gentle Island” experience.

As I write this column, the Festival of Small Halls, Charlottetown Summerfest, Cavendish Beach Music Festival and “Live! With Regis and Kelly” have just wrapped up, along with a number of smaller festivals and events, and the reports I hear from all sources give glowing reviews of these events. It was great to see the Small Halls return this year to sold out shows and enthusiastic audiences.

PEI has an abundance of great talent and unique venues and it is wonderful to know this great showcase for both will be returning in 2011.

Summerfest, with featured act Cirque de Soleil, filled Confederation Landing Park with families over the Canada Day weekend. Efforts are on-going to develop a permanent festival site and with Cirque booked to return for the next two years and a wide variety of entertainment and activities for all ages, festival organizers’ new focus on the family market has gotten off to a tremendous start.

The Cavendish Beach Music Festival’s second year was, by all accounts, a major success. With top headliners Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum drawing large crowds, this Festival is quickly becoming a must-attend event for country music lovers from across Canada and the US. The event continues to evolve and grow with this year’s addition of a day featuring ECMA artists and upgrades to the concert grounds, including the new permanent stage, and many people will be eagerly awaiting

the announcements for next summer’s Festival line-up.

The funding for the “Live! With Regis and Kelly” shows by the Province of PEI and the Federal Government were and continue to be a hotly debated topic of conversation. Now that the shows have aired, the impact of this investment into

our industry and our Province can be measured and evaluated. TIAPEI continually

urges Government to increase investment and develop innovative marketing initiatives that increase our brand awareness on the global market. In the weeks prior to the taping of the shows, PEI was heavily promoted both on the “Live!” shows and in the national media and the exposure we received during the broadcasts was wonderful. For four days, PEI was the focus of attention for millions of television viewers watching and listening to Regis and Kelly rave about their PEI experiences. This is exactly the kind of hype and awareness PEI needs to expand our presence in North American markets and it is expected that the Tourism industry will benefit from

this investment through new visitation from consumers who first heard about us from Regis and Kelly.

Many festivals and events are on the schedule in the upcoming weeks; the weather has been good and business seems to be on the rise. The Flavours Trail will draw visitors to our Island well into the fall season and cruise ship visitation runs to the end of October.

We, as an industry, must strive to improve our existing product, expand with new offerings and continue to grow and improve. The traditions and culture on our Island that draws visitors to our shores will be enhanced by the careful use of innovation and increased professionalism on the part of our operators and their employees. By improving the old, building on the new and thinking outside the box when it comes to marketing PEI and our own individual operations, tourism on PEI will grow and flourish. By working together for the future we can all succeed.

I hope 2010 is proving to be a success for all of our operators and welcome your comments and suggestions at any time.

Thom MacMillanPresident

ptca.ca, the Tourism Research Center website at www.trc.upei.ca and the TIAPEI website at www.tiapei.pe.ca .

Continuing on with the information-gathering theme, the Atlantic Canada Tourism Caucus – a Committee formed by the Executive Directors of the four Atlantic Provinces’ Tourism Industry Associations – together with ACOA and the four Provincial Departments of Tourism, have developed a new opportunity for accommodations operators. The Visitor Satisfaction Program for Accommodation Operators in Atlantic Canada allows individuals to rate their experience at accommodations throughout Atlantic Canada and operators to learn more about their individual strengths and weaknesses, what was important to the guest in choosing the particular accommodation and what influenced their decision-making.

Since the program was launched in August 2008 there have been over 160 operator participants from across the region and almost 6000 online surveys completed and operator feedback provided.

The goal of the project over the next 3 years is to have 650 properties participating. The Atlantic Canada Coordinator is John Cudmore and the PEI Sales Representative is TIAPEI’s Rod Clark. For more detailed information please contact them directly at either jcudmore@avsp.ca or rclark@tiapei.pe.ca . Wouldn’t you like to know what your guests are thinking about their stay with you?

TIAPEI’s Cultural Heritage Committee continues to meet and work towards 2011 with an invigorated focus on our cultural heritage product. The

Forever Anne Committee is active and seeking new innovative and exciting ways to keep the phenomenon of Anne of Green Gables and Lucy Maud Montgomery at the forefront with potential visitors. The Trade and Leisure Committee continues to meet and deliver on its mandate to advance and market our product to group tours, the cruise industry, meeting and conventions and, more recently, the individual traveller (FIT). Keep an eye on the TIAPEI website for an upcoming educational session from this Committee in late

fall of 2010. As well,

the Trade and Leisure Committee is involved with this year’s Atlantic Canada

Showcase, which is an important marketplace for operators involved in the group travel and FIT markets. With a ratio of 2 sellers to every buyer, this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your product. ACS will be held in Halifax NS October 17-19 and further information can be accessed on their website at www.atlanticcanadashowcase.com .

There is lots happening across PEI this summer and lots of work still to be done. Your Association and its many volunteers are working hard to be the voice of tourism on PEI and advocate for innovation and programs to improve the tourism industry. Please don’t hesitate to contact myself, President Thom MacMillan or any of the staff at TIAPEI if you have a concern or if we can be of any assistance. Enjoy the rest of the season!

Respectfully submitted,Don Cudmore,Executive Director

CORE STAFF:

Don Cudmore Executive Director dcudmore@tiapei.pe.ca

Colleen Bowes Co-ordinator Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership actp@tiapei.pe.ca

Kelley Keefe Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership UK Program Manager kkeefe@tiapei.pe.ca

Jamie Vander Kooi Technology Resource Coordinator jamie@tiapei.pe.ca

Dianne Bishop Executive Assistant & Board Secretary tiapei@tiapei.pe.ca

Lynn Dunphy Financial Administrator ldunphy@tiapei.pe.ca

TRAINING & EDUCATION:

Kathy Livingstone Director of Training & Education klivingstone@tiapei.pe.ca

Lori DesRoches Administrative Assistant ldesroches@tiapei.pe.ca

Rod Clark Marketing Co-ordinator rclark@tiapei.pe.ca

Andrea Boehner HR Advisor aboehner@tiapei.pe.ca

Debbie Mol Tourism Employment & Education Coordinator dmol@tiapei.pe.ca

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President Thom MacMillan

Vice President Elaine Thomson

Secretary Phil Wood

Treasurer Robbie Shaw

Past-President Adam Doiron

Executive Director Don Cudmore

Members at Large: Kevin Mouflier, Ed McKenna

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Anderson Charlene BelsherCathy Bullied Darcy ButlerSusan Cameron George CampbellRoxanne CarmodyMark Carr-Rollitt Kent CrokenLiam DolanMaurice GallantDavid Groom Barrie Harris

Mary KendrickLeslie Kwiatkowski Tyson MacInnisRhonda MailletSheri Lee McKennaDon ReidMark Rodd Doreen SarkGlenn SaundersErskine SmithAmanda StewartBarb TrainorDarrin White

“Tourism is...in every city and town,

fishing port and rural community.”

"PEI was heavily promoted...and the

exposure we received...was wonderful."

NEWLY CERTIFIED

Joan LundHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Rhonda KendallHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Jane WhitlockHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Roseanne SherranHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Darlene DoucetteHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Pauline PineauHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Constance CullenHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Maureen MacDonald Housekeeping Room

Attendant

Shannon RaynerHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Winnifred VillardHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Sherry CornectHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Shelly BrownHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Samantha JohnsonHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Amanda McGuiganHousekeeping Room

Attendant

Mark GregoryFood & Beverage Manager

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TIAPEI ANNUAL GOLF

EXTRAVAGANZAFriday, October 1st, 2010

Belvedere Golf Club, Charlottetown

12:00PM SHOTGUN START!

SAVE THE DATE!Friday, October 1st will be the date for this year’s TIAPEI Golf Extravaganza, so mark your calendars and book time off! Get practicing your golf swing!

TIAPEI is getting in the swing of things and preparing for our Annual Golf Extravaganza!

Like other years, the Golf Extravaganza will be a fun-filled event, with great prizes, great food and great opportunities for networking!

We are still working out the details, but this is sure to be one of the Tourism Industry’s events of the year!

Stay tuned for exciting updates.

For sponsorship opportunities, prize table donations, or to register, please contact

Rod Clark, emerit & Marketing Coordinator

902-566-5008rclark@tiapei.pe.ca

Atlantic Canada Media Campaign in Full Swing in the UK

The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP) has contracted KBC PR & Marketing for media relations services in the UK for 2010. This is the second year that ACTP will be working with the UK-based public relations firm to raise the profile of Atlantic Canada among UK travelers. KBC appeals to our target market through both traditional and new media, which offer valuable third-party endorsement of the region as a top vacation destination.

Public relations activities in the year ahead include: visits to Atlantic Canada by influential UK travel writers, a signature Atlantic Canada media event in the UK, HTML newsletters, press releases and story generation. Our brand, “Atlantic Canada: Awaken to the Rhythm of the Sea” is prominent in all media activities in the UK.

The UK is considered to be the overseas market with the highest potential return on investment. Public relations is one part of the overall marketing strategy in the UK, which also includes direct-to-consumer and travel trade promotions.

Atlantic Canada Tourism Products Gaining Exposure!

ACTP is working diligently to enhance awareness of Atlantic Canada’s diverse tourism product in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Hawkins International PR (HIPR), ACTP’s in-market PR Agency, continues to keep abreast of new tourism product in the region. Two representatives from the company recently visited the area in an effort to increase their knowledge.

Together, HIPR and ACTP implement an integrated PR approach involving press releases, media appointments, press trips and on-going media

relations. The approach is proving very successful. We have already garnered valuable coverage in publications such as The New York Times, Travel and Leisure, Wall Street Journal and Every Day with Rachael Ray, to name a few. Advertising in such publications can be costly. Articles that appear as a result of ACTP’s media relations efforts will be a real boost for tourism operators in the region.

Efforts continue with key media traveling to the region to experience firsthand our unique culture, rich history, pristine environment and legendary hospitality. Writers and editors representing publications such as the Sherman’s Travel, Newsweek Magazine, The New York Times and Cooking Light are visiting the area this summer to explore the unexplored, experience the abundance of recreational activities and enjoy our exquisite cuisine.

Word is spreading that

Atlantic Canada offers Americans an extraordinary vacation opportunity and this type of favorable media coverage will expose Atlantic Canada to millions of potential visitors.

The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership – Who We Are

The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership is a nine-member pan-Atlantic partnership consisting of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the four tourism industry associations in Atlantic Canada and the four provincial departments responsible for tourism in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. ACTP has been in place since 1991 and is dedicated to promoting Atlantic Canada as a tourism destination of choice in key American and international markets. For more information, visit www.actp-ptca.ca

What's New at ACTP - May 2010

Energy Savings

SUPERIOR PROPANE is pleased to announce a new benefit that will provide TIAPEI members with competitive pricing to make it affordable to run an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly business.A unique pricing structure as well as a preventative

maintenance service program is available for year round and seasonal businesses.   Please contact 1-87SUPERIOR and you will be put in touch with your local Territory Account Manager. www.superiorpropane.com

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The Tourism Industry Associa-tion of PEI (TIAPEI) is pleased to announce the complete team of employees from the Housekeeping Department of the Rodd Charlotte-town Hotel, including Executive Housekeeper, Carmella Sheehan, has achieved emerit National Certification Credentials. TIAPEI commends Rodd Hotels & Resorts for their commitment to National Standards and employee profes-sionalism.

“We are extremely pleased that the entire housekeeping staff of the Rodd Charlottetown has obtained their professional certification. We at Rodd Hotels and Resorts strongly believe in emerit national standards, training and Professional Certification. It is a great tool for helping our employees maintain our high standards for exceptional guest service, and aids in employee retention, productivity and overall morale”, says Mary Lou MacFar-lane, Human Resources Manager

for Rodd Hotels and Resorts. Rodd Hotels & Resorts is Atlantic Canada's largest privately-owned hotel chain with 10 properties throughout the Maritimes.

emerit has been developed by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) in collaboration with tourism indus-try professionals. It has become synonymous with excellence, credibility, and professionalism in the Canadian tourism sector. When individuals meet emerit standards, they rank among the most excep-tional in the tourism sector. When individuals are emerit-certified, they are the best they can be.

emerit Professional Certification is the pinnacle recognition in the Canadian tourism industry.  It is awarded when an employee dem-onstrates that they have mastered the required skills and met the standards of their profession in a practical job setting. This includes

writing an examination proving their knowledge of the occupation, followed by an evaluation in a real-world setting to demonstrate their

mastery of the practical skills. Pro-fessional Certification is available for 25 occupations in the tourism industry.

Rodd Charlottetown Hotel Employees Reach Professional Certification MilestoneOn-Line Visitor Satisfaction ProgramSign Up Now for the

The Atlantic Visitor Satisfaction Program, in partnership with your Tourism Industry Association, ACOA and the four departments of tourism in Atlantic Canada, is accepting participants for its Visitors Satisfaction Program for accommodation and campground operators in Atlantic Canada. Operators pay an annual modest participation fee ($50.00 to $100.00). Unique to this program is the amount of information available to each operator on the reporting site on “how you are doing” and as well, “how you are doing compared to other operators in your region, province and throughout Atlantic Canada”. Check out the guest survey at www.visiteatlanticvisit.com access code 2500000000. Early results are having our operators

make comments such as:“After only 6 weeks we have already been given good management feedback. We look at the reporting site religiously.”

—Mike Murphy, The Great George, Charlottetown

“Any feedback we get is a chance to improve and any chance we get to improve is better for our business.”

—Diane Maher, Comfort Inn, New Glasgow“…responses are coming back fabulous…it’s really good input for us to know what’s important for our guests."

—Ann Pilon, A Charming Victorian B and B, Sydney

There are 100 spots available to operators from Prince Edward Island for the period ending March 31, 2011. Don’t miss your opportunity to gather valuable feedback

and scoring information from your guests.Register now for the

On-Line Visitors Satisfaction Program 2010

Download your Prince Edward Island Participation Form at

www.visitorsatisfactionatlantic.ca or contact:

Rod Clark TIAPEI

Phone: 902-566-5008, ext. 108rclark@tiapei.pe.ca

OR

John Cudmore, Project CoordinatorVisitor Satisfaction Program

Phone: 902-370-8680jcudmore@avsp.ca Front Row L-R, Roseanne Sherran, Pauline Pineau, Jane Whitlock, Darlene

Doucette, Back Row L-R, Cheryl Hennessey, Carmella Sheehan, Flora Ferguson, Pam Ross, Darlene Wisner, Angela MacKinnon, Mary Lou MacFarlane

The Importance of OrientationHi, my name is Janice, and I was a front desk agent in a busy downtown hotel. I was hired in April, 2010, a perfect time for me and my employer as the summer season was approaching and it wasn’t too busy. This gave me time to learn the ropes before things got too hectic…or so I thought.My first few weeks proved to be confusing, chaotic and awkward. There was no “Welcome Aboard!” or even formal introductions to other employees. I didn’t know who was who, or what the other jobs were all about, which made me confused and embarrassed when clients/customers would ask me.I was never given a tour of the hotel, and had to find my way around by asking others, or figuring it out on my own. This made me feel incompetent and uncomfortable.

I was never advised on what the company’s values were or its history. This made me look inept when a customer asked, “How long has this hotel been in business? Has it gone through any renovations over the years?” I didn’t have an answer.After two months of working, it was June 1st and I still didn’t feel like I was “part of the team”, so I resigned. If there had been a proper orientation program in place to welcome me and help me familiarize myself, I wouldn’t have felt so unwelcomed, incompetent and confused. A creative and well organized orientation program is essential in retaining employees. It is important that new employees feel welcomed, are introduced to all departments and co-workers as well as given an extensive tour of the property to ensure they know exactly where

everything is located. An orientation program can last as long as 2 months and the new employee should feel a part of the team, and not like “the new person” by the end of those 2 months. Bottom line, if you don’t effectively orient your new employees to your company, you may lose them! Contact Andrea Boehner, HR Advisor at 566-5008, or email aboehner@tiapei.pe.ca for your FREE Orientation Program!

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Easy come. Easy go.

Your direct route to Toronto.

www.flypei.com

With two carriers, taking your family to Toronto is now easier than ever. Direct service to Toronto gives you more time to ride to the top of the CN Tower, catch a game at the Rogers Centre, interact with an Ontario Science Centre exhibit, meet a monkey at the Toronto Zoo,

spend a day at Canada’s Wonderland, explore Casa Loma, and shop the Eaton Centre.

Visiting Toronto with your family has never been easier.

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On Friday, July 16, the Ca-nadian Tourism Commission announced a long-expected shift in direction for the organization in order to better serve Canada's tourism sector. This organization restructuring comes as a result of cuts to the core budget of the CTC, as well as the sunsetting of a number of project-based fund-ing initiatives.

Among the changes that the CTC is undertaking through this process are:

• Ceasing to invest in direct-to-consumer advertising in the United States, and ceding the way to other Canadian des-tinations which are already invested in this area.

• Centralization of resources to ensure the affordability of CTC's international opera-

tions. This includes using the London office as the regional hub for the traditional mar-kets of UK, France, Germany and Australia, and supple-menting in-market efforts with the assistance of General Sales Agents.

• Making use of resources at the CTC Vancouver Head-quarters as the regional office for new and emerging tour-ism markets (Korea, China, India and Brazil), as well as for markets in transition (Japan and Mexico).

This focus shift is in line with the plan initially presented to TIAC's Board of Directors in May of 2010. It is disappoint-ing for TIAC and for Canada's tourism sector that the CTC was compelled to make these difficult choices, but we

fully support the Commis-sion's restructuring as a rational business response to maximize impact within a diminished funding model.

TIAC believes that the CTC is making appropriate choices in where they are choosing to refo-cus their energies and redeploy their resources. That said, we must chart a long-term commit-ment to reinvestment in selling Canada as a destination around the world. The competitiveness challenges facing the sector are mounting.

According to the UNWTO, Canada dropped from 7th to 15th in terms of international tourist arrivals between 2002 and 2009. TIAC believes that Canada is losing competitive ground in the global tourism marketplace. If Canada is to

compete in the global tourism market, and make the most of the opportunities in one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, we will need a strong marketing voice.

TIAC continues to support the Canadian Tourism Com-mission in their work as our national marketing organiza-tion, and we will continue to make the case to key deci-sion-makers that increased, long-term and sustainable fund-ing for the CTC is an essential part of any growth strategy for tourism.

Best regards,

David F. GoldsteinPresident and CEOTourism Industry Association of Canadadgoldstein@tiac.travel

Restructuring at the Canadian Tourism CommissionA Message from TIAC President and CEO David Goldstein

Occupancy Reporting New MembersWelcomeNew TIAPEI Members

THE CRANFORD INN

177 Fitzroy Street Charlottetown, PE C1A 9C8www.cranfordinn.ca1.800.719.3603stay@cranfordinn.ca

“Contemporary elegance–perfect for business or pleasure”

The Cranford Inn, a 4.5 Star Canada Select Bed and Breakfast experience!

You will find the Cranford Inn to be a truly elegant accommodation located centrally in historic Charlottetown. Our Inn is designed to provide the comfort of a first class hotel while maintaining the charm and personal touches you look for in a great Prince Edward Island Bed and Breakfast. The Inn is a short walk to excellent restaurants, theatres, historic and cultural experiences.

SPECTRAMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

ROCKY POINT COTTAGES

SANDHILL VIEW MOTEL AND COTTAGES

THE CRANFORD INN

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TIAPEI would like to remind and encourage all PEI accommodation operators to complete their occupancy reports as quickly as possible during this busy tourism season.

Your information is important to our industry. Completing these reports as soon as possible enables the final numbers for each month to be released promptly to the industry and public. These reports are vital to all tourism sector businesses for their future planning and marketing activities.

To file your current occupancy numbers please log into your www.bookPEI.com account and click on the “Occupancy Reports" tab in the window. 

If you do not use the BookPEI system, and would just like to file your occupancy report, please visit www.occupancyreporting.com.

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Prince Edward Island

HANDBOOKFREE / GRATUITS

Day Tour Activities Guide

2010

MAPSGOLF

COUPONSSHOPPING

ATTRACTIONS

RESTAURANTS

ACCOMMODATIONS

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

REAL ESTATE

118 Sydney Street, 2nd FloorCharlottetown, PE C1A 1G4902.894.7071 • www.iwpei.com

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You know our products...check out our website at www.iwpei.com

You can view any of our publications as a PDF file, or online as an interactive Flip Book, with live links to our advertisers' websites!

Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) is one of the most used travel research tools online right now. Since they boast over 30 million website visitors a month, this makes them a very useful tool that you can use to help market your tourism business online. Here are some of the steps to help you get started with Trip Advisor.

Take control: claim your Trip Advisor reviewsIf your business is already listed on Trip Advisor, you can claim that (and any other listings) and all the information associated with them. A listing could have been created by an employee or a previous owner or, if you have reopened or change your business name, it may be listed as closed. The thing to

remember is even if you didn't set up your own listing, it's vital that you claim any listing relating to your business so that you control it.Once done, add all your business details: open and close times, prices, contact details, etc. Make sure your business is in the correct position on the map. Then start adding photos and/or videos of your business – this will help build the quality of your listing. If your business has multiple listings, you can (and should) merge all these listings into one single business profile. Merging all the listing will combine all the reviews from all the listings together, and will help your ranking on Trip Advisor as you now there is only one business like your name with a lot of

reviews instead of multiple business listings with only a few reviews.

Monitor your Trip Advisor profile Now that you have claimed all your listings and reviews on Trip Advisor, you need to begin to monitor them so that you can respond to any comments that are posted. You can setup Trip Advisor to send you an email every time someone has left a review for your business. By doing this, you will be able to see all the reviews as they are posted and quickly react to any negative reviews that you may receive. For example: if customers continue to leave poor reviews for cleanliness, you can use this to approach your cleaning staff and try and fix the problem.

Get people talking about youWhenever you communicate with your customers during and after their visit, politely encourage them to leave you a review on Trip Advisor if they enjoyed their experience. Also, if somebody leaves a good review on your Facebook Fan page or tweets about you on Twitter then reply back to them and ask them to post a review or comments on Trip Advisor.The more (good) reviews you receive, the more exposure you will have on Trip Advisor. Good reviews result in your business ranking higher for your area to type, which will get your profile seen by more users, which will lead to more reviews, and better rankings.Trip Advisor has made it easy for your happy customers to write reviews by creating a range of easy-to-install tools and logos, and links that allow customers to access and read

your Trip Advisor listing from your website.

Understand they may not always be good reviewsI'm not a 10 /10 every day, and most likely your business isn't either, so be prepared for a poor or negative review from time to time – it happens. There are many ways that you can handle bad reviews: you can ignore them, criticize them, react to them, or respond to them.The only correct way to address is the last option: respond to them. Take the time to go through their review and try and address any of their points of dissatisfaction. If there are corrective measures that you can take to fix them, do so. The main thing is that you don't make a negative review any worse than it already is. Use it, and try and spin a good story out of it. Invite the reviewer to contact you personally and discuss the problems. If they are satisfied, they may update their review with a positive comment after talking to you. Another thing that operators must understand is that if all your reviews are positive, then visitors my not believe that they are real reviews. A mixture of good and bad reviews make you listing seem more authentic.

Jamie Vander Kooi Technology Resource CoordinatorTourism Industry Association of PEI (902) 566-5008jamie@tiapei.pe.ca

Make Trip Advisor Work for Your Tourism Business

S ummer is in full swing on Prince Edward Island, and we’ve had a great tourism season so

far. As Minister of Tourism and Culture, I am proud of our tourism industry and all the wonderful events that have taken place this summer.

We kicked off July with SummerFest, which was a wonderful success, thanks in part to Cirque du Soleil and their exclusive performances designed specifically for Prince Edward Island. Some of the biggest stars in country music visited PEI for the 2nd Annual Cavendish Beach Music Festival, drawing record crowds of Islanders and visitors. We were thrilled to welcome the acclaimed talk show LIVE! with Regis and Kelly, and the show’s hosts, celebrities, and crew all sang the praises of our culinary delights, beautiful scenery, and friendly Island spirit.

The Department of Tourism and Culture is committed to promoting the best of Prince Edward Island’s culinary heritage. We are pleased to once again show off Island chefs, farmers, fishers, and artisans during our annual Fall Flavours harvest festival. There will be over 300 culinary events for visitors to take part in, so it will be an exciting September for everyone.

These types of special events and festivals are only made possible through the partnership we’ve built with the PEI tourism industry. The Department of Tourism and Culture would like to thank everyone involved in promoting the best of Prince Edward Island during this 2010 tourism season.

Hon. Robert Vessey Minister of Tourism and Culture

Working Together to Create Wonderful Memories

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Tel: 902-566-3131Fax: 902-628-1982

Toll Free: 888-566-3131

Sales & Service

A-1 Vacuum Carries the LargestStock of Hotel/Motel Supplies on PEI

• Room AmeniTieS• PAPeR PRoducTS• GARbAGe bAGS• LinenS• ReSTAuRAnT SuPPLieS• JAniToRiAL SuPPLieS

Why buy off Island? We are an Island company employing

10 Islanders year round.

2 Longworth Avenue, Charlottetown, PEC1A 5A2

Grant Thornton LLP. A Canadian Member of Grant Thornton International Ltd

Whether it’s owning a quaint B&B or an award-winning restaurant – whatever dreams Prince Edward Island inspires in you, we want to help you achieve them. At Grant Thornton LLP we offer a full range of audit, tax and advisory services. We’re the largest accounting firm on PEI, and we know how to help you turn your dreams into reality.

For more information about our services or to contact a Grant Thornton adviser near you, please visit www.GrantThornton.ca

This island inspires dreams.We help make them happen.

This ad prepared by: ryan edwards ClienT: granT ThornTon File name: gT pei Tourism ad #: gT-10-002 publiCaTion: Tourism Tides Trim size: 3.75” x 4.8” (1/4 page) Colours: CmyK

Audit • Tax • Advisory

Charlottetown summerside montague(902) 892-6547 (902) 436-9155 (902) 838-4121

& AUTO SERVICE

We Service:

Cars • TruCksTraCTor Trailers

MoTor HoMes • BusesBrakes•Suspension•RadiatorShop•CustomSprings•

LargeTire•InventoryAirConditioning•Services

(902) 436-4284

www.johnstonstire-truckcenter.com

30 Greenwood Drive ~ Summerside, PEI

aFTer-Hours serViCe

MeCHaniCal: (902) 888-9207

Tires: (902) 888-7604

Tent & Party Rentals

Weddings • Parties • Festivals • ConventionsPh (902) 836-5342 Web www.caseleys.comWeddings • Parties • Festivals • Conventions

Ph (902) 836-5342 Web www.caseleys.com