ESTC 2008: Diana Kutzner

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Products, features & target markets: Aboriginal tourism product preference by visitors to northern British Columbia

Presented by: Diana Kutzner (BA), MA Candidate Supervisor: Dr. Pamela Wright University of Northern British Columbia


Presentation overview y y y y y y y y

Introduction Collaborative research: a CommunityUniversity Research Alliance (CURA) Aboriginal tourism in the north Objectives and methods Four potential products in comparison Preferred product features Potential target markets Next steps for Tl’azt’en Nation


Introduction: A research partnership y Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) y Despite research focus on Tl’azt’en, results may assist other First Nation and indigenous communities


Study area



Why focus on northern B.C.? y Advancement of Aboriginal tourism in British Columbia y Potential economic development benefits for Canada’s First Nations y Unique challenges y Research gap – Lack of understanding of traveler preferences regarding Aboriginal tourism products


Objectives y y

To identify tourists’ preferred Aboriginal tourism products and product features To identify potential target markets


Methods y 4 potential products y 3 lists (activities, topics, experiences) of 31 visitor preferred features of Aboriginal tourism y 1 list of 8 features relating to the nature of an Aboriginal experience y Questionnaire development and survey of 337 visitors to Prince George Visitor Information Centre


Four hypothetical products in comparison Description

Central features

Time frame

Physical Activity level

Tl’azt’en Traditional Feast (Feast)

Celebration of the arrival of salmon with a traditional Tl’azt’en dinner serving salmon and other traditional food. Entertainment includes a Singing and drumming performance.

Celebration, traditional food, arts and crafts, scenery, drumming & singing Performance

3 hrs

Low

Family Cultural Camp (Camp)

A camp to experience Carrier culture In form of workshops. Includes the option of a guided tour to rebuild pit houses or to see wildlife and the opportunity to meet Tl’azt’en Elders. Alternatively, visitors can go hiking or canoeing. There is an option to stay overnight.

Experiencing Carrier culture, traditional activity workshops, rebuild pit houses

1½ days

Moderate to low


Time frame

Physical Activity level

3 hrs

Low

Description

Central features

Carrier Rock Paintings (Rock Art)

A boat trip on Stuart Lake to a rock face with Carrier rock paintings. A guide will explain the paintings and Tl’azt’en traditional life in this environment.

Carrier rock paintings, Carrier culture, boat tour, wildlife viewing

Tl’azt’en Territory Nature Hike (Hike)

2 hour hike though the forest to a waterfall at Pinchi Lake. Includes a small traditional lunch (optional) and a guide to explain the local flora and fauna and Tl’azt’en traditional life in this environment.

Hiking, nature, 2.5 scenery, hrs learning about local flora and fauna, wildlife viewing, Carrier culture

Singing Tl’azt’en youth Rock paintings on Tl’azt’en territory

Moderate to high

Camp fire at Cinnabar


Study Findings: Respondent Profile y Sample skewed towards older respondents (64% were 45 years or older) y 54% higher educated y Origin: Canada 36%; USA 20%; Europe 33% y Adult couples dominant travel party


Of the 4 products, most interest was expressed in‌ Product purchase likelihood 50 40 %

30 20 10 0 Tl'azt'en Traditional Feast

Family Cultural Camp

Carrier Rock Paintings

Tl'azt'en Territory Nature Hike

Product Not at all likely

Not likely

Neutral

Likely

Very likely


Of the 4 products, most interest was expressed in‌ Product purchase likelihood 60 50 40 % 30 20 10 0 Tl'azt'en Traditional Feast

Family Cultural Camp

Carrier Rock Paintings

Tl'azt'en Territory Nature Hike

Product Not likely to purchase

Neutral

Likely to purchase


Significant relationships were found between... y Tl’azt’en Territory Nature Hike + Education and prior information search

y Tl’azt’en Traditional Feast + Prior information search and prior experience - Age

y Family Cultural Camp + Prior experience and gender (higher interest by women) - Age

y Carrier Rock Paintings + Prior information search


Preferred product features Activities

MeanÂŞ

Std. deviation

Woodcarving

3.98

0.993

Collecting edible plants

3.90

0.990

Outdoor survival

3.90

0.973

Animal & plant life of the region

4.09

0.834

Stories and legends of Aboriginal culture

4.00

0.893

Aboriginal history post-European contact

3.95

0.891

Taking photos of scenic landscapes or wildlife

4.06

0.904

Demonstrations by artisans of artefacts

3.86

0.876

Aboriginal drumming and dance performances

3.82

1.145

Topics

Experiences

ÂŞEach feature was measured on a five-point scale where 1 = not at all interested and 5 = very interested.


Experience creates greater interest y Respondents with Aboriginal tourism experience were significantly more likely to be interested in the Tl’azt’en Traditional Feast and Family Cultural Camp products y Participants were more likely to be interested in these products if they had: – purchased Aboriginal arts or crafts – attended an Aboriginal tourism performance – visited a museum or art gallery presenting Aboriginal culture – or similar experiences


Nature of the Aboriginal tourism experience • Exploring visitors’ enthusiasm for: – actively participating in Aboriginal cultural activities – their preferred level of contact with Aboriginal hosts – their preferred activity level and focus of the experience

Tl’azt’en Elders presenting bone tools

Tl’azt’en members and tourists playing traditional game


Nature of the experience Non-interactive

Interactive

Relaxed & observational (15%)

Active & involved (36%)

See how arts and crafts are made (40%) See drumming & dancing (50%) Explore cultural exhibits (32%) Self-guided experience (18%) Casually speak with Aboriginal hosts (19% )

Make arts & crafts yourself (27%) Participate in drumming & dancing (22%) Participate in daily activities of traditional Aboriginal life (30%) Guided tour (34% ) Opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with Aboriginal hosts (41%)


Potential market segments 1. The Culture Seekers 2. The Nature-Culture Observers 3. The Sightseers


Culture Seekers • Scored highest on all features • Primary interest in: – Aboriginal ways of living off the land, Aboriginal stories/legends, traditional food, outdoor survival, edible plants, traditional cooking – overnight stays in traditional Aboriginal housing & cultural camps

• Majority traveled for leisure purposes • Dominant travel parties: couples and family and friends (no children)


Nature-Culture Observers • Interest in a variety of Aboriginal topics: – traditional food, edible plants, flora and fauna, Aboriginal ways of living off the land, Aboriginal history & current life, Aboriginal belief systems, and stories & legends

• Appeared to have greater interest in features related to nature • Not interested in multi-day camps or more active participation


Sightseers • Ranked all Aboriginal tourism product features lowest • Interested in taking pictures of scenic landscapes • Not interested in staying overnight in traditional Aboriginal housing, a multi-day cultural camp or hands-on activities • Neutral response on remaining features


Sociodemographic information of clusters Culture Seekers (n = 88)

Nature-Culture Observers (n = 144)

Sightseers (n = 32)

Originª

%

%

%

Canada

54

30

36

USA

16

26

25

Europe

25

40

32

29

34

49

Variable

Ageª Oldest (55+)

ªChi-square indicated significant differences, p<0.05


Market segments highlights: The Culture Seekers • • • •

Greatest interest in Aboriginal culture Similarity to other high-interest segments High percentage of Canadian travelers Results suggest market for culture focused products • Nature still plays role in product appeal


Highlights: The Nature-Culture Observers • Broad interest but prefer hands-off experiences • Appear to match the ‘dual-track’ market • May best be targeted with a mixed natureculture product


Highlights: The Sightseers • Least interest • May need introduction to Aboriginal tourism • High number of adults with children • Great amount of leisure travelers


Market segment feasibility • Most promising marketing opportunities appear to lie with the Culture Seekers and NatureCulture Observers • Culture Seekers – focus on Aboriginal cultural content products • Nature-Culture Observers – focus on mixed nature/culture products or nature products with culture as an added-value • Sightseers – potentially require intensive marketing & an introduction to Aboriginal tourism


Next steps for Tl’azt’en Nation • Companion study assists Tl’azt’en in identifying which aspects of culture to share • Who will oversee tourism operations and how will profits be shared? • Business plan/funding sources • Community workshop in January


Acknowledgement • • • • • •

Dr. Pam Wright (UNBC) Amelia Stark (John Prince Research Forest) CURA (SSHRC and the team) Tl’azt’en Nation Dr. Gail Fondahl (UNBC) Dr. Simon Hudson (UofC)


References • Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (2004) Blueprint Strategy: Consumer Intercept Survey Final Report. Vancouver: Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC. • Aboriginal Tourism Canada (2003) Aboriginal Tourism Canada 2003 Strategic Plan - Growing Canada's Aboriginal Tourism. Ottawa: Aboriginal Tourism Canada. • Australian Tourist Commission (2003) Segment insights pack; Market intelligence on Aboriginal tourism. • BearingPoint LP, Goss Gilroy Inc. and Associates (2003) Aboriginal Tourism in Canada; Part II: Trends, Issues, Constraints and Opportunities. Canada: Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada. • Cook Consulting Inc. (2004) Traveling With Wisdom: Aboriginal Tourism Industry in Canada. Ottawa: Aboriginal Tourism Canada. • Fuller, D., Caldicott, J., Cairncross, G. and Wilde, S. (2007) Poverty, Indigenous culture and ecotourism in remote Australia. Society for International Development, 50 (2), 141-148. • Hensher, D.A. (1994) Stated preference analysis of travel choices: the state of practice. Transportation, 21: 107-133. • Lang Research (2000) Travel activities & motivation survey – Aboriginal tourism report. Canada: Lang Research. • Loverseed, H. (1998) Aboriginal tourism in North America. Travel & Tourism Analyst, 6: 42-61.


• McIntosh, A.J. (2004) Tourists’ appreciation of Maori culture in New Zealand. Tourism Management, 25: 1-15. • Moscardo, G. and Pearce, P.L. (1999) Understanding ethnic tourists. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(2): 416-434. • Notzke, C. (2006) The Stranger, the Native and the Land: Perspectives on Indigenous Tourism. Concord, Ont.: Captus University Publications. • Pettersson, R. (2002) Sami tourism in northern Sweden: measuring tourists' opinions using stated preference methodology. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 3 (4), 357-369. • PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2002) Alberta Aboriginal Tourism Product Opportunity Analysis. Retrieved March 2, 2008 from http://www.albertacanadauat.gov.ab.ca/documents/SP-TR_abtourop.pdf • Ryan, C. and Huyton, J. (2000a) Who is interested in Aboriginal tourism in the Northern Territory, Australia? A cluster analysis. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 8 (1), 53-88. • Ryan, C. and Huyton, J. (2002). Tourists and aboriginal people. Annals of Tourism Research 29 (3), 631-647. • Sofield, T.H.B. and Birtles, R.A. (1996) Indigenous peoples’ cultural opportunity spectrum for tourism (IPCOST). In R. Butler and T. Hinch (eds) Tourism and Indigenous Peoples (pp. 396-433). London: International Thomson Business Press. • Zeppel, H. (2002) Cultural tourism at the Cowichan Native Village, British Columbia. Journal of Travel Research, 41, 92-100.


Liked/disliked features Product

Likes

Tl’azt’en Traditional Feast • • •

Dislikes

• • •

Carrier Rock Paintings

Family Cultural Camp

The cultural experience Salmon The traditional food

Group tourism Too touristy Salmon

• •

• • • •

The cultural experience/ immersion The activities Traditional activities

The time commitment Family orientation/ kids The group tour The overnight stay

• •

The rock paintings The boat ride The learning opportunity

Tl’azt’en Territory Nature Hike • • • •

• • • •

Not interested in rock paintings The time commitment The group tour Little activity

• • • •

The activities Being in the outdoors Learning about the environment The traditional food Too strenuous The group tour Hiking The time commitment


Liked/disliked features Product

Likes

Dislikes

Tl’azt’en Traditional Feast •

The cultural experience

The traditional food

Group tourism Too touristy

• •

Carrier Rock Paintings

Family Cultural Camp The cultural experience/ immersion The activities

The learning opportunity

Tl’azt’en Territory Nature Hike •

The activities

Learning about the environment The traditional food

The time commitment

The group tour

• • •

The time commitment The group tour

The group tour

The time commitment


Product interest by cluster Product Purchasing interesta,b

Culture Seekers

Nature Culture Observers

Sightseers

Games Howell Test

Tl'azt'en Traditional Feast

3.8

3.2

2.5

1>2, 1>3, 2>3

Family Cultural Camp

3.6

2.5

2.1

1>2, 1>3

2.5

1>2, 1>3, 2>3

2.5

1>2, 1>3, 2>3

Carrier Rock Paintings Tl'azt'en Territory Nature Hike

3.7 3.7

3.3 3.3

ÂŞWhere 1 = not at all likely to purchase and 5 = very likely to purchase. bANOVA indicated significant differences, p<0.001


Sociodemographic information of clusters Culture Seekers Cluster 1 (n = 88)

Nature-Culture Observers Cluster 2 (n = 144)

Sightseers Cluster 3 (n = 32)

Country of originª

%

%

%

Canada

54

30

36

USA

16

26

25

Europe

25

40

32

Other

5

4

7

Ageª

(n = 86)

(n = 144)

(n = 31)

18 – 24

21

8

3

25 – 34

16

14

10

35 – 44

13

15

19

45 – 54

21

19

19

55 – 64

21

21

23

65 and over

8

13

26

Variable


Variable

Culture Seekers

Nature-Culture Observers

Sightseers

Primary purposeÂŞ

(n = 75)

(n = 121)

(n = 31)

Leisure

63

74

90

Visiting friends & family

16

13

7

Work

7

7

0

Other

15

5

3

Travel Partyb

(n = 87)

(n = 144)

(n = 32)

Traveling alone

14

8

6

Adult couple

40

65

41

Family & friends with children

16

16

44

Family & friends without children

30

11

9

ÂŞChi-square indicated significant differences, p<0.05 bChi-square indicated significant differences, p<0.001


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