Tides
PROMOTING AND ADVANCING THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Tourism
AUGUST 2010
TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
IN THIS ISSUE President's View.............................. 2 Executive Director's Report........... 3 TIAPEI Annual Golf Extravaganza....4 What's New at ACTP / Energy Savings ............................... 5 Professional Certification Milestone / The Importance of Orientation.................................. 6 On-Line Visitor Satisfaction Program.........................7
Thank you to all of our clients for being the key to our success.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Occupancy Reporting..................... 8 Restructuring at the CTC .............. 9 Make 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 TIAPEI 25 Queen Street, 3rd Floor P.O. Box 2050, Charlottetown, PE Canada C1A 7N7 Phone: (902) 566-5008 Toll-free: 1-866-566-5008 Fax: (902) 368-3605 Toll-free fax: 1-877-368-3605 POSTMASTER: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40024264 3431657 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: TIAPEI, Box 2050 Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N7
TOURISM TIDES - August 2010
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.
NEWLY
CERTIFIED
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
"PEI was heavily promoted...and the exposure we received... was wonderful."
Joan Lund
Housekeeping Room Attendant
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
Members at Large: Kevin Mouflier, Ed McKenna
Shannon Rayner
Mark Gregory
Winnifred Villard
Roseanne Sherran
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Darlene Doucette
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Pauline Pineau
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Kelley Keefe Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership UK Program Manager kkeefe@tiapei.pe.ca
Amanda McGuigan
Sherry Cornect Shelly Brown
Housekeeping Room Attendant Housekeeping Room Attendant
Food & Beverage Manager
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Colleen Bowes Co-ordinator Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership actp@tiapei.pe.ca
Maureen MacDonald
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Don Cudmore Executive Director dcudmore@tiapei.pe.ca
Executive Director Don Cudmore
Jane Whitlock
Housekeeping Room Attendant
Thom MacMillan President
CORE STAFF:
Samantha Johnson
Housekeeping Room Attendant Housekeeping Room Attendant
Housekeeping Room Attendant
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.
Constance Cullen
Rhonda Kendall
Housekeeping Room Attendant
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T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D
BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Anderson Charlene Belsher Cathy Bullied Darcy Butler Susan Cameron George Campbell Roxanne Carmody Mark Carr-Rollitt Kent Croken Liam Dolan Maurice Gallant David Groom Barrie Harris
Mary Kendrick Leslie Kwiatkowski Tyson MacInnis Rhonda Maillet Sheri Lee McKenna Don Reid Mark Rodd Doreen Sark Glenn Saunders Erskine Smith Amanda Stewart Barb Trainor Darrin White
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-
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 decisionmaking.
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.
“Tourism is...in every city and town, fishing port and rural community.”
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
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 3
T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D
TIAPEI ANNUAL GOLF EXTRAVAGANZA Friday, 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!
What's New at ACTP - May 2010 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 directto-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.
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
Word is spreading that
Energy Savings
Stay tuned for exciting updates. For sponsorship opportunities, prize table donations, or to register, please contact
Rod Clark, emerit & Marketing Coordinator
902-566-5008 rclark@tiapei.pe.ca
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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TOURISM TIDES - August 2010
T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D
Rodd Charlottetown Hotel Employees Reach Professional Certification Milestone The Tourism Industry Association of PEI (TIAPEI) is pleased to announce the complete team of employees from the Housekeeping Department of the Rodd Charlottetown 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 professionalism. “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 MacFarlane, 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 industry 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 exceptional 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 demonstrates that they have mastered the required skills and met the standards of their profession in a practical job setting. This includes
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
writing an examination proving their knowledge of the occupation, followed by an evaluation in a realworld setting to demonstrate their
Sign Up Now for the
On-Line Visitor Satisfaction Program
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. 108 rclark@tiapei.pe.ca OR John Cudmore, Project Coordinator Visitor Satisfaction Program Phone: 902-370-8680 jcudmore@avsp.ca
mastery of the practical skills. Professional Certification is available for 25 occupations in the tourism industry.
The Importance of Orientation Hi, 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.
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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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TOURISM TIDES - August 2010
Occupancy Reporting
T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D
New Members
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.
To file your current occupancy numbers please log into your www.bookPEI.com account and click on the “Occupancy Reports" tab in the window.
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.
If you do not use the BookPEI system, and would just like to file your occupancy report, please visit www.occupancyreporting.com.
Welcome New TIAPEI Members
SPECTRAMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP ROCKY POINT COTTAGES SANDHILL VIEW MOTEL AND COTTAGES THE CRANFORD INN
THE CRANFORD INN
177 Fitzroy Street Charlottetown, PE C1A 9C8 www.cranfordinn.ca 1.800.719.3603 stay@cranfordinn.ca
Restructuring at the Canadian Tourism Commission A Message from TIAC President and CEO David Goldstein On Friday, July 16, the Canadian 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 funding initiatives. Among the changes that the CTC is undertaking through this process are: • Ceasing to invest in direct-toconsumer advertising in the United States, and ceding the way to other Canadian destinations 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 markets of UK, France, Germany and Australia, and supplementing in-market efforts with the assistance of General Sales Agents.
fully support the Commission's restructuring as a rational business response to maximize impact within a diminished funding model.
• Making use of resources at the CTC Vancouver Headquarters as the regional office for new and emerging tourism markets (Korea, China, India and Brazil), as well as for markets in transition (Japan and Mexico).
TIAC believes that the CTC is making appropriate choices in where they are choosing to refocus their energies and redeploy their resources. That said, we must chart a long-term commitment to reinvestment in selling Canada as a destination around the world. The competitiveness challenges facing the sector are mounting.
This focus shift is in line with the plan initially presented to TIAC's Board of Directors in May of 2010. It is disappointing for TIAC and for Canada's tourism sector that the CTC was compelled to make these difficult choices, but we
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 Commission in their work as our national marketing organization, and we will continue to make the case to key decision-makers that increased, long-term and sustainable funding for the CTC is an essential part of any growth strategy for tourism. Best regards, David F. Goldstein President and CEO Tourism Industry Association of Canada dgoldstein@tiac.travel
“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.
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.
Your direct route to Toronto.
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TOURISM TIDES - August 2010
T O U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R I N C E E D W A R D I S L A N D
Make Trip Advisor Work for Your Tourism Business 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 reviews If 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 you Whenever 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
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Working Together to Create Wonderful Memories
S
your Trip Advisor listing from your website.
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.
Understand they may not always be good reviews I'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 Coordinator Tourism Industry Association of PEI (902) 566-5008 jamie@tiapei.pe.ca
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
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