ANNUAL REPORT 2007
O ur B ran d P ro m i s e Victoria is where old-world tradition meets new-world experiences. Our guests are rejuvenated by fresh ocean air and are inspired by our warm, island welcome and year round natural beauty.
2007 ANNUAL REPORT
Table of Contents
Chair’s Message.............................................................................................. 2 President & CEO’s Message ........................................................................... 3 Destination Marketing.................................................................................... 4 Research.......................................................................................................... 6 Web Marketing and Internet Development.................................................... 7 Travel Trade..................................................................................................... 8 Meeting and Incentive Travel........................................................................ 10 Travel Media Relations................................................................................... 11 Member Services........................................................................................... 12 Visitor Services.............................................................................................. 13 Events........................................................................................................... 14 Community Relations.................................................................................... 14 Advocacy....................................................................................................... 15 Finance.......................................................................................................... 15
1
Tourism victoria 2007
Chair’s Message 2007 was an historic year for tourism in many ways. It marked the first full year under our new “Full of Life” brand, saw significant changes to the Board of Directors structure and priorities, and was the year we bid farewell to a consummate tourism professional. Your 2007 Board of Directors agreed that the Board size of 33 members was cumbersome. Through a Board visioning session and the hard work of the Governance Committee, the Board developed several recommendations regarding a new structure for the Board as well as other constitutional changes. The most significant change to the Board structure was to reduce the size to 15 members from 33, and to redefine the categories under which the Directors will be elected. Other changes included outlining a succession plan for Board Officers which would allow for members to gain experience and move progressively through more senior roles up to and including the position of Board Chair. These changes were passed in June at a Special General Meeting with an overwhelming majority. A new set of strategic priorities also was developed at a Board visioning session. Each new priority falls under the category of either Marketing; Member and Visitor Services; Finance, Administration and Technology; or Tourism Advocacy. These new priorities were designed to allow the organization and destination to achieve the goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2015, as called for by Premier Gordon Campbell. Finally, 2007 was the year that Tourism Victoria’s long-term President & CEO Lorne Whyte announced his retirement after 19 years at the helm of the organization. Over the past two decades Lorne has been a true leader in the tourism industry. Under his tenure at Tourism Victoria a hotel tax was implemented in two Greater Victoria area municipalities, and Victoria’s annual tourism revenues grew from $500 million in 1989 to more than $1.2 billion in 2007. Lorne has been a true industry leader, a relationship builder and a visionary in the truest sense of the word, and his peers, colleagues and staff will miss him. I would like to offer Lorne and his wife Ayn Marie best wishes for a long and happy retirement! I am excited by the changes that were made in 2007. I believe that with our new Board structure we have a strong foundation to help the organization in setting a strategic vision for the future. I would like to thank the 2007 Board and the team at Tourism Victoria for all the hard work it took to bring about the changes. I look forward to working with the new Board and CEO in setting strategies for the future growth of tourism to Victoria and Vancouver Island. Sincerely, Roger Soane Chair, Tourism Victoria Board of Directors
2
Tourism victoria 2007
President & CEO’s message Success can be defined in many ways, and there are many indicators to the success of Greater Victoria’s tourism industry in any given year. Increase in visitation, total tourism revenues, and a higher profile for the destination can all be considered success. For Tourism Victoria the organization achieved its goal of hotel revenues increasing by four percent in 2007, which should have created a positive domino effect for a host of additional tourism sectors, and we built our membership base by 181 new members. Our destination advertising received unexpected media attention in reaction to a new approach that used eye catching headlines to cause potential visitors to stop and find out more. One culinary headline caused particular notice and reaction to it was tracked as far away as Europe. While controversial in the local community, the external press and blogging community were generally favourable. The buzz over this campaign resulted in untold thousands of dollars in free promotional coverage. Some of the other successes for the destination in 2007 included: • www.tourismvictoria.com logged a record 5.6 million visits, up 35% over the previous year • Tourism Victoria generated bookings were up over 47% • Tourism Victoria’s Travel Trade department hosted 521 travel influencers on 67 familiarization tours from 15 different countries last year • The Meeting and Incentive Travel team produced leads for 32,631 room nights • Our Travel Media Relations team hosted 444 members of the travel media in 2007 and was directly involved in resulting coverage that reached over 178 million readers through print media with an advertising equivalency of over $12 million. Over 392 million viewers were reached through broadcast media • Our Visitor Centre staff received 48 Victoria Hospitality Award nominations in 2007 • The Visitor Centre received a score of 96% on Tourism BC’s Quality Service Report. This comprehensive evaluation program includes a secret shopping component conducted in the height of summer when Canada’s busiest Visitor Centre is running at peak capacity • Victoria International Airport showed a 6.58% growth in traffic • Victoria Conference Centre’s delegate days increased by 16.1% and the destination welcomed 163 cruise ships carrying a total of 343,732 passengers • Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Royal BC Museum generated more than $30.2 million during its six-month run, and earned the status of the most significant economic impact ever attributed to an RBCM exhibition. It drew more than 450,000 visitors to the Museum during its run from April to October 2007 and played a significant role in stimulating tourism revenues for the destination We all know that tourism is people-driven. It is the people that make or break an organization. We are very proud of our team at Tourism Victoria, and in 2007 the staff continued to work tirelessly with our members and destination partners to motivate visitor travel in a host of ways that contributed to growth this past year. A sincere thank you is owed to the Tourism Victoria Board and staff as well as to you, our members, for enabling us to do the work we do on behalf of the destination. Sincerely, Melissa McLean Interim President & CEO
3
Tourism victoria 2007
Destination Marketing 2007 was an exciting year for Tourism Victoria’s destination marketing; it was the first full year of the new Full of Life brand, and a new direction for our advertising campaign. In 2007 advertising creative shifted from a focus on dramatic ‘hero’ images to catchy headlines with film-reel style images below. This shift was due in part to the need to stand out amongst our competitors and to ensure that our headlines caught the readers’ attention. The film reel approach also allowed us to show more of Victoria’s product offering in keeping with the brand promise of Victoria being a place where old world tradition meets new world experiences. Tourism Victoria carried this new campaign into all of our traditional markets in print, TV, radio and online, concentrating primarily on the BC, Alberta and Washington State markets. In addition, a significant campaign was launched in the southern California and Arizona markets, supported by Tourism BC’s City Stays funding. This new campaign included a dedicated microsite, www.comemeetvictoria.com, as well as a four page glossy print insert in southern California and Phoenix newspapers. Entry into the Arizona market was the result of research indicating a desire for Arizona “swelterbirds” to escape the state’s very hot summers. In addition, a new Delta Airlines direct service from Salt Lake City to Victoria created a one-stop connection from the Phoenix area to Victoria, via Salt Lake City. In addition to 8,000 unique visits to the microsite, Tourism Victoria’s main website recorded sharp spikes in traffic in the time period when the campaign was in market. Tourism Victoria also targeted niche markets, including arts and culture, sport tourism, culinary, golf and LGBT through destination advertising. Many partnerships made these niche campaigns successful, with our LGBT advertising recording the most significant number of responses to our web call to action. Tourism Victoria also organized the first ever Full of Life photo contest, with the support of members and media partner CHTV. Locals and visitors alike were invited to submit their photos of a “Full of Life Victoria.” Over 4,500 submissions from all over BC and around the world were received, and Tourism Victoria was able to build a wide range of new destination images for future marketing use.
Locals and visitors were invited to submit photos for the first Full of Life photo contest
4
Tourism victoria 2007
Tourism Victoria’s 2007 advertising creative focused on bold, catchy headlines and film-reel style images of the destination
5
Tourism victoria 2007
Research Tourism Victoria, in conjunction with Dr. Brock Smith from the University of Victoria, conducts quarterly Exit Surveys, intercepting visitors at various points of departure throughout the region. These surveys include a range of rubber tire, air travellers and foot passengers. Some of the key findings from the 2007 Exit Survey are: • Visitors to Victoria/Vancouver Island continue to be “very or quite satisfied” with their overall trip. The 2007 results are consistent with those of previous years with most visitors (88%) being “very or quite satisfied” about their experience. • In 2007, more visitors reported being motivated by a “recreational activity” or “cultural activity” and fewer visitors reported being motivated by “pleasurable previous visit”, “recommendation from friends or family”, “value for money”, “convenience”, and “part of a tour of BC or the Pacific North West.” • At $273, the average expenditure per visiting party was notably ($30) higher than in 2006. Daily expenditures per person were significantly higher for Canadian visitors in 2007 ($123 versus $111 in 2006) but international and American visitors continue to spend more per person. • The average party size in 2007 for visitors was 2.5 people, consistent with results from the previous six years. • While visitor assessments of key elements of the Victoria destination product were again generally consistent with those of previous years, a statistically significant decrease was observed in mean visitor ratings of the cleanliness and safety of downtown Victoria. This was the second year in a row of such a decrease. • Overall, 28% of US visitors did not have a passport (versus 21% in 2006). 52% of non-passport holders indicated that they would be willing to get a passport if it became a requirement to reenter the United States from Canada. This is down from 78% of non-passport holders in 2006.
Growth of Tourism Victoria’s website from 2001 to 2007
6
Tourism victoria 2007
Web Marketing AND Internet Development Tourism Victoria’s website, www.tourismvictoria.com, remained the key call to action in many of Tourism Victoria’s destination marketing activities. Tourism Victoria’s website continues to rank highly in search engine positions, with much of the sites’ traffic coming from organic search results. The site recorded 5.6 million visits in 2007, a 35% increase over 2006. Tourism Victoria sold 5,817 room nights via our reservation system in 2007 and increased online transactions revenue by 47.25% over 2006. In late 2007, Tourism Victoria began a major website redevelopment project. The new site will be designed to provide Tourism Victoria website users with an intuitive, interesting, and engaging site that will present a compelling destination sell and convert “lookers to bookers”. The new site will feature a consistent brand message, easier navigation, revised content and a simplified e-commerce platform. Additionally, the website will use sophisticated statistics tracking and reporting tools. Some of the new features of the website redesign project include: interactive and relational mapping, social media modules, an enhanced calendar of events, streaming video, online publications and virtual guides.
Tourism Victoria’s Full of Life homepage at www.tourismvictoria.com
7
Tourism victoria 2007
Country
Number of Fams
Number of Participants
Australia
4
39
Canada
11
52
China
5
41
Germany
1
8
Japan
6
23
Korea
2
12
Malaysia
1
6
Mexico
1
14
Netherlands
4
12
New Zealand
4
91
Russia
1
14
Spain
1
11
Taiwan
3
39
UK
4
28
USA
19
131
15 Countries
67
521
Geographic breakdown of Travel Trade familiarization tours for 2007
Travel Trade In 2007, Tourism Victoria’s Travel Trade department continued to work with travel professionals to showcase the destination and increase overnight visitation. Travel barriers were heightened for the US market and overseas by external challenges including US passport confusion, the relative strength of the Canadian dollar and the Canadian government’s cancellation, and later partial restructuring, of the GST rebate program. Familiarization Tours The Travel Trade department, with the assistance of Tourism Victoria members, hosted 521 travel influencers on 67 familiarization tours from 15 different countries in 2007. North America • Continued to partner with key US tour operators with creative co-operative marketing strategies • Focus was placed on the new Delta Airlines flight with a first time sales mission to Salt Lake City where the flight originated. An appointment at the Delta Air Lines call center provided a key opportunity to meet with over 230 reservation agents to increase destination awareness and product knowledge about Greater Victoria • A heightened focus was also placed on educating BC travel professionals, including a sales mission to Kelowna targeting BC Automobile Association agents North American sales activities: • Sales calls and destination training in Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia • Trade show participation at the National Tour Association, American Bus Association, Rendezvous Canada, Two Nation Vacation Clipper Show and Canada’s West Marketplace • Sales calls with inbound tour operators based in BC, Ontario and Quebec for the Asia/Pacific, Mexico and Europe markets Latin America • Tourism Victoria continued to work with fellow destination marketing organizations to strengthen relationships with tour operators, travel agents, and airline partners to increase overnight visitation from Mexico • Mexicana Airlines added another flight in September, as part of the airlines regularly scheduled weekly service, as a result of continued strong demand on the Vancouver/Mexico City route Latin American sales activities: • Conozca Canada in Mexico • Sales calls to tour operators and training with travel agents in Mexico City
8
Tourism victoria 2007 Overseas: • The Travel Trade department continued to focus on key overseas markets, including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Asia Pacific • New year round direct flights to Vancouver from Auckland with Air New Zealand started November 2 and from Sydney with Air Canada began on December 16 • Air capacity and fuel surcharges continued to be a challenge for the Asia markets, with declining visitor numbers to British Columbia from this market. The Travel Trade department worked to counteract this trend by educating the travel trade about our region’s experiential, culinary and other unique products • Although Canada has not received Approved Destination Status from China, there is a market for conference and incentive travel from this market even without ADS Overseas sales sales activities: • Trade show participation in Australia, England, Japan and China, as well as meeting domestically with international tour operators • Destination training to key account tour operators in Australia and destination seminars to promote a three-city touring program in Japan and Korea • Sales calls with receptive tour operators for the Asia Pacific and Europe markets • Kanata trade show in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan Cruise • Victoria received 163 ship calls for cruise ships on the Alaska run, carrying a total of 343,732 passengers • Although the number of ships was slightly down from the year prior the number of passengers travelling remained consistent Cruise sales activities: • Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention and trade show in Miami
343,732 cruise ship passengers were greeted at Ogden Point in 2007
9
Tourism victoria 2007
By Status
%
Meeting and Incentive Travel
Confirmed for Victoria or Vancouver Island
43
Lost to another city
30
Postponed or cancelled all together
14
Still tentative
13
The Meeting and Incentive Travel team had another successful year in 2007, with the number of leads sent to our accommodation members totaling 32,631 room nights. Of the leads generated in 2007, 43% resulted in confirmed programs to Victoria/Vancouver Island. Of significant note, 25% of the meetings business lost to other destinations was reportedly due to high airfare costs and/or lack of direct flights to Victoria International Airport compared with competing destinations.
By Geographic Origin
Tourism Victoria’s Meeting and Incentive Travel department continued to work closely with the Victoria Conference Centre in 2007. This included lead information sharing, joint site inspections and most notably the division of handling leads based on program size. This valued partnership with the Victoria Conference Centre will result in the maximization of opportunities and the prevention of “doubled-up” sales efforts.
Eastern US
12
Western US
16
Mid-Western US
13
South-Western US
4
Eastern Canada
21
• Sales mission with members in Montreal
Central Canada
1
Western Canada
34
• Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) National Conference and Showcase in Ottawa
Canadian sales activities included: • Sales calls in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa
• Incentive Works tradeshow in Toronto • Travel Trade Canada tradeshow in Toronto and Calgary
By Market Segment Association
25
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Go West tradeshow in Vancouver
Corporate
55
• Sales mission with members in Calgary and Ottawa
Incentive
2
SMERF
5
Government
13
Tourism Victoria Meeting & Incentive leads for 2007
US sales activities included: • Sales calls in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Seattle • Showcase Canada tradeshow in San Francisco • Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Annual Summit in Seattle • Sales mission with members in Arizona • Sales mission with the Canadian Tourism Commission in San Francisco and Arizona Meetings BC: Tourism Victoria benefited from Tourism BC’s Meetings BC program which allowed Tourism Victoria and the Victoria Conference Centre to access a total of $100,000 in funding to build meetings business for the destination. 2007 Meetings BC initiatives included: attending the Canadian Tourism Commission’s Showcase Canada event in California, hosting Tourism Victoria’s first-ever ‘Super-FAM’ for 16 meeting professionals from across North America, hosting a ‘Green Meetings’ Edu-FAM for US planners, producing new tradeshow display materials, and meetings focused advertising in the Seattle Meeting Planners Guide, The Meetings Professional, Smart Meetings, Business in Vancouver, Alberta Venture and Corporate Meetings & Events magazines. Tourism Victoria also continued its membership in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the world’s leading organization representing suppliers to the global meetings and events market. Victoria has been selected as the host city for the 2008 ICCA Congress and Exhibition, a significant victory for the destination which will introduce Greater Victoria to a host of top global meeting planners and suppliers.
10
Tourism victoria 2007
Travel Media Relations The goal of Tourism Victoria’s Travel Media Relations department is to raise awareness of Victoria and Vancouver Island as a desirable leisure and business travel destination through media editorial coverage in key markets including Canada, the United States and overseas (Mexico, UK and Asia Pacific). In 2007, the Travel Media Relations department played a direct role in reaching over 178 million readers through print media with an advertising equivalency rate of over $12 million. This is a 41% increase in ad equivalency totals over 2006. Over 392 million viewers were reached via broadcast media. Editorial coverage was achieved through a number of initiatives including hosting media, fulfillment of information and image requests by travel media and dissemination of story ideas about Victoria and Vancouver Island at key travel media events. Through the support of Tourism Victoria’s members and partners, the Travel Media Relations department hosted 444 travel media in 2007. In addition, the department responded to 178 destination information and image requests. Notable quotes from 2007: A grand dowager no more. Dare we say it? It’s downright funky Amy Rosen-February 2007 National Post The gastronomic treats on offer turn a journey around Canada’s Vancouver Island into a feast for all the senses Sue Hoffart-March 2007 New Zealand Life and Leisure
An article in the January/February edition of Arizona Home & Design magazine (Circulation: 25,000). This article was the result of City Stays Arizona media calls
Forget Victoria’s old tag as the land of “the newly wed and nearly dead.” Make that “the fitness-led and the gourmet-fed,” thanks to eclectic eateries and indie shops Shelora Sheldan-April 2007 enRoute Lying just off the northwest coast of Washington State like a sailor’s dream, Victoria is a safe haven surrounded by sea, filled with kept promises of sweet days and cinnamon nights Joe Lieberman-June 2007 Intermezzo Once known for the newlyweds and nearly dead, it’s now a chill destination spot for those who want to kick back or kick it up a notch Karen Loftus-October 2007 Curve magazine Travel Media activities unique to 2007 included: • 2010 press trip pre-tour to Victoria • BC Escapes press trip in conjunction with Tourism BC • Royal BC Museum Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition press trip • Three Air New Zealand press trips in conjunction with Tourism BC • Canada AM “Golf Tips” press trip in conjunction with Tourism BC • Korean Women’s Magazine press trip in conjunction with Tourism BC • Filming of Australia’s Garden Guru in conjunction with Tourism BC • China press trip in conjunction with the Canadian Tourism Commission and Tourism BC
An article in the November edition of Alaska Airlines magazine (Circulation: 62,500). This article was the result of an August 2007 information request
• Gay German familiarization tour in conjunction with the Canadian Tourism Commission • Mexican press trip in conjunction with Tourism BC
11
Tourism victoria 2007
Member Services Tourism Victoria’s Member Services team aims to provide our nearly 1,000 members with exceptional opportunities to increase and grow their businesses, including professional development through the Member Development Series, and unique advertising opportunities. Tourism Victoria closed the year with 973 members in total, with 181 new members in 2007. The Member Development Series continued through its second year and offered: • Maximizing Your Membership workshops monthly • Membership Matters Mixers each month • Member development seminars and workshops • CEO Connection, an informal roundtable discussion with President & CEO Lorne Whyte, Board Chair Roger Soane and members SuperHost® Tourism Victoria continued our commitment to ensuring that visitors rank Victoria as one of the friendliest destinations in the world by serving as the official SuperHost ® delivery organization for Greater Victoria on behalf of Tourism BC. Tourism Victoria certified 304 participants in 2007 through the delivery of 30 workshops. Dine Around & Stay in Town 2007 marked the 4th Annual Dine Around & Stay in Town, a highly successful partnership between Tourism Victoria and the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association (Victoria Branch.) The 2007 program included 58 participating restaurants and 27 accommodation partners.
The Menu Launch of the highly successful Dine Around & Stay in Town program
12
Tourism victoria 2007
Visitor Services Tourism Victoria’s Visitor Centre aims to provide exceptional customer service to visitors and the Tourism Victoria members it serves. Visitor Information Counsellors (VIC) are our front line and are often the first contact a visitor will make with the destination, either in person or by phone. VIC’s received a total of 48 Victoria Hospitality Award nominations in 2007 and the Visitor Centre received a score of 96% on Tourism BC’s Quality Service Report. Reservation system transaction revenue on behalf of our members in 2007 was $900,364, a 47.25% increase over 2006. Of that total $413,482 was web-based, an increase of 63.77% over 2006, and $486,881 was from the call centre, an increase of 35.63% over 2006. 5,817 room nights were sold through the reservation system in 2007.
Canada’s busiest Visitor Centre, serving over 800,000 visitors annually
The Visitor Centre underwent renovations in 2007, including the addition of a new ticket window and awning. The Centre was also open longer hours in the summer and continues to be the busiest Visitor Centre in Canada. Downtown Victoria Ambassador Program The Downtown Victoria Ambassador Program celebrated its 15th season in 2007, with 62 volunteers assisting over 32,000 visitors from over 80 countries. This dedicated group of volunteer Ambassadors act as mobile visitor centres throughout downtown during the summer months.
The friendly 2007 Downtown Victoria Ambassador team
13
Tourism victoria 2007
Events Tourism Victoria hosted many events in 2007 for the enrichment of our members and visitors, including: • 31st Annual Flower Count • Annual General Meeting • Tourism Victoria/DMC Golf Tournament • Annual Travel Auction Tourism Victoria President & CEO Lorne Whyte and Board Chair Roger Soane present Kevin Walker of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel with the Miracle Award
• Visitor Centre Open House • Christmas Luncheon
Community Relations Tourism Victoria strives to give back to the community, as well as recognize others who have done the same. Every year Tourism Victoria presents Environment and Miracle Awards during our Annual General Meeting. 2007 award winners were: Environment: Individual – Mr. Robert Bateman for his contribution of his artwork and limited edition prints to fundraising efforts that have raised millions of dollars for environmental organizations and causes. Environment: Corporate – Tofino Bus for using bio-diesel fuel in many of its fleet vehicles. Environment: Organization – Parks Canada in recognition of having the only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, platinum rated building in Canada. Miracle Award – Mr. Kevin Walker in recognition of his efforts to find a solution to the redevelopment needs of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel property that respected the needs of the community and the environment, while balancing the economic challenges created by increasing construction costs. Tourism Victoria awards the Miracle Award each year to an outstanding individual or group who has shown leadership in the development of Greater Victoria’s tourism industry. Tourism Victoria participated in a number of community outreach initiatives in 2007 including • Souper Bowls of Hope committee for the Youth Empowerment Society • Tourism Awareness Week, featuring Tourism Day and a fundraiser for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock • Festival of Trees for the BC Children’s Hospital • Bear Wear in support of the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children • Jeans Day for the BC Children’s Hospital • United Way Campaign
14
Tourism victoria 2007
Advocacy Tourism Victoria, through the Strategic Issues Committee and the Board of Directors, continued to advocate regarding issues directly relating to the tourism industry, including: • Downtown street issues • Harbour development • Environment • Labour shortages • Neighbourhood/access issues • Removal of the GST rebate program • Passport/border issues • Inbound and local tourism transportation
VIPs, including Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Carter, 100.3 The Q’s Ed Bain and Times Colonist columnist Jack Knox, dish up ice cream during Tourism Victoria’s Tourism Awareness Week, with proceeds going to Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock
Finance The Greater Victoria Visitors and Convention Bureau’s 2007 fiscal year resulted in a net operating deficit of $72,527 due to unusual human resources expenses approved by the Board of Directors. The Tourism Victoria General Fund experienced a 12% increase in Membership services revenue over 2006 and cost savings in many areas throughout the organization. The Royal BC Museum’s Titanic event was the main reason for the 24% increase in Reservation and Ticket Sales Commission revenue. The Destination Marketing Commission (DMC) fund successfully achieved the budgeted increase of 4% over 2006 in Hotel Room Tax revenues from the City of Victoria and District of Saanich. Significant leveraging in marketing expenditures was possible due to the Tourism British Columbia City Stays and Meetings BC programs for 2006/2007 and 2007/2008. Senior management staff made grant presentations to all Greater Victoria area municipalities in 2007, seeking support for the operation of Tourism Victoria’s Visitor Centre. The City of Victoria, District of Saanich and Municipality of Oak Bay once again supported our organization with operating grants of $47,500, $36,000 and $6,750 respectively. The Towns of Sidney and View Royal, the Township of Esquimalt and District of Sooke supported our organization by participating as municipal members.
15
Tourism victoria 2007
16
Tourism victoria 2007
17
Tourism victoria 2007
18
Tourism victoria 2007
19
Tourism victoria 2007
20
TOURISM VICTORIA 2007 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFF I C E R S CHAIR Roger Soane The Fairmont Empress PAST CHAIR
D I R E C T O R S B Y C AT E G O R Y: CONVENTION ACCOMMODATION Dale Dyck Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa
Dan McAllister 100.3 The Q! / The Zone @ 91.3
Roger Soane The Fairmont Empress
VICE-CHAIRS
NON-CONVENTION ACCOMMODATION
Deirdre Campbell Tartan Public Relations Inc. Dale Dyck Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa
Brenda Ollis Chateau Victoria Hotel and Suites
GENERAL
MUNICIPAL APPOINTEES:
Darrell Bryan Clipper Navigation Inc.
Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe City of Victoria
Judith Scott Budget Rent-a-Car of Victoria RECREATION, SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Russ Cowan Dockside Green Andrew Skinner Great Pacific Adventures
Markus Griesser Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa
RESTAURANTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Alison Partridge The Butchart Gardens
ARTS, CULTURE AND NON-PROFIT SOCIETIES
Randy Wright Harbour Air Seaplanes
JC Scott JC Scott Design Associates
Don Calveley Canoe Brewpub/Truffles Catering
SECRETARY
Jean McRae Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
Darrell Bryan Clipper Navigation Inc.
Paul Hadfield Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub and Guesthouses
ATTRACTIONS
RETAIL AND TOURISM SERVICES
Kathy Summers Craigdarroch Castle
Deirdre Campbell Tartan Public Relations Inc.
Alison Partridge The Butchart Gardens
Judy Hill Judy Hill Gallery and Gifts
BED & BREAKFAST
TOURISM VANCOUVER ISLAND
Ian MacPhee Abbeymoore Manor Bed and Breakfast Inn
Bill Bouchard Victoria Butterfly Gardens
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
TRANSPORTATION
Pauline Rafferty Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
Randy Wright Harbour Air Seaplanes
Terry Stewart Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
Paul Servos Greater Victoria Harbour Authority
Angela Pollock West Shore Chamber of Commerce
ADVISORY MEMBER
Councillor Pam Copley District of Oak Bay Councillor Jackie Ngai District of Saanich Councillor Don Linge Township of Esquimalt Councillor Brenda Parkinson District of Sooke Isabel Connor Town of Sidney Mayor Graham Hill Town of View Royal
GREATER VICTORIA VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU
Administration Office 4th Floor, 31 Bastion Square, Victoria, BC, V8W 1J1 (250) 414-6999 Fax: (250) 361-9733
Visitor Centre 812 Wharf Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1T3 (250) 953-2033 Fax: (250) 382-6539
Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper