2025 Travel Manitoba Marketing Plan
About Travel Manitoba
Travel Manitoba is a Crown corporation that leads and stimulates sustainable tourism growth in Manitoba’s $1.82 billion tourism industry. In partnership with the industry, Travel Manitoba is responsible for tourism marketing, visitor information services, research and public information.
Vision
Manitoba is a must-visit, four season destination generating sustainable economic growth by delivering inspiring and authentic experiences in its unique urban, rural and wild settings.
Mission
Travel Manitoba will support the recovery of tourism’s contribution to the provincial economy and will stimulate long-term growth by leading the marketing of Manitoba as a tourism destination and by fostering a competitive and sustainable tourism industry.
Targets
• Grow visitation to 12.8 million visitors annually by 2030
• Achieve $2.5 billion in annual tourism expenditures by 2030 (50 per cent growth)
Core Pillars
1. Lead Brand and Market Positioning
2. Advance Destination Management
3. Foster Collaboration and Build Support for Tourism
4. Organizational Excellence and Efficiency
Research and Data Management
Audience Overview
Travel Manitoba focuses on key audience segments to grow visitation which generates economic returns for the Province.
Leisure Travellers
Leisure travellers are visitors who stay in Manitoba for the main purpose of entertainment, vacation, recreation and relaxation.
Hunters/Anglers
Hunters and anglers are visitors who travel for the specific purpose of hunting and/or fishing adventures.
Travel Trade
Travel trade members are tour operators/receptive operators who sell travel packages to consumers through their distribution networks.
Travel Media
Travel media is made up of journalists, bloggers, content creators and influencers who promote tourism experiences to their audiences.
Local Community
Members and leaders of the Manitoba tourism industry, along with residents and key stakeholders.
Manitoba’s ideal long-haul traveller
They love our bucket-list outdoor experiences and the chance to share these transformative moments with people from around the world. They believe travel is most enriching when it’s experienced with others
Manitoba’s ideal short-haul traveller
They love to load up the kids, hit the open road and explore our quirky, specialty or Francophone experiences. They feel right at home in Manitoba, and if they don’t have friends and family here already, they will soon.
Manitoba’s ideal local traveller
As Manitobans, we love to venture beyond our backyard to have some fun and try something new. Travel restrictions during the pandemic inspired us to explore what our province has to offer and we discovered adventures and experiences we had taken for granted. Now the focus is to keep that interest and enthusiasm alive.
Manitoba’s ideal hunt-fish traveller
They love our remote lodges, our wide variety of fish and waterfowl species and the monsters they can pull out of our 100,000+ lakes and waterways. They’re hunting for a thrill—plus the exclusivity, status and bragging rights that come with landing one of our master anglers.
Visitor Spending and Visitation for 2023
Manitoba welcomed nearly 10.4 million visitors who spent just over $1.82 billion throughout the province in 2023.
Visitor spending was lower than anticipated for 2023 and above 2019 levels due to inflation and the continued recovery of the visitor economy. Overall, visitation remained below 2019 levels. United States (U.S.) and overseas visitor spending was also down compared to 2019.
Source: Statistics Canada – National Travel Survey (NTS) – 2023 Actuals
Statistics Canada Visitor Travel Survey(VTS) Small Area Estimation (SAE) - 2023 Actuals.
Tourism Economics— Manitoba Forecast
Visitor arrivals in three scenarios
Visitors, 000’s
• Visitation will meet 2019 levels by 2024
• International visitation will not recover until 2026
Source: Tourism Economics, June 2023
Tourism Economics— Manitoba Forecast
Visitor spending in three sccenarios
Nominal dollar values in millions
• Tourism spending in Manitoba is expected to reach 2030 goal by 2026.
• International markets are expected to recover by 2024.
Source: Tourism Economics, June 2023
Target Markets
Travel Manitoba’s marketing efforts are aligned with Destination Canada’s strategy to target high-value guests using new global partnerships, new media partners, tighter integration with airlines and high value trade partners. We benefit from the awareness of Canada that Destination Canada builds in international markets and we leverage that awareness for markets of interest to Manitoba.
Manitoba
Manitobans are our largest market. Marketing initiatives continue to resonate well with Manitobans and encourage increased travel within the province. While Manitobans spend less per person than other domestic and international visitors, there is significant potential to increase both spending and length of visits, especially among new Manitoba residents.
Canada
Other Canadian provinces represent Manitoba’s second largest tourism market. Historically, visitors from Ontario followed by Saskatchewan and Alberta have been the largest spenders in Manitoba. Close geographic proximity to Northwest Ontario and Saskatchewan make these markets a priority. Draws include Winnipeg as the largest urban centre in the region as well as resort areas such Asessippi Provincial Park and Riding Mountain National Park.
United States
The close geographic proximity, affluence and awareness of Canada as a travel destination make the U.S. a key target market for Manitoba. Historically, the U.S. has generated significant visitor spending for Manitoba with individual states contributing more than countries like Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom (U.K.). Short haul markets such as Minnesota and North Dakota are particularly important along with long-haul markets like California and Texas. Supporting and increasing non-stop air routes are critical to the growth of this market.
Target Market (cont’d)
United Kingdom
In 2023, the United Kingdom was a significant outbound tourism market for Canada, with U.K. travellers spending an average of $2,025 per trip and staying an average of 12 nights. Manitoba’s unique offerings, such as wildlife viewing, nature hikes and the northern lights align well with U.K. travellers’ preferences, making it an attractive destination for this market.
Germany
In 2023, Germany was the fourth-largest outbound tourism market for Canada. German travellers, with an average spend of over $1,991 per trip, tend to stay for 15 nights. Their interests, such as wildlife viewing, nature hikes, Indigenous experiences and the northern lights align well with Manitoba’s tourism offerings, making it a strong destination for German visitors.
Australia
In 2023, Australia was a notable tourism market for Canada, with Australian travellers spending an average of $3,059 per trip and staying for about 17 nights. Australian visitors have a keen interest in Manitoba’s natural attractions, such as wildlife viewing, nature hikes and the northern lights, making the province an appealing destination for these long-stay tourists.
Lead Brand and Market Positioning
In 2023, Travel Manitoba launched a refreshed brand, Canada’s Heart is Calling, which built on the success of the previous Canada’s Heart… Beats brand.
The evolved brand focuses on the feelings that we all experience when we see or do something amazing on vacation or when we visit a place, whether it’s new or familiar. The brand has been extremely well received from all audiences including locals, stakeholders, visitors, tour operators and the broader industry.
Brand Resonance:
Unaided Recall of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
Aided Recall of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
Aided recall of the province’s new slogan jumps since last fall Brand Resonance:
Brand Resonance:
Awareness of Manitoba’s New Tourism Slogan
Two in five have come across Manitoba’s new brand and slogan, up from December
Brand Resonance:
Appeal of Manitoba’a New Tourism Slogan
Appeal is steady, but strong among younger adults and those who find a trip in Manitoba appealing
Brand Priorities
The following initiatives will continue to build up and enhance the brand:
Brand Awareness
A brand awareness campaign outside of Manitoba will provide topof-the-funnel inspiration and awareness of Manitoba. The campaign will focus mainly on broadcast television, over-the-top (OTT) and video opportunities and showcase Manitoba’s boulder assets.
Local Makers
Travel Manitoba will continue to work with local makers, artists and musical talent to infuse the brand with a variety of diverse expressions and Manitoba talent.
Infrastructure Updates
As materials such as collateral, signage and other marketing assets are updated, the Canada’s Heart is Calling brand will be applied, fully updating Travel Manitoba’s properties to the refreshed brand.
The Hunt Fish MB brand continues to lead the way, with a dedicated and loyal audience base.
Seasonal product will continue to drive interest with select limitededition items. A new Master Angler merchandise line has also been launched. Comprehensive marketing campaigns promote the online store throughout the calendar year.
Integrated Sales and Marketing Activities
Activities and Initiatives by Market
Activities and Initiatives by Market (cont’d)
Hyper-Targeting Our Audiences
Utilizing Destination Canada’s segmentation platform, Travel Manitoba’s own audience insights and overlaying Environics Prizm platform allows for hyper-targeting audiences to move them through the funnel from inspiration to visitation.
To clearly communicate with our traveller types, Travel Manitoba has developed a unique approach to categorizing the extensive travel experiences Manitoba offers. The analogy of “Boulders, Rocks and Pebbles” provides a way of showcasing what we have to offer.
Boulders
These are iconic experiences for which visitors may come from another country; the most unique or unexpected Manitoba experiences that help set our province apart; stories that will spark a traveller’s imagination.
Rocks
These are those “don’t miss”, interest-based groupings that may draw visitors from another province. This category brings together Pebbles into groupings of assets built around the specific interests of our travellers. This helps us tell bigger, more powerful stories in which to attract our traveller types.
Pebbles
These are singular experiences that you might suggest a visitor see while they’re here; those experiences that may attract travellers who have specific interests, but for the majority of travellers who come here for other reasons, these tourism offerings add to their list of things to do.
Core Strategies and Activities: Digital Marketing
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in digital platforms and experiences as a key tactic in growing the tourism economy. Digital resources will be leveraged to push messaging to existing and new Manitoba leisure audiences.
Website
The award-winning travelmanitoba.com website will be a priority for 2025 with an emphasis on the user experience. A complete audit of content, page structure and user testing will enhance the efficacy of the website and prepare for a rebuild in 2026.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Management (SEM) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
An ongoing SEO/SEM strategy will continue to position Travel Manitoba’s digital properties at the top of searches, build authority and provide the most relevant content to answer questions. An emphasis on investing in and exploring GEO will be integral to AI-driven queries.
Crowdriff
Travel Manitoba’s digital asset management platform will continue to capture and publish both owned and user-generated content throughout its network.
Core Strategies and Activities: Emerging Technologies — Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is transforming the tourism industry by offering innovative approaches to marketing and advertising. Travel Manitoba will monitor, explore and invest in new technologies to create personalized marketing campaigns, automate content creation and optimize marketing campaigns to reach target audiences more effectively.
Ethical AI Adoption
Travel Manitoba will continue to enhance its policies and guidelines to support the organization and larger industry to unlock the potential of AI while maintaining authenticity in our marketing.
Training and Support
Travel Manitoba will explore opportunities to provide training and support for adopting new AI tools, empowering teams to effectively leverage generative AI in marketing campaigns and content creation.
Content Optimization
One-click search, emerging AI platforms and generative AI are changing user behavior. Travel Manitoba will continue to future-proof and create content that remains relevant to the consumer and discoverable by Large Language Models (ie ChatGPT and Google Gemini).
Core Strategies and Activities: Emerging Technologies — Artificial Intelligence (AI) (cont’d)
The Answer Economy
Search behavior is rapidly evolving with the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Perplexity. These platforms prioritize trusted and well-structured content, making FAQs and authoritative responses crucial for visibility. To remain relevant, Travel Manitoba will optimize its content to align with these AI-driven search trends. A comprehensive FAQ roadmap will be developed.
LLM Sentiment Analysis
Travel Manitoba will analyze sentiment across key LLM platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Llama and Gemini) to gauge how Manitoba’s brand is perceived. This study will identify opportunities to enhance brand visibility, improve resonance and strengthen our share of voice in AI-driven conversations.
Core Strategies and Activities: Emerging Technologies — Attribution
Measuring the impact of Travel Manitoba’s activities and marketing is crucial to ensuring the organization’s efforts are relevant and successful. Investing in technologies, strategies and platforms ensures we can directly assess how marketing initiatives are supporting increased visitation.
Adara
Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Adara to track how flight and hotel searches and bookings are linked to our marketing campaigns.
Retail Sales Data
Travel Manitoba will collaborate with key partners, such as Expedia and airlines, using “cash register” data to assess the impact of marketing campaigns on visitation.
Fishing Licenses
Travel Manitoba will continue to collect and report on non-resident fishing licence purchases and measure them against Hunt Fish MB marketing.
Mobile Data
Travel Manitoba will continue to track mobile data to correlate visitation and movement patterns with marketing activities.
Core Strategies and Activities: Digital Marketing
Expedia
Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Expedia and its destination promotion platform to secure airline flights and hotel room bookings for Manitoba. This partnership will also tap into and leverage Destination Canada’s partnership for increased awareness, lead generation and content marketing opportunities.
Bandwango | True Omni
Travel Manitoba will continue to create and enhance curated trails, passes and experiences to drive traffic through the doors of local businesses, generate revenue and grow first party data.
Partnership Opportunities
Travel Manitoba will continue to offer innovative and collaborative partnership opportunities to elevate individual partners through Travel Manitoba’s digital strategies.
Core Strategies and Activities: Content Marketing
Content Calendar
A comprehensive content calendar will continue to serve as a hub for planning, inspiration and timely content delivery.
Visual Asset Collection
Travel Manitoba will continue to collect and create new visual assets which reflect the diversity of Manitoba and its people.
Video
Travel Manitoba will continue to create professionally shot and usergenerated video content to be promoted through its networks.
GIPHY
Travel Manitoba will continue to create engaging, relevant GIFs (graphic interchange format).
ExploreMB Blog
As Manitoba’s premier blog for things to see and do, ExploreMB will continue to create posts, partner promoted content, listicles and unique stories to inspire and encourage travel.
Email Marketing
Recognizing the importance of first-party data, Travel Manitoba will continue to prioritize its e-Newsletter to grow subscribers and engagement.
Core Strategies and Activities: Content Marketing (cont’d)
Social Media Action Plan
Travel Manitoba’s social media action plan continues to evolve and guide content creation for its many social channels including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Reddit.
Partnership Opportunities
Travel Manitoba will continue to offer innovative and collaborative partnership opportunities to elevate individual partners through Travel Manitoba’s content marketing strategies.
showcasing winter as a bucket list experience.
Boulder Showcase: Travel Manitoba will continue to develop a series of co-invested niche campaigns to support broader campaign efforts and highlight must-see experiences in Manitoba.
Leisure Market Initiatives (cont’d)
Dynamic Campaigns
Brand Awareness: Travel Manitoba will inspire visitation and promote the refreshed brand through a targeted awareness campaign outside of Manitoba, focusing mainly on broadcast and OTT video spots.
Manitoba Newcomers and Community: Travel Manitoba aims to connect with specific communities and newcomers to the province by building relationships and providing engaging content. This approach will raise awareness and inspire them to discover and explore their new home province. Through targeted outreach and meaningful interactions, Travel Manitoba will foster a sense of belonging and encourage newcomers to embrace the beauty and opportunities Manitoba has to offer.
Airline Strategy
Travel Manitoba will continue to work with airline partners to market non-stop flight routes to the province.
Non-stop U.S. Routes: Travel Manitoba will continue to support the U.S. non-stop flight routes through alignment and partnership with United Airlines, Delta Airlines and WestJet.
Non-stop Canadian Routes: Travel Manitoba will partner with Air Canada, WestJet and Porter airlines to promote new and existing nonstop routes to Winnipeg.
Airline Co-op Campaigns: Building on the success of previous campaigns, Travel Manitoba will run co-op marketing campaigns to generate flight bookings in Canadian and U.S. non-stop flight markets.
Leisure Market Initiatives (cont’d)
Publications
Inspiration Guide: The Manitoba Inspiration Guide guide is an engaging overview of the province, leveraging stunning photography and experiential copy to entice travellers to book their trips. Distribution of the guide includes targeted direct mail in priority markets, and delivery through our partners and visitor services activities in key areas within Manitoba.
Digital Marketing
Manitoba Explorer App: The Manitoba Explorer App continues to grow in subscribers and trail completions. New engagement tactics and enhanced trails will be developed to continue to attract audiences.
Content Marketing
Brand Collaborations and Influencer marketing: Travel Manitoba will continue to leverage greater engagement, reach and content creation through partnerships with select brands, publishers and influencers. These collaborators will create and redistribute content both on their own channels and on Travel Manitoba’s channels.
Podcast Strategy: Travel Manitoba will launch a podcast series to promote Manitoba, tell engaging stories, elevate partners and grow audiences and subscribers.
Culinary Tourism/Agri-Tourism Strategy: Travel Manitoba will continue to enhance its culinary tourism strategy to promote Manitoba’s growers, makers and producers. This includes support and sponsorship of select culinary events, platforms and initiatives.
Culinary Tourism Alliance: Travel Manitoba will partner with the Culinary Tourism Alliance to raise awareness of Manitoba’s agriculture and culinary sector nationally.
Culinary Events: Travel Manitoba will continue to support select culinary events such as Dine About Winnipeg and the return of Great Taste of Manitoba, among others.
Hunt Fish Market
Manitoba has long been recognized as one of the world’s preeminent destinations for American anglers and hunters. The province boasts some of the largest and most diverse species of fish anywhere on the planet and a vast landscape home to millions of waterfowl and game birds and seven big game and predator species.
The hunting and fishing industry accounts for $480 million in tourismrelated spending and contributes a significant percentage to the overall tourism economy (pre-pandemic).
Target Markets
Primary
• Angling enthusiasts (middle-aged men)
• Past angling/hunting customers
Secondary
• Women
• Families
• New Canadians
• Millennials
Geographic Markets
Primary
• Manitoba
• North Dakota
• Wisconsin
• Minnesota
• Illinois
Secondary
• Florida
• Texas
• Michigan
• Colorado
• Nebraska
through a comprehensive multi-channel experience-based approach, highlighting iconic experiences that will increase visitation and contribute to the recovery of the hunt fish industry.
Hunt Fish Initiatives (cont’d)
Seasonal Campaigns
Fly-in and Drive-to Fishing experiences: Building on the success of the Prairie Angling Program, Travel Manitoba will continue to highlight and feature fly-in and drive-to fishing experiences in the spring and summer seasons, with the aim of growing U.S. angler visitation.
Hardwater (Ice) Fishing: Manitoba’s ice fishing season has an advantage of being slightly longer than many U.S. destinations, allowing visitors to extend their ice fishing experiences by coming up north. Travel Manitoba will continue to promote hardwater fishing through a mix of paid, earned and owned media strategies.
Hunting Campaign: Travel Manitoba will continue to strategically use hyper-focused targeting and messaging to reach audiences interested in hunting experiences.
Syndicated Partnerships: Travel Manitoba will review and explore existing and new brand partnerships for campaigns, sponsored content, syndication and brand collaborations
Master Angler Program
North America’s oldest Master Angler Program honours anglers who catch trophy-sized fish with certificates of achievement and a variety of badges. Travel Manitoba operates the program by collecting anglers’ submissions. Over 16,100 fish were caught and accepted through the program in 2023. An updated app, refreshed brand and merchandise continues to engage audiences.
Master Hunter Program
Built on the success of the Master Angler Program, the Master Hunter Program was launched in 2018 to celebrate the experience of hunting, while recognizing and rewarding successful hunts throughout one’s lifetime of hunting in Manitoba. Unlike other hunting award programs, Manitoba’s Master Hunter Program is not based on a size or scoring basis.
Digital Marketing
Website: Completely rebuilt in 2023, huntfishmanitoba.com continues to be the primary source of hunting and fishing information, housing a complete list of lodges and outfitters as well as inspirational content, resources and more. Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in the website and build out more enhanced landing pages for use in angling campaigns.
Hunt Fish Initiatives (cont’d)
Hunt Fish Initiatives (cont’d)
Content Marketing
Hunt Fish MB Blog: The Hunt Fish MB blog is a valuable source of inspiration and attraction for avid hunters and anglers. Leveraging its existing content, blog posts will be refreshed as new content. Travel Manitoba will continue to feature big catches, species health and variety, recipes and influencer content.
Hunt Fish e-Newsletter: Travel Manitoba will continue its e-Newsletter and grow subscribers, aiding in the collection of first-party data. The framework and content schedule will be refreshed to better reflect the interests of consumers, increase personalization and provide leads to partners.
Video: Travel Manitoba will continue to produce high-impact videos and shorts, leveraging user generated content as well as content creators.
Brand Collaborations: Travel Manitoba will continue to identify and collaborate with key brands with the goal to further solidify authority of the Hunt Fish MB brand and reach new audiences through third-party channels.
In-Market Activations
Non-industry shows: Travel Manitoba will explore participation in Hunt Fish Initiatives (cont’d)
Francophone Tourism
Manitoba offers visitors unique historical and contemporary francophone experiences, setting it apart from other destinations. Among these experiences are distinctive ways to experience Métis culture and heritage. These assets form an important strategic advantage, as identified in the Manitoba Francophone Tourism Strategy, and are essential to solidify Manitoba’s distinctive market positioning, target audiences and tactics. Travel Manitoba has added a dedicated specialist position to further enhance and develop this work.
Target Markets
Primary
• Cultural Explorers
• Authentic Experiences
Secondary
• Adventure Seekers
Geographic Markets
• Manitoba
• Québec (RV Market)
Francophone Market Initiatives
Digital Marketing
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in digital platforms and experiences to elevate francophone products and attract francophone
Indigenous Tourism
Manitoba is home to 63 First Nations communities and is the homeland of the Red River Métis. The Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Strategy identifies Indigenous tourism experiences as an important part of visiting Manitoba. These experiences have high potential to be recognized as iconic Canadian tourism products that capture the attention of visitors from around the world. Travel Manitoba collaborates with Indigenous Tourism Manitoba (ITM) and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) on business development, partnership and marketing activities.
In 2023, Indigenous tourism added nearly $91 million to the province’s GDP, supported 1,682 full-year-equivalent jobs in Manitoba and contributed $24.8 million in taxes to the Manitoba government.
Target Markets
Primary
• Culture Seekers
• Purpose Driven Families
Secondary
• Outdoor Explorers
Geographic Markets
Primary
• Manitoba
• Canada
Secondary
• United States (Short-haul)
• Germany
Indigenous Tourism Market Initiatives
Digital Marketing
ITM Website: Travel Manitoba will support ITM in their development of consumer-facing content on their website indigenoustourismmanitoba. ca by providing referral links, campaign support and brand amplification.
Content Marketing
Travel Manitoba will create a content marketing strategy in collaboration with ITM and ITAC to align efforts.
Indigenous Content Creators: Travel Manitoba and ITM will continue to develop an inventory of Indigenous content creators to support the development of authentic content.
Video: Travel Manitoba will build upon its series of ‘Adventures to Understanding’ videos with new chapters featuring market-ready experiences. Videos will also be updated with the new ITM branding and incorporated within Travel Manitoba’s leisure market campaigns and paid digital media.
Northern Tourism
Northern Manitoba is defined, for tourism purposes, as the region of Manitoba north of the 53rd parallel. It is a vast territory comprising almost 60 per cent of the land area of Manitoba.
The natural assets of the region include thousands of lakes, vast boreal forest, major tracts of the Laurentian Shield and an arctic region bordering Hudson Bay.
Target Markets
Primary
• Outdoor Explorers
• Refined Globetrotters
Secondary
• Purpose Driven Families
Geographic Markets
Primary
• Manitoba
• Canada
• United States
– Short Haul
– California
– Texas
– Florida
Secondary
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• United States
– Georgia
Northern Market Initiatives
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in digital platforms and experiences to elevate francophone products and attract francophone audiences.
Publications
Northern Lure: Two northern lure pieces will be created to promote iconic seasonal experiences in the North and distributed to targeted audiences within Manitoba.
Digital Marketing
Bandwango: Leveraging the Bandwango platform, Travel Manitoba will create northern pass experiences to drive traffic through the doors of local businesses and be a hub for e-commerce.
Travel Trade
The travel trade sector provides a new customer base through distribution channels and promotion of Manitoba products. The majority of international business development and marketing efforts are through travel trade. Travel Manitoba aligns its market approach with Destination Canada.
Travel Manitoba will continue to collaborate with Tourism Winnipeg and industry stakeholders to support travel trade sales activities and marketing programs. Travel Manitoba will continue to build demand for northern lights as a third season in Churchill.
Target Markets
Primary
• Tour operators, travel agents, travel planners, receptive tour operators, product managers, incentive and corporate buyers, travel consortia
Secondary
• Student/youth, affinity group planners, motorcoach companies
Geographic Markets
Primary
• Canada
• United States
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• Australia
Secondary
• Asia (via Canadian Inbound Receptive Tour Operators)
• Mexico (evaluating)
Travel Trade Initiatives
Sales & Marketing Activities
Travel Manitoba’s sales activities include prospecting, in-person sales meetings, relationship building, familiarization (FAM) tours and General Sales Agent (GSA) marketing efforts. Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Destination Canada to leverage resources.
Team Winnipeg: Travel Manitoba will continue to support Tourism Winnipeg as a Team Winnipeg partner in the leisure, business events and travel trade markets.
Business Development: Travel Manitoba will identify key events to attend and meet with tour operators, product managers and trade to promote Manitoba products.
FAM Trips: Travel Manitoba will work in conjunction with industry and Tourism Winnipeg where applicable to bring tour operators, product managers and trade here to showcase and experience Manitoba. This opportunity is a crucial aspect of the selling cycle and these familiarization tours often form the basis for newly developed itineraries and lead to additional products being carried by operators and key accounts.
Joint Marketing Activities (JMAs)
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in campaigns and joint marketing activities with key accounts, tour operators and travel agency consortia (Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network) in all key markets. These activities will expand the trade reach through B2B and B2C activities including eblasts, print, digital, social campaigns and specialist training.
Sponsorship
Travel Manitoba will continue to invest in key sponsorships to elevate the Manitoba brand and provide unique opportunities to get in front of buyers.
Rendez-vous Canada (RVC): RVC continues to be Canada’s premier marketplace for the tourism industry. Hosted by Destination Canada and Tourism Industry Association of Canada, RVC brings buyers from across the globe. Winnipeg will host the 2025 event, co-chaired by Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg. In addition to showcasing Manitoba through pre-conference FAM and city tours, this opportunity will highlight the value of working with travel trade and build increased participation from local partners and operators who have not yet been able to participate in RVC.
Travel Media and Influencer Relations
Travel media continues to be extremely valuable. Effective travel writing and content creation can inspire audiences to venture from far-flung destinations and provides tens of millions of dollars in earned media. Travel media also provides third-party validation and highlights a destination’s experience through different channels and to new audiences.
Travel Media
Target Markets
Primary
• Traditional print, digital and broadcast media
Secondary
• Social media influencers, video crews and independent content
creators
Geographic Markets
Primary
• Canada
• United States
Secondary
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• Australia
Travel Media Initiatives
Media Activities
Travel Manitoba’s travel media and influencer relations activities include prospecting, in-person meetings, relationship building, media visits and earned/paid media efforts. Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Destination Canada to expand reach and leverage resources.
Media Development: Travel Manitoba will identify key media marketplaces and events to promote Manitoba to travel journalists, bloggers, TV shows, travel influencers and content creators.
Media Trips: Travel Manitoba will continue to host prioritized travel media and influencers from its target markets on curated customized itineraries to encourage and create earned media articles and content.