Manitoba encompasses Treaty 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Territories and communities who are signatories to Treaties 6 and 10. Manitoba is located on the ancestral land of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk Nations and is the Homeland of the Red River Métis. Northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
Travel Manitoba respects the spirit and intent of Treaties and Treaty Making and remains committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
Background
The Manitoba Francophone Tourism Strategy was developed to enhance and promote the unique cultural and linguistic heritage of Manitoba’s Francophone communities. This strategy is a comprehensive plan aimed at leveraging the rich history, vibrant culture and dynamic communities to attract visitors and stimulate economic growth in the region. Originally launched in 2021, this strategy brings together diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, local businesses, cultural organizations and community groups to collaboratively work towards a common vision for Francophone tourism in Manitoba. The Strategy’s implementation is supported by the Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee.
Major Accomplishments
STRATEGIC GOAL 1: FOSTER COLLABORATION
AND BUILD SUPPORT FOR TOURISM
Key Initiatives:
Collaborate with the Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee to implement the strategy and coordinate initiatives.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba organized and funded an Advisory Committee meeting in December 2023.
Establish a Francophone engagement plan.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba continues to support the advisory committee with this initiative.
Saint Boniface Tourism Action Committee (SBTAC) met twice in 2023-24.
Tourisme Riel engages tourism operators through individual meetings to develop specific initiatives or discuss specific topics. In 2023-24, 43 meetings related to the Manitoba Francophone Tourism Strategy were held.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Build public and private sector support for Francophone tourism.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba engaged with the Francophone sector in a number of ways in 2023-24 including:
• Industry Survey
• DestinationNEXT Assessment Survey
• Tourism Workforce Study interviews and engagement session.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM)
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CDEM assisted entrepreneurs needing support to launch a new business or expand their current offerings.
Results:
• 23 tourism businesses were supported or created.
• 44 jobs were created or maintained.
• $1.1 million leverage effect was achieved through CDEM’s strategic funding efforts. By securing government funding for the broader business sector, CDEM supported various organizations including both tourism and non-tourism related businesses. This funding then enabled additional, targeted support for tourism-specific initiatives including experience development and marketing efforts.
Monitor performance of strategy initiatives.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Updates and results of major Manitoba Francophone Tourism Strategy initiatives are reported during Advisory Committee meetings. The committee met once in 2023-24
Tourisme Riel/Entreprises Riel collaborates with the Saint-Boniface Tourism Action Committee stakeholders, business community and chambers of commerce to support strategy initiatives and deliverables.
Tourisme Riel and CDEM evaluated the performance of Jeudi Franco Thursdays (JFT). All 18 community partners involved in the initiative in 2023 contributed to the study.
JFT was nominated as a finalist for the 2023 Tourism Awards Winnipeg | Manitoba Marketing Campaign of the Year and won the Economic Developers Association of Manitoba (EDAM)’s Project of the Year Award (under $100,000).
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM)
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
STRATEGIC GOAL 2: LEAD BRAND AND MARKET POSITIONING
Key Initiatives:
Identify target markets through existing and new research.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba focused on three key actions to promote Francophone tourism in Manitoba:
• Increased the availability of Francophone tourism content across our platforms resulting in an overall increase in the amount of content translated.
• Targeted Québecois audiences to visit Manitoba, highlighting both Francophone experiences and the wide range of attractions available throughout the province. Travel Manitoba executed two major seasonal campaigns in the 2023-24 fiscal year, focusing on Spring Summer and Fall Winter. Each campaign featured a specific pillar dedicated to Francophone experiences. These campaigns involved a comprehensive range of marketing activities, including digital marketing, social media promotions and content creation. These efforts were further supported by strategic partnerships, targeted advertising, media hosting and influencer collaborations to ensure a broad and impactful reach to promote Francophone tourism experiences and culture.
• Advertised Francophone tourism experiences to all Manitobans, regardless of their language preference through all platforms (print and digital).
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Ensure Francophone tourism brands are aligned with the Canada’s Heart is Calling brand by developing an annual integrated marketing plan targeting consumers, travel trade and media using St. Boniface as the boulder to draw focus to rocks and pebbles in rural communities (i.e. by promoting one-, two- and three-day itineraries).
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A joint marketing plan was developed with CDEM and Entreprises Riel and is available on Travel Manitoba’s website. The marketing plan included French and English advertising in five campaigns in 2023-24.
Travel Manitoba’s market development team met with 37 French tour operators at Rendezvous Canada and Canada Showcase.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Travel Manitoba
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CDEM continues to highlight market-ready products, experiences and destinations on Bonjour Manitoba.
Results:
• One social media contest
• 15 media interviews
• 12 newsletters
• 32,932 visitors to bonjourmanitoba.com
CDEM, in partnership with Tourisme Riel, attended the 2024 Salon VR Montréal which saw over 2,600 visitors to their booth.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Continue to develop Francophone content assets including photography, videos and articles that showcase Francophone experiences or that are written in French to appeal to Francophone audiences.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba invested in two campaigns in 2023-24 (Fall Winter and Spring Summer) in an effort to drive overnight bookings, grow awareness of attractions and experiences and increase leads to partners.
Results:
• 1,500 French Inspiration Guides
• 50,000 bilingual Northern Lures
• 82 updated or new blog posts
• Bilingual Hunt Fish Manitoba website
• 21 French YouTube videos, 5 million total views
CDEM developed new digital photography/video content for three products/experiences as well as increased its digital presence.
Results:
• 15 articles and blogs
• 139,127 people reached on social media channels.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba, Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM) and Tourisme Riel
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Tourisme Riel developed digital photography/video content for one experience as well as increased its digital presence on Passion & Histoire and Tourisme Riel channels.
Results:
• 246 posts on Instagram and Facebook
• 282 stories on Instagram and Facebook
• 28,630 people reached on social media
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Establish directional signage strategy coordinated with Manitoba’s Tourism Strategy.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Management agreement with the City of Winnipeg and Entreprises Riel ensures all signage is in French or bilingual on the south landing of the Esplanade Riel and a permanent banner has been installed at the gateway of Provencher Boulevard.
The Norwood Grove BIZ has installed new signage in the form of banners promoting the Passion & Histoire brand.
Entreprises Riel has invested in an electronic sign promoting the tourism activities in Saint-Boniface.
Twelve highway billboards (two in each location) were developed in 2023-24, including Centre du Canada in Taché, Fort Ellice in St. Lazare, Rendez-Vous Corner in St. Malo, St. Jean-Baptiste welcome sign, Winnipeg River Heritage Museum in St. Georges and the museum in St. Laurent.
Other signage developed in 2023-24 included:
• Interpretive signage at the Rendez-Vous Corner in St. Malo.
• Park entry sign for the Cheyenne Park in Ste. Agathe.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Implement meetings and conventions strategy coordinated with Tourism Winnipeg.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manitoba was successful in its bid to host Rendezvous Canada in 2025, providing an excellent opportunity for the Francophone tourism sector to showcase its unique offerings on a global stage. There will be specific opportunities for familiarization tours across the province to feature market ready experiences.
As part of its ongoing client services to meeting and conventions organizers, Tourism Winnipeg positioned Francophone experiences and offsite venues as part of its meeting planner toolkit. In addition, the offerings were featured in its publications and promotional materials in the pre-promotion efforts to drive delegate attendance.
Develop a new vision for Provencher Boulevard.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Provencher BIZ encouraged the community to participate in a public engagement survey on the future of 210 Provencher Blvd. (former Saint-Boniface City Hall). As a result, Winnipeg City Council will now pursue long-term lease opportunities instead of selling the property. Approved lease proposals will be reviewed by the newly developed Carré Civique de SaintBoniface Board.
New active transportation plans have been introduced for Saint-Boniface, with cycling routes now designated on streets surrounding Provencher Boulevard. In addition, new infrastructure, including bike racks and repair stations, has been installed along the boulevard and at Esplanade Riel.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Tourism Winnipeg
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Entreprises Riel, Provencher BIZ
STRATEGIC GOAL 3: ADVANCE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT
Key Initiatives:
Assess Francophone tourism products for tourism readiness and maintain a product inventory.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba developed the tourism readiness assessment tool which analyses the status and size of Manitoba’s tourism industry. In 2023-24, Francophone tourism in Manitoba consisted of 267 businesses, representing 19 per cent of the province’s overall tourism industry.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Support existing businesses’ pandemic recovery efforts through industry education opportunities and partnership support. Recover, retain, improve and develop new experiences during market recovery with an aim to advance tourism readiness.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CDEM features market-ready products, experiences and destinations through the Bonjour Manitoba tourism brand.
In partnership with Tourisme Riel, CDEM launched the inaugural Jeudis de la Francophonie (JDLF) in the summer of 2023 – a cultural event series that takes place every Thursday from June to August in St. Boniface. The event series offered a diverse range of activities including a summer market, live music, film screenings and art exhibits.
Results of the inaugural JDLF:
• 18 partners
• 37 guided tours
• 21,382 visitors
• $168,000 economic impact
In the spring of 2024, JDLF was rebranded to Jeudis Franco Thursdays (JFT) to better attract broader linguistic audiences and a business plan was developed. This plan includes a visitor evaluation, analysis of the economic and social impact of JFT and strategies to ensure long-term viability and growth
Entreprises Riel collaborated with the BIZ (Provencher BIZ, Norwood BIZ and Saint-Norbert BIZ) to advise and support businesses, helping them navigate the system and access financial support from the federal government.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As businesses continued to recover, they were keen to explore new markets. Entreprises Riel focused on increasing product development in the Francophone community.
In 2023-24, Ô Tours organized 76 tours and hosted 1,674 visitors while supporting local tourism businesses in promoting their products and services.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Define Francophone tourism labour needs and address them through recruitment and training programs.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Travel Manitoba engaged Probe Research to conduct a Tourism Workforce Study, including consultations to gain insights into the needs and challenges of Manitoba’s tourism labour market and identify ways to stabilize and expand the workforce. Four interviews were conducted specifically within the Francophone sector, which was identified as facing unique workforce challenges. The study produced several recommendations that are currently being explored and one direct outcome is the development of a marketing campaign called ‘This is Tourism’, aimed at improving residents’ perceptions of tourism by highlighting its benefits.
CDEM hosted several training sessions focused on building knowledge and capacity for identifying and securing funding opportunities.
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
Travel Manitoba and Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee
Conclusion and Next Steps
In the past year, the Manitoba Francophone Tourism Strategy has made significant strides in enhancing collaboration, elevating brand positioning and advancing destination management. Overall, the progress aligns with our strategic objectives and sets a solid foundation for continued growth and development in Francophone tourism. The ongoing efforts to address workforce challenges, enhance marketing strategies and support tourism businesses are essential to our mission of promoting and growing a vibrant Francophone tourism sector in Manitoba.
Looking ahead, the committee will embark on a strategic planning process to update the Francophone Tourism Strategy. This will involve assessing current initiatives, evaluating their effectiveness and identifying new opportunities to enhance our approach and impact. We will also determine the next steps for the Francophone Tourism Strategy Advisory Committee to ensure continued alignment with our strategic goals and effective implementation of our updated plan. By refining the strategy and strengthening committee engagement, we aim to build on existing progress and drive continued growth in Francophone tourism.
