Destinations: it’s time to measure up

This new statistical analysis provides online performance data as well as comparisons with other destinations in Canada or internationally, such as New Zealand and the US. The stats will enable organizations that take part to better brief government at both provincial and federal levels with the most effective measurements.

The Benchmarking Study was created by A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing and Miles Partnership, with the full backing of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). It came after an initial pilot project that featured 16 Canadian DMOs, including Destination Halifax, Ottawa Tourism, Tourism New Brunswick, Tourism Nova Scotia, Tourism Yukon and Tourism Vancouver.

The study program is open to all Canadian destination marketing organizations, provincial marketing organizations, convention & visitor bureaus, regional tourism organizations and tourism municipalities. The results? Those that sign up will get three reports that gauge outcomes against key performance indicators as well the chance to take part in three educational webinars. Cherry on top: a copy of the aggregated summary report from the initial pilot study.

“New media has had a major impact on destination marketing, with printed brochures and travel guides becoming more like history books,” says Paul Nursey, CTC vice-president, Strategy & Corporate Communications. “We’re delighted to endorse a project that will help Canadian destinations learn from each other in an increasingly tough tourism marketplace.”

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