1. Destination Development Action Plan 2010
Grey County Tourism
Destination Development Action Plan 2010
Presentation to
Grey County Tourism Industry Partners
May 20, 2010
The Resource Management Consulting Group

2. Today
Overview Recommendations Using the Action Plan Last Words

3. Destination Development Action Plan
Intro
Project Management
Roles & Responsibilities
Research & Tracking
Demand Generators
Product Market Match
Organization Workshops
Summer Visitor Survey
Organization Interviews
Destination Positioning
Industry Workshop
Industry Interviews
Online Survey
Workshop Surveys
Grey County Tourism
Destination Development Action Plan

4. Destination Development Action Plan
Why?
Grey County Tourism
Annual Marketing Plan
Annual marketing goals
Analysis of visitor markets
Strategies to reach markets
Marketing Challenges
Many organizations & businesses marketing Grey
Marketing becoming more sophisticated
Little market insight
Some well-developed products, potential for more
Evolving Roles
Expanding beyond marketing
Need longer planning time horizon
Regional tourism organizations
Destination Development Action Plan
Grey County Tourism’s role includes
Leadership
Market Research
Demand Generators
Marketing
3-year planning horizon

5. Framework Grey County Tourism Goal 
Increase sustainable tourism revenues through managing & marketing Grey County as a tourism destination 
Roles & Responsibilities
Market Research & Tracking
Demand Generators & Product Market Match
Destination Positioning
Resources for Destination Development

6. The Plan Table of Contents 1 Introduction
Grey County Tourism Today (2010)
Need for the GCT Action Plan
Action Plan Framework
Input to the Action Plan
Outcomes of the Action Plan
2 The Destination Development Action Plan
Summary of Recommendations
Summary of Actions
Measuring Success
Annual Review and Update
Recommendations and Detailed Actions
4 Analyses of GCT’s Situation
Roles & Responsibilities
Research
Demand Generators
Destination Positioning
Appendices
Appendices
A – Roles & Responsibilities Summary Matrix
B – Roles & Responsibilities Workshop
C – 2009 Grey County Visitor Survey
D – 2009 Grey County Visitor Survey Report
E – GCT Performance Indicators
F – GCT Promotion Geographic Analysis
G – Demand Generators & Product Market Match Analysis
H – Demand Generator Summary (2008 Workshop)
I – Demand Generator Workshop
J – GCT Branding Design Brief
K – Online Survey
L – GCT Communication Strategy

7. Demand Generator Tools
Outcomes
Positive collaborative experience for stakeholders
New “Tools in GCT’s Toolbox”
System to gauge success, reset goals and actions annually
Action Plan
Demand Generator Tools
Demand Generator Development Strategy
Market Research Tools
Research plan
Two visitor surveys
Performance indicators
Attraction /event /accommodation tracking system
Geographic tracking system
Marketing Tools
Communication Strategy
Leadership Tools
Stakeholders’ tourism roles and responsibilities
Plan for increasing GCT collaborative leadership

8. Action Plan Recommendations

9. Goals Set broad goals for GCT’s areas of responsibility
Grow GCT’s role as a collaborative tourism leader Use research to build market insight, track performance and guide product development Align Grey’s marketing with communication strategy and demand generators Support further development of Grey County’s top demand generators
Leadership
Market Research
Marketing
Demand Generators

10. 16 Recommendations Leadership Market Research Demand Generators
Facilitate stakeholder co-operation Advocate for tourism Be the tourism research resource
Understand visitors
Monitor performance annually
Use Web Analytics
Demand Generators
Marketing
Develop driving tours & experiences in the vicinity
of Blue Mountain to help extend visitors stays and
Encourage repeat visitation
Make Grey the “go to” place for fall colour/harvest
Support key festivals and events
Continue support of Ride Grey Bruce
Continue developing initiatives to recognize
Niagara Escarpment, Georgian Bay & natural
environment
Ensure marketing is strategic and aligned
Be the “go to” website for visitor info
Adopt the new communication strategy
Update Grey County brand
Develop marketing campaigns

11. Leadership Facilitate stakeholder co-operation
Grow GCT’s role as a collaborative tourism leader
Facilitate stakeholder co-operation
Continue & expand successes
Tourism Industry Newsletter
Industry website
Alignments with other DMOs & partners
New ...
Let’s Talk Tourism spring event
Visitor Information Centre Network
Be the tourism research resource
GCT recognized for research, GCT & all stakeholders need it
Share top line results
Make it easy for stakeholders to participate
Base GCT actions on research
Reward & thank participating stakeholders

12. Leadership Advocate for tourism
Grow GCT’s role as a collaborative tourism leader
Advocate for tourism
GC has vibrant tourism economy:
2008: 1.8 million visitors , >$331M in direct expenditures, 3,200 full time jobs, $10.5M in municipal taxes
GCT can
Publish & disseminate Annual Tourism Update
Present Update to municipalities and stakeholders
Encourage Grey County to develop resources & infrastructure for visitors
Help municipalities define their tourism roles in destination development
Develop local media plan

13. Market Research Understand visitors
Use research to build market insight, track performance and guide product development
Understand visitors
Behaviour, attitudes and demographics needed for marketing & planning
2009 GC Visitor Survey provided first insight
Shows collaboration works
GCT can help attractions and events understand their visitors by
Continuing the visitor survey at VICs in 2010
Using survey results to identify and analyze OTMP market segments
Expanding the survey to attractions & events
Helping VICs standardize and share visitor tracking
Co-ordinating and sharing research results

14. Market Research Monitor performance annually Use web analytics
Use research to build market insight, track performance and guide product development
Monitor performance annually
Report , analyze and share performance research & tracking results
Industry website
Industry newsletter
Let’s Talk Tourism
Use web analytics
Continue...
Google Analytics for measuring traffic
Tracking web traffic spikes vs promotions
New...
Geographic tracking of inquiries and fulfilments related to promotions
Google Analytics for web site redesign and to optimize demand generator language
12/17/2017

15. Marketing Ensure GCT’s marketing is strategic and aligned
Align GCT’s marketing with communication strategy & demand generators
Ensure GCT’s marketing is strategic and aligned
Grey County needs a common marketing voice
Prepare new GCT marketing plan
Assess & update annually (with Action Plan)
Continue and expand collaborative marketing
Develop external media relations
Be the “go-to” website
The site used by visitors, residents and the media wanting tourism info
Evaluate website
Redesign to reflect communication strategy
Excellent events calendar
Refine & align events calendars through VIC network

16. Marketing Adopt Communication Strategy
Align GCT’s marketing with communication strategy & demand generators
Adopt
Communication Strategy 16

17. Update Grey County Brand
Marketing
Align GCT’s marketing with communication strategy & demand generators
Update Grey County Brand
Brand for Grey County Tourism
Branding Design Brief
Communication Strategy
3 Alternatives
Recommend
1 Brand for Grey County
+ Tourism
Why?
2 Grey County brands are confusing to residents & visitors
Already many tourism brands in Grey County - some strong, some weak
GCT should leverage ubiquitous presence of County brand– road signs, town signs, vehicles
Grey County logo outdated
Too much detail, needs to be simplified to be striking and memorable (road signs, web
business cards, sponsorships/partnerships)
One brand vs several campaigns (eg. Getaway to Grey)
One Brand = strong, simple, forceful 17

18. Update Grey County Brand
Marketing
Align GCT’s marketing with communication strategy & demand generators
Update Grey County Brand
1 Brand for Grey County + Tourism
New Brand for Grey County + Tourism
Expanded Branding Design Brief
Expanded Communication Strategy
One Brand
County-wide implementation strategy
Update Logo for Grey County + Tourism
Implement Tourism Communication Strategy
Implement immediately
One Brand = strong, simple, forceful 18

19. Marketing Implement new communication strategy
Align GCT’s marketing with communication strategy & demand generators
Implement new communication strategy
For all communication
Signage
GCT vehicle
Stationary
Print advertising
Outdoor billboards
Collateral materials
Website
Radio
Develop marketing campaigns
VFR primary motivator for ¼ Grey visitors
Marketing campaign for permanent and seasonal residents
Implement communication strategy + demand generators
Incorporate it into central & SW Ontario campaign
Capitalize on Blue Mountain visitors
Develop Blue Mountain campaign 19

20. Demand Generators Develop Grey experiences for Blue Mountain visitors
Support further development of Grey County’s top demand generators
Develop Grey experiences for Blue Mountain visitors
Capitalize on a good thing: longer stays & more spending
Driving tours & experiences in the vicinity of Blue Mountain
Gateway to Grey County
Resort and seasonal resident marketing strategy
Make Grey County the “go to” place for fall colour & harvest
Strong supporting attractions & potential
Continue to…
Develop tours
Support local food
Also…
Support Apple Harvest Festival & Apple Pie Trail
Ensure high Google rankings
Ad campaign

21. Demand Generators Support key festivals & events
Support further development of Grey County’s top demand generators
Support key festivals & events
Key Festivals & Events:
Can be tourism DGs (if attract outside visitors)
Economic impact, create jobs
GCT should:
Key events criteria
Encourage research at key events
Enhance website presence
Support funding applications
Continue supporting Ride Grey Bruce
Well known in motorsports industry
Continue…
Ride Grey Bruce partnership
GBDDP motorcycle tour
GCT should…
Fully develop Ride Grey Bruce tours
“Go To” place for fall touring 21

22. Demand Generators
Support further development of Grey County’s top demand generators
Recognize Niagara Escarpment, Georgian Bay & natural environment
Research shows GC visitors come to experience nature & outdoors
Grey County = Niagara Escarpment + Georgian Bay + rolling fields + forests + rivers + lakes
Support….
Protection of natural resources
GBDDP
Public Georgian Bay access
Implement:
Image focused on outdoors
Develop products that allow visitors to experience nature
Waterfall Tour infrastructure 22

23. 16 Recommendations Leadership Market Research Demand Generators
Facilitate stakeholder co-operation Advocate for tourism Be the tourism research resource
Understand visitors
Monitor performance annually
Use Web Analytics
Demand Generators
Marketing
Develop driving tours & experiences in the vicinity
of Blue Mountain to help extend visitors stays and
Encourage repeat visitation
Make Grey the “go to” place for fall colour/harvest
Support key festivals and events
Continue support of Ride Grey Bruce
Continue developing initiatives to recognize
Niagara Escarpment, Georgian Bay & natural
environment
Ensure marketing is strategic and aligned
Be the “go to” website for visitor info
Adopt the new communication strategy
Update Grey County brand
Develop marketing campaigns

24. Using the Action Plan

25. Measuring Success 2010 2011 2012 2013 continue... Leadership
Market Research
Demand Generators
Marketing
3 new driving tours or off resort activities
Apple Harvest Festival Comm. Member
Fall colour & harvest Google rankings 
1st Talk Tourism
1st Annual Update
Annual Update to municipalities
2010
100 visitor surveys at 8 VICs
Satisfaction ratings stay the same or 
Communication strategy adopted
In-room/resort marketing strategy
Fall colour & harvest tours developed
Fall colour & harvest ad campaign in place
Fall colour & harvest Google rankings 1st pg
Key events criteria
5 key festivals & events identified
Motorcycle/snowmo-bile tours developed
Winter marketing with new Comm Strategy
Redeveloped and re-branded website
Web traffic  10%
1 new marketing campaign
2 Talk Tourism sessions held
Annual update to stakeholders
VIC Group met, set goals & working on 2 initiatives
VIC research continues annually
Satisfaction ratings stay the same or 
GC Events Survey at 2 events & reported
Occupancy  5%
2011
2012
2013
continue...

26. Annual Review & Update For each recommendation...
Check off actions completed
Consider actions that repeat regularly
Can they be improved
Should any be dropped
Should any be added
Consider actions that were not completed
Should any be moved to the next year
Look at upcoming actions
Are they all doable
Should any be dropped
Should any be moved to the next year?
Consider whether new actions need to be added for the upcoming year

27. Last Thoughts

28. Grey County Tourism Destination Development Action Plan
Action Plan unique for Grey County
Input from staff, stakeholders, visitors, residents
More than annual marketing plan
All of Grey County Tourism’s roles
Longer time frame
Considers alignments and collaborations
Many new tools in your toolbox