The city is looking for input from tourism stakeholders in its bid to improve and enhance the city’s delivery of tourism services in Campbell River.
The move is tied to the recent dissolution of Rivercorp, the city’s economic development arm.
Mayor Andy Adams said that as part of the process, the city has hired Cadence Strategies to help the city move forward with a new tourism and marketing model.
“The city has hired tourism consultants with extensive tourism planning experience to help determine the best model for tourism services delivery in our community,” Adams said. “They’re looking at all kinds of models used around the province and across the country, and the community interviews will ensure the plan they develop is customized to the unique needs and circumstances of Campbell River.”
As part of the consultation process, Cadence will be hosting workshops at the Comfort Inn in May. Suzanne Denbak, principal of Cadence Strategies and project lead, also conducted informal, drop-in discussions with tourism stakeholders in the lobby of the Comfort Inn yesterday and today from 4 to 7 p.m. Denbak said anyone and everyone with an interest in marketing Campbell River to the world is welcome to attend the upcoming workshops.
“We welcome tourism operators and everyone who is part of the tourism experience to help us define Campbell River’s tourism vision, guiding principles and measurable objectives,” Denbak said in a city news release. “Your input will help identify Campbell River’s target markets and competitive advantage as part of a recommended five-year tourism marketing plan.”
In the meantime, the Campbell River Economic Development Corporation – a wholly-owned company of the city – has been managing the city’s tourism function under a one-year contract. Adams said the group has been busy, hosting the Tourism Association of Vancouver Island last September and working towards hosting the 2017 Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) convention and the Vancouver Island Sustainable Technology.
Anyone who would like to give their input into the city’s new tourism plan is encouraged to sign up for the May workshops hosted by consultants Denbak and Laura Plant.
Register to participate by emailing sdenbak@cadencestrategies.com
Meet the consultants
- Suzanne Denbak, project lead, has more than 20 years’ experience in community tourism planning, destination marketing and promotion and delivery of results through optimizing both governance models and funding opportunities.
- Laura Plant of Laura Plant Consulting is assisting with her decade-long experience managing the community tourism programs with the provincial destination marketing organization.
