Should Canada Look Further Afield For New Markets

The answer is obvious perhaps, why not try to build new markets however as the header in Today's Globe and Mail suggests "Why Ontario must look much further afield to increase tourism", by Murry Campbell does not tell the whole story.

I enjoyed today's tourism article on Ontario, however the problem is also Canadian and has many more dimensions that are longer term. Here are a few additional points to consider:

1. Governments tend to use tourism promotion as soft "feel good propaganda". i.e. past election in Ontario instead of aggressively telling our story to Americans they were creating "feel good feelings about Ontario". Also, spending (wasting) of Federal $ re Gomery Report. Could this money have been better spent in the U.S. promoting Canada? What should be promoted to Ontario residents by the Ontario Gov.? Should the Ontario Gov. be spending their energy and tax payers money in Ontario--I say let local areas and regions do their own marketing to Ontario residents. There is a bulky awkward combined public sector-private sector bureaucracy called OTMP.

2. U.S will always be our best and most opportune market as long as we do a better job at telling our story (both cultural & natural history). I agree with Allan about low awareness level of $$ value etc.

3. Chretien gov. built an "ill-will" feeling towards the U.S. Does Canada really want me if I am American? 10 years of this has hurt Canadian Tourism

4. Toronto--the major city trying to attract U.S. visitors has flip flopped between branding images for years. Message has been confused and unclear. U.S. advertising has been inconsistent and irregular. This impacts on all of Canada.

5. A Canadian Tourism Industry Association TIAC-that has spent the last few years being more negative about the current border problems, thereby creating a built in problem before it exists--thereby contributing to the decline, rather than building a positive image about Canada.

6. There is an obsession by both prov. & fed. gov to hang their hats on the upscale visitor as a major focus. New Zealand has done quite well attracting the "backpacker", who may not spend as much per day, but stay longer and spend perhaps as much? Canada would be an ideal backpacking destination with the appropriate infrastructure ie transportation and accommodation.

7. Specific to Toronto--in the 90's Toronto gained the reputation of having the most expensive ball park in North America. Also, the U.S market was showing signs of decline in the 90's

8. There has been a reluctance for both Governments to embrace the concept of "eco tourism" when Canada has one of the best outdoor eco tourism products in the world.

9. A lot of what has been told in the Globe story has been told for the last 10 years--I think someone has to challenge both federal and provincial expenditures and the policies over the last ten years--governments are failing to help Canada maintain world market share?