High loonie + cuts to CTC + increase cross border allowances for Canadians = tough summer for Canadian Tourism

Finance Minister, the Hon. Jim Flaherty, tabled the Federal Government's budget 2012 and it's not very good for the 600,000+ Canadians that work in the tourism industry (investments in Quebec notwithstanding - more on that in my next post).

1 - according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada - the CTC will see a small cut to it's budget this year, but a substantial cut of $14.2 million in 2013/2014. The CTC is underfunded as it is, so this does not bode well for Canada's tourism profile internationally. Without sustained and predictable funding, it is very difficult to plan long term for the benefit of the Canadian Tourism Industry.

2 - The Canadian dollar will continue to hover at parity with the US greenback for the foreseeable future and this is not good news for Canadian Tourism. With so many new destinations for travelers to choose from and weak US and European economies, a high dollar puts a lot of pressure on margins and many Canadian tourism businesses just can't compete on price.

3 - The Federal Budget raises duty free limits for cross-border travelers in effect giving the US tourism industry a big gift. Canadians returning from abroad can now spend $200 in a 24 hour period and $800 on a 48 hour trip without paying taxes on their purchases. Put that together with a high loonie and American cross-border marketing and you have a great incentive for Canadians to spend their money across the border, money they will not spend at Canadian tourism destinations.

What to do? Canadian tourism must continue to focus on differentiation and creative marketing. I anticipate a barrage of marketing messages targeting Canadians to encourage them to travel within Canada this year.

Comments? Advice? Rants?

Watch this Now. Kony 2012

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.

HOW TO HELP:
Visit: http://kony2012.com
Donate to Invisible Children: https://www.stayclassy.org/checkout/set-donation?eid=14711
For info on Invisible Children: http://invisiblechildren.com

For official MEDIA and artist REPRESENTATION ONLY: Christina Cattarini cattarini@sunshinesachs.com

DIRECTOR: Jason Russell LEAD EDITOR: Kathryn Lang EDITORS: Kevin Trout, Jay Salbert, Jesse Eslinger LEAD ANIMATOR: Chad Clendinen ANIMATOR: Jesse Eslinger 3-D MODELING: Victor Soto VISUAL EFFECTS: Chris Hop WRITERS: Jason Russell, Jedidiah Jenkins, Kathryn Lang, Danica Russell, Ben Keesey, Azy Groth PRODUCERS: Kimmy Vandivort, Heather Longerbeam, Chad Clendinen, Noelle Jouglet ORIGINAL SCORES: Joel P. West SOUND MIX: Stephen Grubbs, Mark Friedgen, Smart Post Sound COLOR: Damian Pelphrey, Company 3 CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole, Gavin Kelly, Chad Clendinen, Kevin Trout, Jay Salbert, Shannon Lynch PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Jaime Landsverk LEAD DESIGNER: Tyler Fordham DESIGNERS: Chadwick Gantes, Stephen Witmer

MUSIC CREDIT:

Original Instrumental Scores by Joel P. West http://www.joelpwest.com/

“02 Ghosts I” Performed by Nine Inch Nails, Written by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, Produced by Alan Moulder, Atticus Ross, and Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails appear courtesy of The Null Corporation

“Punching in a Dream”, Performed by The Naked and Famous, Written by Aaron Short, Alisa Xayalith, and Thom Powers, Produced by Thom Powers, The Naked and Famous appear courtesy of Somewhat Damaged and Universal Republic

“Arrival of the Birds”, Performed by The Cinematic Orchestra, Written by The Cinematic Orchestra, Produced by The Cinematic Orchestra, The Cinematic Orchestra appears courtesy of Disney Records

“Roll Away Your Stone”, Performed by Mumford and Sons, Written by Benjamin Lovett, Edward Dwane, Marcus Mumford, and Winston Marshall, Produced by Markus Dravs, Mumford and Sons appear courtesy of Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC

“On (Instrumental)”, Performed by Bloc Party
Written by Bloc Party, Produced by Jacknife Lee, Bloc Party appears courtesy of Vice Records

“A Dream within a Dream”, Performed by The Glitch Mob, The Glitch Mob appears courtesy of Glass Air

“I Can’t Stop”, Performed by Flux Pavilion, Flux Pavilion appears courtesy of Circus Records Limited

Canada #1 in the Country Brand Index - yet not enough to be a compelling destination

For a 2nd year in a row, Canada tops the rankings of FutureBrand's Country Brand Index. It makes me very proud of Canada and it makes for lots of news headlines. The Canadian Tourism Commission is very happy and will milk the news in every conference this year.  Canada scores high in many reputation indices. The former champion in the United Nations' Human Development Index (several times # 1 in the early 90's), it now stands at number 6 (although the top ten countries are quite close in decimal points). Canada is also at # 6 in the 2010 Anholt-Gfk Roper Nation Brands Index.  Many of our cities rank high as the best cities for quality of life in the Mercer Consulting city rankings. The Economist ranks Vancouver as the best city in the world and Toronto as the 4th best.

I am unabashedly passionate about Canada. In spite of the many challenges we face as a country, in my opinion it is the best country in the world, the post-modern, post-nation state, 21st century country, the world is represented here. But, does all this good fortune translate into tourism growth? No. The evidence shows that it definitely translates into a huge demand for Canadian permanent residence and Canadian citizenship. At best the rankings help keep our tourism levels stable, at worst, the rankings may hurt tourism because they may reinforce the idea that Canada is great to live in, but perhaps not the most interesting or fun place for a vacation thereby instead of being a "we have to go to Canada this year" destination it becomes the "some day we'll go to Canada, it's a nice place" destination. We must note that Canada did not make the top ten in the Country Brand Index Tourism attribute (see http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/11/futurebrand-releases-results-o.html).

If you work in or follow the Canadian tourism industry, you probably know that it's a $70 Billion industry and that we have faced many challenges to grow visits and revenue for the last 10+ years y (SARS, the War in Iraq, the weak US economy, 9/11 and its consequent security concerns, new foreign destination entering the competition, the visa imposed on Mexicans, the weakness in the EU economies, etc.).  Revenue from foreign visitors - which represents about 20% of all tourism revenue - has remained more or less stagnant in real terms (adjusted for inflation) for the last 10 years. But this is good! Given all the challenges, we would have expected a contraction. The reasons may be varied, but one important element is that for several years now, Canada has been focusing on high-yield visitors, those who stay longer and spend more money. Many of the US day-trippers that used to come in the late 90's and early 2000's are gone. But we have been welcoming more Europeans, Asians (particularly Chinese from mainland China and Chinese from Hong Kong), and Latin Americans. Most of these travelers stay longer than American visitors and spend a lot more on average than our southern neighbours.

Consider these dramatic facts:

Total visits to Canada from non-residents in 2001:  47,146,647!
Total international tourism receipts for 2001 in 2001 dollars: $12.6 Billion


Total visits to Canada from non-residents in 2010:  24,669,133!
Total international tourism receipts for 2010: $18.2 Billion

(sources: Worldbank data and StatsCan Advance Travel Information)

Once adjusted for inflation - more or less - international tourism receipts are pretty much the same, but with almost half the number of visitors!

While these numbers are a testament to the industry's resilience and creativity, it is still concerning that international visits continue a steady decline year over year and that our travel deficit continues to grow - Canadians took 43,200,559 trips abroad in 2001 and 53,619,581 trips in 2010.

Conclusion - we must be do a lot more to persuade Canadians to travel more in Canada and to attract more international tourists (particularly those who do not visas) including lobbying for a lifting of visa restrictions to Mexican visitors.

RIP Canada-e-Connect

I had the privilege of serving our Canadian Tourism Industry as a volunteer Chair of the national Canada-e-Connect eTourism Strategy Conference in 2009 and 2010. I also served in the advisory committee of CeC 2011, superbly chaired by Emmanuelle Legault and Joel Peters.  After every conference we used to have a post-conference meeting to go over what worked and what needed more work and to begin thinking about the following year's conference. Canada-e-Connect was started by the brilliant Jens Thraenhart, former Director of eMarketing for the Canadian Toursim Commission. Jens had a dream to start a world class eTourism event in Canada. And he achieved that dream in November 2007. After Jens moved on to pursue other interests (doing great work in China for many destinations around the world, including Canada, via Dragon Trail), the Tourism Industry Association of Canada took over the conference. While I haven't seen any official announcement (and maybe I missed it),  it is very unfortunate that TIAC has quietly killed the conference without, as much as I know, any industry consultations. On the one hand, I can understand why. TIAC is a lobbying organization, the voice of the industry in Ottawa. TIAC also manages the National Tourism Conference and Rendez-vous Canada, so adding another conference was a stretch and I know it was a lot of work for TIAC's fantastic staff.  So I can understand why TIAC is not doing CeC anymore. But, I wish there had been consultations and perhaps a call for other organizations to take over the conference.  But who knows, perhaps it will come back with another name and a more ambitious agenda (maybe I should look into it - perhaps my friends at Tnooz and Comptoirs du eTourisme will be interested in collaborating in an international eTourism Strategy event within a Canadian context). Many people have confused eTourism Marketing with eTourism Strategy. Any marketing, digital or not, must be grounded in sound strategy. CeC's purpose was to focus on this strategy, to help the industry think strategically. I was not about social media or Facebook or mobile, it was about how to strategize in the new digital era - how to use (or not use) the new tools, channels, technologies, etc., of the digital era to pursue your strategy in order to achieve your organizational's objectives. RIP Canada-e-Connect.

News Release from the PMO - Prime Minister Harper wraps up successful visit to Latin America

As a Hispanic Canadian, I am very pleased to see Prime Minister Harper working to strengthen our trade, business, education and friendship relationships in Latin America. I am a strong believer that Latin America (all of Latin America, but particularly Mexico and Brazil) is strategically very important to Canada.  Here's the news release from the PMO about the Prime Minister's latest trip:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today wrapped up a highly successful visit to Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and Honduras during which he met with political and business leaders and announced 25 initiatives in a broad range of areas, including on trade, air transportation, taxation, development co-operation, and support for human rights, peace and security. These initiatives will deepen Canada’s ties with these important hemispheric partners.

“Canada continues to be an active player in the hemisphere, strengthening economic ties with its partners, improving market access and promoting security,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The many agreements signed during the visit will support job creation and economic growth in Canada and for our trading partners, which in turn, will contribute to advancing security and democratic governance in the region.”

The objectives of the trip were to promote and enhance security in the region and to increase Canadian prosperity through trade and investment. The following results demonstrate that these objectives were met:

In Brazil, the Prime Minister announced the following 11 initiatives:

• An Air Transport Agreement


• An Agreement on Social Security


• A Memorandum of Understanding on Olympic Games Cooperation


• A Memorandum of Understanding on International Development Cooperation Effectiveness


• A Canada-Brazil Strategic Partnership Dialogue


• Renewed Funding for the International Science and Technology Partnership Program


• The development of a Science and Technology Action Plan focused on innovation


• The first scholarships granted under the “Canada-Brazil Awards: Joint Research Projects” 


• The Governor General's leading of the Canadian delegation for the next Conference of the Americas on International Education to be hosted by Brazil in April 2012 


• The creation of a Canada-Brazil CEO Forum, and the appointment of Mr. Rick Waugh as Canadian co-chair of the Forum 


• The opening of three new Visa Application Centres

In Colombia, the Prime Minister announced the following 4 initiatives:

• The entry into force of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement on August 15, 2011


• Increased Canadian international development assistance to benefit children, at-youth risk and promote human rights


• Support for new and ongoing projects that will enhance peace, security and justice in Colombia and the region


• Colombia’s accession to Canada’s Military Training and Cooperation Program (2011-2014)

In Costa Rica, the Prime Minister announced the following 7 initiatives:

• The launch of negotiations to modernize the Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement, with a commitment to conclude negotiations one year from now


• An Air Transportation agreement


• A Tax Information Exchange Agreement 


• Canadian support for the Costa Rican Police Enhancement Program to help Costa Rican national police officers gain advanced training and mentoring through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police


• Canadian contribution of equipment to the Costa Rican police academy


• Canadian support for capacity building and security training for the Costa Rican tourism industry


• The opening of a new Visa Application Centre in Costa Rica

In Honduras, the Prime Minister announced the following 3 initiatives:

• The conclusion of negotiations toward a Canada-Honduras free trade agreement


• Canadian support to increase food security in Honduras


• Canadian support to help address regional security challenges in Central America, including Honduras

The measures announced over the course of this visit are intended to enhance commercial flows, regional stability and security. They build upon the many successes of our Government’s Americas strategy, which is focused on promoting prosperity at home and in countries of the Western hemisphere, reinforcing democratic governance, increasing economic prosperity and advancing our common security

Do you Bollywood? Do you Bhangra? You've never seen Ottawa like this.

Wilbur is back!

Bhangra in the Capital from Ottawa Tourism on Vimeo.

Canada’s Travel and Tourism Industry Welcomes Introduction of Ten-Year Visas

Ottawa, July 20, 2011 — The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) enthusiastically welcomed today’s announcement of a new, ten-year multiple-entry visa for international travelers wishing to visit Canada.

Internationally, tourism is the world’s fastest growing export sector, and much of the growth is being fuelled by a newly-mobile middle class in emerging markets such as Brazil, India, China, and Mexico. Enhancing Canada’s ability to welcome these potential visitors has the potential to mean millions of new customers and billions of dollars in foreign currency injected into the Canadian economy.

“A ten-year visa will help to put Canada back on an even footing with other destinations in the competitive international travel market,” said TIAC President and CEO David Goldstein. “This is a common sense solution that will make the visa process more efficient for our government, and more convenient for our valued international visitors.”

TIAC recognizes the work of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney on identifying the need to facilitate legitimate travel from our key allies and trading partners where there is no threat. Increasing access to Canada is one of the tourism sector’s key priorities, and the need for modernization of our visa system has been articulated as a vital aspect of enhancing access and to help Canada’s tourism sector grow and thrive.

This simple solution will help to bring Canada in line with other destinations, and will provide both travelers and the department with the means to facilitate trade in the tourism sector. It is also a further demonstration of the Harper government’s commitment to promote growth in the tourism sector, and will help to support the interdepartmental initiatives in the forthcoming Federal Tourism Strategy.

Source: press release Tourism Industry Association of Canada

Had enough of Will and Kate? Watch them as they stroll through Ottawa (courtesy Tourism Ottawa)

Ontario reaches out to the kids to stimulate domestic tourism

Good idea.

A few days ago, on the last day of school, kids in Ontario received a booklet called the Fun Pass courtesy of the Ontario Government. Good idea to encourage staycations and vacations in the province. Every child in Ontario schools got one. Kids 14 and under get coupons included in the booklet that gives them free admission to several provincial attractions like The Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara; Ontario Place, the Ontario Science Centre and The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto; the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington and Sainte-Marie among the Hurons among many others.  So the kids get in for free, but they will have to take at least one (paying) adult with them, right? 

Cheers and happy travels,

Jaime

www.cactusrock.com 

Welcome to Canada Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Princess Catherine

Prince William and Princess Kate arrive in Canada today.  Will you be able to see them in person?  According to the CBC, these are the itinerary highlights:

• June 30 —Their first official function is laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial. They will then head to Rideau Hall where they will be greeted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Governor General and receive full military honours including a 21-gun salute.There will be a youth barbecue and reception in the garden of Government House.

• July 1 — They will attend a citizenship ceremony at the Museum of Civilization and then it's off to Parliament Hill for Canada Day celebrations, where William will briefly address the crowd.

• July 2 — After a tree planting at Rideau Hall and a reception for war veterans and war brides, the couple depart for Montreal. There, they will visit Saint-Justine Hospital, a facility for young cancer patients, and go to the Institut de tourism et d'hotelerie where they will participate in a class of chefs in training. The students will then serve them a private dinner. Amid a fireworks competition in the harbour, the couple board HMCS Montreal for the overnight journey to Quebec City.

• July 3 — The couple will meet the Royal 22nd Regiment, the Van Doos, who have just returned from Afghanistan. Expect an inspection of the guard and a walkabout. They then head to the Citadel and after some down time depart for Levi Fort to participate in a fair. They depart by plane to Charlottetown where they will stay at Government House.

• July 4 — In the morning, they will tour Province House, and be greeted by the Fathers of Confederation on the steps. There will be a welcome by Premier Robert Ghiz and then a walkabout on George Street. Then they will head to Dalvay by the Sea. After a brief rest, they attend an outdoor reception complete with BBQ, dragon boat race and music. They will be greeted by Anne of Green Gables and do a walkabout. They depart for Summerside by helicopter where they will see a search and rescue demonstration and attend a reception for fishermen rescued by such teams. They leave for Yellowknife.

• July 5 — At Somba Ke Civic Plaza, the couple will be welcomed by the premier and aboriginal leaders in a ceremony that includes prayer and drum songs. They will do a walkabout with aboriginal athletic events. At a Territorial Legislature for Youth Parliament event, young people from different ridings will come to the legislature and try to solve a problem of their choosing and report their results to William. The couple then travel by sea plane to Blatchford Lodge to meet with Canadian Rangers. After walking to Dechinta Centre, which tries to recapture the aboriginal language and culture for young people, they return to Yellowknife and retire for the night.

• July 6 —The couple depart for Calgary and have the day to themselves in a private location.

• July 7 — After visiting Foothills Hospital, they head to the BMO Centre for a reception hosted by Harper and his wife. There will be a gift presentation from the government of Canada to the couple and a speech by Harper.

• July 8 — The couple will attend the launch of the Calgary Stampede parade and watch part of the parade. Then they visit ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Their final stop is Challenger Rotary Park where William will do an inspection of the guard with full military honours.

Full coverage of the Royal visit on CBC.ca

Go Canucks. Vancouver close to the Stanley Cup

Electrifying atmosphere in Vancouver during last the June 10, 2011 Stanley Cup game between the Canucks and the Boston Bruins. It's like the Olympics all over again (but bigger for Hockey fans).

Mexico and Canada. Is it time for Canada to lift Visa restrictions on Mexican visitors? Por supuesto que Sí!

In a rather quiet fashion, on June 29, 2010, Canada's Bill C-11, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, received Royal Ascent and became law at approximately 5 pm that day.  This very important piece of legislation is a step forward to try and improve Canada's refugee system in order to provide protection and refuge to those who really need it and to dissuade those who make claims without merit from doing so.  Canada has had a generous refugee system for decades. The definition that has guided this system came from what is commonly called the Geneva Convention and it states: ""A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.." 

Bill C-11 aims to prevent abuse of Canada's refugee system by also implementing a Designated Countries of Origin policy. "The purpose of the Designated Countries of Origin (DCO) policy, the faster processing timelines and the identification of manifestly unfounded claims is to reduce pressure on Canada’s asylum system by deterring unfounded claims, thus contributing to a system that is able to provide faster decisions to those who are in need of protection." Canada Gazette  It is expected that countries like Mexico will be one of these Designated Countries of Origin. Without saying as much, Prime Minister Harper implied on more than one occasion that once Canada fixed its refugee claims system, Canada would look at the issue of visas for Mexican tourists.  Recent articles and editorials in the Globe and Mail have called for the government to revisit the Mexican visa issue and lift the requirement.  The government now has the tools to control and reduce bogus refugee claims.  As other commentators have rightly pointed out, Mexico is Canada's third largest trading partner and part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. More than 2,000 Canadian companies have operations in Mexico. 

Mexico is also a strategic country for Canada in relation to its Latin American foreign policy.  Ever since the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, Canadian governments have paid lip service to increasing ties with Latin America. I join those who are calling on Prime Minister Harper to put some meat (ie resources) into his own stated desire to improve relationships with the countries in the Americas.  Mexico is the best starting point for Canada's Latin American policy. Over 1 million Canadians visited Mexico in 2010, despite the image problems caused by the war on drugs in that country.  Less than 200,000 Mexicans visited Canada in 2010 as a direct result - not of the visa requirement per se - but rather because of how difficult and involved the process to get one is.  If more than 13 million Mexicans visit the USA annually (with visas) - surely Canada can receive 1/2 million visitors from Mexico every year!  By the way, only Canada surpasses Mexico as top international market for the US when it comes to tourism.  

It's time for Canada to lift the visa requirement for Mexican visitors (or at the very least revisit what is required to obtain a visa and how fast it's done). 


Saludos,


Jaime Horwitz Rodriguez
www.cactusrock.com 

Are American Hispanics the new American Reality and the biggest opportunity for Canadian Tourism?

Guy García, a former Time Magazine staff writer and founder executive director and editor of AOL Latino, recently wrote a piece on the Huffington Post blog entitled "Are Hispanics the New American Reality? Claro que Sí! But Will They Get their Own Museum? Quien Sabe."  García focuses on the still growing Hispanic population in the US and the differences and similarities among the various groups of Hispanics, e.g. Mexican or Colombian and American, or Latino, black and Nuyorican - the various ways in which Hispanics describe themselves. Seen as a market, if the Hispanic population in the United States was a country, it would be the second largest Spanish speaking country in the world, after Mexico. The purchasing power of the US Hispanic population hovers around the 1 trillion $ mark.  García comments on a video produced by the Hispanic/American TV company Univision, in which we are told that Hispanic babies account for 25% of all babies born in the US every year, that in many US places Hispanic children account for 50% of all children. The numbers are impressive: Hispanics will account for 95% of the teen population growth through 2020. And so on.  The article addresses the debate happening in America as to whether Latinos should have their own Latino Museum in Washington, DC or not.  But that's a political issue. The reason I invite you to read the article as well as to see the video (embedded at the end of this post) is to consider the potential of this market for Canadian Tourism. A population of 50 million Hispanic Americans who do not need a visa to visit Canada surely must be of interest to you, if you are in the Canadian Tourism industry.  

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While many Hispanic Americans do visit Canada, we don't know how many because StatCan figures do not distinguish between white Americans, Indo Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans or Hispanic Americans, etc.  Intuitively, I think we are not getting as many US Hispanic visitors as we could.  Marketing to US Hispanics requires a specific focus on sub-markets and zeroing in on those that would be more prone to travel to Canada. The US born Hispanic population is, as Mr García rightly points out, "increasingly bilingual and bicultural" and "multicultural and multifaceted...they watch MTV3res and True Blood, they listen to rap, rock and Mexican banda, sometimes in the same song. Recent studies have shown that Latino identity is malleable, contextual and constantly evolving. Younger Latinos in particularly see no contradiction in calling themselves Dominican, American and black, or Caucasian, Hispanic-American and Colombian, or gaysian, blaxican, or any other racial-cultural-sexual amalgam that fits their nationality, genealogy, sexuality and mood."  And then there's also the non-US born Hispanic population which is also very diverse in income, language preference and education. 

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The key to marketing to Hispanics in the US, in addition to segmenting the overall market and zeroing in on your best prospects, is understanding their bi-culturalism. Your message must be tailored accordingly, but two things to remember as a basic starting point: 1) Hispanics love (need) to have fun and 2) family is paramount.  These 2 points are reflected in their travel habits. Being a Hispanic Canadian, I can attest to these points, but don't take my word for it.  One study by the Tourism Center at the University of Minnesota (with data from the 2006 US Census) found that 33% of Hispanic trips include children under 18 and that the majority (77%) of Hispanics report travelling for purposes of leisure.  And from the US Travel Association we have this little tidbit: "The Hispanic/Latino population in the U.S. is expected to reach 47.8 million by 2010 or 16 percent of the total population.  By 2050, the Hispanic/Latino population is projected to total 102.6 million, comprising 24 percent of the U.S. population.  In 2007, there were an estimated 16.2 million Hispanic adult leisure travelers who took a combined 50.4 million domestic and outbound trips and spent $58.7 billion on their travels. (Source: Profile of Hispanic/Latino Leisure Travelers, 2008 Edition)."  We now know that in 2011, the US Hispanic population is more like 50 million. Regardless of the exact number, the point I want to emphasize is that Canada is uniquely positioned as a tourism destination to attract a substantial number of Hispanic American travelers simply because we are next door, they don't need a visa to enter Canada, and we have fantastic tourism product for them.

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But don't forget Mexico, the rest of Latin America and Spain...(next blogpost)

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Saludos,

Jaime

www.cactusrock.com 

www.canadamigos.com

The Sanderson Centre for the Arts, a jewel in Wayne Gretsky's hometown

As some of my friends in the tourism sector know, when I am not working on tourism related business, I am helping my daughter with her efforts in the music world. Recently she had the opportunity to perform in Brantford, Ontario at the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts. I of course knew about Brantford because of its famous first family, but I had never been there. Because of Maddy's performance I clearly had to go and I was very very impressed with the Sanderson Centre. The front of the building is deceiving. It looks small from the outside, but when you step inside the theatre you are shocked by how big and beautiful it is. The Sanderson Centre is a heritage building that dates from 1919.  It's ceiling is a work of art (that has been restored over the years). The seats are very comfortable and you can clearly see the stage from pretty much anywhere in the place. The acoustics and the sound system are excellent.

Besides the beauty of the venue, the staff is not only professional, but also very welcoming and friendly. 

Brantford is about one hour to one hour and a half from Toronto, depending on where in the city you live and the traffic. It took us about an hour and fifteen to get there from Etobicoke. I have been to many theatres in my life, not only those in Toronto like the Elgin and the Royal Alexandra, but also many on Broadway and at least one in London's West End. This one in Brantford is as beautiful as any of those. I highly recommend you take in a show at the Sanderson Centre for the performing arts. Make it a weekend so you can explore Brantford while you're at it. Who knows, you might run into Walter or maybe the other Gretsky too.

Sanderson Centre for the performing arts

Sanderson Centre Shows

Jaime

Joeyeux jour du Dreapeau National du Canada - Happy birthday to the Maple Leaf - National Flag of Canada Day

February 15 - National Flag of Canada Day

The current Canadian Flag was adopted by Canada on February 15, 1965 after 6 months of debate in Parliament. Today, the red maple leaf is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world and one of the most admired :-)

Ottawa Tourism reaching out to Indo Canadians and Indians abroad

Wilbur Sargunaraj is a YouTube celebrity, singer songwriter, producer from India who lives in Toronto when he's not in Tamil Nadu or touring performing his mix of hip-hop and Bollywood music with a strong touch of comedy. He has a following on YouTube (2.7 million upload views) and Facebook (14,000 fans). He visited Ottawa recently where, with support from Ottawa Tourism, he shot one of his auto-tuned videos, this one called "The Canada Song." He has a penchant for calling his tunes "The (filled in the blank) Song."

A propos our conversations about video and travel at Canada-e-Connect 2011, I think this is a great example of creativity in travel promotion using video. You may or may not like the video. What's important is that the audience for which the video is intended likes it. I am not Indian or Indo-Canadian so I cannot say with any certainty whether this video would make them want to visit Ottawa or not. But kudos to Ottawa Tourism for taking this risk, and most importantly for doing something to target a very specific segment of the travelling public (segmentation). I personally like the tongue-in-cheek nature of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes viral to a certain extent. Apparently it's already doing very well in views. I will be interested in learning what the results in visits from Indians and Indo-Canadians is over the next 12 months.

Watch.

Favourite destinations and spots in Canada. Part III, specifics

I previously wrote about destinations and cities that I really like in Canada. But here are some specific spots within those destinations or cities in Canada where I love to be and would love to go back many, many times:

1. On a helicopter over Niagara Falls (Niagara Helicopters has been a client of mine, but even if that was not the case, I would still love taking their helicopter flyovers - it's just an terrific way to see the Falls)
2. At the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff via the Banff Gondola
3. Dining at the restaurant at La Pinsonnière in La Malbaie, Québec
4. At Schwartz Delicatessen in Montreal (for the smoked meat sandwiches).
5. On a boat on Campbell River, BC, around the Discovery Islands watching killer whales
6. Walking the Cobblestone streets in Old Quebec City (with my significant other, of course) - I particularly like the Quartier du Petit Champlain
7. On the porch of a cottage overlooking Lake Muldrew in Muskoka, Ontario
8. Walking, catching some sun or having a snack in Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver
9. At a table by one of the big windows overlooking Lake Louise at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise during afternoon tea time.
10. At the Cowboys Niteclub in Calgary if it's still there and I wasn't getting oler. The original closed a year ago, I think.
11. At Balzac's coffee house in the Distillery District in Toronto
12. At the swimming pool at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge in Jasper, Alberta
13. Running around Stanley Park's Seawall in Vancouver
14. Running up Mont Royal in Montreal
15. Meat Cove in Cape Breton
16. Having dinner at Joso's in Toronto
17. Dinner or drinks at the Lure Restaurant in the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe hotel (Delta Hotels and Resorts is also a client of mine) with a view of Victoria's Inner Harbour
18. Sitting somewher by the Harbourfront's boardwalk in Toronto (in the summer)
19. Running along the Niagara Parkway past the Falls towards the Dufferin Islands
20. At Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia
21. At Parliament Hill in Ottawa (yup, I love our Parliament Buildings - and don't miss the Hill's Parliamentary cats, if you've never seen them).
22. Parliament Hill seen from the Museum of Civilization across the river
23. Swimming in Lake Muldrew, Muskoka
24. On a flight with Harbour Air from Victoria to Vancouver on a sunny day (sitting next to the pilot)
25. At home in the backyard in Etobicoke, Ontario (mi casa es su casa)

Campbell River, British Columbia

Bon voyage,

Jaime

www.cactusrock.com

My favourite destinations and spots in Canada. Part II, The Cities

When it comes to cities in Canada there aren't many cities to choose from. While Canada is thesecond largest country in the world in square kilometers with almost 10 million sq kms of surface area (you could practically fit all of Europe within Canada), it is a medium to small country in population with only about 34.5 million people living here (less than the 37 million who live in California). Most of us live in urban areas (an urban area is defined - by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - as an area with a population of at least 1,000 and with no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre). 35 % to 40% of Canadians live in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. So naturally these are the biggest cities in the country where you will find the most "city life." I personally love these three cities, but for different reasons since the three are quite unique and different from each other.

Vancouver - on a sunny day, Vancouver is without a doubt the most beautiful city in Canada and one of the most beautiful in the world. The combination of mountains, a striking skyline of wonderful architecture and the Pacific Ocean is very hard to beat. Add to that Stanley Park with its 4 million square metres (about 1.5 square miles) and Vancouver stands out as a proxy for the best Canada has to offer, namely incredible nature and diverse, cosmopolitan, cool cities. Ah, but then there's the rain. I don't like rain. Winter in Vancouver is rain, rain and more rain. Vancouverites are so used to it that many of them walk around without umbrellas! Fortunately there is Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and Whistler an hour and half away for those who prefer their winters with snow. Favourite spots in Van:

• Stanley Park
• Coal Harbour
• Grouse Mountain
• Commercial Drive (Italian espressos)
• Robson Square and Robson Street (touristy though)
• UBC (particularly the Rose Garden overlooking the ocean)
• Wreck beach (if you like nude beaches)
• Burnaby mountain (especially the view from Horizon's restaurant)
• Granville Island and Granville market (touristy, but still very cool)

Restaurants - Joe Forte's near Robso

n St

Note: to learn more about Vancouver from insiders check out the blog www.beyondrobson.com

Montreal - Ah, Montreal. I've always said that if my French had been up to par, I would have settled in Montreal when I immigrated to Canada over 20 years ago. My consolation is that I have more or less visited Montreal at least once a year since. Montreal is my favourite city to visit in Canada (mostly for its atmosphere and in summer). It is a very unique city in the world because it is the only one where North America meets Europe. While it is a multicultural city (between 13% and 15% of its population is foreign born), the fact is that French dominates, as it should. But it is the strange but pleasant feeling that one is in North America, where English is the main language, but somehow, at the same time, it feels like you are also in France or perhaps Belgium (especially in certain areas of the city like Vieux Montreal). Then there is the Culture in the city. Quebeckers are very different from English Canadians (except when it comes to the love and passion for Hockey). They are definitely closer in temperament to Latin people than to Anglos. This is neither better or worse, just different. But for me as a Latin Canadian the attraction is natural (but nope, I didn't marry a Quebeçoise). Montreal has great culinary culture, wonderful cafés and exciting nightlife. Favourite spots in Montreal:

• Ice skating rink in Old Montreal by the Bonsecours market (winter only, of course)
• Plateau Mont-Royal, La Main (Boulevard Saint-Laurent)
• Plateau Mont-Royal, the neighbourhood
• Park Mont-Royal (great place to jog, relax, read, see a great view of the city)
• Old Montreal (very touristy, but a must see, especially in the summer or during the Festival Montreal en Lumiere in the winter)
• Sainte Catherine Street (love its busyness, often crowded, especially on weekends - some parts seem a little seedy, but it gives it character)
• Boulevard McGill College (from Ste Catherine St to McGill University)
• Place des Arts (always great shows at this complex - and I love the architecture of the place - find a spot on the Esplanade and relax)

Restaurants - Alexandre et Fils, Schwartz Delicatessen, Au Pied de Cochon

Note: to learn more about Montreal from cool insiders, check out Tamy Emma Pepin twitter.com/tamyemmapepin or the blog www.midnightpoutine.ca

Toronto - much larger city than Montreal or Vancouver so naturally it will have manymore spots to visit and many more available activities (e.g. sports, concerts, special events). I do live here so I know Toronto much, much better than the two other cities. What I like most about Toronto is that you can find spots where you might feel you are in another part of Canada or the world for that matter. For example, if you go to the Il Bunji restaurant in Little Korea you could easily imagine that you are eating somewhere in Korea. If you to Kensington Market's El Trompo you might think you are somewhere in Mexico. This fact is most tangible during some of Toronto's festivals like Caribana and Salsa on St. Clair. Not that Toronto is always buzzing like say New York City. The Winter is rather quiet, but Spring, Summer and Fall can be fantastic for visitors and residents alike. The most successful film festival in the world from a film goers perspective is the Toronto International Film Festival which takes place every September.

Toronto has more sports and entertainment offerings than probably all other cities and Canada combined. From amateur to pro-sports and from indie artists to global superstars in all genres, you can spend a lot of time and money enjoying Toronto's sports and music scene (Canadian Music Week, North by Northeast, the Bluejays, the Maple leafs, the Raptors, etc). Toronto has a decent Opera Company (COC), the National Ballet, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and a myriad of international visiting artists. Favourite spots in Toronto:

• Harbourfront (anytime)
• Kensington Market (Spring and Summer)
• Eglinton Ave West of Yonge St.
• High Park
• Yorkville Ave and Cumberland Ave in Yorkville (in the Summer)
• The Rogers Centre (formerly The Skydome)
• The ACC (for concerts)
• Massey Hall (great acoustics for music)
• Queen St. from Yonge St to Bathurst
• The Annex neighbourhood
• The Bell Lightbox (cinemas and TIFF headquarters)
• The Atrium at the Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place) designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava
• The AGO (redesigned by Frank Ghery)
• Woodbine Beach (Ashbridges Bay) and Sunnyside Beach (summer of course)

Restaurants: Auberge du Pommier (expensive but worth it), Didier's (also French somewhat expensive, but also very much worth it), Joso's (my favourite restaurant in Canada), El Trompo (when I want the taste of Mexico), Via Allegro (not easy to get to without a car, but worth it - excellent Italian cuisine - also somewhat expensive), Il Fornello (at Harbourfront)

Note: to learn more about Toronto check out these blogs - torontoist.com and www.blogto.com

And there you have it, Canada's three largest cities are my favourites, but for different kinds of vacations I also love Quebec City (best with a significant other any time of the year - the most romantic city in Canada, perhaps in North America), Calgary (if I can ever get to visit during the Stampede) and Halifax (love its boardwalk in the summer - great seafood restaurants).

Happy travels. Add your favourite spots in Canada in the comments below, if you wish to share.

Jaime

To start the year: Favourite destinations and spots in Canada (Part I)

I thought that before we get into the business of tourism this new year 2011, I'd give you some of my favourite destinations and cool spots in Canada. I have too many to list in one blog post, so I will list them in separate posts in the coming days.

In no particular order of importance (all these places are great depending on what you might be looking for in a vacation or short getaway). If you haven't visited Canada these recommendations might help you in deciding where to go on your first trip to the Great White North. If you live in Canada, and you are like most Canadians, then you probably haven't seen enough of your country, so make a New Year's resolution that you will visit at least two or three places you've never been to before in your own country.

Whistler, BC - this being winter, I have to include Whistler Blackcomb as one of my favourite destinations in Canada. I've been to Whistler maybe 4 or 5 times in my life (not enough). One of the challenges is that Whistler is not a cheap destination and skiing is not a cheap activity. I love skiing, but there are so many other things to do and places to go that I can't go to Whistler as much as I would like to. Of course, if I lived in Vancouver, I'd go at least once a year. (In the summer visit Lost Lake - if you can find it...it's a local hangout and you can actually swim in it)

Mont-Tremblant, Québec - For those of us in Central/Eastern Canada, Tremblant is our Whistler. I must confess though that I have been to Whistler more times than to MT, and I have never skied in Tremblant. I have visited twice, both times in the summer. Tremblant is great all year round, by the way. The mountains and the lakes are beautiful and you can definitely enjoy the lakes in the summer.

Lake Louise, Alberta - I have been to Lake Louise once. It was during the month of December, but before the Holidays. I loved it. Stayed at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Definitely one of the destinations in Canada I really want to go back to and visit in the summer.

Banff, Alberta - Also loved Banff the one time I visited. Quaint little town in the midst of Banff National Park, an awesome place on earth. I have not seen anywhere near what there is to see in Banff so I hope to visit again very soon.

Jasper, Alberta - Another incredibly beautiful place in Canada. Of course, I'm spoiled now because I stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge. It's not very easy to get to Jasper, but it's worth it, if you can afford it (unless of course, you are a camper). Definitely on the list of places to go back to.

Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia - a summer road trip, one of the best places for a driving vacation in Canada. I love Celtic, Scottish, Nova Scotian culture (and food). Maybe I was Scottish in another life. There are many quaint beautiful towns in Cape Breton Island like Cheticamp and Baddeck. The fortress of Louisbourg is amazing (visit in the summer). One of my favourite spots in Cape Breton Island is Meat Cove for its spectacular views. Meat Cove is at the very northern tip of the island in Inverness County.

Muskoka, Ontario - Muskoka is one of my favourite destinations, not only in Canada, but in the world. However, I must explain a little. For me, the way to enjoy Muskoka is in your own cottage, owned or rented. My family and I have rented the same cottage on lake Muldrew near Gravenhurst several times during the summers. It's a place where we enjoy wonderful Canadian nature, but with all the comforts of home. Muldrew Lake is very close to the Muskoka Wharf and not very far from Port Carling, another of our favourite spots in the area. So that's how we do Muskoka, but if you prefer the resort experience, there are many wonderful resorts with all the amenities. My family and I have stayed at the Rocky Crest (great for families), the Delta Sherwood (great for couples) and Deerhurst, but there are many others to choose from like Taboo and the J W Marriott (these last two are higher end and thus more expensive).

All the above destinations are great in winter, except for Cape Breton, so if you have time and money this season don't hesitate to visit.

Next Up: my favourite cities in Canada and my favourite spots in them.

Jaime

www.cactusrock.com

www.canadamigos.com

"Happy Christmas to All and to All a Good Night"

May you have a wonderful Christmas Day (whether you celebrate it or not)