oceanside tourism plan - qualicum beach · to prepare a comprehensive tourism plan for the...

O C E A N S I D E T O U R I S M P L A N

Draft #3

October 3, 2006

Tourism British Columbia Oceanside Tourism Plan

O C E A N S I D E T O U R I S M P L A N T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................................................i

Introduction and Methodology ......................................................................................................................................1

Conclusions and Implications From Situation Analysis ................................................................................................3

Objectives ......................................................................................................................................................................5

Strategies .......................................................................................................................................................................7

Tactics and Implementation Plan.................................................................................................................................19

Research and Evaluation Tactics ............................................................................................................................20

Shorter Term Development Tactics ........................................................................................................................23

Longer Term Development Tactics ........................................................................................................................33

Shorter Term Promotional Tactics..........................................................................................................................39

Longer Term Promotional Tactics ..........................................................................................................................49

Summary Timetable................................................................................................................................................51

Budget .........................................................................................................................................................................52

Appendix 1: Oceanside Stakeholder Feedback, July 2006.

Appendix 2: Community Tourism Foundations Marketing Program Guidelines.

® Registered trademark of Tourism British Columbia.

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y The Oceanside area (comprising the northern portion of the Regional District of Nanaimo, including Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and the surrounding four Electoral Areas E, F, G, and H) has embarked upon a joint tourism planning initiative through Tourism British Columbia’s Community Tourism Foundations program that provides resources to assist communities in developing a comprehensive tourism plan. These resources include the services of professional facilitators to assist in the planning process. Strategex Consulting Group was given the assignment to prepare a comprehensive tourism plan for the Oceanside area that encompasses destination development and market development. Planning Process The planning process started with an initial meeting that was held on March 9, 2006. A planning session was held on June 15, 2006 in which the situation analysis was reviewed and priorities were set for the tourism plan. Following the setting of priorities, a high-level plan was prepared and reviewed with the working group on July 11, 2006. In addition, over 1,000 stakeholders in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area were requested to provide feedback to the plan through an online survey. Forty stakeholders provided responses. The report on the stakeholder feedback is attached as Appendix 1. Based on this collective feedback, the first draft of the detailed tourism plan was completed with a presentation on September 7, 2006. Tourism Plan This tourism plan for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area is based on the factual foundation of the situation analysis and the priorities as identified by stakeholders. The plan includes objectives, strategies, and specific tactics to achieve the tourism goals.

Objectives • From 2007 to 2010, the number of tourists to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will grow at the same

rate as tourism growth to BC. For 2006, Tourism BC’s forecast is 4% growth in tourism revenues. Future years have not yet been forecast.

• From 2010 to 2015, the number of tourists to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will grow by the same aggressive rate of growth as the rate of tourism growth to BC. It would be expected that the rate of growth from 2010 to 2015 would be higher than the rate of growth prior to 2010, due to the greater awareness that would be expected from tourism marketing in conjunction with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Key Target Markets Primary markets: • Residents of Greater Vancouver, including couples and families (start promoting to this group in the

short term but large-scale promotion to couples may need to take place in the medium to long term as new product development takes place). This target group is the largest potential market in the foreseeable future. The tourism experiences of interest to couples are likely different than those of interest to families, although some overlap is expected. The focus of effort should be greater with couples, as they travel throughout the year while families with children tend to concentrate their travel in July and August.

• Residents of Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island, including couples and families (start promoting to this group in the short term). This target group is currently an important market but the potential is not

Tourism British Columbia Oceanside Tourism Plan i

as great as Greater Vancouver due to population. The focus of effort should be greater with couples than with families.

• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area residents (start promoting to this group in the short term). While residents of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are not strictly a tourism target group, they represent potential ambassadors for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area who can help make the area more convenient and welcoming for visitors.

Secondary or niche markets: • Alberta residents, including couples and families (significant increases from this market would not be

expected until the medium to long term). The focus of effort should be greater with couples than with families. A subset of Alberta residents includes retired adults who come to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area during the late fall to early spring period, referred to as “snowbirds”. The tourism community has mixed views on the snowbird market – while these visitors generate needed revenue during the off season, this revenue is achieved through deep discounting of accommodation rates.

• Other Canadian snowbirds. This target market is not well defined as the available visitation figures do not show significant numbers from the rest of Canada in the late fall to early spring period. As there are mixed views about the snowbird market and the amount of visitation to the area from this market is not tracked specifically, better tracking of this market is needed to determine whether this should continue to be a target market.

• Tour operators that already include Victoria in their itineraries (significant increases from this market would not be expected until the medium to long term). These tour operators may service visitors from Canada, U.S., and overseas.

• Visitors to Victoria (test this market in the short term). While this has not been a market with which Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area have had much success, the potential is large, with over 3.6 million visitors annually.

Priority Tourism Products Primary tourism products • Warm, sandy, ocean beaches and related festivals and events

− Affordable family beach vacation − Adult-oriented beach vacation

• Nature-based tourism and related festivals and events • Golf

Niche tourism products • Small regional meetings • Sport tourism

Longer term tourism products • Arts and culture and related festivals and events • Spa

Tourism British Columbia Oceanside Tourism Plan ii

I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D M E T H O D O L O G Y This tourism plan for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area addresses the conclusions and implications brought forward from the situation analysis and presents the objectives, strategies, and specific tactics to achieve the tourism goals. Evaluation methods to track the objectives, strategies, and tactics are listed and notional budget amounts are provided where applicable. Background The Oceanside area (comprising the northern portion of the Regional District of Nanaimo, including Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and the surrounding four Electoral Areas E, F, G, and H) has embarked upon a joint tourism planning initiative through Tourism British Columbia’s Community Tourism Foundations program that provides resources to assist communities in developing a comprehensive tourism plan. These resources include the services of professional facilitators to assist in the planning process. Strategex Consulting Group was given the assignment to prepare a comprehensive tourism plan for the Oceanside area that encompasses destination development and market development. The planning process started with an initial meeting that was held on March 9, 2006. A planning session was held on June 15, 2006 in which the situation analysis was reviewed and priorities were set for the tourism plan. Following the setting of priorities, a high-level plan was prepared and reviewed with the working group on July 11, 2006. In addition, over 1,000 stakeholders in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area were requested to provide feedback to the plan through an online survey. Forty stakeholders provided responses. The report on the stakeholder feedback is attached as Appendix 1. Based on this collective feedback, the first draft of the detailed tourism plan was completed with a presentation on September 7, 2006. Tourism British Columbia oversaw this project that included the guidance and assistance of the Oceanside Community Tourism Foundations working group comprising representatives from the communities, municipalities, Oceanside Tourism Association, and the regional tourism association. The participants included:

Judi Ainsworth Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce Michele Deakin Brant Wildlife Festival, Englishman River and Little Qualicum River Watershed

Projects Peter Doukakis Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce John Garden Braidwood Hospitality Management / Oceanside Tourism Association Teryl Greenard Oceanside Cultural Coalition Caroline Grover Economic Development, City of Parksville Dant Hirsch Tigh-Na-Mara Lori Koop Parksville Community and Conference Centre Marc Lefebvre Councillor, City of Parksville Wendy Maurer Councillor, Town of Qualicum Beach Cathy McKenzie Regional District of Nanaimo Tom Osborne Regional District of Nanaimo Paul Perkins Lighthouse Country Business Association Dan Porteous Regional District of Nanaimo Diane Sampson Lighthouse Country Business Association Debbie Schug Coombs Fair Wendy Sears Oceanside Tourism Association

Tourism British Columbia Oceanside Tourism Plan 1

Blain Sepos Oceanside Tourism Association Al Tully Beach Acres Resort, Chair Oceanside Tourism Association Richard Varela Horne Lake Regional Park and Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park, Past-Chair

Oceanside Tourism Dave Petryk Tourism Association of Vancouver Island Keith Baldwin Tourism British Columbia Peter Harrison Tourism British Columbia Laura Plant Tourism British Columbia Linda Lee Strategex Consulting Group Denise Hayes Strategex Consulting Group

Many of the community representatives have other responsibilities and volunteered their time to contribute to the planning process. The tourism plan could not have been completed without their commitment and support. Participation was sought from a broad cross-section of the tourism industry in Oceanside such that all sectors would be represented on the working group but unfortunately, some sectors decided they could not participate. Tourism Plan In the preparation of the tourism plan, the following principles are kept in mind:

• Visitor Needs. BC communities must be responsive to visitor needs. Communities need to understand visitor needs first, develop tourism experiences to meet those needs, and then market the appropriate tourism experience to the appropriate type of visitor.

• Inclusiveness. To address the issues and opportunities facing the tourism industry, consultation and collaboration need to form the basis of plan development.

• Effective Partnerships. Tourism is a fragmented industry and effective partnerships among tourism operators, communities, destination marketing organizations, and all levels of government are essential to building a cohesive, strong and sustainable tourism industry in British Columbia.

• Sustainability. Tourism in British Columbia will be developed in a sustainable manner, recognizing the need for economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

• Community Support. To be successful, tourism development in communities needs to be supported by all areas of a community, including businesses, local government, and residents.

The tourism plan serves as the embodiment of the overall vision, economic goals, and serves as a roadmap for the years ahead to achieve the community’s vision with regard to tourism. This tourism plan presents objectives to 2015, with greater detail provided in the first three years, and while it serves as a roadmap, it is flexible enough to take new, unexpected opportunities into consideration during implementation.


C O N C L U S I O N S A N D I M P L I C A T I O N S F R O M S I T U A T I O N A N A L Y S I S The conclusions and implications are the culmination of the situation analysis and the planning session. They represent the key insights that distil the learning and identify the key areas that the tourism plan must address. a. Parksville/Qualicum Beach and the surrounding areas are at a point of transition and need to move

beyond the family beach vacation.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are largely a warm weather, beach vacation spot for many BC families and other Canadians. This business has been an important source of tourism but Oceanside needs to expand beyond these markets to achieve higher yields and better utilization of capacity. While the family beach vacation group will likely always be a mainstay of the tourism business in Oceanside, viable alternatives that will generate significant visitor volume and revenue beyond the July and August months are needed.

b. The tourism product categories in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area that have the potential to attract

significant visitor volume, revenue, and that could be competitive advantages include soft outdoor adventure (on land and water), golf, arts & culture, and spa.

These product categories tend to attract adults without children (although outdoor adventure also attracts some families with older children), presenting an opportunity to expand the tourist season beyond July and August as these visitors are not constrained by school vacation periods. These product categories attract visitors with average to high income levels, especially golf and spa, presenting an opportunity to increase visitor revenues and yield. There is generally greater potential in tourism destinations that are seen as unique with a perceived single focus. For example, Costa Rica is seen as an eco-tourism destination and Stratford, Ontario is known for its Shakespearean festival. While these two destinations provide unique tourism experiences, the measure of their success is not because they offer better eco-tourism or better theatre experiences than other destinations but because they are perceived as such. Both of these destinations offer much more than eco-tourism or theatre but they focus on these attributes because they are unique and compelling. A clear focus as to the type of tourism experience offered will help to distinguish Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area from other communities and the many other options available to British Columbians, Albertans, and other Canadians.

c. To achieve the transition from primarily a family beach destination to a multi-faceted destination for

higher income adults, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area needs to encourage the development of more higher-end accommodation and more tourism activities suitable for these visitors, and the expansion of operating hours at existing tourism related businesses.

While visitors may be drawn to the area because of the beaches, weather, and other natural splendours, they are more likely to increase their length of stay and/or become repeat visitors if they are satisfied with the breadth of tourism activities in the community. These activities (such as interesting restaurants serving high quality food, quaint shops selling arts/crafts/antiques, pedestrian-friendly streets, etc.) may not be the motivation for the visit but they play a significant role in visitor satisfaction. This development requires a long-term view and collaboration from the business community and respective municipalities to achieve.


d. Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will need to attract and retain a tourism workforce to be able to achieve significant gains in tourism. Current experience indicates that the Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area communities are not as welcoming as they could be to the young people needed to work in the tourism industry. With increased competition for this workforce, some of the barriers to attracting and retaining these workers need to be removed. These include a better understanding among residents of the importance of tourism and of the tourism workforce, a more tolerant atmosphere toward activities of young single people, and more affordable staff housing.

e. Parksville/Qualicum Beach and the surrounding areas are well placed to make gains in tourism with BC

residents, Alberta residents, and other Canadians.

Canadians make up more than three-quarters of visitors to the Visitor Centres (and this number likely under-represents BC residents as they tend to not go to Visitor Centres). Within Canada, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are relatively unique with its temperate weather and warm sandy beaches.

f. Oceanside Tourism Association, the tourism organization for the area, should build in evaluation tools

for its marketing activities wherever possible.

These evaluation tools will help OTA to judge whether an activity should be continued, expanded, contracted, or eliminated as part of OTA’s annual planning process. These evaluation tools should become part of the discipline of planning and implementation.


O B J E C T I V E S

The overall goal of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area is to increase tourism to the area to achieve greater economic prosperity in a sustainable manner. This would be achieved over a period of five to ten years, in a manner that enhances the community. The objectives have been put forward in two timeframes – prior to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and for the five years after. It is anticipated that tourism will grow even more significantly to BC after the Winter Games, based on learning from other Olympic host destinations and Tourism BC’s plan. The objectives are as follows:

• From 2007 to 2010, the number of tourists to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will grow at the same rate as tourism growth to BC. For 2006, Tourism BC’s forecast is 4% growth in tourism revenues. Future years have not yet been forecast.

• From 2010 to 2015, the number of tourists to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will grow by the same aggressive rate of growth as the rate of tourism growth to BC. It would be expected that the rate of growth from 2010 to 2015 would be higher than the rate of growth prior to 2010, due to the greater awareness that would be expected from tourism marketing in conjunction with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

While the objectives are stated as number of visitors, the intention would be to increase visitor revenues at an even higher rate and provide a high quality visitor experience. However, because visitor revenues would be very difficult and costly to measure, they are not stated as objectives although the choice of tourism products and target groups outlined in this plan is designed to achieve higher visitor revenues.1 (Tourism BC tracks visitation in visitor volume and visitor revenue but provides forecasts in visitor revenue.) Other factors such as the quality of the visitor experiece would be tracked by visitor studies that would take place on a biannual basis as visitor studies are costly to implement.. For 2004 and 2005, the number of visitors to BC has grown at the 2% level. Tourism BC’s target is to double tourism revenues from 2005 to 2015, which is an aggressive target and means that BC’s share of worldwide tourism much grow to reach this target. From 2002 to 2005, occupancy rates in Parksville/Qualicum Beach have grown by an average of 6.5% annually. The number of visitors to the two Visitor Centres has fluctuated from year to year but increased an average of 1.5% annually from 2002 to 2005. Provincial park campground use has fluctuated from year to year but has been flat on average from 2002 to 2005. Attendance at the Parksville Beach Festival has declined an average of 5% annually from 2002 to 2005 but these numbers may not be indicative of tourism as about half of attendees are local residents. To measure this growth, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will use indicators. Indicators could include the following:

• Occupancy data that compares occupancy rate with the total number of rooms. • Accommodation revenue generated. • Number of visitors to key attractions (using a common methodology that identifies tourists from local

residents). • Number of visitors to Visitor Centres.

1 Other communities in BC that do track visitation generally track the number of visitors due to the resources required to track visitor revenue. The exceptions are Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Victoria, and Tourism Whistler that employ their own research departments.


S T R A T E G I E S

The strategies that Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area need to employ to achieve its objectives are discussed in this section. Target Markets The key target markets are recommended as follows:

Primary markets: • Residents of Greater Vancouver, including couples and families (start promoting to this group in the

short term but large-scale promotion to couples may need to take place in the medium to long term as new product development takes place). This target group is the largest potential market in the foreseeable future. The tourism experiences of interest to couples are likely different than those of interest to families, although some overlap is expected. The focus of effort should be greater with couples as they travel throughout the year while families with children tend to concentrate their travel in July and August.

• Residents of Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island, including couples and families (start promoting to this group in the short term). This target group is currently an important market but the potential is not as great as Greater Vancouver due to population. The focus of effort should be greater with couples than with families.

• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area residents (start promoting to this group in the short term). While residents of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are not strictly a tourism target group, they represent potential ambassadors for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area who can help make the area more convenient and welcoming for visitors.

Secondary or niche markets: • Alberta residents, including couples and families (significant increases from this market would not be

expected until the medium to long term). The focus of effort should be greater with couples than with families. A subset of Alberta residents includes retired adults who come to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area during the late fall to early spring period, referred to as “snowbirds”. The tourism community has mixed views on the snowbird market – while these visitors generate needed revenue during the off season, this revenue is achieved through deep discounting of accommodation rates.

• Other Canadian snowbirds. This target market is not well defined as the available visitation figures do not show significant numbers from the rest of Canada in the late fall to early spring period. As there are mixed views about the snowbird market and the amount of visitation to the area from this market is not tracked specifically, better tracking of this market is needed to determine whether this should continue to be a target market.

• Tour operators that already include Victoria in their itineraries (significant increases from this market would not be expected until the medium to long term). These tour operators may service visitors from Canada, U.S., and overseas.

• Visitors to Victoria (test this market in the short term). While this has not been a market with which Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area have had much success, the potential is large, with over 3.6 million visitors annually.

• Sport tourism (start promoting to this group in the short term), likely from Canada, particularly BC.2 This market has potential to fill the shoulder and off season based on the sports being attracted.

2 Sport tourism is defined as any activity in which people are attracted to a particular location as a sport event participant, an event spectator, or to attend sport attractions or business meetings. The sport tourism market is worth about $150 million in revenues to BC. Less than 5% of visitors


• Small regional meetings (start promoting to this group in the short term, likely from Canada, particularly BC.3 As Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area do not have much competitive product in this market, significant product development would need to take place before this market makes up a significant percentage of room nights). This market has potential to fill the shoulder and off season as meetings and conventions typically avoid the July/August period.

The primary target markets were chosen because Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has the greatest strengths against these markets, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area should achieve the greatest visitor volumes and revenues from these primary markets with limited resources, as they are markets that should be efficient for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to reach. The primary target markets should receive a higher percentage of the limited resources of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area than the secondary or niche markets. The secondary or niche markets are those that would not be expected to deliver significant visitor volumes or revenues in the short term but they could play a role in adding to the visitor volume from the primary markets or in building business outside the high season. The distinction between primary and secondary/niche markets is based on potential visitor revenue and best practices from other communities. Leisure markets are the primary source of visitor revenue for all BC communities. The primary markets of Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria/Vancouver Island make up the largest number of visitors to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area currently, based on available statistics, and have enormous potential to grow. The secondary markets of Alberta residents, tour operators that already include Victoria in their itineraries, and visitors to Victoria are markets for potential growth but they are not likely to come close to the visitation levels of the primary markets during the timeframe of this plan. Likewise, the sport tourism and small regional meetings are niche markets with potential growth but they are not likely to come close to the visitation levels of the primary markets as only a small percentage of visitors travel for sport tourism and meetings/conventions (less than 5% for sport tourism and about 5% for meetings/conventions in BC). The key markets identified above have the potential to deliver higher than average visitor revenues if Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area can deliver the upscale tourism experiences that visitors expect. For example, couples in Greater Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, visitors to Victoria, and upscale tour operators have the potential to spend more, providing the tourism experiences compare favourably to other destinations. These markets, particularly couples in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton have the potential to be repeat visitors, meaning that the return on the initial investment to generate visitation could be high, providing the tourism experiences meet their expectations (especially if there are more tourism experiences of interest to them than they can fit into a single trip). Families from BC and Alberta are likely to be lower-revenue visitors as they are less likely to take as many meals in restaurants and more likely to spend their time on beach and other free activities. These primary, secondary, and niche markets will be pursued and promoted proactively and destination development will keep these target markets in mind. This does not mean that visitors from other geographies will not be welcome or will not receive any attention. Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area would be expected to take advantage of opportunities in other geographic markets on a reactive basis with opportunistic funds but the limited resources of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area would be focused on these key markets. in BC came for sport tourism in the 1995/96 BC Visitor Study, the most recent comprehensive study available. Refer to the Situation Analysis for more detail on the sport tourism market. 3 The meetings and conventions market is worth about $500 million in visitor revenues to BC and is a high-yield market. About 5% of visitors came to BC for meetings and conventions in the 1995/96 BC Visitor Study, with this number expected to grow with the new convention facilities currently being built in BC. Refer to the Situation Analysis for more detail on the meetings and conventions market.


Length of Stay Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will primarily promote overnight trips to the key target groups. However, day trips as well as overnight trips would be promoted to residents of Greater Victoria, other parts of Vancouver Island, and visitors to Victoria. Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area intends to increase the length of stay of visitors as a way to increase visitor revenues. Priority Product and Destination Development Strategies The product categories to be developed and promoted are recommended as follows. These tourism products can be motivators for travel by themselves or they can be one of many reasons for a general touring trip (the latter is more generally the case). However, even with general touring, the process of deciding upon a destination comes down to the distinctiveness (and therefore attractiveness) of one destination compared to others based on specific destination attributes. Primary tourism products • Warm, sandy, ocean beaches and related festivals and events

− Affordable family beach vacation − Adult-oriented beach vacation

• Nature-based tourism and related festivals and events • Golf

Niche tourism products • Small regional meetings • Sport tourism

Longer term tourism products • Arts and culture and related festivals and events • Spa

These priority tourism products were recommended based on available information and input from the working group and other stakeholders. Currently, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s tourism business has grown due to its attractiveness as an affordable family vacation spot centering around the warm, sandy, ocean beaches. This seaside beach product has primarily attracted budget-conscious visitors from Vancouver Island as well as budget-conscious retirees. Other types of tourism products have grown as well but the area is best known for its ocean beaches. Other activities have grown as well but the area is best known for its ocean beaches, primarily attracting budget-conscious visitors from Vancouver Island. The advantage of being an affordable destination is limited as most travellers have above average incomes, especially the highly desirable 35 to 55-year-old adult couples.4 For Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to become a profitable tourism destination, it needs to generate more visitor revenue to attract more business investment in tourism, which will in turn improve the visitor experience. This cycle will result in more high quality tourism experiences that will help generate the desired significant increases in tourism revenue. For Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to move much beyond the affordable family beach vacation, it is clear that significant product development will need to take place. The tourism products identified in this section are the likely candidates for product development but visitor research and an analysis of supply will need to take place to provide more specifics about priority aspects of each category.

4 This group of travellers has above average incomes and has the means and inclination to travel to a vast choice of destinations. Currently, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area do not have enough tourism product to satisfy their needs.


Primary Tourism Products: The primary tourism products were identified in the Situation Analysis and by the Oceanside Community Tourism Foundations working group as being unique, where Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has competitive advantages compared to other destinations, and are growth sectors or have high demand. • Warm, sandy, ocean beaches and related festivals and events.5 This product category is of interest to

families and adults, although families appear to make up a large portion of visitors currently, especially in the July and August months. The beaches have the potential to be a draw for couples but product development in accommodation, services, and related attractions would need to occur to generate significant incremental visitation, especially from the desirable upscale segment.

There appears to be two aspects of the beach tourism product. One is the affordable family beach vacation. The other is the adult-oriented beach vacation. The affordable family beach vacation attracts families with children and is characterized by affordable accommodation, inexpensive activities, and travel primarily in July and August. The limited number of attractions and things to do, especially in the evenings, may be less important than the affordability. This segment of the beach tourism product is likely currently dominant. With occupancy levels at capacity during July and August, the growth potential from this segment of the beach product may be limited. The adult-oriented beach vacation attracts couples who can travel throughout the year. Some may be attracted by affordable accommodation and inexpensive activities, and this could include snowbirds. Others may be more upscale and stay in the few higher-end accommodation properties. For the more budget-conscious adults, like the families, the limited number of attractions and things to do may be less important than the affordability. For the more upscale adults (who are likely frequent travellers), Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area do not provide enough upscale tourism product such as higher-end accommodation, quality restaurants (i.e. independent restaurants serving local food), unique shops (such as arts, crafts, antiques), cultural attractions, and pleasant streets conducive to strolling. The affordability of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area for a family beach vacation has been the reason for much of previous visitation. This affordability applies to accommodation and inexpensive activities and has made the area popular among budget conscious families. However, this same affordability may be limiting tourism growth. While families may be content with low to mid-range accommodations and with spending most of their time on the beach, couples are likely to prefer mid-range to high-end accommodation, a range of restaurants that include fine dining, quaint shops, and a variety of easily accessible, complementary activities. The complementary activities could include nature-based tourism, arts and culture, golf, spa, etc. Related festivals and events such as the Parksville Beach Festival with its sand-sculpting competition from August to early September is an example of a signature event that could either be a visitor draw in itself or could enhance the tourism experience for those visiting the area for other reasons. While the Parksville Beach Festival may need to take place during the height of the summer, another beach festival of a similar size that takes place in the spring, perhaps building on the Brant Wildlife Festival, could be considered to build the shoulder season.

5 The beach experience on the ocean is currently one of the most unique tourism products in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. There are few similar experiences in BC and the family beach vacation will likely continue to be an important source of tourism to the area.


This product category is expected to be of interest to BC and Alberta residents, as well as visitors to Victoria and tour operators.

• Nature-based tourism and related festivals and events.6 This category includes nature viewing and soft

adventure related to nature. Nature viewing could include waterfalls, old growth forests (such as Cathedral Grove, arbutus trees that are rare elsewhere in Canada), gardens, wildlife viewing, beaches, etc. Soft adventure related to nature could include hiking, sea kayaking, boating, bicycling, horseback riding, caving, etc. Activities in this category would include beach activities but the beaches have been identified separately as well due to their importance to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. It is likely that visitors would participate in both nature viewing and soft adventure activities depending on their interests but nature viewing may be more of a touring product, perhaps for older couples while soft adventure may appeal to younger couples and families. Particular emphasis should be placed on activities that generate visitor revenue, either through fees or through activities that attract higher-income visitors.

The Brant Wildlife Festival is an example of an event that has potential to grow from the current three-day event taking place at the end of March/beginning of April to a two-week event, extending it to later in the spring when there is greater potential for visitation.

The visitors for this product category would include families and couples from mainland BC and Alberta, as well as visitors to Victoria and tour operators. As a result, the nature-based tourism product could be a good transition product that could draw more couples while also satisfying the needs of families. However, nature-based festivals and events that take place outside of July and August would tend to draw couples more than families.

• Golf.7 This product category would be of interest to couples as well as male golfers travelling together

from BC and Alberta. While Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area have some high quality golf courses, there is not the same concentration of championship courses as Kelowna nor the concentration of upscale accommodation, services, and attractions as Whistler. As a result, further development of golf courses and/or accommodation, services, and attractions would need to take place to significantly grow this product category and increase visitor revenues. As this product category is at its best from spring to fall, it can be used to build visitation in the shoulder seasons.

6 The Situation Analysis indicates that outdoor activities in a natural environment are categorized in many different ways. Some of these activities are categorized as “outdoor adventure” in the TAMS research study, some are categorized as “nature-based tourism” in a study by Tourism BC. This general category encompasses many activities in the Oceanside area, including camping, climbing, hiking/backpacking, kayaking/canoeing, land-based wildlife/nature viewing, and water-based wildlife/nature viewing. It is a sizeable category and is estimated at $909K in client spending in BC in 2001. 7 The golf tourism sector is a relatively large one for BC, with estimated revenues of over $200 million. It attracts more men than women. These visitors have high income levels ($70.6K household income for Canadian golf tourists).


Niche Tourism Products: The niche tourism products are applicable to a small segment of visitors and while they are not expected to generate the amount of visitation as the primary tourism products, they play an important role in extending the tourism seasons.

• Sport tourism. While Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area is not expected to be a sport tourism

powerhouse, it should try to achieve its fair share of sport tourism in the province. 8 The number of visitors travelling in BC for sport tourism is slightly lower than the number of visitors travelling in BC for meetings/conventions but the yield is significantly lower, with the meetings and conventions market in BC worth more than three times the sport tourism market.

• Small regional meetings.9 This product category has the potential to build visitation in the shoulder

seasons but Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area do not have much product in this category compared to other communities in BC. While Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area would not compete with the major meetings and convention markets of Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, or Penticton, it may compete with other communities such as Langley with its 25K square foot convention centre or Richmond with its concentration of hotels with conference facilities. The Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo, at 38K square feet is currently being built and expected to be completed in 2008. The Parksville Community and Conference Centre, a multi-purpose facility at 21K square feet and a few hotels with meeting facilities will be facing stiff competition from facilities specifically designed for conferences and business hotels.

Visitor volume from this category would be expected to be low with potential in local or Vancouver Island based meetings and events for the Parksville Community and Conference Centre. The SMERF market could also have potential (SMERF means social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal organizations). This market has the following characteristics:

− Price-sensitive. − Paid for by individual. − Want low room rate, often find food and beverage too expensive at hotel so eat elsewhere or

bring food to their rooms. − Willing to be flexible to ensure lower room rate. Willing to meet during off season or weekends.

A few hotels with upscale accommodation and amenities may be able to attract small meetings from further afield but the overall visitor volume would be low due to the size of each meeting and the economic benefits would likely be limited to the respective hotels. While some stakeholders identified small regional meetings as a big opportunity, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area face considerable challenges and competition in this market. As a result, small regional meetings are listed as a niche market. Trend analysis of the meetings and conventions market in BC as a whole and in other BC communities indicates that, at 5% of visitors to BC, the meetings and conventions market is a niche market for almost all communities, with Vancouver possibly being one of the only exceptions.

8 The Situation Analysis indicates Sporting events are numerous, with a wide variety of children’s and adult events in summer and winter disciplines. Smaller communities with the appropriate facilities may be able to attract sporting events as the requirements for accommodation have a broader range than with the meetings & conventions sector. For both the sporting event and meetings & conventions sectors, the higher profile national and international events are more difficult to obtain but there are numerous regional and provincial events. 9 In British Columbia, the meetings & conventions sector is estimated at $475 to $525 million while the sport tourism sector is estimated at $145 to $155 million annually. The bulk of meetings & conventions revenues in BC occur in the more developed centres with significant convention facilities such as Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, and Penticton. In particular, Vancouver receives the larger city-wide, higher-end meetings & conventions due to the size of its convention centre and its desirability as a destination.


Longer-Term Tourism Products: The longer-term tourism products have potential to become primary or niche tourism products with additional product development and they are in categories for which there is significant and growing demand.

• Arts and culture (including galleries, artists’ studios, performing arts) and related festivals and events.10

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has a wealth of arts and culture, with some world-renowned artists and artisans. However, significant investment is needed to enhance arts and culture to become market-ready tourism experiences because arts and culture do not currently register as one of the appeals of the area.11 This product category is expected to be of interest to BC and Alberta couples, as well as visitors to Victoria and tour operators. There is some overlap in the activities of those visitors interested in arts and culture with nature-based tourism, golf, and spa so the various products identified in this section can be promoted separately or packaged together. While this product currently exists and promotion could assist in achieving greater visitation, significant increases in visitation would not be expected to occur without product development.

A signature arts and culture festival that highlights the artists and artisans could help to generate more awareness of this product sector and bring the artists and artisans together in one location, making it easier for visitors to find them. This festival could take place in the late spring or early fall and as it builds an audience, move earlier into the spring or later into the fall to address seasonality issues. This festival could build on another existing festival, with the goal of having a few signature festivals rather than a proliferation of smaller festivals, as signature festivals have a better chance of generating incremental visitation (smaller festivals tend not to be reasons for travel but they enhance the visitor experience for those that are already in the area).

• Spa.12 With the climate and natural surroundings, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has potential to

become Canada’s spa destination. While Tigh-na-mara’s Grotto spa as the anchor, further spa development would need to take place to achieve this goal. Spa visitors tend to be high revenue but they also expect upscale accommodation, services, and attractions. There is a high correlation to culinary experiences and arts and culture. There is a lower correlation to soft adventure.

The most popular types of spas are resort/hotel spas, followed by day spas that are affiliated with, near or recommended by the accommodation property.13

This product category would be of interest to couples and to women travelling together from BC and Alberta, visitors to Victoria, and tour operators. As this is a year-round activity, this product can be used to extend the tourist season. While the current spa facilities already attract visitors, significant visitor volume should not be expected until there are a number of spas of a similar quality as the Grotto spa.

The commonality among these product sectors is that Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area have the “raw materials” for the product sectors identified above but require the supporting infrastructure and visitor services to create

10 The Situation Analysis indicates that tourists who visit festivals, museums and related cultural institutions (such as art galleries), and performing arts are very similar in profile and they have high correlations of visiting both types of attractions. These sectors attract slightly more women than men. These visitors have average incomes ($54.9K household incomes for Canadian festivals, museums, and performing arts tourists). Cultural events and festivals in BC have estimated revenues of $95 to $105 million and museums/cultural attractions of $95 to $105 million (due to the overlap of these activities, these numbers should not be added together to obtain a total). Estimated revenues were not available for performing arts but they attract about half the number of Canadians as festivals. 11 Only 1% of respondents in Greater Vancouver indicated that artists, artisans, studios, and galleries were one of the appeals of the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area. Source: Oceanside Marketing Research in Greater Vancouver, June 2006, Roger Barnes Marketing Planning. 12 The health and spa tourism sector is almost as large as golf, with estimated revenues of under $200K annually in BC. It attracts more women than men. These visitors have high household incomes and high education levels. 13 Refer to the Situation Analysis, page 88 for further details.


compelling visitor experiences that can compete with other destinations that are also improving their tourism products. The degree to which Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area can address these product development and destination development requirements will determine their future growth as a tourism destination. These product priorities should not suggest that other tourism experiences in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are not important. However, these have been identified as priorities due to their size, uniqueness, and potential to draw significant numbers of visitors. Every tourism experience available in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area plays a role, either in being one of the motivators to attract visitors to come to the area or as an experience that increases visitor satisfaction or length of stay. Shorter Term Activities In the immediate term, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area should embark on the following product and destination development activities:

• Track visitation through indicators including the Visitor Centres and key attractions. Tourism BC to be contacted to provide assistance in common formats and consolidate the information gathered.

• Educate tourism-related businesses about the importance of tourism, tourism opportunities, and how they can benefit, encouraging them to actively participate in growing their businesses by servicing visitors (through more convenient hours of opening, selection of products and services, etc.)

• Provide educational and training tools to assist tourism-related businesses in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to grow and thrive. A starting point would be the Tourism BC Tourism Business Essentials series of guides and workshops and the SuperHost workshops.

• Educate local residents about the importance of tourism to the economy and about the importance of attracting and retaining young tourism workers. The outcome would be a more welcoming environment for young people to live and work.

• Enhance the current product inventory of accommodation, specialty resorts, conference and meeting facilities, sporting event and tournament facilities, parks and natural areas, campgrounds, golf courses, winter activities, festivals and events, heritage/arts/cultural attractions, agricultural/food/beverage attractions, general attractions, shopping/retail centres/markets, organized water-based activities, and organized land-based activities with ratings, room capacity (in the case of accommodation), square footage (in the case of meeting facilities that are standalone or in hotels), capacity, and neighbourhoods such that it can be used as the basis for information flow to other tourism organizations and publications.

• Develop new or enhance signature festivals and events in the beach, nature-based tourism, and arts and culture categories.

• Increase packaging of complementary tourism experiences, through Oceanside Tourism Association and/or tourism businesses such as golf with spa, accommodation with nature-based tourism tours, etc.

• Encourage entrepreneurs to create tours related to the priority product categories, particularly nature-based tourism (including beaches) and arts and culture.

• Encourage activities that contribute to maintaining or improving the aesthetic appeal of the tourist areas of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area such as beautifying facades, public art, flowers, etc.


Longer Term Activities The longer-term activities are expected to generate results over the longer term although they may be initiated immediately.

• Investigate options for scheduled transportation in the Central Island and local transportation in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

• Encourage updating of current accommodation and development of new, upscale accommodation that is suitable for higher income couples.

• Encourage the creation of clusters of artists and artisans in central tourist areas by working with the artist/artisan community and municipalities.

• Encourage clusters of quaint shops, artist/artisan studios, arts/crafts/antique stores, local restaurants and cafes, in a walkable, charming, small town environment, preferably walking distance from accommodation properties. An opportunity exists to achieve these clusters in downtown Parksville through the revitalization project.

• Improve wayfinding for visitors with signage and maps. • Encourage increased parking in key tourist areas, including space for tour buses. • Support tourism development initiatives that are consistent with Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s

product priorities. • Communicate with municipalities to ensure infrastructure issues related to increased tourism are being

addressed (e.g. local transportation, health facilities, affordable housing for tourism staff, water capacity, commercial zoning). With the recent water shortage in Tofino over the Labour Day weekend in 2006, tourism groups needs to make sure municipalities have plans in place to have adequate water supply.


Priority Promotional Strategies The priority promotional strategies would be directed to the key target markets as follows: Key Target Markets

Promotional Strategies

All markets • Re-branding initiatives. • Joint cooperative advertising and promotion that

efficiently reach the primary markets but also reach other markets.

Primary markets • Residents of Greater Vancouver, including couples

and families • Media relations, advertising, and promotional

activities. • Residents of Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island,

including couples and families • Promotional activities.

• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area residents • Media relations, advertising, and promotional activities.

Secondary or niche markets • Alberta residents, including couples, snowbirds, and

families • Media relations, advertising, and promotional

activities. • Other Canadian snowbirds • Media relations, advertising, and promotional

activities. • Tour operators that already include Victoria in their

itineraries • Sales activities.

• Visitors to Victoria • Sales, advertising, and promotional activities. • Sport tourism • Sales activities. • Small regional meetings • Sales, advertising, and promotional activities. Shorter Term Activities The following activities should be initiated in the short term to achieve results in the shorter term.

• Create a new Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area brand mark, tagline, and graphic design to be used on all promotional materials including the website, using the positioning statement as the starting point. This will involve visitor research, stakeholder discussions, and graphic design.

• Enhance the Oceanside Tourism Association website using the findings of the visitor research, including suggested itineraries based on number of days in the area. These itineraries should include adult itineraries and family itineraries, with the emphasis on adult itineraries, as this is a market with revenue growth potential. As the website should be the call-to-action for many of the promotional activities, tools for tracking should be enhanced.

• Determine opportunities to work cooperatively with other tourism organizations, including Tourism Vancouver Island and Tourism BC. This would include participation in travel guides for Tourism Vancouver Island and Tourism BC.

• Continue to encourage repeat visitation from BC and Alberta visitors, using direct marketing for efficiency.

• Design promotional efforts to educate and remind Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island residents of the appeals of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, focused on the priority tourism products.


Longer Term Activities The following activities, while they may be initiated in the short term, would not be expected to achieve results until the longer term.

• Work with tour operators that include Victoria in their itineraries to include at least a day trip to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Package ideas would need to be prepared, such as nature-based tours (including the beaches) or golf tours.

• Create packages that can be promoted to hotels in Victoria that would be of interest to their guests (such as nature-based tours, arts and culture tours, or golf tours).

Research and Evaluation To measure growth, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area will use indicators as it is costly to conduct comprehensive visitor studies. Indicators could include the following:

• Occupancy data that compares occupancy rate with the total number of rooms. • Accommodation revenue generated. • Number of visitors to key attractions. • Number of visitors to Visitor Centres.

Tracking of tourism activities should occur to determine whether each activity should be continued, expanded, changed, or abandoned. This tracking will help to enhance the effectiveness of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s tourism initiatives. While consumer research is being conducted as part of the Community Foundations program on Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s behalf, Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area should conduct regular surveys of a sampling of its potential and current visitors as follows (this consumer research could be part of the re-branding initiative):

• Survey of BC residents outside Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area about their attitudes and behaviour regarding visiting Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

• Survey of visitors in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area about their experience and their satisfaction. Branding research to test creative concepts would need to take place as part of the re-branding initiative.


Areas of Responsibility Currently, the responsibility for tourism in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area resides in several organizations:

• Oceanside Tourism Association is responsible for marketing the region externally.14 • The respective Chambers of Commerce are responsible for operating the two Visitor Centres in

Parksville and Qualicum Beach. • The Parksville Economic Development Officer is responsible for economic development, including

tourism product and destination development for Parksville. • Currently, individuals do not have specific tourism product and destination development responsibilities

in Qualicum Beach and the Regional District of Nanaimo. • Each individual tourism-related business is responsible for marketing and product development of its

own business, with assistance from the above organizations where applicable. To ensure this tourism plan can be implemented seamlessly, discussion needs to take place about how to coordinate the initiatives in the plan among these groups and among the tourism businesses. The area in which the greatest challenges exist is in product and destination development as there is not a system in place to coordinate this activity. It is recommended that a working group be formed – this could be the same working group that has been involved in the development of this plan -- to ensure that all the various groups can coordinate their efforts to implement this plan.

14 The vision and mission of Oceanside Tourism Association are written as follows. Vision - To promote and enhance Oceanside as a world renowned, all season tourism destination. Mission - Oceanside Tourism shall successfully market the region externally to strengthen economic viability for the members and communities we serve.


T A C T I C S A N D I M P L E M E N T A T I O N P L A N

The following tactics flesh out the strategies for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area and describe the steps to implement each tactic. While the tactics may change from year to year, the overall strategies may not. The tactics are organized in the following categories:

• Research and evaluation tactics. • Shorter term development tactics. • Longer term development tactics. • Shorter term promotional tactics. • Longer term promotional tactics. • Summary timetable.

Note that the promotional tactics are not intended to replace the promotional tactics that Oceanside Tourism Association is currently implementing or has planned. Rather, they are meant to reinforce priorities and provide additional tactics to be considered within the context of Oceanside Tourism Association’s time and budget resources. Likewise, the development tactics are not intended to replace the development tactics that the economic development department of the municipalities is currently implementing or has planned. The development tactics in this plan are meant to provide assistance in setting direction.


Research and Evaluation Tactics Tactic #1 • Embark on visitor research to obtain quantifiable information on attitudes and

behaviour of potential visitors. Short description

• This research would be used to provide direction on the development of the positioning statement and on most compelling aspects of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area among key markets. From the research and positioning statement, branding elements can be developed, including logo, tagline, and the overall look and feel of marketing communications materials. Specifically, the purpose of the research includes the following:

− Determine the nature of current travel to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, e.g. purpose, activities, party composition.

− Determine the motivations for travel to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, its strengths and weaknesses against its competitive destinations and the imagery of the area.

− Define the prime target market for travel to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area and the characteristics of potential incremental travel.

− Determine interest in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s current tourism products and their ability to attract incremental visitation to the community. Potential areas for product and destination development should be explored. This aspect of the visitor research is a key part of the future product and destination development activities.

− Provide guidance as to how Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area can be positioned in the future to stimulate additional travel and expenditure.

• The recommended markets for the research includes: − Residents of Greater Vancouver − Residents of Greater Victoria − Past enquirers to the Visitor Centres.

• Tourism BC can provide cost-shared funding to assist in the initial visitor research as part of the Community Tourism Foundations program. This cost-shared funding is likely on a 50/50 basis and would need to be confirmed through Tourism BC. Tourism BC would need to agree to the terms of reference for the research brief prior to contacting research firms. This is likely a one-time funding opportunity. The policies are not yet defined as Oceanside’s timetable in completing the tourism plan is well in advance of other communities.

• The research (to be conducted by Tourism BC) that was originally envisioned as part of the workplan for this tourism plan has been delayed until October/November 2006. The scope of that research would provide some insight into attitudes toward Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area but the number of questions allocated for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area would be limited as the research is province-wide in scope.

Quantifiable objectives

• N/a

Rationale / relation to strategies

• The visitor research is needed to develop Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s positioning statement, marketing direction, and product development direction.

Action steps • Prepare research brief. • Obtain Tourism BC’s agreement to the research brief and determine the terms around the

cost-shared funding. • Research in field. • Review research results. • Apply research results to marketing and development activities.


Potential partnerships

• Tourism BC

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association to implement the research. The responsibility to apply the research results rests with a variety of organizations, including Oceanside Tourism Association for positioning and marketing, municipal economic development departments for product and destination development, regional district, etc.

Timeframe • The research itself would take 4-5 weeks, once the research firm and research brief have been confirmed.

Budget • $15K to $25K, depending on number of interviews and markets chosen for the research. Evaluation mechanism

• N/a

Tactic #2 • Initiate tracking for selected key Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area attractions. Short description

• To ensure Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area can track its tourism growth, key attractions in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area can be used as indicators. These indicators can be tracked by Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area or Tourism BC can be contacted about the possibility of assisting with this tracking.

Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)

• N/a


• Tracking is important to measure tourism growth and track success of tourism initiatives.

Action steps • Contact Tourism BC about assistance with tracking, either through providing formats or assistance in consolidating data.

• Determine key attractions to be involved in tracking. • Obtain agreement from key attractions to take on this responsibility. • Confirm formats, key attractions to put systems in place to track.


• Tourism BC. • Key attractions. • Oceanside Tourism Association.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association to initiate, key attractions to implement. Timeframe • Depends on key attractions. Ideally, a baseline should be established using 2007 data. Budget • Requires time to coordinate. Evaluation mechanism

• N/a


Tactic #3 • Survey of visitors in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area about their experience and

satisfaction. Short description

• To determine the aspects of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area that satisfy visitor expectations, to identify areas for improvement, to determine trip characteristics, and how visitors decided to come to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. The quality of the visitor experience in priority tourism products such as beaches and related festivals and events, nature-based tourism and related festivals and events, golf, sport tourism, small regional meetings, arts & culture and related festivals and events, and spa.

• Recommended methodology is visitor intercept surveys. Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)

• N/a.


• To better understand visitor attitudes and behaviour.

Action steps • Contact Tourism BC to obtain advice on questionnaire design and sampling methodology. It will be important that the sampling is representative of visitors (e.g. by season, day of the week, time of day, gender, age, etc.) to ensure projectable results.

• Determine whether Tourism BC can assist in consolidating collected information. • Decide on intercept points for visitor research. • Field research in the late spring/summer/early fall 2007.


• Tourism BC. • Oceanside Tourism Association

Champion(s) • Parksville and Qualicum Beach Chambers of Commerce / Visitor Centres Timeframe • Late spring/summer/early fall 2008, with updates every other year. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• N/a


Shorter Term Development Tactics Tactic #4 • Create master list of information about current attractions and events in

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area for use in marketing and product/destination development.

Short description

• This master list would include categories that are consistent with Tourism BC’s tourism product database. They include:

− Accommodation − Specialty resorts − Conference and meeting facilities − Sporting event and tournament facilities − Parks and natural areas − Campgrounds − Golf courses − Winter activities, ski facilities, and ski resorts − Festivals and events − Heritage, arts, and cultural attractions − Agricultural, food, and beverage attractions − General attractions − Shopping and retail centres − Organized water based activities − Organized land based activities − Other attractions

• The Tourism Product Inventory templates that have been provided can be used or Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area may use its own templates, ensuring that the information required can be collected. This master list can then be used as the information source to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s activities as well as promotional efforts by Tourism BC and Tourism Vancouver Island.

• This master list of attractions and events will be a useful tool in the process of determining gaps in tourism products.


• N/a


• This master list would be used as the basis for product development, listings, marketing communications, media relations, etc.

Action steps • Determine whether to use the Tourism BC templates or Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s database as the collection vehicle. If Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s database is to be used as the collection vehicle, ensure all the necessary information can be collected, making adjustments to the database as required.

• Determine who is responsible for coordinating the collection of information. • Fill in templates or database with available information, then contact businesses to augment

information. • Once the information has been collected into the templates or database, Tourism BC’s system

can be used to update information. Tourism BC would need to be contacted (Kathleen Harvey) to confirm appropriate steps.


• Tourism BC

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association could coordinate the information but each business or


organization would be responsible for filling in the relevant information and for accuracy. Timeframe • 2-6 months. Budget • Requires time to coordinate. Evaluation mechanism

• N/a.

Tactic #5 • Make tourism education and training tools easily available to tourism-related businesses

in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area and encourage them to participate. Short description

• Tourism BC has a series of education and training tools available, using workshops and guides. They include the following:

− Tourism Packaging and Product Distribution − Environmentally Responsible Tourism − Travel Media Relations − Ads & Brochures that Sell − Internet Marketing − Hospitality Law Guide − Starting a Tourism Business Guide − Sport Tourism.

• These workshops are available for a modest fee per participant (most are $35 to $45 per participant), through Tourism BC. A coordinating body can promote the appropriate workshops with the individual businesses paying the participation fee.

• The SuperHost program is a valuable tool for training front line employees as well as their supervisors. The SuperHost topics include:

− SuperHost Fundamentals − Service Across Cultures − Japanese Service Expectations − Customers with Disabilities − Frontline Management Solutions − Solving Problems through Service − Sales Powered by Service.

• The SuperHost workshops are conducted by a number of delivery organizations throughout the province. In Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s case, the delivery organization is Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce. A coordinating body can promote the appropriate workshops with the individual businesses paying the participation fee.

• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area may have already used some of these tools but education and training is an ongoing process in best practice communities.


• Number of participants in workshops. • At least five workshops in Year 1. • Based on the actual results from Year 1, establish objectives for Year 2 and beyond.


• Provide educational and training tools to assist tourism-related businesses in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to grow and thrive. A starting point would be the Tourism BC Business Essentials series of guides and workshops and the SuperHost workshops.

Action steps • Decide on the appropriate workshops that will be most relevant to tourism-related businesses in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

• Contact the appropriate delivery organization about dates and location. • Promote workshops to tourism-related businesses in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. • Attend workshops to ensure the desired message about Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area


is incorporated into the workshop. Potential partnerships

• N/a.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • $1K for promotion. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of participants. • Number of workshops.

Tactic #6 • Educate tourism-related businesses about opportunities in tourism. Short description

• A constraint to growth in tourism in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area is a lack of understanding among businesses that they are in the tourism business and a lack of understanding of what is needed to better service visitors. For example, retail and food & beverage operators may not consider themselves in the tourism business and they may not consider that longer hours of opening help to provide a more satisfying tourism experience in the destination.

• These businesses may not be aware of the opportunities available in the tourism industry or how they can capitalize on the expected growth in tourism in BC. The types of products or services offered and the areas of business opportunity may not be known by existing businesses or by potential entrepreneurs.

• This education process could take the form of workshops, a series of editorials with the local newspaper, e-newsletters, etc.

• This educational process should increase profitability for tourism-related businesses as they can better enhance their offerings to be more attractive to visitors.


• Contribution to overall objectives.


• Educating tourism-related businesses about tourism should increase visitor satisfaction and length of stay.

Action steps • Determine the type of education that is most needed and the appropriate organization(s) to provide this education (e.g. Chambers of Commerce, economic development department of municipalities, municipalities, Oceanside Tourism Association, etc.).

• Develop the appropriate tool(s). • Pilot the tool(s) and determine changes required. • Roll out implementation.


• Chambers of Commerce, municipalities, regional district, Oceanside Tourism Association, local newspaper, etc.

Champion(s) • Chambers of Commerce and Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • Requires time to coordinate and develop education tools(s). Evaluation mechanism

• N/a


Tactic #7 • Encourage activities that contribute to maintaining or improving the aesthetic appeal of

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Short description

• Support and promote the various initiatives that keep the municipalities visually attractive such as revitalization and beautification plans, beautifying facades, public art, landscaping, hanging flower baskets and planters, Communities in Bloom, etc.


• N/a.


• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area needs to be visually appealing and welcoming to attract visitors and encourage repeat visitors.

Action steps • Provide support to municipal departments that contribute to a municipality’s aesthetic appeal by:

− Providing input to beautification plans, neighbourhood revitalization plans, design guidelines, official community plans, etc.

− Identify “problem” areas and potential solutions that could be forwarded to the municipalities for consideration.

− Identify and promote community programs such as neighbourhood clean up weekend, Communities in Bloom, etc.


• Municipalities, regional district, businesses, business associations, volunteer groups, etc.

Champion(s) • Municipality of Parksville, Municipality of Qualicum Beach, Regional District of Nanaimo, with Municipality of Qualicum Beach being the initiator

Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• N/a.


Tactic #8 • Educate local residents about the importance of tourism. Short description

• The attitude of local residents is important to the growth of the tourism industry, as a welcoming atmosphere for visitors and for tourism workers is needed for tourism to flourish.

• In particular, the attitude of mostly older residents toward the mostly younger tourism workers can enhance or impede recruitment and retention efforts. Labour shortages in BC are already being felt, with many industries actively recruiting employees. The pool of young workers that has historically filled tourism jobs has shrunk due to demographics. With potential employers now competing for employees, it will be important for the residents of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to recognize the importance of the tourism industry to the economic health of the communities and in turn, to actively welcome these young workers as fellow residents.

• The outcome of this positive attitude would include tolerance of nightlife and more energetic activities, an acceptance of young people as fellow members of the community, and providing more for young people to do during their off hours so they will want to continue to live in the area.

• (The Qualicum Local Health Area has double the percentage of people aged 65 or older than the general BC population – 27.4% compared to 13.8%.)


• Reported employee attraction and retention by tourism-related businesses.


• A positive attitude among residents contributes to a more welcoming environment for tourists and tourism workers. Without this positive attitude, tourism growth can be hindered.

Action steps • Recruit a representative group of local residents in a taskforce to generate ideas on how to help bring about this educational process.

• Some ideas to be considered could include partnerships with the local media with stories about the contribution that tourism makes to the quality of life in the area, the importance of attracting tourism workers, profiles of individual tourism workers (to put a face and a personality to tourism workers).

• Administrative support would need to be provided to this group at a minimum. Potential partnerships

• Municipalities, regional district. • Go2 – the resource for people in tourism to be contacted for advice. • Media.

Champion(s) • Chambers of Commerce and Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ideas to be generated and prioritized in late 2006/early 2007.

• First ideas to be implemented for the 2007 tourist season. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Reported employee attraction and retention by tourism-related businesses.


Tactic #9 • Educate businesses to increase packaging of complementary tourism experiences. Short description

• To provide more for adults to do and to make it easy for potential visitors to participate in activities of interest to them, encourage packaging of tourism experiences with accommodation. Some examples could include:

− Guided hikes and tours through the numerous parks in the area, possibly including beaches, wildlife viewing, and an education component relating to natural habitats.

− Guided kayaking and sailing tours with a wildlife viewing component. − Guided garden tours. − Guided tours of art galleries and cultural/heritage attractions, possibly with a hands-

on component and/or aboriginal culture component. − Spa packages with day spas in the area. − Golf packages, some with a spa component. − Learning and enrichment packages. − Food related farm based tourism packages.

• These packages could be put together by accommodation properties initially and as recognition of these types of activities grow, these tours could be sold on a standalone basis.

• These packages should be developed for adults and offered from spring to fall to encourage travel in the shoulder seasons.

• These activities already exist in the area, including guided tours but Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has significant upside potential for organized activities, both in terms of interest among potential visitors and tourism revenue.

• These packages should be of greater interest among higher income adults but packaging alone will not achieve the potential among this target group. Continued product and destination development needs to take place, especially in enhancing the range of mid to upper end accommodation.

• The visitor research (tactic #1) would provide further guidance as to packaging opportunities. • Guidelines for nature-based tours should be included as part of the development to ensure the

long-term sustainability of natural areas and wildlife habitat. Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)

• Number of packages available and number of bookings.


• These packages are in the priority tourism product categories and should be of interest to higher income adults.

Action steps • Oceanside Tourism Association to communicate with its members about the opportunities in packaging.

• Tourism businesses to put together packages. • Packages to be promoted through Oceanside Tourism Association, Tourism Vancouver

Island, and Tourism BC as appropriate. Potential partnerships

• Accommodation sector. • Nature Trust and other providers of appropriate tourism experiences.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association to educate businesses. Timeframe • Ongoing, starting with 2007 tourism season. Budget • None. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of packages available and number of bookings.


Tactic #10 • Encourage entrepreneurs to create tours related to the priority product categories. Short description

• Not only are there opportunities for packages of complementary tourism experiences, there are opportunities for standalone tours. The greatest opportunities are in the priority tourism products of nature-based tourism (including beaches) and arts and culture.

• Examples could include: − Guided hikes and tours through the numerous parks in the area, possibly including

beaches, wildlife viewing, and an education component relating to natural habitats. − Guided kayaking and sailing tours with a wildlife viewing component. − Guided garden tours. − Guided tours of art galleries and cultural/heritage attractions, possibly with a hands-

on component and/or aboriginal culture component. − Learning and enrichment packages. − Food related farm based tourism tours that include Cowichan and

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area (e.g. Coombs market, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, farmers markets, etc.).

• The visitor research (tactic #1) would provide further guidance as to tour opportunities. • Guidelines for nature-based tours should be included as part of the development.


• Number of tours available and number of bookings.


• These tours are in the priority tourism product categories and should be of interest to higher income adults.

• Having organized tours addresses the distances between the municipalities and the weakness of the Parksville downtown area.

Action steps • Oceanside Tourism Association, Chambers of Commerce, and municipalities to communicate with potential entrepreneurs and potentially put them in touch with accommodation properties to create packages or to encourage standalone tours.

• Encourage these entrepreneurs to learn more about tourism through education programs (Tactic #5).

• Establish working relationships between land managers and other tourism partners involved in nature-based tourism to ensure wildlife corridors and other areas have the appropriate guidelines and requirements to ensure a high quality, sustainable nature-based tourism experience.

• Tours to be promoted through Oceanside Tourism Association, Tourism Vancouver Island, and Tourism BC as appropriate.


• Municipalities, regional district. • Businesses. • The Nature Trust and other land managers.

Champion(s) • Chambers of Commerce and Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing, starting with 2007 tourism season. Budget • None. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of tours available and number of bookings.


Tactic #11 • Coordinate the development of a few signature festivals and events that will motivate a

trip to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area through new or enhanced existing festivals and events, in the shoulder seasons.

Short description

• Most festivals and events do not motivate a visit to the area although they may be well attended by visitors that are already staying in the area. These festivals and events enhance a visitor’s experience by providing more for visitors to see and do – they play a role in visitor satisfaction, repeat visitation, and enhancing length of stay.

• A few festivals and events have the potential to become signature festivals and events that will motivate potential visitors to make a trip to the area. From a tourism standpoint, they are most effective in generating incremental visitation when they take place in the shoulder seasons. A good example is the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival, as it was developed specifically to generate visitation in the Fall. As the festival became more popular, the date moved later into the year and the tourist season expanded.

• The Parksville Beach Festival is an example of a signature festival but as it takes place in the summer, the opportunity for incremental visitation is limited. However, it does enhance visitor satisfaction and it has helped to define Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area as a beach destination.

• The categories in which other signature festivals and events have potential include beach themes, nature-based tourism themes, and arts and culture themes.

• It will be important that there are only two or three signature festivals and events as too many risks diluting the efforts behind each. The goal should be to determine which festivals and events have the greatest potential to motivate the largest number of incremental visitors.


• Number of visitors for whom the signature festival or event was the only or main reason for the trip to the area.


• Beach, nature-based tourism, and arts and culture are priority products and lend themselves to festivals and events. The goal is to create signature festivals and events that will generate incremental visitation.

Action steps • Use the master list of events to identify festivals and events in the area. • Identify a short list of festivals and events that have the potential to become signature

festivals or events, perhaps folding in several festivals and events with similar themes. • Evaluate this short list to determine potential in the spring and fall. • Examine best practices in other communities. • Consideration should be given to making these signature festivals and events self-sustaining

over the long term through attendance fees and corporate sponsorships, organized by paid staff although volunteers would still be needed. In the short term, municipal investment could be considered.


• Municipalities, regional district. • Volunteer groups. • Oceanside Tourism Association. • Tourism-related businesses. • Oceanside Cultural Coalition. • The Nature Trust.

Champion(s) • Chambers of Commerce, with Parksville Chamber of Commerce being the initiator. Timeframe • Evaluation to take place in late 2006/early 2007 to identify potential signature festivals and

events. Budget • Requires to time coordinate and evaluate. Eval. mech. • Visitor survey among a representative sample of attendees.


Tactic #12 • Explore options for affordable accommodation for tourism workers. Short description

• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has become a desirable spot for retirement, recreational property, as well as tourism. These contribute to raising property values, making affordable accommodation scarce. With employers competing for employees throughout the country, affordable accommodation will be a factor in attracting the best candidates.




• Affordable accommodation for tourism workers was indicated as a challenge for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

Action steps • Discuss options with municipalities and tourism businesses about incentives to build new or convert existing buildings for affordable housing, rentals, secondary suites, etc. These options could include housing for permanent employees as well as seasonal employees, perhaps with different solutions for each (seasonal employees could be housed on-site if appropriate).

• Options to be prioritized and timelines developed. Potential partnerships

• Municipalities, regional district. • Tourism businesses.

Champion(s) • Parksville Economic Development Officer. Timeframe • Options to be developed in late 2006/early 2007. Budget • Requires time to coordinate. Evaluation mechanism



Tactic #13 • Identify specific gaps in tourism products, using visitor research as a starting point. Short description

• The visitor research (tactic #1) will provide guidance on a number of areas, including potential areas for product and destination development.

• Following the results from the visitor research, further analysis of gaps in tourism products in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area can be undertaken.


• To be determined.


• Product development and destination development in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are priorities to achieve significant tourism growth.

Action steps • Following the results from the visitor research, more specifics about which product categories need further product development assistance will be identified.

• For each product category, an analysis of existing tourism products can be undertaken, using the master list (tactic #4) to identify gaps. This analysis could take the form of a comprehensive tourism opportunity study.

• With this analysis, resources and timelines can be determined. Potential partnerships

Champion(s) • Parksville Economic Development Officer, Oceanside Tourism Association, Chambers of Commerce, with Parksville Economic Development Officer being the initiator.

Timeframe • Research to take place in late 2006. • Analysis to take place in 2007.

Budget • The gap analysis requires time. Budget for development of tourism products to be determined.

Evaluation mechanism

• To be determined.


Longer Term Development Tactics Tactic #14 • Investigate best practices for options for scheduled transportation in the Central Island

and local transportation in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Short description

• Having transportation options makes it easier for visitors to explore the area without needing to use their cars. Having scheduled transportation in the Central Island allows visitors staying in other parts of Vancouver Island to easily visit Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Having local transportation in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area allows for less stressful sightseeing and encourages visitors to explore the entire area.


• Number of visitors using these transportation options.


• Transportation options encourage visitors to explore the entire area and provides more for visitors to see and do.

Action steps • Identify and schedule meetings with transportation providers, including tour operators and shuttle bus operators.

• Discuss issues and needs from the tourism development standpoint and from the transportation standpoint.


• Transportation providers. • Municipalities, regional district. • Tourism businesses.

Champion(s) • Chambers of Commerce. Timeframe • Meetings to take place in 2006/07.

• Implementation of transportation options to be determined. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of visitors using transportation options.


Tactic #15 • Encourage updating of current accommodation and development of new, upscale

accommodation that is suitable for higher income couples. Short description

• Some accommodation properties cater to budget-conscious visitors such as families and snowbirds. As this segment will likely continue to be an important source of visitation to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, these lower end to mid range properties should continue to be part of the accommodation mix.

• Other accommodation properties in the mid range to upper end that are adult-oriented are needed to attract higher-income couples, with high quality furnishings, bathroom fixtures, and luxury touches such as feather beds, high thread count sheets, large rain-style shower heads, etc.


• Increased room rates and occupancy levels.


• The lack of accommodation in the mid range to upper end that is suitable for higher income couples was identified as a weakness.

Action steps • Communicate the contents of this tourism plan to accommodation properties. • Approach municipalities about potential incentives to encourage updating of accommodation

properties. Potential partnerships

Champion(s) • Municipality of Parksville, Municipality of Qualicum Beach, Regional District of Nanaimo, with Parksville Economic Development Officer being the initiator

Timeframe • Ongoing, with process starting in 2007. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Room rates and occupancy levels.


Tactic #16 • Encourage the creation of clusters of artists and artisans. Short description

• While Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area have a wealth of artists and artisans, this aspect is not well known among visitors to the area. Artists and artisans are scattered throughout the area and are often difficult to locate.

• To achieve the potential of making artists and artisans a key part of the area’s tourism ambiance and to encourage visitor spending on artists and artisans, it will be important to cluster artists and artisans together in central tourist areas. The Old School House is an example of these clusters. Consideration should be given to creating clusters of artists’ studios where artists can work and sell their creations. The goal should be to create only a few of these clusters such that they become mini destinations within the area.

• A previous project was completed on this subject but it was not able to achieve significant support, particularly from the artist/artisan community. This history will need to be taken into account.




• Artists and artisans are an integral part of the arts and culture tourism product that has been identified as a priority tourism product.

Action steps • Take the learning from the previous Coalition project into consideration. • Determine the interest by artists/artisans in the concept of clustering and in obtaining tourism

business. • Assuming there is interest, determine how municipalities can assist in creating these clusters. • The tourism community to provide input to ensure the needs of visitors are taken into

consideration. Potential partnerships

• Municipalities, regional district. • Artist/artisan community. • Oceanside Tourism Association.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Cultural Coalition, The Old School House Arts Centre. Timeframe • To be determined, with process starting in 2007. Budget • Time to coordinate. Implementation costs to be determined. Evaluation mechanism



Tactic #17 • Encourage clusters of charming streetscapes conducive to strolling. Short description

• An examination of best practices indicates that towns with charming streetscapes and the right mix of quaint shops, artist/artisan studios, arts/crafts/antique stores, local restaurants and cafes, clustered together within walking distance from accommodation properties are of interest to visitors. Examples include La Conner in Washington state and St. Helena in the Napa Valley.

• An opportunity exists to achieve these clusters in Parksville through the revitalization project. • Qualicum Beach already has its village but consideration should be given to changing the mix

over time to more upscale businesses and creating more quaintness in the streetscapes. • The goal should be to create these clusters in a way that reflects the small town, seaside

character of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area and reflects the interests of higher income adult visitors as well as families with children.




• Charming streetscapes contribute to a positive visitor experience that is complementary to the priority tourism products. They are of particular importance to higher income adult visitors.

Action steps • Municipalities/regional district to analyze where and how these clusters can be implemented. Potential partnerships

• Tourism businesses.


Timeframe • To be determined, with process starting in 2007. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism



Tactic #18 • Improve way finding with signage and maps. Short description

• Current signage and maps need to be reviewed in the context of making visitors’ trips in Parkville/Qualicum Beach and area easy, giving them opportunities to experience attractions that are of interest to them.


• N/a.


• Signage helps address the issue of making it easy for visitors to find the attractions that are of interest to them.

Action steps • Review existing signage and identify gaps. • Identify how these gaps can be addressed and any other improvements. • Work with the appropriate jurisdictions to address signage needs. • Produce maps to address weaknesses in signage as a short-term measure.


• Oceanside Tourism Association. • Tourism BC (as it has been working with the Ministry of Transportation on circle tours),

Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Tourism, Sport, and the Arts, BC Parks, municipalities, regional district.


Timeframe • Review and discussions in 2006/07. • Implementation of signage would be dependent on levels of government and would likely be

no earlier than 2008. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• N/a.


Tactic #19 • Encourage increased parking in key tourist areas, including space for tour buses. Short description

• To ensure that tourism in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area grows on a sustainable basis, it will be important to ensure adequate parking is included in growth plans.


• Growth in amount of parking space.


• Tourism needs to grow in a sustainable manner to ensure visitors and residents can coexist comfortably.

Action steps • Review parking capacity to determine whether current parking is adequate, whether there is available capacity for increased tourism, and where additional parking might be needed.

• Communicate parking issues with municipalities to ensure adequate parking is planned as tourism grows.



Timeframe • Review and discussions in 2006/07. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Growth in amount of parking space.


Shorter Term Promotional Tactics Tactic #20 • Educate residents of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area about the events, attractions,

and tourism opportunities in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Short description

• Create greater awareness of the many events and attractions that take place in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to encourage attendance by residents to word-of-mouth to their friends and relatives.




• Local residents are a key source of information and key influencers to friends and relatives. • Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area residents can positively influence tourism in

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area either as ambassadors or as entrepreneurs. Action steps • Take advantage of existing and new communication opportunities to reach

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area residents to a greater degree such as the community newspapers, municipal publications, community association newsletters, etc.

• Oceanside Tourism Association to contact Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area newspapers and discuss possibility of working together. This could lead to an ongoing series about tourism attractions and events or about tourism business opportunities. Jointly develop ideas for continuing coverage related to tourism in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.


• Community newspapers. • Municipalities. • Community newsletters.

Champion(s) • Chambers of Commerce and Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing, starting in late 2006/early 2007. Budget • Time to coordinate. Evaluation mechanism

• Press clippings. • Contribution to overall objectives.


Tactic #21 • Change the Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area brand creative to reflect the change

from “Oceanside” to “Parksville/Qualicum Beach”. Short description

• As the omnibus research among Greater Vancouver residents indicates, the name “Oceanside” is virtually unknown. For tourism in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to achieve significant growth, this growth will need to come largely from the Greater Vancouver area. Using the “Oceanside” name is an unnecessary challenge while “Parksville/Qualicum Beach” is well recognized.

• Oceanside Tourism Association can take this opportunity to initiate re-branding efforts in a way that reflects the best and most compelling reasons to visit Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

• Sometimes, the names that are chosen for tourism areas are based on political concerns rather than what is most compelling from a visitor standpoint. It is important to remember that the best name is one that is easy to communicate and generates the maximum number of visitors. Perhaps not every part of the area may be reflected in the name but it is important that the signature parts of the area are reflected as these signature parts of the area will draw the visitors. Once they arrive, businesses in the area have the opportunity to encourage them to visit their particular part of the area. Tourists by their very nature are interested in exploring the places they visit.


• N/a.


• This brand creative would be used on all Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s tourism marketing communications and is the embodiment of Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s positioning. The brand creative allows for consistency of messaging.

Action steps • Use the visitor research to determine the positioning statement. • From the positioning statement, prepare creative brief. • Branding firm/creative team to present brand options for review and research. • Conduct qualitative research among potential visitors (e.g. residents of Greater Vancouver). • Make revisions to chosen option(s) and refine.


• N/a.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • 6 months or more for full process. Budget • $20K to $50K for full process. Evaluation mechanism

• Research is built into the branding process.


Tactic #22 • Enhance the Oceanside Tourism Association website. Short description

• Using the findings from the visitor research, enhance the Oceanside Tourism Association website to highlight its positioning and the priority tourism products, perhaps with seasonal highlights. Suggested itineraries, based on number of days in the area and interests of potential visitors (i.e. adult parties or families with children) should be taken into consideration, with emphasis on adult itineraries. The itineraries should change by season, highlighting the attractiveness of the area in all seasons.

• A review of the Oceanside Tourism Association website, compared to the best destination websites should be undertaken to ensure the website is optimized. In particular, tracking tools should be enhanced as the website will be used as the call-to-action in promotional activities.


• From a baseline, increases in: − Number of unique visitors to the website. − Amount of time spent on the website. − Satisfaction with the website.


• Visitors are using the Internet as the major source of information – 76% of American leisure travellers use the Internet for vacation planning and 47% book reservations online. See the Situation Analysis for further details.

Action steps • Review comparative destination websites, particularly those considered to be among the best. • Review findings from visitor research. • Identify priorities for the Oceanside Tourism Association website. • Build in tracking tools.


• N/a

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Review to take place late 2006/early 2007.

• Implementation to start by spring 2007. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of unique visitors to the website. • Amount of time spent on the website. • Results from website survey.


Tactic #23 • Work cooperatively with other tourism organizations. Short description

• Other tourism organizations, particularly Tourism BC and Tourism Vancouver Island, already promote to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s target groups. Oceanside Tourism Association can better lever its limited resources by partnering on initiatives that are consistent with the priority target groups and priority products.

• Examples include: − Tourism Vancouver Island Vacation Guide (for Oceanside Tourism Association

and/or individual tourism businesses). − Tourism Vancouver Island Outdoor Guide (for Oceanside Tourism Association

and/or individual tourism businesses). − Tourism Vancouver Island’s promotional opportunity in Business in Vancouver’s

Meeting Places 2007 (for Oceanside Tourism Association and/or individual tourism businesses).

− Tourism BC’s BC Escapes® program (for individual accommodation properties with rooms only or with activity packages).

• To a lesser degree, cooperative promotions can be undertaken with Tourism Cowichan and Tourism Victoria on initiatives designed to encourage visitors to stay longer in Victoria and make day trips to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. The intent would be to generate day visits and potentially encourage repeat visitation from those who made a day trip to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

• The focus should be on the priority tourism products, with specific direction provided by the results from the visitor research. The packages and tours that have been put together in Tactics #9 and #10 should be highlighted.

• Consideration should be given to the spring and early fall as promotional periods as spring promotions reach potential visitors as they make decisions about spring and summer travel. Early fall promotions reach potential visitors as they make decisions about fall travel.

• The call-to-action should be the Oceanside Tourism Association website as it can provide more information, either on the website or through providing the visitor guide to potential travellers.


• Number of responses to campaign. • Number of bookings.


• Oceanside Tourism Association has limited resources and partnering with other tourism organizations allows it to achieve greater results than it can on its own.

Action steps • Review marketing opportunities available through Tourism BC and Tourism Vancouver Island.

• Identify which opportunities are most suitable for Oceanside Tourism Association and its members.

• Communicate the selected marketing opportunities to Oceanside Tourism Association members and encourage participation where appropriate.


• Tourism Vancouver Island. • Tourism BC.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism



Tactic #24 • Breakthrough promotional activities to attract Greater Vancouver couples. Short description

• Greater Vancouver couples are a key growth market for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. These adult couples (35 to 64 years of age) can travel throughout the year (addressing the seasonality issue), tend to be higher income, and tend to be interested in the priority tourism products. The exception is the more active nature-based tourism activities that tend to attract those that are 18 to 34 years of age.

• This market is a long-term opportunity for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. As the amount of suitable tourism product grows, the potential from this market would be expected to grow.




• Greater Vancouver couples are a key growth market for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area and should help achieve higher tourism revenues.

Action steps • Use the results from visitor research to provide direction on what is most compelling for Greater Vancouver couples.

• The breakthrough promotional activities could include media relations, advertising, and/or promotional activities. The campaign should be designed to create “buzz” and enough resources should be devoted to it to break through the media clutter. For example, if an adult beach getaway is one of the tourism experiences indicated from the visitor research, the campaign could include:

− Radio ads on one or two radio stations, with heavy rotation to “own” the station for a period of time. The call-to-action would be the Oceanside Tourism Association website where potential visitors can request a visitor guide or obtain information to make a booking.

− Overlay with a radio contest to win a romantic getaway to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. The questions could be trivia about the beaches in Parkville/Qualicum Beach and area – e.g. How many miles of beaches are there in Parksville/Qualicum Beach? How much rainfall does Parksville/Qualicum Beach have in the month of May?

− Listeners can enter the contest through the Oceanside Tourism Association website or through the radio station’s website with a link to the Oceanside Tourism Association website. Those who enter the contest can be asked whether they wish to receive information about visiting Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

− Create a spectacle in downtown Vancouver by wrapping walls with images of Parksville/Qualicum Beach, bring huge quantities of sand in to evoke the sandy beaches, complete with sandcastles, and people dressed for the beach.


• This initiative could be eligible for Community Tourism Foundations marketing funds that are administered by Tourism Vancouver Island.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Launch Spring 2007 or Spring 2008. Budget • $50K to $100K Evaluation mechanism



Tactic #25 • Encourage repeat visitation from BC and Alberta visitors. Short description

• Visitors who have been to Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area are likely to return, as repeat visitation is high. These visitors can be efficient to reach through direct marketing once their contact information is obtained.

• Previous visitors can be encouraged to explore more of the area and to broaden their experiences. For example, parents can be encouraged to return to the area for an adult weekend getaway in the off season, previous visitors can be encouraged to visit parts of the area that they may not have visited previously (e.g. Nanoose, French Creek, Arrowsmith Coombs Country, Lighthouse Country), or to visit during the shoulder seasons (with information about what there is to see and do each season). Previous visitors can be given different reasons to return that are consistent with their areas of interest.

• Email addresses can be collected through numerous means, including through the Visitor Centres, email enquiries, accommodation properties (with permission) and seasonal emails can be sent to these visitors. The emails can be sent each quarter with promotional specials to encourage bookings.

• Repeat visitation can be encouraged centrally through Oceanside Tourism Association, with the message to return to the area. Or, repeat visitation can be encouraged by each individual business or accommodation property.




• Repeat visitation from BC and Alberta visitors is an important component of tourism in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

Action steps • Put policies in place to systematically collect email addresses of visitors. • If necessary, obtain the technology to enable email campaigns. • Create email communications with promotional offers. • After each communication, evaluate and make necessary changes. After the first

communication, conduct an email survey to help evaluate. Potential partnerships

• N/a.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Implement for 2007 or 2008. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of responses to campaign. • Number of bookings. • Email survey.


Tactic #26 • Work with Parksville Community and Conference Centre and other meeting facilities

to attract small out-of-town meetings. Short description • Through sales calls and personal relationships, pitch the idea of small meetings in

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, particularly for regional and provincial meetings. The goal would be to obtain events that fill the Parksville Community and Conference Centre and other meeting facilities, with delegates staying in a number of hotels in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.

• Some targeted advertising may be involved. Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)

• Number of small out-of-town meetings. • Number of out-of-town delegates.


• Meetings and small conferences are a high yield market that is not dependent on the peak summer months.

Action steps • Identify target organizations for meetings and small conferences. • Make initial sales calls to ensure Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area receives bid

opportunities. • Respond to bid opportunities.


• Meeting facilities.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. •

Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Tracking of out-of-town meetings and conferences and delegates.


Tactic #27 • Work with sport tourism facilities to attract sport tourism events. Short description • Through sales calls and personal relationships, pitch the idea of sport tourism events in

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)

• Number of sport tourism events. • Number of out-of-town delegates.


• Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area should achieve its fair share of sport tourism events.

Action steps • Identify target organizations for sport tourism. • Make initial sales calls to ensure Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area receives bid

opportunities. • Respond to bid opportunities.


• Municipalities.


• Tracking of out-of-town sport tourism events and delegates.


Tactic #28 • Encourage more active participation by Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area tourism

businesses in Tourism BC’s BC Escapes® major marketing initiative. Short description

• The BC Escapes program is a multi-million dollar marketing campaign conducted by Tourism BC in selected high potential cities in Canada and the U.S., including a BC resident campaign. The fulfillment mechanisms are through www.hellobc.com and 1-800-hellobc. Currently, 58 Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area accommodation properties are listed on www.hellobc.com but only eight are bookable through the website or call centre and three have provided special rates or special packages.

• Currently, hellobc is limited to accommodation and activity packages through accommodation properties, but other activities are anticipated to be bookable in the future.

• This initiative allows Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to be noticed by a North American market, including a wider audience in the key BC market. There is no cost for participation but a commission is charged for bookings.

• Participation in this initiative gives Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area a higher profile among the call centre agents that are in the position of advising potential visitors to spend some time in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, whether as overnight visitors or day visitors.


• Number of bookings by market.


• While this initiative reaches a wider audience than the target markets for Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area, it is a low-cost way of presenting Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area as a tourism destination.

Action steps • Work with accommodation properties to encourage them to participate in the BC Escapes program.

• Make regular presentations to hellobc call centre agents to ensure they are aware of the priority tourism products in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.


• Tourism BC.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • None. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of bookings by market.


Tactic #29 • Media relations with general and special interest publications reaching Alberta and

Other Canada residents, especially snowbirds. Short description

• Alberta and other Canada are markets from which Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area currently receives about 25% of visitors.

• Initially, cooperative media relations with Tourism Vancouver Island and Tourism BC would be an efficient way to reach Calgary and Edmonton, likely in conjunction with messages relating to Vancouver Island.


• To achieve a minimum of five stories on events or attractions in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area from Alberta and other Canada publications in Year 2. Based on the actual results from Year 2, establish objectives for Year 3 and beyond.


• Editorial coverage is cost effective and has high credibility among readers.

Action steps • Work with media relations departments of Tourism Vancouver Island and Tourism BC to ensure Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area is covered in appropriate media relations opportunities.

• Participate in media fam tours. • Establish a list of targeted publications. • Based on each publication, determine whether prepared stories, press releases, familiarization

tours, or other methods of achieving editorial coverage are appropriate. • When newsworthy events occur, prepare press releases and distribute to appropriate media.


• Tourism BC. • Tourism Vancouver Island.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • Ongoing. Budget • Budget for media relations activities to be determined. Media monitoring service $7K. Evaluation mechanism

• Press clippings. A media tracking service is recommended to track results from all media relations activities.

• Number of media fam tours.


Longer Term Promotional Tactics Tactic #30 • Work with tour operators that include Victoria in their itineraries to include

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. Short description

• Victoria is a popular destination for tour operators and Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has an opportunity to capture some of these visitors. The tourism products that may be of interest to these visitors include:

− Nature-based tourism, including Rathtrevor Beach, Horne Lake Caves, etc. − Arts and culture, including artists’ studios. − Food-related farm based tourism, including Coombs market, Little Qualicum

Cheeseworks, perhaps in conjunction with similar attractions in the Cowichan Valley.

− Golf. Quantifiable objectives (if applicable)

• Number of itineraries that include Parkville/Qualicum Beach and area.


• Visitors to Greater Victoria are one of the target markets.

Action steps • Determine which tour operators already include Victoria in their itineraries. • Contact these tour operators with the possibility of including Parksville/Qualicum Beach and

area. • Have potential itineraries already prepared before meeting/talking with tour operators.


• N/a.

Champion(s) • Oceanside Tourism Association. Timeframe • First inclusion in itineraries would not be expected until 2008 or 2009. Budget • To be determined. Evaluation mechanism

• Number of itineraries that include Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area.


Tactic #31 • Promote Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to visitors to Victoria. Short description

• Victoria receives 3.6 million visitors annually and Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area has an opportunity to capture some of these visitors. The tourism products that may be of interest to these visitors include:

− Nature-based tourism, including Rathtrevor Beach, Horne Lake Caves, etc. − Arts and culture, including artists’ studios − Food-related farm based tourism, including Coombs market, Little Qualicum

Cheeseworks, perhaps in conjunction with similar attractions in the Cowichan Valley.

− Golf. • The Visitor Centre in Victoria and hotels in downtown Victoria should be contacted through

their concierges to ensure they are aware of the visitor experiences in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area for potential day trips. The tourism products should be organized into a tour to make them easy to sell.




• Visitors to Greater Victoria are one of the target markets.

Action steps • Discuss with management of Visitor Centre how best to convey information about tourism experiences in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to their visitors.

• Put together a test concierge program with selected downtown Victoria hotels. Potential partnerships

• N/a.


• Overall objectives of visitor volume through tourism indicators.


Summary Timetable Tactic 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 1. Embark on visitor research. X 2. Initiate tracking for key attractions. X 3. Survey of visitors in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. X X 4. Master list of information about attractions and events. X X 5. Make tourism education and training tools easily available to tourism-

related businesses. X 6. Educate tourism-related businesses about opportunities in tourism. X 7. Encourage activities that contribute to esthetic appeal of area. X 8. Educate local residents about the importance of tourism. X 9. Educate businesses to increase packaging of complementary tourism

experiences. X 10. Encourage entrepreneurs to create tours in priority tourism product

categories. X 11. Coordinate the development of a few signature festivals and events. X X 12. Explore options for affordable accommodation for tourism workers. X X 13. Identify specific gaps in tourism products, using visitor research as a

starting point. X X 14. Investigate best practices for options for scheduled and local

transportation. X X X X X 15. Encourage updating of current accommodation and development of new,

upscale accommodation. X X X X 16. Encourage the creation of clusters of artists and artisans. X X X X 17. Encourage clusters of charming streetscapes conducive to strolling. X X X X 18. Improve way finding with signage and maps. X X X X 19. Encourage increased parking in key tourist areas, including space for tour

buses. X X X X 20. Educate residents about events, attractions, and tourism opportunities. X X X X X 21. Change brand creative to reflect the change to “Parksville/Qualicum

Beach” X 22. Enhance the Oceanside Tourism Association website. X X 23. Work cooperatively with other tourism organizations. X X X X X 24. Breakthrough promotional activities to attract Greater Vancouver

couples. X X 25. Encourage repeat visitation from BC and Alberta visitors. X X 26. Work with meeting facilities to attract small out-of-town meetings. X X X X X 27. Work with sport tourism facilities to attract sport tourism events. X X X X X 28. Encourage more active participation by tourism businesses in Tourism

BC’s BC Escapes program. X X X X X 29. Media relations reaching Alberta and Other Canada residents, especially

snowbirds. X X X X X 30. Work with tour operators that include Victoria to add

Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to their itineraries. X X X 31. Promote Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to visitors to Victoria. X X X X


B U D G E T The following budget presents broad estimates for budgeting purposes only. No quotes have been obtained. Tactic (000s) 2006 2007 2008 32. Embark on visitor research. 15-20 33. Initiate tracking for key attractions. -- 34. Survey of visitors in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. TBD 35. Master list of information about attractions and events. -- 36. Make tourism education and training tools easily available to tourism-

related businesses. 1 37. Educate tourism-related businesses about opportunities in tourism. -- 38. Encourage activities that contribute to esthetic appeal of area. TBD 39. Educate local residents about the importance of tourism. TBD 40. Educate businesses to increase packaging of complementary tourism

experiences. -- 41. Encourage entrepreneurs to create tours in priority tourism product

categories. -- 42. Coordinate the development of a few signature festivals and events. -- -- 43. Explore options for affordable accommodation for tourism workers. -- -- 44. Identify specific gaps in tourism products, using visitor research as a

starting point. -- 45. Investigate best practices for options for scheduled and local transportation. TBD 46. Encourage updating of current accommodation and development of new,

upscale accommodation. TBD 47. Encourage the creation of clusters of artists and artisans. TBD 48. Encourage clusters of charming streetscapes conducive to strolling. TBD 49. Improve way finding with signage and maps. TBD 50. Encourage increased parking in key tourist areas, including space for tour

buses. TBD 51. Educate residents about events, attractions, and tourism opportunities. -- 52. Change brand creative to reflect the change to “Parksville/Qualicum Beach” 20-50 53. Enhance the Oceanside Tourism Association website. TBD 54. Work cooperatively with other tourism organizations. TBD 55. Breakthrough promotional activities to attract Greater Vancouver couples. 50-100 56. Encourage repeat visitation from BC and Alberta visitors. TBD 57. Work with meeting facilities to attract small out-of-town meetings. TBD 58. Work with sport tourism facilities to attract sport tourism events. TBD 59. Encourage more active participation by tourism businesses in Tourism BC’s

BC Escapes program. -- 60. Media relations reaching Alberta and Other Canada residents, especially

snowbirds. 7+ 61. Work with tour operators that include Victoria to add Parksville/Qualicum

Beach and area to their itineraries. TBD 62. Promote Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to visitors to Victoria. TBD


Community Tourism Foundations Marketing Program As part of the Community Tourism Foundations program, those communities that have gone through the development side of the program (i.e. developing this tourism plan) will have access to cost-shared funding through the marketing side of the program. The marketing program provides a small amount of funding to provide initial support in an effort to increase the success of communities as they embrace tourism. This Tourism BC program, administered through the regional tourism associations (in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s case, through Tourism Vancouver Island) provides a maximum of $20K annually for a maximum of three years. Eligible activities, in part or in whole, in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area’s case may include the following:

3. Survey of visitors in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area. 21. Change brand creative to reflect the change to “Parksville/Qualicum Beach” 23. Work cooperatively with other tourism organizations. 24. Breakthrough promotional activities to attract Greater Vancouver couples. 25. Encourage repeat visitation from BC and Alberta visitors. 29. Media relations reaching Alberta and Other Canada residents, especially snowbirds. 31. Promote Parksville/Qualicum Beach and area to visitors to Victoria.

This list is not meant to be definitive as discussions between Oceanside Tourism Association and Tourism Vancouver Island will need to take place to determine eligible activities. One of the requirements is that the eligible activitives represent new initiatives to encourage communities to embark on initiatives they could not otherwise afford. Further details on the Community Tourism Foundations marketing program are in Appendix 2.


oceanside tourism plan - qualicum beach · to prepare a comprehensive tourism plan for the...

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