Spring is finally here and with it comes renewed inspiration for our industry, along with more tourists to our province. The Conference Board of Canada forecasts a 4.9 per cent increase in tourist expenditures in 2008, which bodes well for another good year for the hospitality industry in Manitoba.
Our recent annual Travel Manitoba Tourism Conference and Manitoba Tourism Awards gala dinner was a great success. This year the conference was organized in conjunction with the Manitoba Hotel Association's annual conference. On behalf of the Travel Manitoba Board of Directors and staff, we extend congratulations to all nominees and thanks to the awards committee for their challenging undertaking in selecting this year's winners.
This is an exciting and ambitious period for our staff and Industry Advisory Committees. We have launched a new "Celebrate Manitoba" campaign in partnership with the regional tourism associations to encourage Manitobans to experience their own province this summer. We've also launched "It's My Moment", a new website that allows users to read and share their own unforgettable travel moments. Plans for a major Homecoming initiative for 2010 was announced in May.
We have also announced and commenced implementation of our new Customer Assurance Plan. This initiative, driven and supported by our Board and Industry Quality and Competitiveness Advisory Committee, has established basic criteria for participation in our marketing programs and inclusion in our publications and on our website.
Increased competition and higher expectations from travellers require constant attention to product and service quality. The intent here is to ensure that basic visitor expectations, such as representative advertising, insurance and operating licenses, are in place. We have received the support of all sector associations, as well as compliments from other jurisdictions, for this approach.
Our industry partnership programs continue to grow and prosper and I am delighted to see the strong interest and support from all sectors and regions of the province. Our last Board of Directors meeting was held in Russell and included a tour of the Inglis elevators and Asessippi Ski Hill area. We are grateful to Daymon Guillas and his team for their hospitality and most impressed with the destination area plan that has been developed for the Russell-Roblin area.
Although we enter the summer season with a good degree of optimism, fragile economic conditions, increasing gas and food prices, and continuing challenges at U.S. border crossings may play havoc with travel patterns and market stability. We will be closely monitoring trends and market conditions and will also conduct a conversion study at the end of the summer to further assess market changes.
On behalf of all the staff at Travel Manitoba, we wish you success throughout the summer.
Hubert Mesman
Travel Manitoba 7th Floor - 155 Carlton St,