MBiz

Priority TickeT Manitoba Chamber maps plan for tourism industry By Roger Currie I f you've wondered why you're seeing fewer non-Manitoba licence plates on our roads lately, there are a number of reasons — and they tell a disappointing story about the state of our tourism industry. In 2011, visitors to Manitoba spent more than $1.4 billion. That's roughly 3.6% of our gross domestic product, but the industry is falling short of its potential.  Just over 20 million people visited Canada in 2002, but by 2012 the annual total had fallen to 16.3 million. We are one of only five countries — with Poland, Ireland, Brazil and Tunisia — to see a drop in international arrivals in the past decade. And only Canada and Poland had double-digit losses, with declines of 18% and 22%, respectively. The loss to our economy is worrisome to the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, and one of its missions is to reverse the trend, says president and CEO Chuck Davidson. "What's quite disturbing about the numbers is that other countries are not having the same experience," he says. Advertising and promotion budgets are a factor. The amount of money Ottawa and the provinces spend to lure visitors has been falling, while other countries are spending more. And since the 9/11 terror attacks, it's been more difficult for American tourists to visit Canada.  "Passports are now required on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, and fewer than 10% of Americans even have a passport," Davidson says. Visitors from many other countries now require visas, which can involve a cumbersome and costly bureaucratic process. And the cost of travel within Canada discourages tourism.  "While many Manitobans have discovered the dramatic savings that result when you fly out of Grand Forks or Fargo, many foreign visitors simply choose to visit American destinations when they do the math on the cost of air travel into Canada and within Canada," Davidson says. Attracting a sufficient number of skilled workers is another challenge. Stories abound in the hospitality industry of hotel managers pulling bed-making duty due to staff shortages. "It speaks to the need for more training and more innovative approaches to immigration policy. Shining a light on those persistent problems can be a very useful role for the chamber," Davidson says. The problems have been evident for some time, yet little seems to change, and businesses that rely on tourism continue to suffer.  "I don't think we've done a very good job when it comes to telling the story of how important tourism is to the economy as a whole," Davidson says. Encouraging Canadians to explore our own country is one solution, and Davidson says we have to make a better effort to persuade our neighbours to the west that Manitoba has attractions they won't find at home.  "Travel Manitoba is finding that most people in Saskatchewan don't think of our province as a place to visit, because they see us as the same as their backyard." Advertising dollars are being aimed a little farther afield, at Alberta and B.C., in hopes that attractions like polar bears and beluga whales will draw more interest.  But it's difficult for organizations like Travel Manitoba to take a strong role as an advocate with government because they depend on government funding. That's one reason the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is making tourism a higher priority. "We have local chambers in 65 Manitoba communities and we understand the importance to the local economy," Davidson says.  "A lot of people simply don't think of tourism as a strong economic sector. Areas like construction and manufacturing come to mind more quickly." MBiz November 2013 31

• Cover