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15 MBiz May 2014 M ost companies have a CEO — a chief executive offi cer. Earth Rhythms does too. Except their CEO is the chief experience offi cer. That's how company president Celes Davar describes his role at the value-driven tour company. Since 1996, he's specialized in customized tours in Riding Mountain National Park and the surrounding area. He is also a facilitator and trainer, teaching tour operators how to create programs and add value to their businesses with something called experiential tourism. It's a way of providing tour experiences that comes out of extensive proprietary research undertaken by the Canadian Tourism Commission and national polling company Environics. Their research showed that social values were the driving force behind what people choose to do when they travel. They found that what people are looking for is a real experience — something that leaves them with an indelible memory. There is one key element, however. "At the heart of experiential tourism is a guide or storyteller, and without that guide or storyteller, it is not an experience," Davar says. "It's the storyteller that guides you into the heart of something, and in that guiding, a relationship is developed. And it is there that the meaning and the relevance of place becomes really beautiful." Davar says storytellers are local people like beekeepers, chefs, musicians, guides or producers. They're all doing their own thing, but are trained to provide programs. "I have 30 partners who are part of my rural network of storytellers. I look for people with storytelling ability; people who are passionate about what they do. They have a knowledge base that I would consider to be expert," he says. Davar was a key player in helping Dauphin create its highly successful Savour the Flavour program to provide just those kinds of experiences. He talked with community members about their assets and through the facilitation of the Dauphin Economic Development offi ce, they began to see what they had to offer. He posed the question: What if people who came here actually paid for the privilege of having access to your culture? The development process began with an inventory of infrastructure. What is already available and how can it be used? Dauphin was already well known for its annual Ukrainian Festival: It had a historic church with a large commercial kitchen, and a vibrant Ukrainian community steeped in culture, food and music. Add a bevy of babas who could showcase their culture and a star attraction was born. The group experience is delivered to about 750 people each year. It begins with a traditional Ukrainian welcome with bread and salt. Guests are taken to the church kitchen where the ladies (the babas) have stations set up for bread making. Each guest braids the top of a loaf of bread before it goes into the oven. In the meantime, they're interacting with the ladies, learning some of the language and traditions. A Ukrainian meal usually follows, and then a local dance group comes in and teaches the guests to dance. "Two and a half hours later, our guests walk out having learned culture, talked with and Taste of Dauphin: Full-immersion experiences might include a unique ice-fi shing excursion, the Savour the Flavour tour with Ukrainian food and dancing, and a fun ride on Cubi, the town's seven-seat conference bicycle. Photos courtesy of Tourism Dauphin PA R K L A N D PARKLAND DAUPHIN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ROBLIN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ROSSBURN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RUSSELL & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SWAN VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE >> Dauphin & District Chamber of Commerce earned praise from all quarters when it hosted the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Annual General Meeting in April. The chamber wowed delegates with its Party Like Locals Speakeasy reception, which included a Ukrainian dance performance. President Alyson Sametz was selected by the local chamber board to receive the Manitoba Chambers volunteer of the year award. >> The Dauphin chamber hosts its annual Street Fair and Dance July 31. Each year, the chamber transforms downtown Dauphin for the family event, which features live entertainment, a kids zone, vendors, unique food, farmers' market, horse-drawn wagon rides, and beer gardens in the evening — there is something for everyone at the Street Fair. >> Dauphin's Countryfest has announced that Blake Shelton, Rascall Flatts, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and The Band Perry will be among the headliners June 26-29. NEW & NOTEWORTHY • You have a trained storyteller/guide who is an expert in their fi eld. • You offer a meaningful, authentic, local, fully integrated immersion experience which is interactive and in which all guests actively participate. • You are using existing infrastructure to maximize the benefi t to the community and enhance the guest experience. • Your package is priced to refl ect the value of the storyteller/guide's expertise, the experience provided and the value to the guest. • Activities are organized by a tour operator/broker into a relevant itinerary which provides a structure for the guest. YOU KNOW IT'S EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM WHEN … CONTINUED >> MBiz_spring2014.indd 15 MBiz_spring2014.indd 15 5/14/14 8:26:40 AM 5/14/14 8:26:40 AM

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