THE ONTARIO CULINARY TOURISM ALLIANCE (OCTA)

Transcription

1 THE ONTARIO CULINARY TOURISM ALLIANCE (OCTA) Develop food tourism strategies Provide expertise on food tourism + destination development Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy & Action Plan Feast ON Program Proud ambassadors of Ontario s food + drink

2 EVERY TOURIST HAS one THING IN

3 THEY EAT AT LEAST ONCE A DAY BUT MORE LIKELY THREE, FOUR or FIVE TIMES A DAY.

4 DEFINING FOOD TOURISM Any tourism experience in which one learns about, appreciates, and/or consumes food and drink that reflects the local, regional or national cuisine, heritage, culture, tradition or culinary techniques. We ve evolved from culinary tourism to fullon participatory travel where tourists get up close and personal with chefs, the products and the process. It s travel that embraces a more genuine, authentic experience. Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor

5 WHAT DOES FOOD TOURISM INCLUDE? Accommodations Attractions Beverage Producers (Wineries, Breweries etc) Culinary Schools Farmers Markets Festivals & Events Growers & Producers Restaurants Retailers

6 FOOD TOURISM: ECONOMIC IMPACT Over one third of tourist spending worldwide is devoted to food (Source: UNWTO Global Report on Food Tourism) Eating local food has a 3:1 impact on local economy (Source: Local Food Plus) 77% of leisure travelers in the U.S. (131M tourists) are classified as food tourists (Mandala Research: American Culinary Traveler Report ) Drinking VQA wine contributes $12.29 in added value back into the local economy (Wine Country

7 CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD TOURISTS Interested in origin of products Above avg. expenditure Value goes beyond price Adventurous Highly loyal Masters of social media Want the VIP

8 SHOW & TELL TASTE 81% of respondents indicated ability to try locally sourced products was important when choosing a culinary activity TOUR 43% of respondents look for guided tours when choosing a destination TAKE AWAY 67% of respondents indicated option to take home products was important when choosing a culinary activity 2013 Ryerson University: Profile of the Ontario Culinary

9 FOOD TOURISTS AREN T JUST COMING FOR A MEAL... ACTIVITY PARTICIPANTS IN ANY FOOD ACTIVITY % PARTICIPANTS IN NO FOOD ACTIVITY % VISIT HISTORIC SITES OUTDOOR ADVENTURE GO TO THE THEATRE VISITING GARDENS GOLFING GO TO MUSIC FESTIVAL GO TO A SPA Source: Tams Study

10 THE EVOLUTION OF FOOD TOURISM

11 SKIFT REPORT: THE RISE OF FOOD TOURISM Food tourism is BIG business FREE Trend Report Sponsored by OCTA Created by Skift DMOs and event organizers are adding culinary programming to attract new markets and increase revenue Best Practices + Case Studies: Nashville CVB, Failte Ireland, South Australia Tourism Commission FIND IT HERE: SKIFT.COM AND HERE: ONTARIOCULINARY.COM

12 THE NEW FOOD TOURISM Social Media Itineraries curated from peers + bloggers + influencers (not DMOs) Emerging Markets Local Goes Global Changing + diverse tastes Combining Culinary + Culture User-Generated Content The Sharing Economy Airbnb, Uber, Autoshare, Kickstarter CONTENT IS STILL KING, BUT VISUALS REIGN Skift: Megatrends Defining Travel in 2015

13 Top 10 Key to Success Factors for Developing Taste of Place Tourism 1. Leadership 2. Market-ready or near-market-ready culinary products and resources 3. An integrated strategy 4. Partnership and community-based collaboration 5. Financial support and performance measures 6. Destinations with good access from key origin markets 7. Sufficient market intelligence 8. Food tourism resources distinctive to the region 9. A critical mass of agri- and/or food tourism experiences 10. An effective Destination Marketing

14 EAT : THE EXPERIENCE ASSESSMENT TOOL

15 THE CHECKLIST: INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES TELLING THE LOCAL STORY! Do we serve/sell local food and drink?! Do we promote where they are sourced from?! Do we offer a unique taste of place that is an authentic expression of our region?! Do we call out specific growers and producers that we work with?! Do we promote our partnerships within the local food community? WELCOMING THE VISITOR! Do we have a welcoming retail space for visitors?! Do we post our hours and adhere to them?! Do we have visible signage and route markers to direct visitors?! Do we have an attractive website, with a map, directions and high quality

16 THE CHECKLIST: INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES ENRICHING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE! Do we offer tastings and samplings?! Do we offer any classes or entertainment?! Do we host any tours? Do we participate as a stop on a tour? Do we promote it?! Do we host any events on-site?! Do we participate in off-site events and promote this involvement?! Is our staff knowledgeable and passionate about our products? And our local food story?! Do we communicate our story and heritage with pride? KEEPING VISITORS ENGAGED! Are we active on social media? Review sites?! Do we have a newsletter? Blog?! Do we encourage our customers to engage?! Do we offer incentives, contests or promotions? When it comes to [spending] money, experiences trump things 2014 Eventbrite

17 BEST PRACTICES: TRAIL APPLE PIE TRAIL, COLLINGWOOD & BLUE MOUNTAINS Est Award-winning 33 stops Restaurants, bakeries, cideries, museums, farmers markets, culinary schools, accommodations Legend with info about apple varieties QR code Sponsors Adventure packages Biking Fishing Spa packages Gondola

18 BEST PRACTICES: TRAIL TASTE TRAIL, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY Est restaurants + wineries Members pay $1350 annual fee Criteria Open 8+ months of the year Post hours of operation Insurance Offer unique regional taste/ experience Benefits Promotion + Marketing Printed guide + wide distribution Bilingual website Permanent route signage Marketing strategy Use of Taste Trail logo Tastetrail.ca

19 THANK YOU! Rebecca LeHeup, OCTA Executive (416) ontarioculinary.com