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CAO
Report
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Report To: General Government Committee
Date of Meeting: March 4, 2019
Report Number: CAO -003-19 Resolution: #GG -151-19
File Number: By-law Number:
Report Subject: A year in review, Tourism 2018 Update
Recommendation:
1. That Report CAO -003-19 be received for information.
Municipality of Clarington
Report CAO -003-19
Report Overview
Page 2
Clarington Tourism continues to evolve and employ new marketing and communications
campaigns to tell our Clarington story. Tourism tracks and utilizes the latest social media and
digital marketing trends to maximize the Municipality's digital footprint. This report provides
Council with a snapshot of the new initiatives and ongoing work done in 2018 to promote
tourism. This report will be viewed in conjunction with a Clarington Tourism highlights video.
1. The Tourism Story
1.1 Clarington has been named the 2019 FEO Municipality of the Year as announced by
Festivals & Events Ontario. The award was given to Clarington during a ceremony on
February 28. It's an award that recognizes the Municipality's outstanding support for the
various festivals and events across Clarington. Staff from Tourism, Community Services
and Operations worked together on an application detailing Clarington's contributions to
all the events. For more information, please see the press release that outlines the criteria
and the award.
1.2 Clarington Tourism continues to evolve and use new tactics to tell our tourism story. As
social media continues to grow in popularity, Clarington Tourism has utilized this key tool
in new and creative ways to generate new content and share the tourism experience.
Tourism staff have developed videos, vlogs, and Instagram stories, to promote and share
Clarington in a new and interactive way. The response to this engagement, both from
stakeholders and visitors, has been overwhelmingly positive. This new approach to telling
our tourism story has gained traction, with many local stakeholders requesting assistance
and wanting to have their business highlighted using this format.
1.3 To adapt to the growing social media and digital marketing trend, Clarington Tourism
partnered with Big Clic to maximize its digital presence. In June 2018, Tourism adopted
programmatic advertising, essentially using a computerized model to determine where
Clarington Tourism ads are placed and what audiences Tourism will reach. The
advantage of this type of advertising is that Tourism is able to obtain key performance
indicators to measure success. Tourism ran three major campaigns with Big Clic between
June and October, and received 1,077,849 impressions from visitors, with a click -through
rate of nearly three -times the online standard average, which is 0.08 per cent.
1.4 In April 2018, Clarington Tourism partnered with a consultant to undergo a service review.
The Tourism Service Review report CAO -012-18 was presented to Council on September
4, 2018. The review examined how Clarington Tourism provided its key services, and
looked at areas of improvement. In the end, 16 recommendations were made to help
maximize this key service, including the creation of a Tourism Advisory Committee. The
Committee, made up of tourism stakeholders and local business owners, will advise staff
and Council on strategic activities and initiatives to promote Clarington. Report, CAO -015-
18 with the advisory committee, terms of reference was reviewed and approved by
Council in December and on February 25, Council selected committee membership.
Municipality of Clarington Page 3
Report CAO -003-19
2. New Campaigns and Initiatives
Experience Clarington
2.1 In June 2018, Clarington Tourism partnered with local tourism
businesses and operators to launch a series of experiences/0 /0
focused on directing visitors to key areas.
k 4,
2.2 The Sweet Summer Trail launched in the summer of 2018 andt
encouraged Clarington visitors and residents to follow a map `J.-
experiencing various activities and businesses in Clarington. This
was designed as a self -guided tour through the Municipality encouraging visitors to stop
at specific participating businesses for a summer treat or a unique experience. The
initiative was promoted through social media, a press release was sent out and resulted
in an article posted on durhamregion.com called "Clarington Tourism launches Sweet
Summer Trail tour."
2.3 The Great Apple Adventure was another self -guided tour experience that
launched in the fall. Clarington Tourism designed this tour to highlight
Clarington's fall story including our harvest. The tour featured many
local businesses as well as large local events including Orono Fair, CbMgton's
Bowmanville Apple Fest and Newcastle Harvest Festival. Clarington GREAT APPLE
Tourism partnered with Central Counties Tourism on this initiative,
receiving sponsorship for joint marketing and advertising to promote this
tour. Due to the funding support received from Central Counties, we were able to expand
our reach, work with a local blogger and influencer to promote the tour. As a
consequence, Clarington Tourism was able to attain 111,299 in impressions and more
than 1300 likes through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Tourism Story through Vlogs and Social Media
2.4 In May 2018, Clarington Tourism launched its popular Vlogs or video blog series. These
are short promotional videos, which have gained traction and have been highly
successful. In fact, their popularity has grown, and many local businesses say that these
short videos are a driving force for new customers and visitors. The two most successful
videos highlighted downtown Hampton during road closures and construction, and
Pingle's Farm Market during harvest season. Both videos combined received 8,900 views
and nearly 100 shares. Since June, 13 vlogs have been created and attained more than
28,800 total views.
Tourism in the Media (columns, stories and press releases)
2.5 Also new in 2018, Clarington Tourism launched its own column in Metroland's Clarington
This Week. The column is both printed in the paper and showcased on
durhamregion.com. This is yet another marketing initiative, capable of reaching an
audience that may not have access to technology, smartphones or the web. Past
columns include:
Fun -filled experiences to make life easier
Municipality of Clarington Page 4
Report CAO -003-19
Fall for Clarington while on route enioyinq the Great Apple Adventure
Make holiday memories in Clarington
Partnerships with Stakeholders
2.6 Clarington Tourism continues to engage and partner with stakeholders to promote
Clarington and tell our story. Local businesses have partnered with Tourism on the tours
and experiences, Central Counties and Durham Tourism have supported these initiatives
either through joint -funding or in-kind promotion. In the summer, Clarington Tourism
partnered with Durham Tourism and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) for Race
Day at Yonge Dundas Square in Toronto, promoting CTMP, the venue and local racing
events held in Clarington. The day was a huge success and allowed Tourism to highlight
Clarington's agri-tourism assets to race fans, showcasing Tyrone Mill doughnuts and
fresh local cider from Archibald's Orchard & Estate Winery and Algoma Orchards.
2.7 In November 2018, Clarington Tourism partnered with the Clarington Board of Trade and
Office of Economic Development (CBOT) on a Business Retention & Expansion study
focused on the local tourism industry. Tourism and CBOT are working together to
determine the needs of our local tourism businesses and operators. This study will assist
Clarington Tourism in strategic planning and provide information on how best Clarington
Tourism can support our local tourism stakeholders. Tourism staff also participated at
CBOT's 10th Annual Energy Summit, promoting the community and tourism assets to the
visiting workforce. Tourism staff have also been involved on the steering committee for
the Orono Economic Development Strategy to provide insight and support from the
division.
Sport Tourism
2.8 The Sport Tourism market in Clarington continues to grow and the Tourism office is
working diligently to target those visitors and encourage them to experience our
Municipality `between games.' Clarington Tourism has worked closely with Community
Services to ensure visitors who are in Clarington for large tournaments and sporting
events are also aware of our local events, attractions, restaurants and our tourism story.
2.9 Each year, Clarington Tourism develops a `Between Games' Brochure (please see
example in Attachment 1) that is displayed and handed out at our facilities that host
sporting events. This brochure details all the activities and events in Clarington. Tourism
also has allocated space in all our recreation facilities where visitors can find our maps,
guides and community information.
2.10 Tourism works closely with the Community Development Coordinator who shares
information about facility bookings and large tournaments that come to Clarington.
Community Services has provided Tourism with contacts for the sports associations
participating in any of these large events. Before scheduled events, Tourism staff
continually reach out to sports associations asking how Clarington Tourism can assist,
answer questions, and help create experiences for visiting teams and their families.
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Report CAO -003-19
2.11 It is important to note that Sports Tourism in its entirety consists of several components.
One of which is the local sports tourism piece discussed above, while the other deals with
large sporting events such as Pan Am Games, and the attraction of these large sporting
events to the Municipality. Clarington Tourism collaborates and works closely with
Durham Tourism, specifically, the Sport Tourism Coordinator, Lori Talling. Tourism staff
have discussed several opportunities with the Community Services Department to host,
bid on, and attract large tournaments to Clarington. Unfortunately, at this juncture, the
Municipality is unable to accommodate these events due to lack of field space, ice time
and actual physical space.
3. Concurrence
Not Applicable
4. Conclusion
4.1 This report provides a brief overview of some of the key activities and initiatives in the
tourism area in 2018. Clarington Tourism completed another successful year, reaching
out and working with local stakeholders to share our unique Clarington story. Tourism is
looking forward to an even better year promoting Clarington's award as the 2019 FEO
Municipality of the Year. This community has lots to be proud of and to share.
4.2 Tourism staff provide a huge amount of assistance in marketing, promotion and advice to
the local business community. Staff not only promote local festivals and events, but they
also work with stakeholders and assist them with a variety of needs including
individualized lessons in social media, marketing and web support. Staff also host several
small community events at the Tourism office, promoting the Municipality to residents and
encouraging them to learn about tourism services.
4.3 As social media and marketing trends evolve, Tourism staff stay on top of these trends
and create exciting campaigns that resonate with and attract visitors.
Submitted by:
Andrew C. Allison, B. Comm, LLB
CAO
Staff Contact: Basia Radomski, Manager of Communications and Tourism, 905-623-3379,
Ext. 2214 or bradomski@clarington.net