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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-012-18Clarftwn CAO Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. Report To: General Government Committee Date of Meeting: September 4, 2018 Report Number: CAO -012-18 Resolution: GG -407-18 File Number: By-law Number: Report Subject: Tourism Service Delivery Review Recommendations: 1. That Report CAO -012-18 be received; 2. That Council endorse the establishment of Tourism Stakeholders Advisory Committee and that staff report back with Terms of Reference for such Committee; 3. That Council endorse the development of a Tourism Strategy including a Digital Marketing Strategy; and 4. That staff continue to consider other opportunities for service improvement identified in WSCS Consulting Inc.'s Clarington Tourism Service Delivery Review. Municipality of Clarington Report CAO -012-18 Report Overview Page 2 Through Report CAO -002-17, Council approved a formal process to review Municipal services. The services to be reviewed are chosen by the Audit committee based on a set of criteria set out in that Report. This Report presents the results of an independent review of Clarington Tourism services and recommends actions to improve service delivery. 1. Background 1.1 Included in Council's 2015-2018 Strategic Plan is "Demonstrate Good Governance and Value for Tax Dollar". Consistent with this strategic objective, Council approved a formal process to review Municipal services as presented in Report COA-002-17. The Audit Committee chose Tourism as the second Municipal service to be reviewed. 1.2 The service delivery review methodology approved by Council in 2017 included 10 questions to be answered as part of the review. The first question of "Do we really need to continue to be in this business/service?" was not part of this service delivery review because Council determined in November 2015 that the Municipality should continue to provide Tourism services in house. At the same time, Council created the new position of Tourism Coordinator. 1.3 The Communications and Tourism Division has undergone some changes in recent years. In 2015, the sponsorships were moved from the Division to the Community Services Department along with the Mayor's Love of Art and Mayor's Golf Tournament. In 2016, the Communication and Tourism Division was moved from the Corporate Services Department to the CAO's Office. Separate accounts were set up to differentiate between Communications and Tourism. 1.4 A steering committee was formed to coordinate the service delivery review process. The steering committee members were the Chief Administrative Officer, Manager of Internal Audit, Manager of Communications and Tourism and Tourism Coordinator. Tourism staff were also heavily involved in the review process. Throughout the review it is clear that the Tourism staff are knowledgeable and dedicated professionals. 1.5 This service delivery review was not intended to be a complete report on all specific events and activities of Tourism. Rather it was intended as an objective view of Tourism services and a study of opportunities. 2. Recommendations 2.1 WSCS Consulting Inc.'s Clarington Tourism Service Delivery Review dated August 24, 2018 is attached to this Report. The report contains 16 recommendations. While some of the recommendations can be initiated in 2019, others will require a commitment from staff and Council over the longer term. Municipality of Clarington Page 3 Report CAO -012-18 2.2 The review focused on Tourism services but did take into account the role of Communications, Clarington Board of Trade (CBOT) and other stakeholders in the delivery of Tourism services. Stakeholder Advisory Committee (Recommendations 1, 2, 8 and 10) 2.3 The strategic importance of Tourism services and its link to economic development is noted in the Strategic Plan 2015 — 2018. There is, however, no formal structure in place that prioritizes Tourism services. Establishing a Stakeholder Advisory Committee will confirm the commitment of Council to Tourism and help prioritize the service. If Council endorses the creation of such a committee, staff will report back with proposed Terms of Reference. Tourism Strategies (Recommendations 2, 3, 4, 12 and 16) 2.4 Critical to the success of the delivery of Tourism services is strategic planning. Recommendation 2 "Undertake a strategic planning session with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and other industry stakeholders that specifically identifies the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders and Clarington Tourism" will help clarify that Tourism should focus more on long term strategies and less on operational activities. 2.5 In addition to the development of a Tourism Strategy, WSCS has recommended that specific strategies/goals be created. Recommendation 16 states that "As part of the Clarington Tourism Strategy, a digital marketing strategy should be developed to ensure that there is integration with the strategy." This does not imply that staff are not currently using digital marketing. The consultant noted the increase in the social media statistics. However, it would be wise to have a defined digital marketing strategy over the timeframe of a Tourism Strategy. Additionally, Recommendation 12 notes the need for a Wayfinding Study. Tourism staff are well aware of the need to prioritize such a study. Branding (Recommendation 8) 2.6 Another key finding of the consultant is the lack of a unique brand. Tourism staff are well aware of this and noted it as a weakness in the SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats). Recommendation 8 advises "Clarington Tourism, working with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee should begin an exploratory planning process to develop a themed approach to establish Clarington as a tourism destination over time through the creation of one or more major tourism generators". Clearly this cannot be achieved overnight. There must be a long term commitment of staff and Council to work towards developing and promoting a Clarington brand from a Tourism perspective. Municipality of Clarington Page 4 Report CAO -012-18 Economic Development (Recommendation 1, 9, 11 and 13) 2.7 Through this service delivery review, it became apparent that the economic development partnership with CBOT needs to be strengthened. The establishment of a Stakeholder Advisory Committee will provide a clearer reporting structure to keep Tourism as a priority. It has been suggested in the consultant's report that Tourism be separated into its own division within the CAO's Office. Ideally, based on the consultant's review of best practices, Tourism should be a part of an economic development portfolio. However, Council has made a commitment to continue to provide in Tourism services in-house. The Manager of Communications and Tourism and the Tourism Coordinator work very closely together and often support each other. It is therefore not recommended that a separate division be created. 2.8 Recommendation 13 states "Work with CBOT to promote the small business enterprise services and set up improved referral services between Clarington Tourism and CBOT's small business assistance." This needs to be done, and will be done. Competing Demands (Recommendations 2 and 3) 2.9 It is clear that the Tourism staff are committed to doing their very best. However, the consultant has noted that there is an expectation of Tourism staff to be everywhere and to help everyone. Adding to this challenge is that the fact that part-time Tourism staff are often seconded to other departments. This undermines Tourism's work and the Municipality's commitment to Tourism services. The consultant's recommendation was therefore that the Municipality should focus on long term Tourism strategies rather than having a representative at every event. Through the development of roles and responsibilities via the Stakeholders Advisory Committee, the priorities can be communicated to all stakeholders including Council. Operations (Recommendations 5, 6, 7, 14 and 15) 2.19 Even though most of the recommendations in the consultant's report can be characterized as strategic, there are some operational recommendations. Recommendation 5 suggests as a cost savings measure to reduce print publications and expand the use of digital media. This could be part of a digital marketing strategy and would evolve over time. Recommendation 6 encourages leveraging other sources of government funding. Recommendation 7 suggests that a kiosk be set up at the Visitor Centre to allow the public to purchase items such as tickets, lift passes and other items online. A small fee could be used as a source of revenue. Recommendations 14 and 15 encourage Tourism staff to continue its collaborative work with other tourism agencies and to investigate the development of key performance indicators with Central Counties Tourism. Municipality of Clarington Page 5 Resort CAO -012-18 3. Concurrence This Report has been reviewed by the Manager of Internal Audit and the Communications and Tourism Manager who concur with the recommendations. 4. Conclusion This service delivery review provided a number of key recommendations. Some of the findings were not surprising to staff such as the need to develop wayfinding and a Clarington brand. The review identified a need to better coordinate the delivery of economic development and Tourism services. The establishment of the Stakeholders Advisory Committee is key to developing a long term strategy for Tourism and to further strengthen partnerships. In order to maximize the long term success of the tourism in Clarington, it is respectfully recommended that Council approves the recommendations set out in this Report. 5. Strategic Plan Application The recommendations contained in this report conform to several of the strategic objectives and action items in the Strategic Plan 2015 - 2018, specifically 1.6 "Collaborate with local organizations to enable arts and culture to make a strong contribution, directly or indirectly, to business expansion in the community. Submitted by: Andrew C. Allison, B. Comm, LL.B, CAO Staff Contact: Catherine Carr, Manager of Internal Audit, 905-623-3379 ext 2606 or ccarr@clarington.net Interested parties to be notified of Council's decision: Clarington Board of Trade and Office of Economic Development Clarftp,n 0 CjadmwGLIR'P.-440 A TI) W1 ClarrintnTurim Service Delivery Review August 24, 2818 a f ■ F JO �r is f � If this information is required in ars alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131.