TOURISM EXECUTIVES AND ENTREPRENEUERS SOUGHT FOR REWARDING INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
A recent recipient of the William Van Horne Award for Visionary Tourism Development, Robert G. Tuss first heard about CESO from a friend who suggested he might be interested in working with First Nations in British Columbia on fundamental business programs. He became a CESO Volunteer Adviser in 1999. During the past 10 years, Robert has continued to carry a full workload as Director of his own company and managed to complete three assignments in Canada with First Nations clients and 27 CESO assignments overseas. At home, Robert has worked with clients in Masset on one of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, and North Vancouver on the mainland. Internationally, Robert has undertaken assignments in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Colombia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, and Russia.
Recently in Colombia, Robert worked with a cluster of clients in the tourism industry including two hotels, a restaurant, an agro-tourism park, a night club, and a municipality-owned and operated recreational centre. These partners approached CESO for assistance to develop a strategic plan for the development of the tourism industry in the region, and improve the operations and service quality of the existing businesses.
In the course of the six-week cluster assignment in Columbia, Robert:
- conducted workshops for the tourism industry operators on overall ‘best practices’;
- provided individual partner assessments and specific recommendations for improvement;
- conducted training in service culture, guest relations, and food preparation; and
- provided the operators with a written report outlining recommendations for the development of tourism in the region, including a marketing plan, website content, and ongoing training needs.
Robert also developed the innovative idea of an alliance between the local commerce and tourism sectors which has the potential for increasing the number of local and international visitors to the region.
When asked what were the most interesting, rewarding, frustrating, or successful parts of his assignments, Robert reflected on his experience dealing with cultural differences. He said, “A great attitude of sharing and learning overcame a multitude of differences such as variances in values, where they were clearly apparent.”
Robert is one of 2,800 CESO volunteers, altruistic men and women who give of their time and skills serving as mentors, advisers, and trainers. CESO covers its VA’s expenses, for things such as flights, in-country travel related to the assignment, accommodation, food, stipend, VISAs, health insurance and vaccinations.
Whether you’re working full-time or retired you owe it to yourself to learn about volunteer opportunities within CESO. To become a volunteer or to learn more, please contact:
Nicole Gold, CESO Roster Manager,
ngold@ceso-saco.com or 1-800-268-9052 ext. 223 or visit http://www.ceso-saco.com/english/home/tourism/index.php |
B.C. GOVERNMENT TRIPS UP ON TOURISM BC DECISION; TOURISM STUMBLES
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada was shocked and disappointed by the recent announcement by the Government of British Columbia to dissolve the province’s tourism marketing organization, Tourism British Columbia.
“The B.C. government’s unilateral and sudden decision to dissolve Tourism British Columbia demonstrates a total lack of appreciation for the industry-leading work that this organization has done on the province’s behalf,” said TIAC President and CEO Randy Williams. “Tourism has a profound impact on the economy in B.C., and the dismantling of this award-winning tourism marketing organization will set the industry in the province back by a decade.”
Tourism British Columbia was one of the original public-private partnerships in tourism marketing in Canada, and its success over the past decade was due in large part to its ability to undertake long-term strategic approaches to selling the province’s diverse tourism offerings while addressing the needs of the private sector players in tourism. Given changes of government and ministerial shuffles that are inevitable, B.C.’s tourism industry will no longer possess a stable, independent marketing entity that is able to demonstrate leadership and a long-term vision for the sector.
Canada’s tourism sector remains solidly committed to the private-public partnership model of destination marketing. As the revised approach to tourism marketing in British Columbia will continue to be supported by a destination marketing fund levy, TIAC and its members in B.C. will remain vigilant in support of a properly-funded, consultative and strategic approach to ongoing tourism marketing in the province.
For more information, please contact Chris Jones, TIAC Vice-President, Public Relations at cjones@tiac.travel or 613-238-7557. |
STATISTICS CANADA RELEASES INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FIGURES -
QUARTERLY DEFICIT UNCHANGED, SPENDING BY FOREIGN TRAVELLERS DOWN
Statistics Canada has released the International Travel Account Figures for the Second Quarter, 2009 as well as the Characteristics of International Travellers for the First Quarter, 2009.
After three consecutive quarterly declines, Canada's international travel deficit remained virtually unchanged between the first and second quarters of 2009 at $2.9 billion. Inbound travel spending declined 1.6% to $3.8 billion. This was the third consecutive quarterly decline and the lowest level in five and a half years. At the same time, spending on travel by Canadians outside the country declined 0.7% to $6.7 billion. This was the fourth consecutive quarterly decline and the lowest level in two years.
Spending on overnight trips to Canada by foreign residents reached $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2009, down 8.5% compared with the same quarter a year earlier. Spending by American (-8.6%) and overseas residents (-8.5%) declined similarly. It was the second consecutive quarter that both US residents and residents of other countries spent less in Canada. Canadian residents spent less on overnight trips to the United States in the first quarter of 2009. However, spending by Canadians in countries other than the United States was on the rise, as a result of increases in travel to sunny destinations.
For more information, please visit Statistics Canada’s The Daily at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090827/tdq090827-eng.htm |
TIAC / PARKS CANADA SUSTAINABLE TOURISM SCHOLARSHIPS:
Five $1000 Scholarships Available to Qualifying Full-Time Students
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada / Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Scholarships are awarded annually to Canadian students in the upper-year of a full-time university or college program in hospitality or tourism with an academic focus or interest in sustainable tourism. The scholarships are designed to support the tourism industry’s future employees, entrepreneurs and leaders as they study how to improve and enhance the quality and sustainability of natural and cultural heritage-based tourism experiences.
Five $1000 Sustainable Tourism Scholarships are awarded annually each fall to students enrolled in qualifying academic programs from across the country. The recipients of the Sustainable Tourism Scholarships will demonstrate an academic focus or interest in sustainable tourism and an interest in the preservation of our natural or cultural heritage. The recipients will also show evidence of high academic achievement, leadership qualities and an entrepreneurial spirit.
• For more information on the TIAC/Parks Canada Scholarship, please visit www.tiac.travel or contact Dave Lauer, TIAC Manager, Communications, dlauer@tiac.travel or 613-238-9400. |
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In 2008, total domestic travel expenditures on tourism commodities reached $59.0 billion (79% of total expenditures).
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