TRAVEL & TOURISM EMISSARIES PROGRAM

TIAC is launching the Travel & Tourism Emissaries Program to recruit and train a team of impactful spokespeople across the country to advance the tourism industry through the delivery of strategic messaging to key local media and decision-makers.

Travel and Tourism is a unique industry capable of driving economic growth and job creation in every region of the country. It is that local relevance that will help to create the updraft of support for key issues that will increase the industry’s competitiveness.
Through the Emissaries Program TIAC aims to recruit a diverse group of articulate and influential industry leaders from across Canada to be part of an ongoing coordinated messaging campaign and speak from the authority of firsthand experience.

Successful recruits will be brought to Ottawa for an intense two-day training session on media relations and public advocacy and then be regularly called upon to help stimulate interest on industry issues with local and regional media, decision-makers and other stakeholders (i.e. local Chambers of Commerce.)

WHY AN EMISSARIES PROGRAM?

Canada currently attracts 3.5 million fewer international visitors per year than in 2002. While much has been done to improve our global competitiveness, success has been impeded by the continued existence of public policy barriers which negatively impact:

• Marketing investment
• Air and border access
• Product investment and labour supply

One of the golden rules in advocacy is, “All Politics is Local,” and many federal decision-makers pay more attention to their local media than the national media circus.

Our industry’s strength is our ability to “localize” our stories, providing the context that gives our messaging local relevance for media and key decision-makers. A coordinated legion of local/regional advocates will help keep our issues front and centre on the radar screen with key decision-makers, thereby strengthening TIAC’s efforts to affect change at the national level.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

WHO: TIAC is searching for candidates, from across the country, with extensive tourism industry knowledge and experience. While media and political skills will not be required, those who have experience or interest in those areas will be given priority consideration.

WHAT: Successful candidates will be brought to Ottawa for our “Boot Camp” where they will receive high level briefings on key issues facing the industry, professional media, issues management and advocacy training.

WHEN: Applications for the upcoming spring session are due March 16, 2015

WHERE: The Travel & Tourism Emissaries Program will run three training sessions: Spring 2015, Fall 2015, and Spring 2016. Applicants will be considered for one of the three sessions. 

By the end of the program, TIAC hopes to have a diverse network of key tourism emissaries creating coordinated and ongoing exposure for our industry.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS