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Georgian Bay Positioning and Product Analysis

 

Introduction

 

Background

The Georgian Bay Region is one of Ontario’s premier tourism destinations, offering an exceptional diversity of tourism experiences within a fairly confined area. Nonetheless, there is a belief that the Region has significant unrealized potential as a travel destination both in Canada and in the United States.  This view has been expressed at various times by policy-makers, marketing organizations and industry stakeholders in the region.  However, before significant new investments in investigating the opportunity are made, and possible courses of action devised, it would be prudent to review existing data pertaining to the region in order to scope the magnitude of potential that exists and to identify, in broad terms, positioning and marketing strategies that are likely to be successful.
To this end the Ontario Ministry of Tourism commissioned TNS Canadian Facts to undertake a review of existing data and to synthesize the results into a single set of implications and recommendations. 

Objectives
The essential purpose of this study is to investigate existing data applicable to Georgian Bay (or the Georgian Bay Tourism Region), with a view to developing a roadmap for effectively targeting the destination to potential visitors with motivating messages and packaged product offerings.

In more specific terms, the objectives of this investigation are to:

 

• Uncover Georgian Bay’s current standing and potential as a tourism destination;
• Define barriers and inducements to choosing Georgian Bay;
• Determine the messages and expressions of traveler benefits that will resonate most powerfully with the target audience;
• Identify the specific tourism products and experiences that have the most potential to attract desired travellers and are consistent with the Region’s ability to deliver, either currently or via resource development.

 

Recommendations

• As a distinctive travel entity, the Georgian Bay Region is well known among Ontario residents, but, apparently little known in the US and beyond.  As a consequence, the Region is highly dependent on domestic source markets for volume, and functions largely as a summer recreational and cottage playground for residents of Southern Ontario.  The Georgian Bay Region is under-developed as a potential destination among American travellers and generates limited volume from US markets at the present time.  Nonetheless, a review of travel activities, interests and affinity to Ontario as a whole indicates that the volume potential existing in these markets is very large, even when restricted to nearby Border States.
• A strategy aimed at reinvigorating the industry in Georgian Bay should seek to accomplish two fundamental tasks.

 

1. Encourage conversion of same-day trips to overnight (short getaways) among travellers resident within the province itself 

 

• Initiatives in this area might also embrace a secondary objective of encouraging greater exploration of the fuller Region among those owning cottages or second homes in the Georgian Bay area and, in general, promoting the Region as a strong choice for an extended pleasure trip among domestic travellers,
• The rationale, here, stems from the extremely large number of same-day visits that Georgian Bay attracts from within Ontario and the very significant cottager population in the Region.  Even relatively modest success with respect to conversion could have very significant impacts on tourism revenues.
• Moreover, an argument can be made that economic recessionary pressures within the province could favour selection of domestic destinations for extended trips if the benefits and breadth of activities are clearly presented to the target audience.  The Georgian Bay Region has some very significant advantages with respect to presenting itself in a positive light in this regard.  While it is likely that such potential will be most clearly manifest during the peak season, encouragement of extended trips during the shoulder seasons should not be discounted.

 

2. Encourage overnight travel from nearby border states

 

• To reiterate, it is readily apparent that, in the US markets, the Georgian Bay Region is underdeveloped relative to its potential as a pleasure travel destination.  This undoubtedly stems from lack of appreciation and even lack of simple awareness of Georgian Bay as a distinctive tourism region.  While some of the key attractions and destinations in the Region may have some profile in the US, the breadth of possibilities and potential for interaction and integration evidently do not.
• Given this state of affairs, it seems necessary to build the image of Georgian Bay as a multi-faceted, high quality and unique tourism region in key US markets and to provide a strong rationale for selecting Georgian Bay as a destination for an overnight pleasure trip.  The allure must be sufficiently strong not only to justify a trip of several nights away from home, but also to overcome unknowns or negative perceptions related to value-for-money and potential difficulties associated with crossing the border and accessing the Region.
• Once success is achieved in markets within close proximity of Ontario, consideration might be given to adopting a similar approach in more distant Canadian and international origin markets.  There is certainly reason to believe that Georgian Bay has the potential to appeal to a fairly wide geographic area.
  
  

Perhaps more so than many other travel regions in the province, the Georgian Bay area has product of sufficient diversity, quality and distinctiveness to support a significant volume of off-peak travel, consistent with the Province’s goal of establishing Ontario more soundly as a four-season travel destination.   The above tasks should, therefore, be addressed with this in mind.  Promotion of travel to the region across the full year would not only serve to increase volume, but offers possibilities of doing so in a manner than makes more efficient use of the supportive infrastructure and reduces the possibility of overburdening it.

 

At the core of any strategy aimed at generating renewed growth momentum for Georgian Bay should be the articulation of a destination vision and holistic brand positioning.  It is only by clearly expressing the essence of the Georgian Bay Region as a single distinctive entity that true synergy can be established by bringing the parts together into a meaningful whole that potential visitors can immediately grasp.  It provides both a means of igniting excitement among potential new visitors and a means of bringing a disparate set of experiences together on a scale that supports overnight visitation.  Of particular importance, this as relevant to the domestic market as it is to the US and others.

 

While it is neither possible nor appropriate for this particular study to define a precise positioning for the Region on behalf of the Partnership, it can certainly provide some direction in this regard.  In our view, the following key points should be carefully considered. 

 

• The Region’s natural beauty and related outdoor amenities should be core to any proposition put forward, with some emphasis placed on the unique features that the distinctive geology and geography make available – The Escarpment and Bruce Peninsula, Georgian Bay and its islands, Wasaga, and the pastoral agricultural region to the south, among others.  It is this natural endowment that defines the essence of the Region and from which virtually all other attractions spring.
  
  
• Part of the Region’s charm and appeal is derived from the reality that there is much to see and do in a relatively confined area, and one that is within reasonable proximity of many centres of population in northeastern North America.  A brand positioning should certainly incorporate this point of distinction.
  
  
• Overnight travel is supported by diversity of experience.  Bundling of various products, experiences and attractions in a manner that has meaning for potential visitors is key to enhancing the Region’s credibility as an overnight destination and the consideration it receives for extended travel.  The extent to which these various pieces can be integrated under an umbrella positioning will only add to the overall allure of the Region. In light of the volume potential they represent, the following activity clusters should be given specific consideration:

 

• Water and Nature;
• Nature Parks, Shopping and Casinos;
• Culture and Heritage;
• Fairs, Festivals and Entertainment
  
  
• To achieve sustained success, it is critical to appreciate that the local ambience and quality of accommodation, shopping and food have key roles to play in driving a positive emotive response among visitors to any region.  Georgian Bay is no exception.  Apart from presenting distinctive activities and experiences, the Region would be well served by efforts to attach these to accommodation choices, restaurants, bars, and host towns and villages that are congruent with the key activity clusters and the types of visitors they are likely to attract.
  
  
• While it is beneficial to target the mature/affluent segments of the population, some attention should also possibly be turned to developing a young family and young adult strategy for the Region, particularly in the US.

 

Tactically, it may also be of value to deal with some immediate traveller concerns in a very direct way.  Value-added offers might be particularly relevant in today’s economic climate, on both sides of the border. However, care should be taken to ensure that efforts in this area do not undermine the quality positioning likely to be adopted for the Georgian Bay Region.  Some consideration might also be given to devising means of easing any issues associated with access, particularly in the US, where border-crossing concerns make such issues all the more problematic.

 

In a similar vein, it should be realized that the Region will likely need to meet higher expectations if more visitors are going to be attracted from longer distances for longer periods of time.  Experiences that disappoint and are deemed to be sub-par can undermine satisfaction with the trip as a whole and suppress repeat visitation and the capacity to stimulate positive word-of-mouth.  As a consequence, it may be useful for the Partnership to engage in an assessment of current inventory (both infrastructure and product) to identify specific attractions, services and amenities that may need upgrading and investment.

 

Finally, some thought should be given to the notion of long-term sustainability. There may be limits to tourism growth in the Region, particularly given the potential vulnerability of the natural environment and small-town ambience that are central to the offer.  It may be wise to determine the limits of growth and to plan for it, so that the pattern and pace of development delivers maximum benefit to the Region.

 

 

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