Meet the 2010 Tourism Consortium
Working together to increase visitation and enhance the visitor experience is nothing new for Tourism BC and its industry partners. In fact, this winning formula is at the heart of the industry’s strategy to re-write the book on how to produce the best ever tourism results from hosting a Winter Games.
As host tourism destinations – BC, Canada, Vancouver and Whistler have formed a partnership to coordinate BC’s overall 2010 game plan, along with related provincial and federal agencies.
This large-scale cooperative approach, one that VANOC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirm is a first in Olympic Games history, will ensure the tourism payback for BC reaches its full potential and produces a legacy throughout the province.
The 2010 Tourism Consortium comprises Tourism BC, Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Whistler and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Related participants also include the BC Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, 2010 Legacies Now, the BC Olympic Games Secretariat and several federal government agencies with Olympic responsibilities, as well as host venue city partners, through Tourism Richmond and the District of West Vancouver.
Chaired by Tourism BC, the consortium’s mandate and objectives are to:
- Align the group’s 2010 marketing strategies, develop the industry and collaborate on visitor servicing activities
- Develop joint initiatives
- Speak with one voice when dealing on Games-related matters.
Key activities to date include:
- Ongoing development of a Joint Tourism Olympic Strategy that clearly identifies strategies, roles and responsibilities, and resource commitments from partner organizations
- Joint planning meetings with Olympic broadcasters in Europe, North America and Asia
- Providing a “one-window” approach when finalizing marketing and visitor servicing agreements with VANOC, the IOC and National Olympic Committees.
This coordinated approach and true spirit of cooperation sets a new standard for how host tourism destinations can maximize the benefits of the Games for industry throughout the province.
2010 Tourism Consortium lead contacts:
Tourism British Columbia
Raymond Chan, Chair 2010 Tourism Consortium
Vice President, 2010 and Corporate Relations
raymond.chan@tourismbc.com
Tourism Vancouver
Walt Judas, Vice President, Marketing Communications & 2010 Strategies
wjudas@tourismvancouver.com
Tourism Whistler
Arlene Schieven, Vice President, Marketing
aschieven@tourismwhistler.com
Canadian Tourism Commission
Karin Zabel, Vice President, and CFO
zabel.karin@ctc-cct.ca
Photo caption: The 2010 Tourism Consortium at a recent meeting with NBC executives in New York City to discuss the broadcaster's Games production plans. L-r Joseph Gesue, Editorial Director NBC Olympics and Sports, Raymond Chan, Tourism BC, Walt Judas, Tourism Vancouver, Arlene Schieven, Tourism Whistler, Karin Zabel, CTC, and David Neal, Executive Producer NBC Sports.