AGM Report - Tourism Sarnia Lambton

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW
As presented at the AGM, October, 2015
Message from the chair
Dear Tourism Partners,
It has been a tremendous year to hold
the position of Chair of Tourism SarniaLambton (TSL). Through the hard work
and dedication of the TSL team, our
county is evolving into one cohesive
tourism destination with an experience
available for everyone.
The relocation of our office to the
Douglas G. Keddy building located at
1455 Venetian Boulevard in Point
Edward at the foot of the Blue Water
Bridge was completed earlier this year.
Our new location is proving to be the
high visibility spot that we had hoped
and is generating lots of new found
interest in the County. The TSL team
has transitioned into the new space with
excitement and a fresh spark of
enthusiasm that will move the team
forward within our Strategic Plan.
With the dedicated leadership of our
General Manager Marlene Wood, TSL
has once again proven itself to be an
asset to the County. Internationally
recognized events like the World Under 17
Hockey Tournament and Masterworks
from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery have
done well to assist in the recognition of
Lambton County as a world class
destination. Please be sure to take some
time over the next couple of months to enjoy
this extremely rare opportunity to view the
Beaverbrook collection at the Judith &
Norman Alix Art Gallery.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Hoare
Chair, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
For my final words as the Chair of TSL, I
would like to extend a sincere thanks to
our valued tourism partners within
Lambton County and request your
continued support and commitment to our
County. I would also like to thank the TSL
Board of Directors for their support of my
role as the Chair and their individual
commitments to enhancing tourism
throughout the county. I hope you will
continue to be part of our dynamic
network of tourism partners and seek out
opportunities to get involved.
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Executive Summary
On behalf of the Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
team and our Board of Directors, I am
delighted to present Tourism SarniaLambton’s Annual Report for 2014. As the
third largest industry in Lambton County,
tourism continues to contribute
significantly to the community's economic
prosperity and influence the overall quality
of life.
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s Annual Report
provides a synopsis on the performance of
tourism in Lambton County. This report
will provide you with an overview of
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s history,
highlights of the Strategic Plan, an outline
of marketing tools and initiatives, a
summary of accomplishments and local
data provided by tourism partners. We
acknowledge that this report is not 100%
comprehensive, as it only reports the
statistics of those respondents that replied.
In addition, Stats Can has not released data
for 2014.
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton monitors visitor
trends and intentions to better understand
their future. We assessed research
conducted by TNS for Southwest Ontario
Tourism Corporation ( SWOTC)
“Understanding OSW Tourism Growth
Opportunities” in 2014 and several “Travel
Intentions Studies” for the Ministry of
Tourism Culture and Sport since 2012.
The findings identified 12 Unique Traveller
Segments. Based on historical data from Stats
Can we identified 4 key segments of the 12
Unique Traveller Segments. Our marketing
strategies are based on these findings and their
relevance to our tourism experiences and assets
in Lambton County.
Tourism-Sarnia Lambton initially represented
county tourism activities by their geographic
location – North Lambton, Central Lambton,
Sarnia & Pt. Edward, and St. Clair River District.
We saw the need to evolve how tourism
activities are presented to visitors and shifted
our focus from where tourism activities exist to
how visitors sought to interact with the
activities. This is known as experiential
tourism. Experiential tourism closely follows
trends among visitors who are seeking handson experiences that engage the senses and
create life-long memories.
Many visitors are not interested in passive
tourism attractions, but prefer learning,
touching, feeling, smelling and building. In
other words, people are looking for experiences.
Lambton County has all the right ingredients
for experiential tourism. It has tourism assets in
local food, culture, ecotourism, heritage, sports
and nature.
A significant market opportunity exists in
meeting the type of experiences today’s visitors
seek. Seeing the sights is not enough. Visitors
desire to understand the local
culture and venture beyond the
beaten tourist paths. TSL identified
eight key experiences based on the
target markets, statistical
demographics and travelling trends.
We concentrate on building strong
partnerships with tourism
businesses and other key
organizations throughout Lambton
County. These important
relationships play an integral role in
working as a team to enhance
product development within our
priority experiences and attract
more visitors to the county. The
success we achieve through
partnerships demonstrates our
commitment and common goals of
showcasing our community.
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton continues
to be successful in introducing
media travel writers and tour
operators to the region on preplanned full-itinerary familiarization
(FAM) tours. In 2014 we featured
visits to Forest Glen Herb Farm,
Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House,
Stones N’ Bones Museum, Best
Western Plus Guildwood Inn, Judith
& Norman Alix Art Gallery, Purdy’s
Fish Market, OLG Point Edward
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Casino, Munro Honey and John’s
Restaurant.
We also understand the importance of
providing opportunities for professional
and organizational development for
tourism partners and stakeholders. For
the past three years, TSL has held an
Annual Tourism Summit for the benefit
of tourism partners and individuals. In
2014, internationally-acclaimed tourism
expert author and speaker Roger Brooks
wowed attendees with his engaging and
informative sessions.
TSL remains to be active with prominent
Provincial and National association
memberships such as the Canadian
Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA), the
Ontario Motor Coach Association
(OMCA) and the Travel Media
Association of Canada (TMAC). These
memberships provide the opportunity to
receive direct leads on potential bids for
future business. Some examples of the
successful bids are highlighted in this
report. Most notably the World Under 17
Hockey Tournament, Great Lakes & St.
Lawrence Cities Initiatives Conference
and the “Masterworks of the
Beaverbrook Art Gallery” exhibit.
In December of 2014 an “Umbrella
Brand” for Lambton County was
launched.
“Discoveries that Matter” represents the 11 distinct
communities and 3 First Nations. Over 2 years of
development, TSL played a key role on the
Community Branding committee. TSL has tied the
Brand into our new TSL logo with the tagline
“Experiences that Matter”.
TSL has taken the lead on a new project to engage and
develop Inclusive Tourism. Through partnerships and
a grant from the Ministry of Economic Development,
Trade and Employment. “Breaking Barriers to
Business” (BB2B) was launched. The project assists
tourism partners and businesses in understanding the
buying power of Consumers with disabilities and how
they can find simple solutions to provide better access.
TSL and BB2B have been nominated for a 2015
Accessible Tourism Award of Excellence by the
Ontario Tourism Industry Association.
guidance and support. And last but not
least the TSL team for their unwavering
dedication and hard work.
THANK YOU !
I am confident in our forthcoming
progress and continuous evolution.
Sincerely,
Marlene Wood
General Manager,
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
In March of 2015, TSL had the honour of being a
nominee for the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of
Commerce Outstanding Business Awards - Marketing
and Promotions Award.
Early in 2015 we moved into our new offices within the
Douglas F. Keddy building beside the Ontario Travel
Information Centre. We are excited to develop our
Visitor Centre and enhance our visitor’s services and
Volunteer Ambassador program. Tourism SarniaLambton is dedicated to reassessing and molding
ourselves as an organization to best manage an everchanging and growing tourism industry.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to
Volunteers Board of Directors for their ongoing
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TSL Staff & Board
STAFF
Marlene Wood
General Manager
[email protected]
Leona Allen
Tourism Information Co-ordinator/Office Administrator
[email protected]
Vicky Praill
Special Events & Group Marketing Co-ordinator
[email protected]
Lesley Gelinas
E-Marketing Projects Co-ordinator/Webmaster
[email protected]
Beverley Horodyski
Convention/Motorcoach Marketing Co-ordinator
[email protected]
Julia Iacovella
Social Media Co-ordinator
[email protected]
Chris Bregman
Sales Co-ordinator
[email protected]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015
Representing:
Outdoor Recreation - CHAIR
Kenneth Hoare, Indian Hills Golf Club
Member At Large –VICE CHAIR
Mary Prendiville, Nova Chemicals Corporation
Member At Large - TREASURER
Doug Woods
Funder Rep. County Of Lambton - Warden
Todd Case, County of Lambton
County Of Lambton - CAO
Ron VanHorne, County Of Lambton
Councillor, City Of Sarnia/County of Lambton
Anne-Marie Gillis, City Councillor
Chamber of Commerce
Mark Lumley, S/L Chamber of Commerce
Grand Bend Chamber Of Commerce
Susan Mills, G B Chamber of Commerce
Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP)
George Mallay
Culture & Heritage
Richard Poore, VPP
Gaming
Karen Richards, OLG Casino Point Edward
Education
Jasmine Lenuzzi, Lambton-Kent District School Board
Shopping & Retail
Paul Smith, Smith Farm Estate Enterprises
Member At Large
Helen Cole
Food & Beverage
Barbara Bloch-Gower, Custom Catering by Barbara
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History Of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
 On July 5, 2000, the Corporation of the County of Lambton, City of Sarnia, Village of
Point Edward, Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce and the Council for Economic
Renewal entered into an agreement to transform the Convention and Visitors Bureau
into a free-standing tourism services organization known as Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
(TSL).
 In October 2012 Lambton County Council approved TSL and the County of Lambton
to enter into a multi-year funding agreement effective April 1,2013 to March 31st 2017.
 The object of TSL, a not for profit corporation, is to provide direction and leadership
to the growth and development of the tourism industry in Sarnia-Lambton.
 In pursuit of its purpose, funding support for TSL comes from the County of Lambton
and local tourism industry partners that participate in marketing and promotional
material.
 The TSL office is on Venetian Boulevard, Point Edward and operations are governed
by a 15 member Board of Directors and 7 staff.
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STRATEGY, DESTINATION MARKETING INITIATIVES,
OPERATIONS
Going forward…
MISSION STATEMENT
 It is the mission of TOURISM SARNIA-LAMBTON to bring more people (visitors) to
our area, get them to stay longer, spend more money and ensure their experience will
bring them back.
VISION STATEMENT
 To foster a spirit of partnerships within Sarnia-Lambton to enhance tourism
through programs, ideas, and initiatives that will grow the tourism industry,
resulting in a greater tax revenue for municipalities within the Sarnia-Lambton
area.
The STRATEGY of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton is:
 To lead and assist tourism partners in development that integrates and generates
economic renewal,
 To establish a unified brand and greater awareness about our home
 To grow sustainable long-term funding to Tourism Sarnia-Lambton and our
destination marketing and management initiatives.
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Core Services
Key Areas of Focus
Marketing and Communications
 Identify the needs of new, emerging and existing markets and develop
programs to address needs
Product and Partnership Development
 Identify and build new products; soft development that will attract new visitors
and maintain existing visitation
Provide Visitor Services
 Provide visitor information to those outside our community and coordinate
same in local areas where resources permit
International Business Operations
 Providing a bridge between strategic vision and operations readiness
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Core Services:
Development & Marketing Activities
Internal
External
 Identify Potential Investment Attraction
and Liaison
 Market Development
 Industry Training, Development and
Communications
 Publications
 Signage
 Community Awareness
 Develop and Enhance Products
 Regional Collaboration
 Strategic Planning
 Publicity & Media Relations
 Website
 Broad-Based Brand Awareness
Marketing
 Niche Leisure Marketing
 Motor Coach Programs
 Meeting, Convention and Incentive
Travel
 Sports Tourism
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Experiences:
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Arts & Culture ( Oil Heritage, Galleries , Museums, Festivals )
On the Farm ( Local Food Culture, Agri-tourism , Farmer Markets)
All about Sports ( tournaments , outdoor activities )
Beach & Sun (Blue Flag designations,
Entertainment ( Festivals, Concerts, Gaming, Dining)
Eco-adventure ( Trails, Camping, Birding, Canoeing )
Travel in Style (Luxury, Spa Getaways)
Family Fun ( Festivals, Nature )
Highlighting our region’s key assets and attractions, TSL will focus its efforts and resources on marketing
the region as a premiere year-round destination for consumer travellers, sports tourism and the growing
area of group travel.
Target Market: We will aid associations, organizations and meeting planners throughout Ontario and
Canada. We will continue to utilize our relationships with various Group Travel Associations OMCA &
CSTA
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WHAT WE USE TO PROMOTE OUR COMMUNITY…
AAA
Living
Michigan
Globe
& Mail
TTC Digital
Screens
tourism
sarnia
lambton
.com
Experience
Guide
& Map
Social
M edia
Consumer
Email
Newsletter
Province
Wide Print
Publications
PAID
Online
Advertising
ONRoute
Distribution
Experiential
Tourism
Eco-System
OWNED
Industry
Email
Newsletter
TSL
Visitor
Services
Centre
EARNED
Twitter
Digital
Travel
Writers
Facebook
M edia
Relations
Pinterest
Sarnia & Lambton County Travel Guide 2014-15 (Hard Copy & Digital)
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s signature consumer marketing publications are the Official
Lambton County Travel Guide and Road Maps. The 2014-15 cover illustrates family
friendly destinations that can be found throughout Lambton County. We kept our tagline
featured on the 2013-14 cover; Navigate to great times in Lambton County. The tagline
is primarily a play on the plentiful watercraft that can be seen navigating our beautiful St.
Clair River & Lake Huron waterfront as well as the navigation required on the 402, 40 and 21
Highways to get them to their destination, Lambton County. The resources are designed to
showcase the region and offer visitors key travel information on local attractions,
accommodations, dining, heritage sites, special events/festivals, theatre, art galleries,
golfing, campgrounds, trails, boating and parks.
In 2014, we produced 65,000 copies of the travel guide and 55,000 copies of the fold-out
city/county map. The guide with its 47 pages of editorial, coloured images and paid
advertisements illustrates a representation of tourism products and services available to
visitors throughout Sarnia and Lambton County. Whether a visitor is looking for live
theatre, hiking at the Pinery, fast paced drag car racing or a winery tour, there’s an
experience to suit everyone.
Designed to be user friendly, the guide continues to receive positive feedback.The easy
access chart listings are updated annually and offer detailed information on Hotels &
Motels, Parks & Beaches, Marinas & Services, B & B’s, Cottages & Cabins, Camping,
Golf/Driving Ranges and Trails. The Ontario and Local Travel Information pages include
all the “must-know” pieces of information including customs and immigration, required
documents, duty free shopping, border crossings and currency.
Digital versions of the complete travel guide and map are available 24/7 online at
www.tourismsarnialambton.com
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Additional TSL Publications Produced
Sports & Recreation Facilities Guide (Hard Copy & Digital)
The Sports & Recreation Facilities Guide, is a 20 page publication with detailed information on
sports & recreation facilities in Sarnia & Lambton County. The Guide contains a wide range of
information and amenities at the following facilities and more: arenas, curling clubs, playing
fields, ball diamonds, gymnasiums, aquatic facilities, tennis courts and golf courses. It is a
integral tool and go-to manual that is used to bring new tournaments & events to SarniaLambton. It is distributed to potential clients, such as International, National, Provincial and
Regional sport organizations through a mass mailing and at the annual Canadian Sports
Tourism Alliance Congress in April.
Used when attending: CSTA-Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Conference
Meetings & Convention Facilities (Hard Copy & Digital)
This full colour, 17 page booklet includes photos and full details on our unique
accommodations with on site meeting facilities as well as additional facilities for meetings or
accommodations.
The booklet also provides a map with transportation and service information as well as
suggestions for delegate and partner activities.
Used when attending: Sales Calls and requests from Meeting Planners and Convention
Organizers
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Website & Database Management
In late September, 2013, TSL re-launched its website with a
brand new look, new features and new partnerships.
Our dynamically generated website features over 2000 pages
of partner listings, regional and core attraction editorial,
group info, media galleries, discovery deals as well as access to
our printed publications. We are proud to say that we have
over 1100 organizations, which we fondly call our TSL
partners, contributing content daily.
We have kept our online fully customized database to allow
our partners the ability to access and update their listing(s) at
their convenience to ensure accuracy and completeness. New
features include the capability to add: up to 9 images to each
listing, their logo, a pdf of their listing’s poster, menu or
brochure. We also offer our partners free, linked listings to
their website, ticket sales website and their social media sites.
Additional banner and featured listing advertising
opportunities are also available.
Listing data collected from this database is used internally to
generate reports on industry statistics and to generate lists
that we will use to help keep our data accurate and complete.
When the opportunity arises, the listing data can also be used
externally with our RTO1 (Regional Tourism Office) and other
Regional Partners for their themed publications, editorial and
newsletters of which we randomly submit on our partner’s
behalf. TSL does not and will never sell or distribute our
partners’ contact information.
Our goal is to make every listing look its best to draw
maximum visitation.
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Social Media
.
Strategies:
•
Boost posts to increase visibility and
attract new likes
•
Create content to encourage shares and
engagement
•
Share content from other users
•
Post videos for higher engagement
•
Comment on and “like” posts of other
users
•
Post to Facebook at minimum three
times a week with varying content types
Strategies:
•
Schedule posts a week at a time
•
Schedule posts for late morning, mid
afternoon and early evening
•
Retweet and reply to users who
mention TSL in a tweet
•
Use hashtags when appropriate
•
Mention TSL partners in tweets when
appropriate
•
Utilize Hootsuite to manage Twitter
account and track analytics
TSL’s YouTube Channel and video library
continues to grow stronger and expand
with new videos and commercials.
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s Pinterest
account continued its fast growth rate in
2014. Users can select a “pin” and know
exactly where it is located.
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton utilizes online email marketing solution, MailChimp, for all mass
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton utilizes the services of MailChimp for all
electronic communication with partners and consumers.
mass electronic communication with consumers.
The consumer email list grew by 500 recipients in 2014 to 1,043. Subscribers are added
TheThe
inaugural
issue
TSL’s consumer e-newsletter was sent out on
through the TSL website,
Facebook,
newsletter
hasoftwo
Gained
over and ballots from local events.
th to 366 subscribers. It was well received with an Open
December
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feature articles, three400
local
events, a seasonal recipe and one advertisement.
Twitter
Rate of 34.2% and a Click Rate of 10.5%.
followers
The average open rate
in 2014in
was 26.8% which is 11 points higher
than the
We continue
to industry
add subscribers through the TSL website, Facebook
first
year.
page,
and
with
ballots
average (15.45). The average click rate was 6.7% which is 5 points higher than
the from local events. The newsletter typically
includes two feature articles, brief overview of three events and a
industry average (1.8).
recipe featuring local, fresh foods.
Other Promotional Tools
Self Serve Information Kiosks
A joint partnership with Home Depot
and Tourism Sarnia-Lambton, this
project received complete sponsorship
(approx. $12,000) of 14 kiosks built and
installed throughout Lambton County
in the high traffic areas. Since it’s
inception we have grown to 17 kiosks
and 20 brochure racks. Information on
these boards includes a City of Sarnia
Map, County of Lambton Map, chart
lists by category of contact information
for our tourism partners as well as an
events list updated approximately every
2 months.
In house Digital Signage
Making use of our television we`re able to display a
variety of information to visitors entering our
welcome centre. The screen displays, weather, an
upcoming events marquee, videos, or latest twitter
feeds, event posters and fun facts about our area.
Videos
Promotional videos are used as a sales tool when
attending market places, sales calls, trade shows and
online. The videos showcase Sarnia & Lambton County’s
diverse activities, special events and beautiful scenery.
Sarnia-Lambton Promotional Display Panels
This promotional display board features Lambton
County`s new brand Discoveries That Matter and
are used when staff is attending industry trade
shows and marketplaces and loaned out to other
Sarnia-Lambton organization representatives to
attract conference delegates to our community.
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Publication
Partnerships: RTO1
Ontario Southwest
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton works in
partnership with the regional
tourism organization, Ontario’s
Southwest, to develop a variety of
travel tools and publications to
suit the needs of the travelling
public. Last year (2013) saw the
introduction of the Cruise the
Coast waterproof motorcycle map,
Ontario’s Southwest Culinary
Guide and Waterfronts & Wineries
Group Tour itinerary. Tourism
Sarnia-Lambton has worked with
Southwestern Ontario Tourism
Corporation (SWOTC) to
redevelop the existing publications
and create two new maps in 2014.
Cruise The Coast Map
Cruise the Coast Motorcycle Map was first introduced in 2012 featuring a
variety of back road, paved routes in Southwestern Ontario. In 2013, a
Lambton County route was added to the map and in 2014 the Lambton
County route was updated with current events and points of interest
along the way. Print run was 47,000 with distribution at The Motorcycle
Show in Toronto, through DMO’s and various local events.
Canada’s South Coast Birding Trail
Canada’s South Coast Birding Trail is one of the premiere birding destinations
in North America. Seventeen birding “hubs” were outlined on the map
including Lambton County’s Canatara Park and Pinery Provincial Park. The
region’s rich Carolinian ecosystem provides a variety of flora and fauna ideal
for birding as well as hiking, wildflower identification, butterfly, paddling and
other nature-related activities. The print run was 10,000.
Waterfront Getaways Map
Ontario’s Southwest is home to three Great Lakes and four rivers. To take
advantage of its prime geographic positioning SWOTC created a
waterfront getaways map to lure sand seekers, fishing fans, and boating
enthusiasts. The map delivers the “inside scoop” on the location of
beaches, boating marinas and special fishing spots across the region.
Sarnia’s Blue Flag Canatara Beach was used as the front and back cover
image. The print run was 10,000.
Waterfronts & Wineries Tour
In 2013, TSL partnered with Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island and Chatham-Kent
Tourism to raise awareness and promote key products within the three DMO’s. A threenight, four-day waterfront and culinary themed itinerary was created. The tour was
marketed again in 2014 by each DMO at the annual Ontario Motor Coach Association
conference and marketplace. Ontario’s Southwest provided funding to sponsor an
opening reception at the OMCA conference. The itinerary garnered a positive response
from tour operators with some operators opting to book select portions of the itinerary.
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Highlights of TSL
Consumer Shows
 Exhibitor: Fusion, London Boat Show, London’s Wine Show,
Sarnia/Lambton Chamber of Commerce Rural Trade Show, &
Sidewalk Showcase, Artwalk 2014, International Motorcycle
Show, Toronto, International Offshore Power Boat Festival
Product Development/Sponsorship
 Inclusive Tourism “Breaking Barriers To Business” Project
 Hosted 2nd Annual Tourism Summit
 Food Day Canada Farm Dinner, Breakfast on the Farm, Festival
of Good Things, International Powerboat Festival,
International Wakeboard Tour, Doors Open Lambton County,
International Silver Stick AGM, President’s Reception at
Ontario Motor Coach Association Conference, Communities
in Bloom
Event Committees
 Canadian National Pigeon Show,, 3 on 3 Hockey Challenge,
Ontario Coaches Association NCCP Super Clinic, Hockey
Canada’s World Under 17 Hockey Championship, SarniaLambton Chamber of Commerce – Queen’s Park Delegation,
“Still Standing” CBC TV Show taping April 2014 at Oil Springs,
100th Sarnia Anniversary Committee – 1st Outdoor Downtown
New Year’s Eve Celebration
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Major Advertising Campaigns
Globe & Mail (readership 1,098,000)
Explore Ontario supplement May 15 2014
1/3 page advertisement and 5 themed articles
Globe Travel section ¼ page ad June 10, July 19th,
July26, August 9th and Sept 13th 2014
All ads include digital leader boards and banners
Horizon Travel Magazine (readership 250,000)
•Monthly 100,000 publications, insert/drop in
Toronto Star and national Post
•Full page ad and editorial
•Online banner
•Digital commercial for Toronto
Union Station, 300 TTC screens
at 69 stations, Eaton Centre,
Sherway Gardens and Square
One food courts
AAA Living Michigan (readership 1,642,000)
Spring campaign generating 1,000 new leads and
increasing consumer profile database
Honda Indy Toronto Souvenir Program
3 Day event –Only Canadian Stop
100, 000 in attendance
CTV Commercial
52 spots throughout July & August
Sample of TSL Advertising in 2014
•Attractions Ontario
Passport
•Blue Water Visitor Guide
•Circle The Lake Tour Map
•Crossings Magazine
•Daytripping Magazine
•Eat Drink Magazine
•Festival of Good Things
Program
•Grand Bend Travel Guide
•Indiefest Program
•Ontario Colleges Athletics
Assoc.
•Ontario Motorcoach
Association
•Ontario Parks Visitor
Guides
•Sarnia Sting Yearbook
•SCRCA Visitor Guide
•Silverstick Program
•Summer Fun Guide
•SWEA Conference Program
•WU17 Program
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Partnerships Are Key
Over the years, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton has concentrated on building strong partnerships with
tourism businesses and other key organizations throughout Sarnia-Lambton. These relationships play
an integral role in working as a team to promote and attract visitors to our area. The success we achieve
through partnership demonstrates our commitment and common goals of showcasing Blue Water
Country.
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Partnership with our 1,000+ Tourism Partners we work with on a
daily basis.
Chamber of Commerce Networking Group
Chatham Kent Tourism
City of Sarnia
City of Lambton Shores
Sarnia Communities In Bloom
County of Lambton
Food Day Canada
Home Depot
Industry Canada
Lambton College
Liveinlambton.ca
Local Immigration Partnership
Local Photographers
Ministry of Transportation
Ontario Southwest Tourism Organization (RTO1 Partners)
Ontario Ministry of Tourism & Culture
Ontario TIC Centres
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Ontario’s Fun Connection
Physician Recruitment Taskforce of Sarnia Lambton
Real Canadian Super Store
Southwestern Ontario Tourism Corporation
Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation
Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce
Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
Town of Petrolia
Township of Brooke-Alvinston
Township of Dawn Euphemia
Township of Enniskillen
Township of Plympton-Wyoming
Township of St. Clair
Township of Warwick
Village of Oil Springs
Village of Point Edward
And many more...
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STATISTICS
Measures & Markets
Source: PKF Consulting Inc.
with reproduction and use of
information subject to PKF
Disclaimer and Restrictions as
detailed at
www.pkfcanada.com
Table 427-0001 Number of international travellers entering or returning to Canada, by type of
transport, monthly (persons)(1,7,10,11)
Survey or program details:
International Travel Survey: Frontier Counts - 5005
Geography
Sarnia, Ontario
Traveller characteristics
United States residents entering Canada
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan-Dec
% chg
Jan Jul
% chg
2013
50,937
46,027
66,610
63,431
97,119
127,207
167,319
168,153
92,287
84,749
67,677
74,493
1,108,022
-2.9%
618,650
2014
47,779
44,602
55,381
72,285
97,096
123,368
160,085
162,374
92,097
87,309
66,852
77,632
1,088,874
-1.7%
600,596
-2.9%
25
Measures & Markets
TO
2014 Bulk Distribution
of TSL’s Travel Guide & Map
April 1, 2014 -March 31, 2015
TIMES
Locations
800.265.0316
GTA &
Michigan
25,000
ONRoute
Travel
Centres
10,000
Maps
Chamber of Commerce
Travel
Guides
1,755
Tourism Information Centres
30,200
25,205
Tourism Businesses
20,030
10,530
Municipal / Government
Offices
TOTAL
2,250
1,050
54,235
37,975
20 Brochure
Racks
Locally
Welcome
Packages
Online and
inhouse
centre
requests
1,190
Measures & Markets
Top 3 Landing
Pages in 2014:
Homepage,
Events, Sarnia
Christmas
Parade
TO
Website Visits
49% increase in visits
25000
2013
2014
20000
TIMES
15000
Favourite Pages
in 2014:
Events,
Accommodations, 10000
Sarnia/Point Edward
Community Page
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
0
February
800.265.0316
Top 3 Visits by
Country in 2014:
Canada,
United States,
Brazil
January
5000
Measures & Markets
Facebook
Doubled
Facebook
Likes in
last 12
months.
1400
1200
1000
800
2013
600
2014
400
200
Twitter
1200
1000
800
Doubled
Twitter
followers
in last 12
months.
2013
600
2014
400
200
0
Likes
Engaged Users
Facebook experienced an average
monthly growth of 13% and
doubled the amount of “Likes” in
one year to 1,300. Facebook had an
average monthly reach of 12,297
users.
Average
over 22,000
tweet
impressions
a month.
0
Followers
Average monthly
RTs
Klout Score
Twitter experienced steady growth in 2014 and doubled its
follower count from the previous year to 964. There was an
average of 335 impressions per tweet.
800
700
600
500
30 subscribers
6000 views
Over 200 pins
with mapped
locations
Over 80 followers
& 330 pinned
images from TSL
website
2013
400
2014
300
Industry Average
200
100
0
Subscribers
Open Rate
Click Rate
E-Newsletter
subscribers
have tripled
in last 12
months
E-Newsletter
Open Rate is
10.6% higher
than industry
average
28
Measures & Markets
 TSL- 2014 Consumer Inquiry Statistics
 Ontario Travel Centre
2014 Visitor Statistics
350
300
250
200
150
2013
100
2014
50
0
80000
 Ontario Lottery Gaming
Corporation- 2014 Visitor
Statistics
610000
600000
590000
580000
570000
560000
550000
540000
530000
520000
510000
500000
75000
2013
70000
2014
65000
2013
2014
Walk Ins
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Motorcoach
(Travellers)
2013
2014
60
40
20
2013
0
2014
Motorcoach
(Coaches)
Visitors
29
 2014 Visitors to Lambton County
Museums, Theatres & Judith &
Norman Alix Art Gallery
Organization/Facility
MUSEUMS
Lambton Heritage Museum
Moore Museum
Attendance
20,994
4,062
Oil Museum of Canada
3.644
Sombra Museum
1,947
Stones ‘N Bones Museum
9,666
TOTAL
40,313
THEATRES
Imperial Theatre
64,707
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
28,720
Huron Country Playhouse
51,157
TOTAL
144,584
JNNAG
Exhibition Visitors
10,470
Program Participants
7,214
TOTAL
 Sampling of Welcome Packages
Over 8,400 Distributed in 2014 for events such as:
Event
Delegates
Canadian National Pigeon Show
Central American Latino Conference, Toronto
International Silverstick (Girls & Boys) Alvinston, Sarnia,
Watford
International Student Packages – Lambton College
Int’l Silver Stick Conference
Invade The Close Car Show
Kid’s Training Day – Bluewater Anglers
L.S.D.S. Golf Tournament
Ladies Auxiliary Cribbage Tournament
Lambton College Mobile Summit
Naval Association Conference
Sailfest
Sarnia Lawn Bowling Tournament
Sarnia Lion’s Club Meeting
Sarnia Street Machine – Cruise in the Park
Shoot ‘N Scoot Motorcycle Event
Theatre Ontario Festival
Toronto National Job Fair Expo
World Under 17 Hockey Challenge
Water’s Edge Soccer Tournament
Western Ontario Section Figure Skating Competition
100
50
3,331
360
150
75
150
144
150
250
25
100
100
300
500
150
150
100
300
720
325
17,684
30
 Over 500 events in 2014. Below are some examples & their attendance.
Special Event Attendance
Alvinston Maple Syrup Festival
Brigden Fair
Special Event Attendance
800
40000
Brooke-Alvinston Fall Fair
3000
Canada Day Sarnia
30000
Fusion
3300
Grand Bend & Area Studio Tour
4500
Grand Bend Concert Series
22000
Greekfest Sarnia
3000
Hobbyfest Sarnia
4000
IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals, Grand Bend
19000
International Offshore Powerboat Festival
2000
Mackinac Breakfast Under the Blue Water Bridges
45000
Mooretown Craft Sale
2035
Petrolia & Enniskillen Fall Fair
1675
Pinery Provincial Park Road Race
447
Plympton Wyoming Fall Fair
1326
Return of the Tundra Swans, Grand Bend Area
1094
Sarnia Artwalk
25000
Sarnia Kidsfest
8000
Sarnia Ribfest
10000
Sarnia Street Machines – Car Show (Decreased
attendance due to bad weather)
1500
Sarnia Street Machines – Hot August Nights
4000
Sarnia Waterfront Program
4400
Stratford Spectacular Grand Bend Motorplex
9000
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s Celebrate Tourism Week BBQ
700
Watford Cornfest
3000
Watford Maple Syrup Festival
1000
TOTAL
234,277
31