Building Communities Through Community Tourism Jamaica Community Tourism Symposium & IIPT Caribbean Community Touri

1. Marketing Community Tourism Online: The LETA Ripple Building Communities Through Community Tourism Jamaica Community Tourism Symposium & IIPT Caribbean Community Tourism Conference May 23 – 26, 2003 • Judy Karwacki • iWorldSolutions Inc. • jkarwacki@shaw.ca

2. Creating a ripple effect that will enhance and enrich Canada’s travel industry

3. What is Experiential and Learning Travel? • What is LETA? • LETA’s technology • LETA’s services to Travel Trade and Media • Newsletters and the Ripple • Benefits to Members • How to find LETA

4. What is Learning & Enrichment Travel?

5. Learning and enrichment travel refers to vacations with authentic, hands-on or interactive learning experiences featuring themes such as aboriginal, agriculture, anthropology, archeology, arts, culture, cuisine, education, forestry, gardening, heritage, language, maritime, nature, science, spirituality, and wildlife. These are the travel experiences that broaden the mind and enrich the soul.

6. What is LETA?

7. The Learning & Enrichment Travel Alliance (LETA) Founded Spring 2002 with support of 40 Founding Members organizations Grew out of Canadian Tourism Commission study on Learning Travel

8. Vision • The Learning & Enrichment Travel Alliance is dedicated to leading the development and growth of quality learning and enrichment vacation experiences and sustainable business opportunities in Canada.

9. Mission The Learning & Enrichment Travel Alliance will facilitate the development and expansion of sustainable year-round business opportunities for organizations committed to developing, marketing and delivering high quality learning and enrichment vacations in Canada. All activities are guided by the values of excellence, inclusiveness and respect.

10. The Learning & Enrichment Travel Alliance (LETA) The only membership-based organization taking a national approach for marketing experience-based themes in Canada A communications & business development serviceand online resource for Canada’s learning & enrichment travel community

11. The Learning & Enrichment Travel Alliance (LETA) A national online directory of travel products and services that are promoted domestically and nationally to the trade, media and the consumer A one-stop-resource for networking and researching travel information for the travel trade and media

12. Who are LETA members? • Government tourism agencies • Destination Management Organizations • Attractions e.g., museums, interpretive centres • Festivals and special events • Tour operators • Membership-based organizations • Educational institutions • Resource Members e.g., consultants, trainers

13. Why LETA? Consumers demanding more than just a ‘vacation.’ LETA positions Canada as a leading destination for learning and enrichment travel ‘experiences’

14. Why LETA? Educated and discerning travelers and the travel trade are going online to research and purchase travel LETA provides a one-stop online resource for B2C and B2B learning and experiential travel planning, research and news

15. Why LETA? Savvy tourism businesses are performing communications, networking and research online LETA serves as a one-stop-resource for collecting and disseminating valuable trade and media information to members and vice versa

16. Why LETA? Businesses and organizations need cost-effective marketing LETA partnership shares costs creating a low cost, effective e-marketing solution for small and medium businesses or organizations

17. LETA’s technology

18. LETA’s TECHNOLOGY • - Custom designed user-friendly content management system • - Four dynamic websites • Web-page templates for members to showcase themselves • - Search engine capabilities allow consumer and travel trade search by location, season, name, theme, activity, or business type

19. MEMBER INTRANET WEBSITE = SEGMENTATION = SEGMENTATION How are LETA members profiled online? Members create and manage their own unique profiles at both a corporate and products & services level. They control the information viewed by each market.

20. SEARCH ENGINE How do LETA’s Search Filters work? Search filters selected allow visitors to search by location, season, name, theme, activity, or business type.

22. Home Page • Logo • Photos, • Description • Product, • Contact

23. A product or service page features: - The major theme - Start and end location - Duration and dates - Description & highlights - Rates and deposit details - Trade details - Meals, transportation - What’s included

24. LETA’s services to travel trade and media

25. Media Intranet Benefits for media • Free media membership provides: • Information on Canada • Pre-written articles • Story ideas • Hyperlinks to DMO image libraries • - Key Canadian media contact information • - Newsfeeds from LETA

26. Trade Intranet Travel Trade Benefits Free Travel Trade Membership provides: - Travel trade information on Canada - Pre-written articles and story ideas - Hyperlinks to DMO image libraries - Key Canadian trade contact information - Trade newsfeeds from LETA

27. How does this benefit Members? As a one-stop-resource to trade and media, LETA receives ‘qualified’ traffic to the site LETA’s newsfeeds compliment member positioning with the Media and the Trade LETA collects and disseminates valuable news and opportunities from their network of media and trade partners and then shares this with members

28. Newsletters & The Ripple

29. Quarterly Members Newsletters • - A vehicle for communicating Media & Trade opportunities through LETA’s network • - A tool for member polling • - A means to stay in touch with LETA members and keep them informed on industry news and marketing opportunities • LETA keeps members informed on industry news & opportunities

30. Monthly e-newsletter - A permission-based marketing tool for trade, media and the consumer - A communication vehicle for targeting niche markets - A platform for promoting new members - A regular news feed for industry and LETA news Using the latest e-marketing strategies LETA is speaking to a receptive audience

32. How do members benefit?

33. Members receive • Branded internet exposure • Home Page in four online directories • Products & services sub-pages • Permission & search engine marketing services • Access to valuable product development resources • Networking with learning & enrichment travel partners • Press and editorial mentions

34. How members benefit Promotion through four online directories directed at the trade, media, members and the consumer Promotion through newswires and newsletters to media, trade and the consumer Business or organization LETA Niche marketing search engine optimization Products or services Leading edge market positioning Networking opportunities and access to resources for partnerships and business development

35. The future... ‘Pay-to-Play’ Optional Marketing Programs Opportunities to purchase tile ads on the LETA consumer website, links to themed splash pages from major search engines, media relations support services, and additional search engine optimization with key words specific to their own business.

36. The future... Workshops & Marketplaces LETA will offer online and off-line workshops and marketing places for learning & enrichment travel.

37. The future... Collaborative e-Marketing Ventures LETA will pursue marketing ventures with online retailers and tour operators with an e-commerce capacity to provide an on-line booking service for LETA members wishing to sell on-line

38. The future... Quality Assurance LETA will develop a quality assurance program to meet marketplace demands for quality standards

39. How to find LETA: Consumer site: www.letacanada.com Corporate site: www.letacanada.com/corporate-home.php