The Canadian
Tourism Commission (CTC) is launching Canada-e-Connect, the first
ever Canadian e-Tourism Strategy Conference. Canada-e-Connect will bring
together more than 300 travel and tourism industry leaders. They will
determine the impact that the internet and other emerging technologies are
making on Canada’s ability to compete globally as a premiere, four-season
tourism destination.
  “Today, it is crucial not only to build targeted, successful online
campaigns that result in bookings,” says Michele McKenzie, President and
CEO of the CTC. “It has become vital to create strategies and synergies
with the rest of the companies, organization and—in the case of bloggers
—individuals that build and protect the Canadian brand.”
  Looking at how to leverage contemporary tools and technologies, the
conference will focus on the future of travel and tourism marketing. The
main elements of the travel distribution life cycle—Consumer
Acquisition, Consumer Experience, and Customer Intelligence—will be
addressed in order to tackle the bigger question: how do we effectively
market Canadian travel experiences to the world?
  “We are asking e-marketing experts to consider lessons from the past,
to challenge the present, to debate the future, and to share their vision
of what we can achieve together with the best and brightest in tourism
marketing and online travel,” says Jens Thraenhart, Chair of
Canada-e-Connect and Executive Director of Marketing Strategy and CRM at
the CTC.
  Hosted in beautiful Vancouver from November 7-9, 2007 (right after the
TIAC Canada Tourism Leadership Summit in Victoria), the event will feature
some of the best speakers in the industry, including Anthony D. Williams,
co-author of the bestselling book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration
Changes Everything.
  Canada-e-Connect will be held in conjunction with the first Canadian
e-Tourism Awards, on November 8. These prestigious awards will recognize
excellence in website design, online campaigns, and innovation in three
sectors: public, private and small and medium-sized enterprise. Awards will
also go out to travellers for user-generated content, including best story
or blog, best video or short-film, and best photo.
 
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