The success of campaigns like Destination Québec mountain biking, Société des Attractions Touristiques du Québec (SATQ), Alliance Ski Québec, St. Lawrence Summits, and many others largely boils down to one thing: getting the right partners on board. Discover the ingredients that make up the Oasis recipe for success!
Numerous studies by tourism experts and analysts from around the world cite stakeholder engagement as a key to success in attracting tourists. Industry watchers are a good source of examples if you’re interested in the topic, as are the personal observations you can compile in the course of your own experience. In an upcoming blog post this spring, Oasis will present highlights from its own annual review of ski industry practices.
Three excellent reasons to engage
- Respond to the consumer travel trends by developing strategies for organizing product offerings tailored to the target clientele.
- Take advantage of financial leveraging to extend campaign reach.
- Optimize promotional and advertising budgets to boost destination and brand awareness.
The recipe for success
Be generous:
Building strategic partnerships requires you to jump in head first with partners. At Oasis, instead of keeping track of everyone’s efforts, we keep our eye on the prize.
Be aware of each partner’s challenges:
Successful partnerships depend on everyone finding their place and role. We put ourselves in our partners’ shoes, both big and small, so we can understand the challenges they face and ensure that everybody’s actions are consistent with our common goals.
Be agile:
In the projects we’ve worked on over the last decade, we’ve always strived for flexibility in order to keep our processes nimble. This method has proven to be very valuable given the ever-changing nature of partnership programs.
Be proactive:
Ever mindful of our partners’ challenges and the need for flexibility, we’re constantly looking ahead. It’s the best way to anticipate—and avoid—problems before they arise, and to take advantage of opportunities that will benefit all partners.
Be an effective communicator:
Engagement is all about teamwork, which means that trust plays an important role. That’s why we actively communicate with our partners at every stage of the project—from implementation through to the reporting of results.
The success of strategic tourism partnerships depends on marketing agency expertise. In addition to providing strategic, advertising, and creative services, we believe that the agency must also take on a unique leadership role. A successful agency is generous with its clients and very aware of its partners’ challenges, however many there may be.
By Gabrielle LeBlanc