GoBC Newsletter

Newsletter April 2011

Tuesday Apr 26, 2011

New Images for GoBC Postcards
We will be printing more free picture postcards for our members and are looking for new images.

Tours and Tour Operators now featured right on our home page!
We have included a new link right from our home page for more exposure. Have a look and check if your tours need updating or if you would like to add more information and images.

Retiring Boomers - The New and Growing Market
The boomers are starting to retire, and many have the means and increasing time to travel. Here are some facts, research and suggestions that will help you understand and attract this growing market.



New Images for GoBC Postcards

We will printing more free picture postcards for our members and are looking for suggestions. Do you have an image that would make a unique postcard which might interest past and future visitors to BC? Is there an area or location you would like us to showcase on GoBC postcards? If you have a print-quality image, we would be happy to consider it for our postcards. To start, please e-mail Sibylle a smaller version of the image for consideration



Tours and Tour Operators now featured right on our home page!

We have included a new link right from our home page to give you even more exposure. Have a look and check if your tours need updating or if you would like to add more information, images and new tours.
This new feature will give you a chance to attract more internet visitors to your listing right from the moment they enter the GoBC home page. They will be able to get an overview of all the tours offered in BC and you will reach more customers this way.



Retiring Boomers - The New and Growing Market

Snobby Tours Travelspot and other industry sources profile the Boomer-traveler as follows: Boomers are "not your parents' type of traveler".  They are the people who marched for Civil Rights, hung out at Woodstock, actively opposed the Viet Nam War and started the environmental movement. They are highly educated, have high expectations of what they want in their life and they expect to live a long time. They do not want pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all travel.

Many retire early, with the health and resources to travel. In our biggest market, the United States, 86 percent of boomers say they'll be more active in retirement than their parents were. Nevertheless, recent research showed that, to pay for their active retirement, 70 percent will keep working at least part-time and 42 percent are delaying full-time retirement as a result of the recession. It follows that boomers will start to travel more as they move towards retirement, but many are still facing some time constraints and they will be looking for the best value for their time and money.
Here are some tips from industry experts on how to entice Boomers to travel and to choose your destination:

Pro-actively offer leisurely, yet in-depth destination travel experiences, such as an all-inclusive stay where different types of special interest niche touring and activities are included. For example, a stay with you can include a tour of a local winery and a meal in a local specialty restaurant. A culture day might include a self-guided tour of local galleries and studios and an artistic performance. A history tour can include a museum visit and a guided or self-guided tour of local historic sites. For nature lovers, offer or arrange a guided visit to an interpretive centre followed by a guided hike or other outdoor activity, or a visit to the aquarium followed by a boat tour. The possibilities are endless - the key words are “leisurely”, “in-depth” and “offer pro-actively”.

While these activities may be available locally without your involvement, by compiling suggestions and information and making some pre-arrangements, you are setting yourself apart from the competition and giving visitors an additional reason to come:

• You are providing more service to your customers, saving their precious time as they will not need to research locations, transportation, opening hours, prices, and so forth.
• You may be able to offer reduced rates for some attractions or activities, increasing the value you offer your customers.

You may even create opportunities for like-minded visitors to share these experiences and to socialize with other travelers from around the world - often a welcome and memorable aspect of traveling.

http://snobbytours.blogspot.com/2011/03/call-for-experienced-travel-agents.html


Promote your ‘all-inclusives’, getaways and events on GoBC using your listing, the getaway feature and even the events listings. Whenever possible, we will promote your offerings not only GoBC.ca, but also on social media to attract more and more attention!


Thank you for participating! What’s good for one is good for all!