BIAs and the Tourist Market: Highlights from an Exploratory Study of Ontarios BIAs

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BIAs and the Tourist MarketHighlights from an
Exploratory Study of Ontarios BIAs
Andrew Giraldi agiraldi_at_gmail.com

• March 31, 2009

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Why Should BIAs be Interested in Tourism?

• It presents an opportunity to...
• Increase the vibrancy of the BIA
• Increase the number of shoppers in the area
• Partner with neighbouring businesses/attractions
  in promotion efforts to a wider market
• Make the BIA the place to be for visitors and
  locals
• ...All with the intention of increasing business
  revenues

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Why Should BIAs be Interested in Tourism?

• The Ontario Governments recent report (Feb
  2009), Discovering Ontario A Report on the
  Future of Tourism, mentions a number of things
  that should interest BIAs.
• E.g. Revitalizing tourism marketing with a
  regional focus

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Why Did I Study BIAs and Tourism?

• BIAs are an example of active place management
• So if tourism is taking place in the
  neighbourhood they are likely involved
• BUT very little is known about the tourism
  involvement of BIAs
• NO study in North America has directly addressed
  the subject

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The Study Purpose

• To explore the involvement of BIAs in tourism,
  collecting broad knowledge about
• Place promotion methods
• Tourism development Investments?
• Tourism management Plans? Staff?
• Types of tourism experiences offered
• Positive and negative impacts of tourism

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What do we Mean by Tourism?

• A broad definition is needed
• Tourism is
• the temporary movement of people to destinations
  outside their normal places of work and
  residence, the activities undertaken during their
  stay in those destinations, and the facilities
  created and services provided to cater to their
  needs (Wall Mathieson, 2006, p.1)

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Where the Data Comes from...

• Mailed-out survey to all BIAs in Ontario (259)
• Worked with TABIA, OBIAA on survey design
• Offered an executive summary of the results to
  participants
• 35 response rate showed BIA interest
• Allows for the findings to be generalized to all
  Ontario BIAs

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What Proportion of BIAs are Involved in Tourism?
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Why Are Some BIAs Not Involved in Tourism?
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What Prompted BIAs to Work to Attract Tourists?
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Number of Events and Festivals that Attracted
Tourists

• In 2007...
• Average 4.6 (4-5 festivals/events)
• Highest number was 100

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What Other Tourist Attractions have been Created?

• Most frequently-mentioned attractions
• Murals often historic
• Other outdoor art displays/public art
• Various tours and guided walks - restaurants,
  historic, etc.
• Lighting displays (often seasonal)
• Parks and parkettes
• Flowers and floral displays
• Skating rinks

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What Other Tourist Attractions have been Created?

• Other appealing attractions that have been
  created
• Convention centre
• Promenade
• Pavilion
• Town mascot
• Walk of fame
• Renovated market square
• Renovated theatre
• Boutique hotel
• Maritime discovery centre
• Tourist information booth
• Free concerts

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Methods of Promotion to Tourists
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Most Important Activities/ Experiences/Features
to Tourists

• Top 6 in the very important to tourists
  category
• Water bodies (70)
• Festivals and special events (67)
• Fine dining (61)
• Performance theatres (58)
• Speciality shops and heritage structures (tied at
  51 each)

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Types of Specialty Shops that Attract Tourists

• Clothing (mentioned 22 times) lingerie, formal
  wear, kids, seniors, ethnic, designer, etc.
• Specialty Foods (mentioned 13 times) chocolate,
  cheese, candy, local foods, organic foods,
  vintage wine, etc.
• Giftware Art (mentioned 13 times)
• Recreation Sports Gear (mentioned 11 times)
  camping, hockey, golf supplies
• Hobby Shops (mentioned 10 times) collectibles,
  crafts, custom iron work, needle point,
  embroidery

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Other Stakeholders that are Marketing Partners
Other includes municipalities, local community
organizations, chambers of commerce, other
attractions (convention centre, museums, art
gallery, etc.)
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Tourism Management Tourism Committees? Tourism
Strategies?
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BIA Accessibility
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Problems from Tourism Development
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Positives from Tourism Development
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What BIAs Plan to do to Improve their Tourism
Offering

• Improve and increase their marketing efforts
  (mentioned by 24 BIAs)
• Form and strengthen partnerships (mentioned by 22
  BIAs)
• Improve and increase festivals and events
  (mentioned by 21 BIAs)
• Improve the streetscape (mentioned by 15 BIAs)
• Invest in attractions (mentioned by 11 BIAs)