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| RTO Report |
| Market updates written by Receptive Tour Operator members including:
Enjoy their anecdotal assessment of each of our primary Asia Pacific markets with a combination of Overview, Economy and Forecast. **RTO Reports are now posted in the Members Only section of our website. Please login to view the report. |
| Welcome to CITAP |
Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada
Banff - Sunshine Village
Bonton Holidays Canada
Boundary Ranch
Canada Blueberries Enterprises Ltd.
Canada West Coachlines Ltd.
CanWing Travel Ltd.
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association
CPTrip Service Inc.
DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton
Fort McMurray Tourism
Four Points Kamloops
Hampton Inn by Hilton Calgary Airport North
Hilton Montreal/Laval
Hyak River Rafting
L'Alliance de L'industrie touristique du Québec
Mariposa Cruises
McCoy Bus Service
Monte Creek Ranch Winery
PMG - La Plaza
Quality Inn Kamloops
Solstice Skywatch
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Summerhill Pyramid Winery & Bistro
TIA PEI
Tourism Saskatchewan
Tsawwassen Springs
V2V Vacations
Vancouver Water Adventures
Wine Tours Gone South
Wyndham Garden Calgary
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| CITAP Website Update |
Members can now update their own Member Profile page in the Members Only section of the website: you can now update
- contact details,
- update corporate logo,
- add photos,
- change your business/service description,
- change the password to something easier for you to remember,
- and even has a new section to add Social Media information!
Check out your own Profile Page today to ensure fellow CITAP members have access to the up-to-date membership information.
Contact CITAP Office if you require your login information.
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| Upcoming Events |
2017 Membership Renewal
- majority of CITAP memberships expired on December 31, 2016
- if you are unsure of your membership expiry date, please inquire at CITAP Office
Chinese Speaking Guide Training Course
- March 20 - 31, 2017
- Richmond, BC
2017 Yukon FAM Tour
in partnership with TIA Yukon, CITAP is pleased to offer this FAM to our RTO members
- March 21 to 24, 2017
- Registration coming out soon
2017 Conference & AGM
- RTO only OHTO FAM on April 7 & 8, 2017
- Ottawa Tour for all, members, guest speaker and networking dinner on April 9, 2017
- AGM and keynote speaker on April 10, 2017
- Novotel Ottawa
2017 Hidi Nishi Classic
- July 18, 2017
- Tsawwassen Springs, Delta, BC
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Get Connected
Stay Connected
to Increase Your Business from Asia Pacific
Interested in joining CITAP?
Interested in joining a committee?
Have a suggestion for a committee?
We welcome your ideas!
Email us at:
citap97@citap.ca
Visit our website at: www.citap.ca
Next issue scheduled for May 2017 |
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President's Message
Wishing you Luck in the Year of the Rooster!
2017 is well underway and happily, if all indicators are correct, we can expect another very healthy year for our inbound tourism from the Asia Pacific markets. We look forward to working together with you --our members and partners -- to create more opportunities to connect and expand our product offerings to our overseas clients.
Our staff team: Joe Volk, Executive Director and Yuko Denham, Administrative Assistant, have been meeting regularly with our committees to get things rolling -- the planned events and initiatives of 2017. Thanks to Joe and Yuko and to our dedicated volunteers for such a strong start to the New Year!
We are pleased to announce our first Chinese Speaking Tour Guide Training Course which will take place from March 20 - 31, 2017. As we all know, the demand for professional Chinese speaking tour guides has increased tremendously since Canada and China signed a MOU back in June 24, 2010. Through this newly created course, CITAP will provide a solution by filling this critical gap. Please do spread the word as we have a minimum enrollment in order to run the course! More information on this course can be found below.
Interested in a Yukon FAM Tour? All RTO members please check your March schedule. We are pleased to be partnering with TIA Yukon so we can show you: our RTO members, Yukon's new winter and summer products. Please see the FAM trip invitation in the newsletter.
CITAP 2017 Conference & 20th AGM, which will be held from April 9 - 10, is just around the corner! If you haven't had a chance to look at the schedule of speakers and activities, held at the Novotel Ottawa, please see the Conference & AGM update below. By bringing this year's conference & AGM to the east, more members from Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces will be able to participate and attend this event. Hopefully, it will also create a good excuse for those in the west to visit our capital during the 150th Anniversary Celebrations. We hope you will register to attend! We would like to thank our sponsors for coming on board to support us.
We are also celebrating the success of our Hidi Nishi Scholarship program. We have 4 successful recipients to date - 2 students from Ryerson University in Toronto and 2 students from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.SAIT in Calgary will award the scholarship to 1 student in early spring. These students have expressed interest in the Asia Pacific markets in their tourism courses. They would make great hires!
We ended 2016 on such a high with our Winter Function at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, and we look forward to building on that success as we now embark on our goals for 2017! Please join me in helping to make CITAP the association we all know to be the "go to" association for education, networking, and industry strengthening for the Asia Pacific markets. Our Board is "on board", and we hope you are too! Please know you can call or email me directly with any suggestions you may have to keep moving CITAP forward.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Lee
President
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2016 Winter Function
Wrapping-Up our 2016 Winter Function
CITAP's annual Winter Function took place on December 6th at Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Both the event, as well as the host hotel shone and more than lived up to our expectations.
We have a record number of exhibitors: 145 including 23 new members or first time exhibitors - from across Canada and the United States, all eagerly shared their unique products and services during the Winter Marketplace. Followed by a Gala Dinner that not only offered delicious holiday inspired dishes with a twist, but also a continued opportunity to connect with more industry colleagues plus win a trip for two to Whitehorse!
Now in its 20th year, CITAP's Winter Function provides an excellent occasion to connect with new and old industry colleagues alike. Please
click here to take in some photo evidence.
Each year we work to enhance the event to ensure that it meets the ongoing needs of our members and the ever evolving tourism industry. Thanks to 76 members who took the time to respond/leave comments in our post-event survey! We are pleased that survey results showed that our members enjoyed the day, with an overall satisfaction of 92% (good/excellent) and we will review all comments for future improvement.
Thank you...
From the morning seminar to the banquet was an extremely long day, so thank you to all of you who volunteered your time and energies to make our annual event such a wonderful evening. And to those people who travelled across country to attend, thank you for making the commitment to the event. We also want to acknowledge the hospitality and excellent service provided by Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Also, an event such as our full day Winter Function is made possible only with the extra generosity of the following companies: Arctic Range Adventure, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, The Crossing Resort, Niagara Airbus, Hallmark Hospitality Group of Hotels, Montreal en Histoires, Tourism Richmond, Best Western International, Air North, Yukon Hotels, Northern Tales Services, WestJet, and the host hotel Hyatt Regency Vancouver.
Call for expressions of interest to host the 2017 Winter Function
Would you like to showcase your venue to CITAP members and tourism partners? CITAP is calling for expressions of interest to be the host venue for the 2017 CITAP Winter Function. The event will be held in the Vancouver area during the first week of December 2017. Interested parties may contact the CITAP office at [email protected] and 1 604 247 1997.
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CITAP Educational Committee
Chinese Speaking Tour Guide Training Course
Excellent tour guides are the key to providing once-in-a-lifetime experience. After Canada was granted the Approved Destination Status from China in 2010, Chinese visitations to Canada have been increasing every year. As a result, our industry faces a shortage of professional Chinese speaking tour guides who can provide excellent service to the Chinese visitors. To provide a solution, CITAP is launching its first
Chinese Speaking Tour Guide Training Course.
This training program will be held in Richmond, BC from
March 20 - 31, 2017.
Click here to learn more about the course outline and the fee. Space is limited to 20 people.
To learn more and register, please contact:
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2017 Yukon FAM Tour 
All RTO members please check your March schedule. We are excited to announce your chance to experience Yukon on this educational FAM tour (March 21 - 24, 2017)!
We are pleased to be partnering with TIA Yukon so we can show you Yukon's new winter and summer products. The Yukon FAM Tour will depart from Vancouver on the morning of Tuesday, March 21, 2017.
Detail will be emailed to you as soon as they are confirmed.
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Come celebrate, explore, learn, network and discover with your fellow CITAP members!
Bringing this event to Eastern Canada for the first time, CITAP 2017 Conference and 20th AGM takes place from April 9 - 10, 2017 in our nation's Capital.
In addition to the AGM, this event features an optional FAM, ample of networking opportunities as well as two engaging and diverse guest
speakers: cross-cultural expert Ms. Caroline Yang & endurance athlete Mr. Sébastien Sasseville. Some activities have a limited seat so please register right away!
**Deadline to register for RTO only OHTO FAM is February 20, 2017.
**Deadline to book at Novotel Ottawa for the special rate is also
February 20, 2017.
Call for nominations
The nominating committee is also seeking nominations for the Board of Directors for 2017-2019. If you would like to nominate someone or seek a seat on our Board of Directors, please review our nomination and slate document and submit
the nomination form before/byTuesday, February 28, 2017 and subsequently a nominee profile by Tuesday, March 7, 2017.
The Nominations Committee will present a slate of nominees for election to members prior to and at the 2017 Annual General Meeting. Directors must be elected from this slate and nominations will not be accepted from the floor. Members are elected to the Board of Directors for a two-year term. Please be reminded that your CITAP membership must be in good standing in order to participate at the AGM and to nominate and/or to be nominated.
Don't miss this exciting event! You will get to learn new things, hear some updates, and network with your colleagues and partners while experiencing Ottawa's charms.
Register Now.
For further information, please contact CITAP Office at 1 604 247 1997 or
[email protected].
We look forward to welcoming you in Ottawa!
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PMO Corner 
Darlene Fedoroshyn|Marketing Director, Asia Travel Alberta
JAPAN MARKET CONTINUES TO BLOSSOM
Alberta is bucking the trend in overseas travel from Japan and continuing to woo visitors from the world's third largest marketplace.
Although a slowing economy is seeing fewer Japanese travel outside their country - a 4.1 per cent decrease in 2015, according to Destination Canada - visits to Canada are targeted to increase 9.8 per cent in 2016, with Alberta as the third most popular destination.
While iconic scenery such as the Canadian Rockies continue to appeal, today's Japanese traveller is younger and keen to experience the cultural, culinary and entertainment offerings of Alberta cities.
Read full report.
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RTO Interview 
Joanne Kim, Let's Canada Tours Ltd.
Profile
Born in Seoul, Korea, Joanne began working in the tourism industry from 1991 as a hotel guest relations officer after graduating university. Soon after that, she joined a Hong Kong Airlines as a flight attendant. Joanne moved to Vancouver in 2007 with her family and got a certificate in translation and interpretation for business in UBC in 2014. Now, as a director of Let's Canada Tours, Joanne enjoys her carrier to develop new tour programs and attract more people to beautiful Canada.
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External Relation Committee Report
One of our key priorities at CITAP is working with other industry partners to provide opportunities to better serve our members. Recently, Joe Volk was representing CITAP at the Aboriginal Tourism Conference (ATAC) in Sydney, Nova Scotia on December 12 - 14, 2016. Joe was invited to speak together with two other guests: Bill Knowlton, VP Marketing and Sales Jonview and Casey Hanisko, VP Marketing and Communications, Adventure Travel Trade Association. Together, they spoke on "Attracting International Visitors." After the presentation, Joe, together with Dene Sinclair, ATAC's Marketing Director, hosted a workshop titled "Working with Tour Operators." The workshop was well attended; more than 300 people were actively engaged in asking questions. We would like to thank ATAC for inviting us and for the opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal Tourism in Canada.
CITAP's President Cheryl Lee will join the TIABC town hall meeting in Victoria this month. This opportunity will let us provide a platform to share some of the challenges that CITAP members have with other types of industry that will lead to a unified approach in developing solutions.
CITAP was actively following the Quebec City Licencing discussions; three tour guide companies attended one of the meetings to represent CITAP. Laval University on behalf of Quebec City did a study on the current laws on guide services within the city and a decision was made not to change the current by-laws. As an organization, we will continue to proactively engage and collaborate with our industry partners for the future success of our industry.
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Members Corner
Meghan Neale, Communications Committee
1000 Islands Accommodation Partners
Brewster Travel Canada
The Butchart Gardens
Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites
CPTrip Service Inc.
Discover Banff Tours
Eagle Wing Tours
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts - Eastern Canada
Frontiers North Adventures
Heritage Park Historical Village
Niagara Airbus
Northwest Territories Tourism
OHTO-Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization
Pacific Gateway Hotel at Vancouver Airport
Rocky Mountaineer
Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
Tourism Kamloops
Tourism Victoria
Tourism Yukon
Tourism Whistler
Travel Alberta
Victoria Butterfly Gardens
Viel Marketing International, Inc.
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Got an idea for our next newsletter? We'd love to hear from you. Contact
[email protected]
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