1449 Carney Road Kimberley, BC V1A 3M7 www.tasktourismproducts.

ca
Ph: 250-427-7351 Fx: 250-427-7358 Email: jikke@telus.net

Questionnaire to Regional Tourism Operators

NOTE: This survey will be kept confidential. All survey’s completed will be translated into total
percentages related to the sum of all. No individual survey information will be published or
disseminated without prior consent.
Section 1 – Product Information
Business Name: ______________________________________________________________

Contact Name: _______________________________________________________________

Title: _______________________________________________________________________

Year Business Started: ________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________ Fax: __________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________________

Web Site: ___________________________________________________________________

1. Are you a member of (circle all applicable):

a. Local Chamber
b. Other Chambers __________________________________________________
c. Kootenay Rockies Tourism
d. Another Tourism Assn _____________________________________________
e. Your industry association (i.e. Hotel Assn)
________________________________________________________________
f. Tourism Action Society in the Kootenay’s (TASK)
g. Western Canadian Wilderness Explorers (WCWE)
h. Other ___________________________________________________________

2. What tourism sector does your business sell products/services in (circle all applicable)?
a. Accommodation
b. Food & Beverage
c. Transportation
d. Attractions
e. Cultural Products
f. Events & Conferences

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 g. Travel Trade (tour operators, wholesalers, etc)
h. Tourism Services (gov’t assn, chambers, consultant, assn, etc)
i. Adventure & Recreation

3. What seasons do you operate in?

a. Spring
b. Summer
c. Fall
d. Winter

4. Do you have a marketing plan?

YES NO SOMEWHAT

5. List the top 3 (three) geographic areas your guests come from.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

6. Identify the top 3 (three) client types your business provides products/services for.
a. Families #____
b. Youth #____
c. Couples #_____
d. Mature Adults (45-60) #____
e. Seniors (60 +) #_____
f. Singles #_____
g. Groups (circle below) #_____
i. Youth
ii. Adult
iii. Women
iv. Men
v. Seniors
vi. Corporate/Business/Assn/Organization
h. Other: ___________________ #_____

7. How far in advance do customers tend to book your products? Please indicate percentages
for each applicable:
a. 12+ months _______
b. 8-11 months _______
c. 5-7 months _______
d. 3-4 months ________
e. 1-2 months ________
f. 3-4 weeks _________
g. 1-2 weeks ________
h. Within a week ________
i. Same day ________

8. Have you seen declines in your business over the past year? If no, continue to next question.
YES NO

a. What markets has your decline been in?

_________________________________________________________________
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 b. What is the reason(s) for the decline?
_________________________________________________________________

9. Do you work with any Tour Operators or Wholesalers (third party who sells your products
for a commission)?
YES NO

10. Which advertising and promotional initiatives do you partake in (circle all applicable):
a. Kootenay Rockies Tourism marketing programs
b. Tourism BC marketing programs
c. CTC marketing programs
d. Newspaper advertising
e. Magazine advertising
f. Guide book advertising
g. Specialty publication advertising
h. Radio advertising
i. TV advertising
j. Have a business web site
k. Linking to other web sites
l. Advertising on other web sites (list which ones)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
m. Brochures
n. Flyers/Posters/Coupons
o. Consumer shows (i.e. Calgary Ski Show)
p. Travel trade shows (i.e. Rendezvous Canada)
q. Trade publication advertising
r. Direct Mail
s. FAM Tours
t. Sales calls
u. Other: _______________________________________________________________

11. What advertising and promotions have you found work best for your operation? Please give
details on what initiatives and why.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

12. Do you set up your own familiarization tours with tour operators, group/club leaders, media
and/or key locals?
a. Tour Operators YES NO WOULD LIKE TO
b. Group/Club Leaders YES NO WOULD LIKE TO
c. Media YES NO WOULD LIKE TO
d. Key Locals YES NO WOULD LIKE TO

13. Do you currently collaborate on some of your advertising and promotional initiatives?
YES NO WOULD LIKE TO WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE

14. Do you create and sell packages?

YES NO WOULD LIKE TO WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE

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 15. Do you currently work with other tourism businesses to package products?
YES NO WOULD LIKE TO WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE

16. Does your business follow a specific industry Code of Ethics/Conduct?

YES NO WOULD LIKE TO

a. If yes, which one?

___________________________________________________________________

17. Do you follow specific standards and/or best practices?

YES NO WOULD LIKE TO

a. If yes, did you develop your own?

YES NO

b. If you are following another’s (industry association’s, etc.) please indicate who’s
___________________________________________________________________

18. Is your business and/or staff certified in any way?

YES NO

a. If yes, please indicate who is certified in what.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

19. Does your business (circle all applicable):

a. Buy local as often as possible
b. Use environmental friendly products
c. Educate customers on their impacts
d. Conduct environmental impact assessments of your business
e. Participate in special conservation projects (i.e. water, land, wildlife, plant life, etc.)?
f. Get involved in community or district planning
g. Get involved in community organizations
h. Recycle
i. Compost food waste
j. Compost human waste
k. Partake in special building techniques/projects with you business
l. Other :______________________________________________________________

Section 2 – Industry Development

NOTE – Region is defines as East Kootenay’s, West Kootenay’s & Boundary

20. Do you agree that an official standards and certification reflecting economic, social and
environmental ethics is required for all types of tourism businesses?
YES NO PARTLY AGREE

21. Do you agree that there is a need for a quality assurance program (stamp of approval and
branding) for all types of tourism businesses, like there is for accommodators?
YES NO PARTLY AGREE

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 22. Is insurance a serious issue in your business at this time?
YES NO

23. What types of insurance is problematic? Circle all applicable.

a. Liability Insurance
b. Property Insurance
c. Boiler Insurance
d. Business Interruption Insurance
e. Trip Cancellation Insurance
f. Other __________________________________________________________

24. What portion (%) of your business revenue’s is going towards:

a. Liability Insurance ________ %
b. Property Insurance ________ %
c. Other ______________________ __________ %
d. All Insurance ________%

25. Are you a part of an organization providing a stable / group insurance program?
YES NO

a. If yes, which organization?

_________________________________________________________

26. Do you feel the internet is important in promoting and selling tourism products?
YES NO SOMEWHAT

27. Do you think the region is adequately represented on-line to consumers as a destination?
YES NO SOMEWHAT

a. Are you aware of any regional web sites? List.

________________________________________________________________

28. Should a regional tourism destination web site include information on all tourism products,
services and experiences in the region?
YES NO IF POSSIBLE

29. Do you see a need for a regional “all-products” receptive/inbound tour service (i.e. a
regionally-based 1-800 # and web site that sells the regions products to the consumer through
its central reservation service)?
YES NO SOMEWHAT DON’T KNOW

30. Would you use an on-line web forum (similar to a chat room) to communicate with other
tourism operators in the region if it was available?
YES NO

31. When would be the best time of year, month, and week for a 2-day tourism industry
conference? Circle all applicable.
a. Which month
i. April
ii. October
iii. Another Month ____________
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 b. Best days within month
i. Beginning
ii. Middle
iii. End
c. Weekdays or Weekends

32. What topics and workshops are you interested in for the next conference?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Section 3 – Business / Product Development

33. Are you interested in creating new travel packages with other tourism businesses that are
market research-based and fit with your business?
YES NO MAYBE

34. Which of the following types of regional alliances would you be interested in being a part of?
An alliance would focus on product development, packaging, collaborative marketing,
industry development and communications.
a. Adventure Tourism
b. Eco-tourism
c. Health & Wellness Tourism
d. Cultural & Heritage Tourism
e. Business Travel Tourism
f. Agricultural Tourism
g. Driving Tours
h. Other: _________________________________________

35. What types of area products/businesses/experiences would you like to collaborate with and
expand on for travel package development? Circle all applicable.
a. Arts (visual, performing, learning, etc.)
b. Heritage site and attractions
c. Aboriginal tourism
d. Events and festivals
e. Adventure and recreation
f. Learning experiences
i. What types? ________________________________________________
g. Health & wellness (spas, therapy, hot springs, retreats, clinics, etc)
h. Transportation providers
i. European explorers such as David Thompson – history, retracing steps, etc
j. Loop / driving tours
k. Business and incentive travel
l. Industrial tourism (mining, forestry, shipping – past & present)
m. Agri-tourism (gardens, orchards, local foods, farms, ranches, etc)
n. Olympic packaging
o. Other ___________________________________________________________

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 36. Do you have slow times / seasons which you would like to expand on with additional
business and product development?
YES NO
a. When are these slow times?
__________________________________________________________________

37. What specific advertising/promotions would you like to access but are too small to access on
your own? For example, consumer trade shows, publications or newspapers, TV, radio, web
sites, etc. Please specify exactly which shows, publications, etc.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Do you need help identifying what advertising and promotions would work best for
your operation?
YES NO

38. What specific geographic target markets (Seattle, UK, Calgary, etc) would you like to access
but do not have the funds or expertise to do so on your own?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

39. Would you partner with other tourism suppliers and organizations to access these
opportunities through collaborative marketing?
YES NO MAYBE

40. What types of market research are you interested in attaining or conducting?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

41. Are you conducting any of your own market research?

YES NO

a. If yes, what types?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

42. Do you have new tourism product ideas but need assistance in researching their potential
success and/or need assistance in making them market-ready?
YES NO

43. What are your key business issues (i.e. insurance, specific processes, training, skills,
transportation, etc)?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 44. Do you have any issues or challenges with finding financing and/or investment dollars?
YES NO NOT APPLICABLE

45. Do you have any issues or challenges with finding quality staff?
YES NO SOMETIMES

a. If yes or maybe, what types of staff are you having a hard time finding?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

46. As a manager/owner, what areas would you like more training on? Circle all applicable
a. Packaging
b. How to add value to your product(s)
c. Product development
d. Product distribution
e. Pricing
f. Yield/Revenue management
g. Public relations
h. Media relations
i. Writing a marketing plan
j. Writing a business plan
k. Business image and positioning
l. Advertising and promotion
m. Internet marketing
n. Web sites & Search Engines
o. Accounting / Finance
p. Bookkeeping
q. Getting organized
r. How to hire quality staff
s. Human resources (hiring, interviewing, firing, managing, benefits, training, etc)
t. Customer service
u. First aid
v. Risk management
w. Leadership training
x. Negotiating partnership agreements
y. Environmental stewardship
z. Other ____________________________________________________________

47. What would be your preferred format in learning about a topic? Indicate top 3 choices.
a. Read a book on it _____
b. Take a correspondence / online course on it _____
c. Take half-day or full-day courses in your local area _____
d. Go to an area College / Training Centre for evening courses _____
e. Take a week long course _____
f. Other ______________________________________________________

48. What would you pay for a full-day course in a community near you conducted by a certified /
professional instructor / facilitator? Give a range or approximation.
$ __________________
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 49. Please answer the following transportation questions.
a. Is transportation important to your operation?
YES NO

b. In what ways?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

c. What transportation needs do you have that are currently not being met?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

d. What existing transportation issues are you facing that are cost-prohibitive and/or
inefficient?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

e. Do you see a benefit to conducting an inventory of existing transportation systems

that function in the region?
YES NO

f. Do you see a benefit in conducting market research on transportation opportunities

and linkages within our region for tourism?
YES NO

g. What other transportation issues or opportunities do you have?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. You will
receive the summary of this survey.

Please mail, email or fax it to:

WCWE/TASK
1449 Carney Road
Kimberley, BC V1A 3M7
Fx: 250-427-7358
Email: jikke@monarch.net

Created by Jikke Stegeman January 2004 9