Calling all travelers: Richmond is home to an exciting Asian scene, is affordable and has easy access to the rest of Metro Vancouver.
Thats the message Tourism Richmond is hoping to get out around the world with its Triple AAA marketing campaign, said CEO Tracy Lakeman.
Tourism Richmond held its Annual General Meeting Wednesday at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel.
It was an opportunity to introduce its 2012/2013 board of directors, as well as give attendees a look at what was achieved in 2011 and the DMOs (Destination Marketing Organization) strategic five-year plan.
The Triple AAA includes three key areas they will be concentrating on to encourage visitors to Richmond.
As the tourism marketing organization of Richmond, our goal is to increase the number of visitors and their spending in our community, said Lakeman.
Visitors will still explore and experience our wonderful Steveston and the Golden Village while we will encourage them to stay longer and explore all of Metro Vancouver, added Lakeman.
Lakeman went on to tell members that in 2010 (excluding Olympic months) visitors stayed an average of 1.54 nights.
In 2011, the target was 1.75 nights, but their actual at year end was 1.88. The overall goal is to reach 2.54 nights in 2012.
Tourism Richmond has grown from a small membership-funded organization 35 years ago to an internationally recognized body serving as a role model for tourism boards across British Columbia, said Tourism Richmonds chair Scott Johnson. More than 85 per cent of our hotels voluntarily support a room tax to fund Tourism Richmond. We are an award-winning DMO that is nothing short of a blueprint for DMOs across the province.
Tourism Richmond 2012/2013 Board of Directors:
Scott Johnson, chair (regional director, Sandman Signature Hotel)
Rob Gillis, immediate past chair (general manager, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Riverport)
Mary Kemmis, first vice chair and chair, visitor and partner services committee (publisher, Richmond Review)
Roland Monteiro, second vice chair (general manager, River Rock Casino Resort)
Gary Collinge, treasurer and chair, finance committee (general manager, Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel)
Vince Morlet, secretary (owner, Tapenade Mediterranean Bistro)
Sheila Luft, chair, marketing committee (general manager, Richmond Centre)
Bruce Rozenhart, chair Steveston committee (principal, Counterpoint Communications)
Albert Tseng, chair, China sales and marketing committee (president, Utopia Travel Inc./NTS International
In alphabetical order, the remaining members of Tourism Richmonds Board of Directors:
- Chris Browne (general manager, Accent Inns Vancouver Airport)
- Michael Chiu (president, Mar-Con Wire Belt)
- Paramjit Randhawa (owner, Garden City Cabs)
- Gary Rudin (assistant general manager, Four Points by Sheraton Vancouver Airport)
- Jason Tse (manager, marketing research, Vancouver Airport Authority)
- Steve Veinot (general manager, Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel)
- Amin Virani (general manager, Ramada Vancouver Airport Hotel)
- Kathryn Warren (general manager, Radisson Vancouver Airport Hotel)
- Nick Watanabe (assistant general manager, JTB Canada)
Tourism stats
- Tourism is the largest industry in Richmond
- It directly employs more than 7,400 people earning $220 million in wages
- It contributes $250 million in non-accommodation spending
- It brings in excess of 4 million person nights
- It generates $135 million in taxes broken down as: $76 million in federal, $44 million provincial and $15 million municipal
