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Interview with Colin Ferguson, President & CEO at Travel Manitoba

We caught up with Colin Ferguson, President & CEO at Travel Manitoba to discuss some of the key areas affecting place branding.

CNP: There’s been an increase in awareness about the need for effective place branding over the past few years. How do you feel that place branding has changed in the light of this?

CF: Over the years there has been a greater understanding of what place branding is and its benefits to destinations in both marketing and developing emerging tourism experiences.  The sharing of information through conferences, such as those offered by City Nation Place, has both opened marketers’ eyes and elevated the quality of place branding for destinations.

CNP: What impact do you see that the growth in social media has had on place branding and place marketing strategy?

CF: This has proven a game changer. Social media has enabled destinations to communicate their messages, products, offerings to a much broader audience at a very low cost.  However, it too has created considerable “clutter” in the market and increased competition amongst all destinations vying for the consumer’s attention.

CNP: Whilst place branding has, mostly, moved on from the logo and slogan approach, the design identity to support your strategy is still so important.  What do you believe a great place identity should deliver for a city, nation or region?

CF: The very foundation behind Travel Manitoba’s Place Branding initiative, is to bring focus to a given destination, accurately reflect the destination's personality, showcase reasons for visitation, align businesses under a singular, consistent message and bridge the gaps between the experience that visitors get when they visit a destination and the perception that people have of that destination. And, it is working.

CNP: What, in your view, is the single greatest challenge for place branders responsible for delivering effective, international communication strategy?

CF: I believe the single greatest challenge for Manitoba has been the need to build consensus amongst the destination’s stakeholders, to enable them to agree to communicate with a consistent message, supported with bold new creative.  Consensus ensures the brand truly reflects the personality of the destination, and results in consistent messaging, and, quality of message.

CNP:  Would you say that place branding teams are getting better at engaging citizens in the process?  Why do you feel it is important to engage citizens?

CF: It is critical that citizens of a given destination feel that their home is being promoted fairly in local, regional, national and international markets for them to buy in and support the brand. The Place Brand, in addition to all it is intended to do externally, should also instil a “Sense of Pride” amongst local residents. Furthermore, we too have found that politicians are more likely to embrace the brand if voters are supportive of the place brand.

CNP: How do you think an effective place branding strategy for a city, region or nation can contribute to that place’s economic resilience?

CF: This question is at the very heart of our Place Banding initiative. A strong place brand will create a positive image for a destination.  Businesses are more likely to invest if they are aware of and are impressed by quality the destination brand. And, an effective Place Brand will attract investment, travellers/tourists… and most importantly, revenue to the given destination. 

CNP: What is the key to successful collaboration between stakeholder teams and departments engaged together in a place branding strategy?

CF: With each of our Place Brands, local champions are identified to carry forward the brand implementation and ongoing marketing efforts. Success is largely based on their commitment… however, key to the brand’s success is clear communication on the purpose of the brand, objectives, strategies, tactics and anticipated performance.

CNP: What is the key to maintaining the momentum of your place branding or place marketing strategy?

CF: Travel Manitoba created the Place Branding initiative about 2 years ago. Since that time, 11 destinations self-identified, secured “Brand Champions” and investors, and have implemented their new brand in an effort to align the community, showcase their destination, drive visitation and revenues. Travel Manitoba pays for the brand development, our gift to the given community. The community, however, needs to generate revenues on their own to ensure it is implemented properly and that they have monies available for marketing initiatives over, at least, a three-year period. 

Here again, communication is key.  We continue to both monitor all Manitoba Place Brands and work directly with the area champions to assist wherever we can… with the goal of ensuring greater success. We too are hosting our first Place Brand Summit in September 2018, bringing all “Champions” together to tell their story, celebrate success and brainstorm ideas for future initiatives/collaboration.

CNP: Do you think the job of place branding is easier or more challenging now than it was five years ago? And why?

CF: The concept of Place Branding or Place Making is now a mainstream marketing activity. Destinations all over the world, from countries to small communities are actively using Place Branding/Place Making to put them on the proverbial map. The competition is fierce for attention. So… more challenging now more than ever, largely due to a greater marketing focus placed on attracting visitation, the level of competition and on cost-effective marketing platforms such as social media.

In Manitoba, we are Place Branding communities of less than 10,000 at one end of the spectrum, and our Capital City, Winnipeg, a population of 700,000 at the other end of the spectrum. However, the initial 11 Place Brands have been developed for small towns and cities throughout the Province, including the remote North. We believe the tenants of brand development are the same for small communities or large countries… as is the strategy behind brand development.

CNP: What three things make a great awards entry from the judges’ perspective?

CF: This is a great question. 

1.    Does the brand accurately reflect the destination… is it true? Is it believable?

2.    Does it meet or exceed the expectation of the visitor/traveller?

3.    Is it doing what it is designed to do… is it memorable, does it attract attention, economic development opportunities, change/improve perceptions, instil a sense of pride amongst residents, and finally, does it generate increases in revenue. In other words, is it working?

CNP: Which session are you most looking forward to hearing at this year’s City Nation Place Global Forum?

CF: As you know, we are returning for our second CNP conference in London. We also attended your conference in New York. Travel Manitoba may be the only or one of the few whose annual budget is calculated based on performance. Our funding is based on a percentage of revenues generated by the Tourism Industry in Manitoba. 96% of the tax based revenues generated by tourism in Manitoba remains with the Government of Manitoba, while 4% goes to travel Manitoba to market the Province locally, nationally and internationally. In our first year under Plan 96/4, Manitoba experienced a $100,000,000 increase in tourism revenues… and Place Branding is helping. We are passionate about Place Branding. There is a strong business case for developing these Place Brands… at the core… drive visitation, revenues and Plan 96/4. 

That said, the session on “Creating the ideal structure to manage a nation's brand.”

CNP: If you weren’t working for your own city, region or nation, which place would you like to work for?

CF: This is a hard question… Many destinations have done incredible work to establish their brand… the likes of New York or Paris come to mind. I would like to work on a brand that would be a great challenge… one to push a destination on the world stage… and one deserving of that position. 

That said, the incredible city of Budapest… baby Prague!

Missed the event in person? Don't worry...

The Place Brand Portfolio is City Nation Place's searchable portfolio of Awards case studies from the past five years.

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Colin Ferguson joined Travel Manitoba as President and CEO in 2011.  Since then, he’s had the opportunity to travel to all corners of the province. He’s slept in a tundra lodge in Churchill, and slept outside at Portage & Main as part of the CEO Sleepout. When he’s not sleeping on the job, he’s hard at work supporting Travel Manitoba’s mission to increase tourism’s contribution to the provincial economy by leading the marketing of Manitoba as a tourism destination and by fostering a competitive and sustainable tourism industry.

Well known in Winnipeg’s advertising and marketing community, Ferguson has been a partner in Ferguson Walker Marketing Communications, working with clients such as James Richardson & Sons Limited and Direct Focus.  For many years prior to establishing his own company, Ferguson was Senior Partner and General Manager of Palmer Jarvis Advertising/Palmer Jarvis DDB.  He has also been active in the not-for-profit sector, as one of the founding directors of Partners in the Park, serving as president of the Children’s Hospital Research Foundation, and providing strategic planning and marketing for Winnipeg’s hosting of the 1999 Pan Am Games.

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Travel Manitoba joins Portage Officials to talk tourism plans

In a recent gathering, Portage la Prairie celebrated its tourism potential, with Kellie Verwey, the Tourism Coordinator for the Portage Regional Tourism Committee, leading the charge. She highlighted months of collaborative efforts. 

"This was the formal reveal of the reports that we've been working on for the past five months now." Verwey shares, "It was a really great experience. We had some fantastic consultants to work with. This was the first project of this scope that I have been a part of." 

Verwey emphasized the positive feedback received and outlined plans for future marketing strategies and partnership development.  

Mayor of Portage Sharilyn Knox expressed her excitement about the city's assets and the economic boost tourism can bring. She stressed the importance of showcasing local gems to both visitors and residents. 

"I feel energized and excited for the region of Portage la Prairie," Knox notes. "We know we have some amazing assets here and amazing tourism opportunities and it's just great to see it all put together and give us the story of where we are and what we can accomplish." 

Colin Ferguson, President and CEO of Travel Manitoba, praised Portage's commitment to tourism. He emphasized the economic benefits and encouraged continued collaboration between Travel Manitoba and local communities.  

Looking ahead, the presentation emphasized ongoing collaboration, marketing efforts, and community engagement. 

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New travel brand, slogan for Manitoba aim to tell the world 'Canada's heart is calling'

Tourism and marketing rebrand meant to capture how people feel when they vacation, travel manitoba says.

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Manitoba has a new marketing campaign and slogan, aimed at drawing tourists to the province with the message "Canada's heart is calling."

Travel Manitoba unveiled the new slogan and brand at a news conference Monday, saying it's meant to capture how people feel when they travel, rather than focusing on specific places in the province.

"This brand gives us the opportunity to showcase Manitoba as a place that answers the call of the heart," said Cody Chomiak, vice-president of marketing for Travel Manitoba, the Crown corporation responsible for promoting tourism in the province.

"If COVID taught us anything, it's that our backyard is pretty spectacular, and the time is now to share that with the world."

Premier Heather Stefanson acknowledged that businesses in the tourism industry were "among the first … to close and last to open as a result of the pandemic," and said she hopes the new branding will help turn their fortunes around.

"The new Manitoba tourism strategy aims to make our province more attractive to visitors and to investors in our province," she said at Monday's news conference.

"We saw just last month with the official opening at The Leaf at the Assiniboine Park that Manitoba has the attractions and experiences that can compete on the world stage and attract international, national and local audiences."

• City's new place brand, slogan aim to tell the world Winnipeg is 'made from what's real'
• Pandemic expected to hamper Manitoba tourism with a 3-year hangover

In 2019, the tourism industry generated $1.6 billion in Manitoba, but that number dropped during the pandemic.

Travel Manitoba says the goal is hit the $1.6-billion mark again by 2024, and see tourism revenue climb to $2.5 billion annually by 2030.

Manitoba's previous slogan, "Canada's heart beats," was  rolled out in 2014  and "changed the way people viewed Manitoba as a travel destination," Travel Manitoba president and CEO Colin Ferguson said in a press release.

The new branding aims "to tell the next chapter of that story," he said.

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In Manitoba, we know the longing for travel is felt in the heart. So when your heart needs quiet, or when it needs to race, sing or reflect, follow it here to the middle of Canada. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, Canada’s heart is calling.

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MakeMyTrip Is Bringing Back Experiences. Plus: CEO on Latest Spending Patterns

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

May 8th, 2024 at 3:27 PM EDT

The CEO of India's largest travel agency weighs in on what he's seeing with religious tourism, new tax-collection rules and the country's short booking windows.

Peden Doma Bhutia

Leaders of Travel: Skift C-Suite Series

What are the top trends impacting hotels, airlines, and online bookings? We speak to the executives shaping the future of travel.

Indian online travel agency MakeMyTrip will be resuming its attractions and activities product for travelers, a feature it had paused during the Covid pandemic.

MakeMyTrip Co-Founder and Group CEO, Rajesh Magow, emphasized that these experiences are currently more focused on foreign destinations, as the offerings for domestic destinations are still developing.

That was one bit of news Magow shared in an interview with Skift. We were also interested in what trends he’s seeing as he leads India’s largest online travel agency.

Skift: On news of MakeMyTrip making its products available from 3 to 150 countries , what prompted this move?

Magow: It’s not so much about going global as it is about increasing accessibility to a wider audience. This will help us reach the vast Indian diaspora and enable us to cater to a broader audience, fostering increased inbound travel to India.

Travelers for now would be able to transact only in INR, AED and USD, but work is in progress to allow multi-currency transactions.

Shift in Spending Patterns

MakeMyTrip recently launched the Business Class Funnel . How has the consumption patterns of Indians changed and how do you plan to cater to this demand for premium travel experiences?

This product targeting travelers on long-haul flights or those taking a red-eye, is in its early stages, but it’s gaining momentum. There’s a marked shift in spending patterns. Currently, essential expenses account for 80% of spending, while 20% is for discretionary purposes. By 2030, this ratio is expected to shift to 60:40, doubling discretionary spending.

Looking ahead to 2030, approximately 90 million Indian households will be led by millennials. With increasing incomes and a preference for enhanced experiences over savings, this demographic is influencing consumer behavior. India’s economic evolution also merits attention, positioning the country for a transformation similar to what China experienced.

Impact of Short Booking Windows

Now that summer is here, MakeMyTrip has also gone on air with its recent summer campaign. What are the emerging travel trends? Have booking windows become longer?

India is a last-minute market, where bookings are typically made 15 to 30 days in advance. It’s still early days for summer booking trends. However, weekend getaways are becoming popular and seem to be a permanent trend. Whenever there’s a holiday during the week, closer to the weekend, people book trips promptly, and booking windows for these are shorter.

Booking windows are longer when schools and colleges announce summer vacations, which is the time for families to book trips. Earlier this month, our packages unit held a sale event, which generated significant interest. People saw attractive prices and were willing to book in advance. Such events also help trigger longer booking windows.

Complying With New Tax-Collection Rules

Is there more clarity on Tax Collected at Source (TCS) for travelers now?

It’s important to note that TCS is not an additional tax and is more of a temporary cash flow concern. Banks are responsible for collecting the tax, not travel agents as they have more accurate information. If you use a credit card for other foreign purchases, we cannot monitor that.

To manage expenditures beyond the INR 700,000 ($8,384) limit, we have integrated APIs from banks that inform us whether a specific credit card has exceeded the liberalized remittance scheme (LRS) or spending limit.

However, the INR 700,000 limit has proven effective, and people are getting accustomed to it.

Growth in Religious Tourism

How does MakeMyTrip look at the religious tourism segment ? How do you plan to tap into this?

Religious tourism is a rapidly growing segment driven by improved connectivity and enhanced overall experiences. People today visit these places not just for religious purposes, but also to seek historical and cultural experiences.

Individuals from all income brackets — lower, middle, and high — are now exploring these destinations. As infrastructure gradually improves, there are challenges. Ayodhya recently generated substantial interest, but the hospitality sector there is still catching up, resulting in a supply-demand gap. In hindsight, the hospitality industry could have been more proactive in developing accommodations to meet this demand.

There’s also a need to focus on enhancing the overall tourist experience. Road, rail, and air connectivity is improving, and more hotels and homestays are expected to emerge. However, on-ground experiences, such as sightseeing and queue management at sites, require procedural and logistical improvements.

As demand continues to grow and infrastructure development progresses, there will likely be a greater emphasis on improving experiences. Such improvements have already been seen in established religious destinations like Katra, Tirupati and Shirdi.

Bringing Travelers From Smaller Cities

MakeMyTrip recently integrated its hotel product on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation  ( IRCTC) website. Is this an effort to attract new users from smaller cities and expand the customer base?

That’s correct. IRCTC is deeply penetrated in the Indian interiors. The idea behind this initiative was to utilize our existing content by making it accessible to IRCTC’s audience, thereby attracting new users to our platform.

By featuring our hotel offerings on IRCTC, we increase our visibility among their audience. This allows users who encounter our services on IRCTC to easily transition to booking through our platform if they wish to do so.

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Tags: asia monthly , business class , experiences , leisure travel , makemytrip , online booking , online travel newsletter , religious travel , summer travel , taxes

Photo credit: MakeMyTrip Co-Founder and Group CEO, Rajesh Magow, at Skift India Summit. Skift

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Marketing Manitoba to the World

Posted February 05, 2024

Travel Manitoba launches new marketing plans for 2024, promoting Manitoba to potential travellers in nearby and international markets.

Travel Manitoba's newest marketing plan outlines a robust strategy to position the province as a must-visit, four season destination. The plan includes various initiatives targeting a diverse range of audiences, including leisure travelers, hunters and anglers, travel trade, travel media, and key international markets. “By focusing on diverse audience segments, leveraging digital technologies, and adopting an integrated approach, Travel Manitoba aims to drive visitation, increase visitor spending, and stimulate long-term growth in the tourism sector,” said Colin Ferguson, President & CEO, Travel Manitoba. “The success of these initiatives will not only benefit the province's economy but also contribute to establishing Manitoba as a top destination for travellers worldwide.”

“By focusing on diverse audience segments, leveraging digital technologies, and adopting an integrated approach, Travel Manitoba aims to drive visitation, increase visitor spending, and stimulate long-term growth in the tourism sector,” said Colin Ferguson, President & CEO, Travel Manitoba.

In 2023, Travel Manitoba launched a refreshed brand, focusing on the emotional connection travellers have with places they visit through the powerful tagline, Canada’s Heart is Calling. Reception of the new brand has been overwhelmingly positive and Travel Manitoba continues to apply the brand across all marketing assets, including through local creator collaborations for Travel Manitoba’s robust merchandise program and awareness marketing efforts outside of Manitoba. The 2024 Marketing Plans build on the success of Canada’s Heart is Calling while adopting an integrated marketing approach to reach desired target markets for potential travellers. These markets include Manitoba, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Tactics Travel Manitoba will use include leveraging digital and traditional marketing through social media as well as news publications and outlets, emerging technologies like AI, partnerships with platforms such as TripAdvisor, Google, and Expedia, and innovative co-op marketing campaigns led by Travel Manitoba.

Leisure Market Initiatives Seasonal campaigns will drive visitor interest in a variety of Manitoba experiences including outdoor adventures, unique accommodations, city-based getaways as well as interest-based travel for Francophone and Indigenous experiences. A Spring / Summer campaign and Fall / Winter campaign planned for 2024 will inspire travellers through video, social media, print and radio advertising. Our flagship Inspiration Guide publication will reach residents in Manitoba as well as Saskatchewan, Northwest Ontario and through targeted distributions in Grand Forks and Fargo. Digital offerings such as the Manitoba Explorer App and Manitoba Experience Passes contribute to the overall leisure market approach with convenient savings and rewards-driven activities. Airline strategies in partnership with WestJet, Air Canada, Porter Airlines and United Airlines will further amplify Travel Manitoba’s marketing efforts in alignment with non-stop routes to Winnipeg for U.S. travellers. Francophone and Indigenous Tourism Recognizing the unique experiences Manitoba offers, there are specific strategies for Francophone and Indigenous tourism. Digital marketing, themed trails, content marketing, and collaborations with relevant organizations are all part of the plan to elevate these segments. Northern Tourism The vast northern region of Manitoba is positioned as a distinct tourism destination. Targeted efforts like seasonal direct mail campaigns, Bandwango initiatives, and featured content through Travel Manitoba’s core leisure campaign work together to drive interest in exploring Manitoba’s North.

Hunt Fish Market With hunting and fishing being a key contributor to Manitoba's tourism economy, Travel Manitoba will run targeted campaigns through the Prairie Angling Program, a collaboration with Tourism Saskatchewan and Destination Canada, to promote fly-in, drive-to and ice fishing adventures. The Master Angler and Master Hunter programs, along with digital marketing and website enhancements, aim to further engage this specific audience. Travel Trade Travel Manitoba recognizes the importance of the travel trade sector and has plans in place for familiarization (FAM) trips, sponsorships and collaborations with Destination Canada to increase interest in Manitoba products through travel trade channels. The travel trade team will be attending Rendez-vous Canada from May 14 to 17 in Edmonton, Alberta, to promote Manitoba to the world. At last year’s event, over 370 international buyers from Canada’s key markets attended as well as over 900 tourism industry delegates from across the country.

Media and Influencer Relations

Engaging with traditional and digital media, hosting media trips, and participating in key market events are all part of Travel Manitoba's strategy to garner positive coverage and inspire travel.Travel Manitoba will continue to partner with Destination Canada on media activities to expand reach and leverage resources, as well as continuing to host prioritized travel media and influencers from target markets on curated customized itineraries.

Read the 2024 Marketing Plan and subsequent plans for Indigenous Marketing, Francophone Marketing and Northern Manitoba Marketing in English or French here.

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