Tourism Talk - June 2017

ChairNew TIANB Chair

Dan Myers - Chairman of the Board 

Dan began his hospitality career at McDonald's in the 80's.  After becoming inspired he received a diploma in Hotel Management at NSCC and then began his hotel career at the Holiday Inn Halifax spending time working in every department including front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage and accounting.  He has held positions such as Food and Beverage Manager (Holiday Inn Barrie; Assistant General Manager (Holiday Inn Halifax) and General Manager at Oak Island Resort, Radisson Halifax and the Lord Nelson in Halifax.

During his career, Dan has always been involved in the local business community to drive the growth of tourism.  He consistently shows dedication and commitment as President of Destination Southwest Nova, Chair Bluenose Coast, Treasure Hotel Association of Nova Scotia and Secretary Chester Chamber of Commerce. 

After moving to Fredericton in February 2015 he continues to show his passion for the tourism industry as General Manager at the Crowne Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook.  Since joining the community, Dan sits on several Board of Directors including Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, Fredericton Convention Centre, Fredericton Hotel Association and the Executive of TIANB.

Dan is a strong advocate to support community events.  He regularly participates in such events as Relay for Life, Run for the Cure, Light up the Night, and the Walk to Fight Arthritis.  In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his son, Brandon.  They can be seen camping, fishing and hiking.  He is an advocate Indianapolis Colts and Toronto Maple Leafs fan.  

upcomingeventsEvents

Thank you - TIANB Summit 
We want to thank everyone that took the time out of their busy schedules to attend the 2017 Annual Summit held in Fredericton, NB, this past May.
 
We hope that you found the Summit informative and worthwhile.  Our primary goal of the Summit is to provide "You" our members a platform for open dialogue, networking opportunities and present educational keynote speakers that touch on issues that are facing our Tourism industry here in New Brunswick. We believe this will help you develop possible strategies that better equip your business for future planning.
 
In order to make next year's Summit even more successful, we request that you fill out this post-event survey.  We thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions and we assure you that each will be given consideration so that future Summit's, as well as other future events, will be even more of a success.
 PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY  


tourismtechnologyTourism Technology

Tourism Technology Update

In this newsletter, I'd like to give you a quick department status update, so you'll know what's been happening, and what's coming up in the future.
For the month of May I travelled with members of the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture on a tour throughout New Brunswick. I was able to inform tourism owners and operators about the benefits of joining TIANB and the various training options available, in particular for online technologies.

This information was well received!! Within just over a week of returning, my training schedule for the month was full, with more appointments in waiting. I'm extremely excited to be working with tourism operators around the province on improving their knowledge and abilities for their websites, social media, email marketing, and more.

If you weren't able to attend one of the provincial information sessions in May and you'd like to find out why people are so enthusiastic about these technology training opportunities, feel free to contact me by phone or email anytime and I'll be happy to tell you all about it.

We're also planning now for a workshop series happening this fall. One topic I can announce is "Video Marketing", where you'll learn hands-on from experts in the field how to plan and market videos for social media and your website. We'll also be talking about how you can use Facebook Live to drive more customers. Stay tuned for details!

Jason Farris
Technology Resource Coordinator
506-458-5646
[email protected]
 
And now, 
Part 2 of our ongoing article series, "Your Definitive Guide to SEO".

5 SEO Tips You Can Do Yourself

Last issue we discussed what SEO is, how it works, and why it's important. It can be a tricky process, and usually involves getting your web developer involved, which usually means spending more money. No one likes to do that! So in this issue, we're going to look at some basic tips for SEO that you can implement yourself.

Tip #1 - Create Genuinely Good Content

Content is king! Creating content on your website purely for the sake of SEO is a waste of time and resources. Whatever you add to your website must be of value to your website audience. If they don't like it, then they won't be buying, literally and figuratively. Concentrate on real content with the intent to add value for your visitors.

Tip #2 - Use Keywords/Phrases Multiple Times

We're not talking about the old days of search engine marketing when "keyword stuffing" was rampant. Definitely do not stuff keywords into your content over and over just to get them in there for the search bots to pick up. That tactic no longer works, and hasn't for some time.

Always refer to tip #1. With that in mind, while you're writing quality content, be sure there is a focus. Each page on your website should have one or two targeted keywords or phrases. If your writing stays on the keyword topic, you should naturally be able to repeat your keywords/phrases a few times without sounding "spammy". And don't forget to use synonyms. This will create variety in your writing so it doesn't sound repetitive to your human visitors, and it will help search engines better identify your page's overall theme, ultimately helping you rank better.

Tip #3 - Be Aware of Keyword Placement

Using keywords multiple times is good, but if they're all at the bottom of the page, it won't be nearly as effective. When possible, try to use the main page keyword/phrase in the page heading and definitely in the first paragraph; the earlier the better.

Tip #4 - Don't Plagiarize

This seems fairly self-evident, but it happens more than it should so it's important to say. It is vital that you create original content. If you don't, not only are you stealing other people's work, but there's a good chance your website will be penalised in the search engine rankings because of it.
Want to make sure your work is original? Check out www.quetext.com

Tip #5 - Location, Location, Location!

If you're trying to attract clients from your locale, you need to mention those areas where you provide services. This will help Google and other search providers to display your results to web surfers in those areas.
Whenever you're writing for the web, the golden rule is found in tip #1 - create quality content by writing with your audience in mind. Remember this for all aspects of SEO and you have a much higher chance of being successful.
More tips to help your SEO campaigns coming in the next issue of Tourism Talk. 

Invite your colleagues to subscribe to our newsletter!
 

NBpassportMembership

Why Your Employees Should Use the TIANB Passport Card
 
Some might say that seasonal entrepreneurs work particularly hard because often times they are conducting a year's worth of business in such a short amount of time.  There is certainly much to do for New Brunswick's tourist driven business owners and their hard working employees who make it all happen.  Sometimes these busy business leaders might overlook demonstrating gratitude towards their employees.  As a result, thank you's, tokens of appreciation, and recognition for a job well done might get lost in the hustle and bustle of a short albeit active season.

It's important to thank employees now and then for all that they do.  Even if you have said it before, remind them how much you appreciate the hard work they put forth.  If you can occasionally reward them with a token of appreciation, it can go a long way in helping to establish and maintain employee loyalty. 

As you gear up for a busy season ensure your staff members know they are valued and be sure to present them with their new TIANB Passport card*, FREE for TIANB members and their employees.  The 2017 Passport cards will be out soon.  Cardholders are entitled to savings at various businesses around the province - direct employees to our website for a list of discounts (see link below).  The Passport card serves as an opportunity to let your hard workers know they are valued AND allows them to see more of New Brunswick at a reduced rate.

Exploring our beautiful province results in exciting adventures, new memories, and increased knowledge of what we have to offer.  When employees participate in provincial experiences, they are better equipped to talk about New Brunswick and help keep tourists here longer.  Moreover, employees add to our tourism economy whenever they use their Passport cards and support TIANB members. 

Use the Passport card as a means to show your appreciation to your staff.  It is another way you can demonstrate how much they mean, especially in this busy time of year. 

*Be sure to remind card bearers to mention their Passports when making reservations and/or visiting participating businesses.  Click on our new Passport image to get a full list of discounts or to learn about becoming a participating business .

Member Highlight
trainingandprogramsTraining and Programs




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________________________________________________________________


You're going places in your career. Professional Credentials from
emerit make the trip a little smoother.

 
Professional Certification and training from  emerit is available for many  tourism and hospitality related occupations.

When tourism and hospitality professionals complete the emerit certification requirements for their occupation, they are awarded the right to use an emerit Professional Designation. Depending on their occupation, they receive the Tourism Certified Professional (TCP), Tourism Certified Supervisor (TCS), or Tourism Certified Manager (TCM) credential.
People who have earned emerit credentials:
  • have a comprehensive understanding of the skills and knowledge required to perform their job;
  • have demonstrated that they meet nationally recognized occupational standards for their profession;
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  • have taken extra steps to demonstrate commitment to their career, profession and industry.
Like other academic and professional designations,  emerit certified individuals can proudly display their credential after their name to identify themselves as among the top performers in their profession. Professional credentials from  emerit should be included on résumés, business cards, email signatures and letterhead. They should also be included in social media profiles, as a great way to make connections and be found by other professionals in the industry.

For more information on emerit training and certification programs, visit emerit.ca or call 1.800.668 5313 to speak to an emerit Training Solutions specialist today.

Did you know emerit certification programs are eligible for Canada-NB Job Grant? Please click here for more information.