Shoulder & Winter Tourism Experience Opportunities
The Similkameen Valley has potential to attract close-in markets for shoulder and winter season opportunities due to its favourable weather, close proximity to two BC domestic markets, the Okanagan Corridor and the Lower Mainland of BC.
In support of business retention and expansion, the research-based Shoulder and Winter Tourism Experience Opportunities project provides information to generate ideas to fill gaps for shoulder (spring/fall) and potential winter tourism experiences. Two key initiatives were identified a wellness retreat for the Cawston area and a hotel for the Princeton area.
Read the full report and review this website for more information on supporting tourism. Visit these sections of the website Destination Information, Research, Sustainability and also look for resources on the Quick Links page.
Increasing visitor demand outside the summer seasons can be achieved through the following:
- making experiences available for all seasons
- building on the inherent authenticity of the Similkameen Valley for new experiences (
- reorienting marketing to engage new traveller types
- off-season pricing that incentifies travel
- building on off-season events, festivals and sports that utilize available capacity
- helping operators become market and export-ready so they can scale up their experience design, marketing and operations
Funding for this project provided by ETSI-BC and the Similkameen Valley Planning Society (SVPS)
Contact Simone Carlysle-Smith, Tourism Services Provider for more information email support@similkameenvalley.com
THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has developed resources for Elevating Canadian Experiences and they developed the Winter and Shoulder Season Tourism Toolkit. Key sections include:
- The Current Landscape – Understanding: Adjusting to the New Reality
- Seasonality: Problem or Opportunity?
- The Situation in Canada: Trends, Insights & Analytics
- Winter and Shoulder Season Destination Strategy: A 3-Phase Approach
- Supporting Winter and Shoulder Season Tourism: Tips for Operators
In addition to this framework consideration was given to the four pillars of destination management: Research & Insights, Sustainability, Development, Marketing.
VISITOR & MARKET RESEARCH
Domestic visitor and market research inform decision making and research insights are beneficial to local tourism businesses to understand the travel types that visit the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS). Refer to the Research section of this website for the latest information.
2022 and Beyond
Visitor demand is expected to recover although its composition will differ from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic due to changing demographics, travel values, and the lingering impacts of the pandemic. For smaller destinations like the Similkameen Valley, there is some good news. Trends such as remote work, sustainability, cleanliness, and hygiene can be the foundation for refining the brand promise to better differentiate from over-visited and less sustainable urban centres and resort communities. For this to happen, however, operators will have to innovate and develop new capacity to entice demand off the beaten path and away from the 10-week peak summer season.
EFFECTS OF SEASONALITY
Seasonality affects operators in the Similkameen Valley and by extension the destination. The adverse effects on the industry are well documented and can be acute in smaller, rural communities:
- revenues and cash flow concentrated in a few months
- underutilized assets and facilities
- challenges accessing capital
- challenges recruiting and retaining qualified management and staff
- limited capacity for expanding experiences and markets
- need for pursuing other sources of income
Businesspeople are looking for places where they believe they are going to get the greatest return on their investment. For some operators attracted by the lifestyle, seasonality can be an advantage, however, for those who must make substantial investments in buildings and equipment (such as accommodators), seasonality can be a liability. Operators that develop longer seasons can provide better and more predictable returns for themselves and their partners.
Communities in the Similkameen Valley bear the costs of seasonality as well, from distorted labour and housing markets to social impacts such as congestion and anti-social behaviour by visitors during the high season. A dispersion of visitors across the region and across the different seasons has the potential to increase overall economic benefits while providing opportunities for a more diversified destination.
SUPPORTING INITIATIVES
The following initiatives can be implemented by SVPS as circumstances dictate and time and resources allow. They are meant to keep the focus on shoulder and winter season diversification and maintain momentum for the lead opportunities.
WEBSITE
The official website for tourism marketing for the Similkameen Valley has recently undergone a major content, navigation re-structure and SEO update to align with best practices to ensure an improved user experience. The objective is to continually create awareness of the Similkameen Valley since the majority of users are new to the website. The website is the official call to action for all marketing activities of the SVPS, however, organic search continues to be the number source of users of the site. A new Winter section has been added to showcase winter products as they become market-ready.
IDENTIFY SHOULDER AND WINTER SEASON MARKETS
A comprehensive research process was undertaken for this project which includes 3-year visitor trend analysis by each quarter for the period 2019-2021. Further, a 2022 year-in-review report will document the top EQ and PRIZM segments that visited the RDOS to monitor travel types returning to the RDOS.
For the RDOS number one domestic market BC Residents, current data suggests top EQ types for off-season based on the previous visitation to the RDOS from 2019-2021 indicate Rejuvenators and Gentle Explorers dominate for October to March followed by Authentic Experiencers and Free Spirits. Note: in 2021 Free Spirits dominated in Jan-March 2021 for the first time. Full market profiles by EQ and PRIZM segments for the BC and Alberta market, plus BC Adventure Sports Enthusiasts, Culinary, Culture History, Cycling, and Hiking can be found on the website. Each operator can determine the best match for their business or shoulder/winter season experience and review the corresponding market profiles.
ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS
While the Similkameen Valley does not have a dedicated destination management organization, the SVPS does fund core destination marketing activities leveraged with Destination BC funding. Core foundational marketing of the Similkameen Valley is present through an online presence of the official website https://similkameenvalley.com, Facebook and Instagram channels, Official Similkameen Valley Travel Experiences Guide (in partnership with Black Press) and regional and local pad maps. Consortium partnerships include the Crowsnest Tourism Alliance (a partnership of the SVPS, Similkameen Independent Winegrowers (SIW), Destination Osoyoos and Boundary Country (Regional District Kootenay Boundary), where the group has invested in a website portal as the main call-to-action for digital campaigns promoting travel in the BC and Alberta markets to the western section of Highway 3 with https://www.crowsnestscenic3.com/ supported by social media channels Facebook and Instagram.
RESEARCH
SVPS has participated in a research partnership with Destination Osoyoos for 2019-2022 data sources profiling the visitor to the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) area, which includes the Similkameen Valley and surrounding communities. The objective of the research is to understand who is coming from the primary market of BC (and Alberta as a secondary market) and to support local industry with these insights to apply to product and experience development and marketing for their own businesses. In addition to understanding visitor profiles with trend analysis dating back from 2018, identifying new target audiences also forms the market research strategy which includes interest-based segments such as culinary, hiking, cycling, history, and cultural enthusiasts. In addition to identifying these audiences, postal code targeting through digital marketing provides a direct connection to these target audiences, which demonstrates the practical application of the information.
OFF-SEASON ROAD CONDITIONS & WINTER CONTENT ON WEBSITE
The SVPS added new content to the official website in 2022 to support winter travel including road and travel conditions to keep travellers informed and educated about off-season travel to the Similkameen. It is also important to ensure winter highway maintenance continues to be a high priority for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Promote and highlight highway and safety improvements.
ITINERARIES & PACKAGES
Develop itineraries and packages for promotion on the SVPS website, with a focus on experiential packages that show off the Similkameen’s distinction attributes. Itineraries should also be developed based on motivating experiences and learner segment visitor markets. Traditionally, a package would be a group of products and services (for example accommodation, transportation, meals, tours) presented as a unit and sold for one fixed price. Today, many travellers are seeking out experiential packages that provide encounters, interactions and lasting memories. The price of the package is based on the cost of the package components, plus a premium for the value travellers receive
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES
Promote uptake of the Destination BC Remarkable Experiences program among local operators, focusing on winter and shoulder season product development.
WINTER CAMPING
Work with Apex and Manning Park to pilot a winter camping experience that could be packaged with local operators and marketed through the SVPS website. Information and resources to local campgrounds and RV parks on winterizing their properties should also be considered. Currently, the Town of Princeton operates the Municipal campground that is open year-round. Monitor demand for winter camping and expand opportunities from key learnings.
INNOVATION LAB
The SVPS could host an annual innovation lab workshop with the objective of creating and testing/delivering a new product or experience. There is an obvious need to recruit and support an operator(s) as the pilot sponsor. The lab will generate interest and enthusiasm for pushing the envelope on innovative ideas for the physical and temporal dispersion of tourism demand. It would also identify research and data resources for testing/piloting and provide industry-wide feedback on results and follow-up.
INDIGENOUS EXPERIENCES
Work with Upper and Lower Similkameen bands to access Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) and Indigenous Tourism Canada (ITC) programs and planning resources, targeting at least one new experience for the spring or fall. ITBC received one-time funding earlier in 2022 from the BC Government for COVID recovery efforts aimed at the expansion of tourism business activities by Indigenous entrepreneurs and communities over the next two years.
EVENT DIVERSIFICATION
Developing new events can be a valuable tool for creating demand in the winter or shoulder season but the capacity for doing so in a small rural area like the Similkameen Valley is limited. Nevertheless, events and sports tournaments can be strong demand-generators and can have major payoffs over a short duration. An events strategy that targets either moving an existing long-standing and successful event outside the peak summer season, enhancing an event in the shoulder season or creating a new event is recommended. Additionally, a niche activity that the Similkameen already excels or could excel in should be the focus so organization and planning can be specific.
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
Continue to improve traveller infrastructure along highways #3, #3A and #5A including Wi-Fi services, rest stops, pullouts and points of interest that encourage less through travel. ETSI-BC and organizations like Connectivity BC are still funding infrastructure improvements but the SVPS needs to present a compelling application otherwise other communities and regions will be the recipients of financial assistance.
TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS
Continue to support hiking/biking trail route integrity by lobbying Recreation Sites and Trails BC to fix washouts and improve surface quality, focusing on routes in proximity to staging area communities like Princeton and Keremeos. Encourage more business development on the trails and short-duration experiences. Provide support to volunteer groups undertaking trail building and maintenance.
RENTALS & SERVICES
Continue to work with economic development offices and municipalities on profiling and promoting recreation rentals and related services to local entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Many travellers are not equipped for outdoor recreation activities, especially in the off-season. Bikes, ebikes, fishing, boating and other rentals provide those travellers with an opportunity to participate in an activity and stay longer in the region. Shuttle and transportation services can also be useful for encouraging one-way trail, river and lake excursions.
