TTRA Blog
MRIA Advocacy: Cambridge Analytica – The Canadian Connection
See below for a statement put out by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA): A former employee of Cambridge Analytica and its parent company SCL revealed the unauthorized use of roughly 50 million Facebook users’ data to fulfill their clients’ political agendas. Articles in international media refer to the role the employee and his former Victoria-based colleague played in setting up the Canadian firm AIQ to serve Cambridge Analytica. The unethical practices by Cambridge Analytica and others are salient and disconcerting, but one has to wonder if they are only the tip of the iceberg. The combination of social media, AI, big data, and the ever-evolving technological landscape is presenting opportunities like never before, but not always for the better. The issue of “data ethics” and privacy will likely be the source of considerable public and media scrutiny for the foreseeable future. So what can companies in the field of big data and insights do to protect their … [Read more...] about MRIA Advocacy: Cambridge Analytica – The Canadian Connection
Sustainable Canada: Tackling Overtourism
VICTORIA, British Columbia -- The tsunami warning was a nice touch. On the first day that delegates opened discussions about tourism and climate change, planet Earth responded with a jolt. Shortly after midnight, sirens blared and cellphones rang across Vancouver Island: WARNING -- TSUNAMI: Prepare to evacuate. The waves from an Alaskan earthquake never materialized, but Canada's first national sustainable tourism conference felt both cursed and blessed. Deirdre Campbell, of Beattie Tartan Communications and a conference founder, joked the next morning, "No, we didn't plan this, but it made the point." To wit, Canada made the unusual decision to tackle tourism's toughest problems while their industry is on the upswing, when life is good. In fact, Canada tourism has never been hotter. The "good news" headlines are becoming repetitive: "Best Year Ever for Canada Tourism -- 2017 surpassing the previous record by over one million." "Toronto breaks all records with $8.8 … [Read more...] about Sustainable Canada: Tackling Overtourism
Destination Organizations: Are You GDPR Ready?
The deadline for compliance with the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is just around the corner, and even if you’re a U.S.-based DMO, the privacy law WILL apply to you. Since you’re most likely collecting personal data in your CRM and CMS from customers or contacts in the EU, it is important to educate yourself and your team on GDPR requirements, and to review and adjust your policies and processes as needed to make sure you’re lawfully handling the data. Don’t Get Scared, Get Prepared It can be easy to feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the requirements of this new regulation, so we’d like to help you ease into what you need to know with this blog: build your awareness of the regulation, give you some key points to keep in mind, and some questions to start you off on reviewing your policies and processes for compliance. At the end of this blog, we’ll provide some further resources for you. What GDPR Means to Destination … [Read more...] about Destination Organizations: Are You GDPR Ready?
How Does Politics Affect Tourism?
A look at international tourism trends on the back of a possible 'Trump slump' While the U.S. still makes up a sizable chunk of world travel, new data measuring 2017's first seven months of international travel to the U.S. from the U.S. Commerce Department indicates a dip of 4 percent year-over-year. The gut reaction, of course, is to point to a "Trump slump." But what are the major influencers on international travel from an academic point of view? Curious, we reached out to Robert Li, Director of the U.S.-Asia Center for Tourism & Hospitality Research and professor in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University, for some insight. The data, coming out of Davos, shows a decrease in international travel to the U.S. in 2017--after already losing travelers in 2016. And, mostly, [the common narrative attributes this] to a "Trump slump." But does politics have this kind of effect on other countries' … [Read more...] about How Does Politics Affect Tourism?
Bronwyn White Chats About 2016 International Conference
In this video, Bronwyn White chats about her experience at the 2016 TTRA International Conference in Vail, CO USA. https://youtu.be/-unY40X375A … [Read more...] about Bronwyn White Chats About 2016 International Conference
Takeaways from TTRA’s 2016 Marketing Outlook Forum
What’s Old is New Again...with a Twist! Marketing Outlook Forum, or MOF as it has come to be known, is one of two conferences produced by the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). While the summer conference is focused on research, measurement and best practices, the MOF is focused on the “outlook” for travel in the coming years. Although travel almost never shows a decline, it’s growth does slow from time to time, thus while travel is still expected to grow, the growth in travelers, and their associated spending, will be slower in the next couple of years than in the past few. There are several factors leading to this forecast including safety fears, and the uncertainty of the global economy. In fact, we may see fewer international travelers in the U.S. largely due to exchange rate depreciation, which is making travel to the U.S. much more expensive than in the past several years. While the economic outlook may not be as exciting, the horizon looks bright for many … [Read more...] about Takeaways from TTRA’s 2016 Marketing Outlook Forum
