Trade Support


IN PERSON


Positive media profi le for any destination is vital for growth. The Canadian Tourism Commission's press offi ce leads the way in gaining that exposure for Canada, to help move your clients along the decision-making pathway...


Nim Singh


NIM SINGH Media and PR Manager Canadian Tourism Commission Singh.Nim@ctc-cct.ca


Provide us with a brief overview of your role and main responsibilities. I work with journalists and get them to consider Canada for their editorial content, whether in national or regional papers, magazines, TV, radio or through social media. Day to day we support media visits and press trips to Canada, host networking events to get story ideas out there so that people are talking about Canada. I work in partnership with all the Canadian provinces and the industry partners to keep Canada top of mind across all media platforms.


When did you join the CTC and, briefly, what did you do previously? I joined the Canadian Tourism Commission back in 1995 after eight years with the Netherlands Board of Tourism, which I left as Marketing and PR manager. I had a lot to learn about Canada but I was already au fait with the travel industry here with a good understanding of the British tourism landscape in its entirity.


How important is media exposure for Canada? It's incredibly important! Media exposure helps potential holiday- makers to think about Canada and moves the destination along the decision path.


"I work with journalists and get them to consider


Canada for their editorial content whether in national or regional papers, magazines, TV, radio or through social media. Day-to-day we support media visits"


How does the exposure you generate help agents? It may not always be noticeable to travel agents on a day-to-day basis but as a tourist board we’re always striving to encourage holiday bookings. When television programmes like Charlie Boorman’s Extreme Frontiers or the recent Channel 5 Heaven on Earth series, featuring three segments on Canada, go to air; or when the Daily Telegraph features a


22 SUMMER 2012 • SELLING CANADA


big double-page spread about Canada, it definitely helps encourage holidaymakers to go into their travel agents to book.


Bring us up to speed with the latest campaigns and media initiatives? We have some new television opportunities we are working on and this year we are also trying to bring more Canada to the radio. We have invited tourism industry


specialists such as a bear whisperer, an iceberg tour boat captain and a cowgirl to come and share stories on UK radio. The radio is often the backdrop to our


very busy lives, on car journeys or when we’re getting ready for work, so it’s a good medium through which to inspire Brits looking to escape the rat race We’re also working more with bloggers


and I’m currently developing some new social media initiatives for 2013.


What are your biggest challenges right now? The challenge is to keep a grip on the changing ways the consumer is ‘consuming’ media. We are continually keeping an eye on the next trend to see how any shift should affect how we spend our PR budget. Understanding these new landscapes and keeping track of them is quite a challenge.


How can the trade help support your initiatives? Any agents who communicate with clients through newsletters or special events can help support Canada by mentioning up-coming television programmes or sharing press coverage with them. This all helps holidaymakers create a movie in their minds of what a holiday to Canada might look like. Keeping in touch via Twitter is a good fast way to keep track of what’s going on and sharing information as well.


What is your favourite place to visit in Canada? Oh, that’s a hard one! My family live in Montréal, Québec, so I’m a bit


obliged to say Montréal and it is a really cool city. But wherever I travel in Canada I find a new favourite. I love the quirkiness of Newfoundland, the wildness of the Yukon, Jasper and Banff on the Yellowhead Highway in the Rockies – the colours last September were amazing – and digging into Lobster on Prince Edward Island… no, it's just too hard to name just one!


Is there anywhere in Canada that is still on your wish list? I’m very keen to get up to northern Canada and spend time with the Inuit culture and among the Arctic landscape. I once spent a day building an igloo up in the Northwest Territories and all I remember is everyone having the biggest smiles on their faces all day. We were blessed with a crisp blue sky and a brilliant sun. The lure of Canada’s North appeals a lot.


What is your absolute favourite thing to do in Canada? Again, it’s really hard to say. I’ve done some great things, from riding the Rocky Mountaineer and doing the cowboy thing at the Calgary Stampede to viewing icebergs and whales. Last summer I enjoyed a jet-boat trip up


the Niagara River – you end up completely and utterly soaked – and that was my favourite thing last year! But this year? Perhaps ask me again at the end of it!


Just do it!


Q WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO IN CANADA? NS: I seem to fi nd a new favourite every time I visit! For me it's all about the experience so I loved Stampede and the Rocky Mountaineer but also whale watching and river rafting, building an igloo and eating lobster!


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24