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Edmonton attracts buyers and sellers in the tourism industry from across the country and around the world.
Published date May 13, 2024 • Last updated 19 minutes ago • Reading time 3 minutes
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Explore Edmonton’s Paul Hawes said hundreds of tourism industry professionals from Canada and abroad will attend the Rendez-Vous Canada Show in Edmonton from February 14-17, 2024.Photo by: David Bloom/Postmedia
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Rendezvous Canada, the country’s largest tourism trade show, is in Edmonton this week for its annual conference that connects tourism partners from across Canada and around the world.
From May 14th to 17th, more than 1,500 tourism industry professionals will travel to Edmonton to build partnerships for Canadian tourism for years to come. Paul Hawes, Vice President of Destination Development and Marketing at Explore Edmonton, spoke about the importance of this event and what it means for Edmonton’s tourism industry.
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“This is truly one of those once-in-a-decade opportunities to showcase this destination,” Hawes said.
What is Rendezvous Canada?
Rendezvous Canada is a trade show for the tourism industry. This is a joint venture between Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).
Destination Canada is committed to promoting Canada as a four-season destination to domestic and international travelers. The group has identified several key regions around the world where Canadian tourism is an attractive option for travelers, including those from Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. .
Founded in 1930, the Canadian Tourism Industry Association is the country’s largest national tourism organization.
Although the RVC is held annually, it has been 10 years since Edmonton last hosted the event, and Explore Edmonton is looking forward to capitalizing on it. Hawes talked about how much Edmonton has changed over the past decade, highlighting the downtown core and the Ice District as two shining examples.
Over the coming days, Edmonton will be home to a wide range of tourism-related people and businesses, with the city not only reaping the direct economic benefits of the show, estimated at $5.3 million, but on course to attract long-term tourism.
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“This is a much longer story than just the direct impact,” Hawes said.
While Edmonton may benefit some this week, the RVC is primarily about tourist buyers and sellers.
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buyer
The buyer may be from Canada or another country. More than 1,500 people participated, with buyers from various countries participating. Hawes said the buyers are a mix of product managers and travel agents.
Their job involves assembling itineraries and travel packages for their customers. Some may be assembling tourism packages within Canada, while others may be creating experiences for visitors from other countries.
For the past several days, and until the end of the show, RVC has been offering familiarization tours for buyers.
“We want these buyers to experience our products and experiences firsthand,” Hawes said.
seller
Seller will be appointed by TIAC, Destination Canada and tourism industry partners. Basically, the seller provides everything the buyer needs to assemble the travel package. From hotels to airlines, restaurants and experiences, sellers have it all.
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International buyers come and go frequently, and the benefit of events like RVC is that everyone is in the same room at the same time, Hawes said.
With 917 sellers to choose from, more than 50,000 meetings have already been scheduled between buyers and sellers, Hawes said.
“Tourist speed dating is a great way to describe it,” Hawes says.
Impact on Edmonton
Apart from the direct revenue injected by show attendees, Edmonton is at the epicenter of tourism, both literally and figuratively, as buyers and sellers come and go and forge partnerships for the future of tourism. Hawes said.
While here, Hawes highlighted the Edmonton River Valley, Fort Edmonton Park and the Art Gallery of Alberta as some of the city’s key attractions that tourists can visit. But he also said Edmonton could benefit from serving as a “port” for some tourists. Other attractions in Alberta.
Buyers will be passing through Edmonton on their way to and from the tour. That gives Howes the opportunity to see not only what Edmonton has to offer, but also access to other locations such as Banff and Jasper, and how Edmonton plays a central artery in tourism in Alberta. He said it would happen.
RVC concludes with a social night in the Ice District on Thursday while the Oilers take on the Vancouver Canucks, showcasing the city’s changes since the last time the show was held in Edmonton 10 years ago do.
zdelaney@postmedia.com
Twitter/X: @ZacharyDelaney
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