Multisensory Experience Development

Welcome to Multisensory Experience Development, an Elevating Canadian Experiences webinar. The goal of the webinar is to arm you with the information and tactics needed to grow agritourism within your destinations. This includes developing the ability to:

• differentiate between culinary tourism and other forms of tourism, while identifying examples of culinary experiences relevant to your region;
• describe the breadth and diversity of businesses involved in culinary tourism through deconstructing the culinary tourism value chain; and
• explain to tourism operators and stakeholders why culinary tourism is a vital component in servicing the needs of travellers.

The webinar also teaches you how to:

• expand the connection between experiential tourism and culinary tourism;
• distinguish between tourism experiences and tourism products and explain how the former supports the latter;
• recognize opportunities to develop new culinary tourism experiences – or enhance existing experiences – through food & drink;
• identify changes and improvements needed to meet multisensory experience standards; and how to
• leverage a multisensory experience development plan.

Welcome to Multisensory Experience Development, an Elevating Canadian Experiences webinar.

Agenda

Before moving on in the webinar, please note the sidebar along your screen where downloadable worksheets, resources, and case studies will appear throughout the presentation.

At this time, it’s important to acknowledge the extraordinary value that Indigenous peoples across Canada bring to the tourism industry. The land and traditional territories of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit provide unique culinary offerings that enhance the experiences for visitors to destinations all over the country.

Through the combined efforts of several organizations, including the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations, Indigenous culinary has grown into a popular driver for the development of agritourism in Canada.

Elevating Canadian Experiences

The tourism sector is a key contributor to Canada’s economy, and there is opportunity to maximize its potential by showcasing our culinary excellence to tourists, both domestic and international, and expanding products and experiences into the shoulder and winter seasons.

Funded by the Government of Canada, the Elevating Canadian Experiences program offers tailored content to help destination marketing organizations and businesses develop strategies to boost culinary tourism as well as winter and shoulder season tourism across the country.

The ECE program is a team effort, in which deep research and shared knowledge are brought together to ensure tourism continues to thrive as an economic pillar in Canada.

Webinar Learning Outcomes

The goal of the webinar is to arm you with the information and tactics needed to grow agritourism within your destinations. This includes developing the ability to:

• differentiate between culinary tourism and other forms of tourism, while identifying examples of culinary experiences relevant to your region;
• describe the breadth and diversity of businesses involved in culinary tourism through deconstructing the culinary tourism value chain; and
• explain to tourism operators and stakeholders why culinary tourism is a vital component in servicing the needs of travellers.

The webinar also teaches you how to:

• expand the connection between experiential tourism and culinary tourism;
• distinguish between tourism experiences and tourism products and explain how the former supports the latter;
• recognize opportunities to develop new culinary tourism experiences – or enhance existing experiences – through food & drink;
• identify changes and improvements needed to meet multisensory experience standards; and how to
• leverage a multisensory experience development plan.

Module One: An Introduction to Culinary Tourism

Before attempting to grow agritourism in your destination, it’s important to understand the gap between the food & drink and tourism industries. By doing so, you’re able to identify ways to bridge that gap, which opens the door to developing compelling culinary experiences that drive tourism in Canada.

Bridging the Gap Between Food & Drink and Tourism

Although many restaurants don’t consider themselves as tourism businesses, it’s critical that those serving food and drink are open and ready to meet the needs of visitors to your destinations. Similarly, not all tourism businesses harness the value that the local culinary community adds to a destination’s product and service offerings.

The result is tourism attractions, such as museums, often sell food that has nothing to do with the place in which they operate.

This situation is not unique to Canada; in fact, destinations all around the world are continuing to serve the food that they think visitors want. However, our research shows there is consumer demand for higher quality culinary experiences that reflect the destination they’re visiting.

So, what does it mean to bring these two industries together through culinary tourism development?

In short, it means offering more meaningful and multisensory experiences that reflect your destinations. It also means stimulating visitor demand and localizing the economic impact on your tourism operators, businesses, and attractions.

And considering the current realities facing the two industries, a shift towards a culinary tourism model will also help build both resiliency and sustainability into Canadian tourism – especially in the post-pandemic era.

Now that we’ve identified the gap between the tourism industries, let’s define exactly what culinary tourism is. It’s considered “any tourism experience where a person interacts with food and drink that reflects the history, heritage, and culture of a place.”

Food tourism, and gastronomy tourism are other labels for culinary tourism, with one term being used over another depending on the destination; for example, gastronomy tourism is more often used in Europe.

The important thing to remember is that culinary tourism is focused on the meaningful connection between food and place.

There are countless activities and experiences associated with culinary tourism. A few examples are:

• apple picking at a local farm or orchard;
• making maple taffy while on a winter hike; or
• having a local and seasonal goods picnic at a remote location or conservation area.

It’s important to understand the diverse experiences associated with culinary tourism, because it shows that not all tourism experiences stand alone from food and beverage. In fact, there is often overlap, which must be consider when trying to attract culinary tourists to your destinations.

To explain, think about how rural tourism is enhanced when you combine it with a culinary-related experience, such as touring a wine region in an RV – with a designated driver, of course.

Or consider how outdoor adventures are complemented by culinary tourism, like a guided fishing trip ending with a shore lunch prepared by a local chef using seasonal ingredients from the region’s food producers.

Culinary Tourism Value Chain

Food & drink products and experiences are used by a variety of tourism businesses to capitalize on the growing popularity of culinary tourism. This led to the development of the culinary tourism value chain, which was designed to increase the competitive advantage of your destinations and their operators.

Given the limited capacity of a single service provider or attraction, businesses band together through collaboration in order to deliver combined value to consumers. This allows individual operators to remain focused on what they do best while benefiting from the increased efficiency and effectiveness of working as a collective.

Visitor experiences are also enriched with each layer of value they receive when exploring a destination. This presents the opportunity for your destinations’ culinary communities to form strategic partnerships with businesses and deliver multisensory experiences that exceed the expectations of visitors.

Any business that includes a taste of place or culinary experience as part of their offerings are featured in the value chain, such as:

• accommodations;
• attractions;
• beverage producers;
• cooking schools;
• farmers’ and public markets;
• festivals & events;
• growers, producers, and suppliers;
• foodservice operators;
• retailers; and
• tour operators.

Who are Culinary Tourists?

When talking about the culinary tourist, there is a common stereotype about what type of person that is. Many of us picture someone at a fancy restaurant, taking Instagram photos, and writing about culinary experiences on their food blog.

Although this person is very much a culinary tourist, they are only one part of much larger market segment. In fact, culinary tourists are a very diverse group who are motivated by experiential travel and want authentic connections with the destinations they visit.

In other words, culinary tourists are “visitors who plan their trips partially or totally in order to taste the cuisine of a place.” They are both consumers looking for exclusive meals at high-end restaurants as well as those craving street food from markets stalls, while some culinary tourists are agritourists looking to connect to where their food comes from.

Culinary experiences have become a popular motivator for travel, but they are also discovered in more spontaneous ways by consumers during their trips. So, it’s important to remember that almost everyone is considered a culinary tourist, whether they identify themselves as one or not.

In the end, everybody has to eat. If you think beyond the stereotypical foodie as a culinary tourist, there is tremendous potential to attract new travellers to your destinations.

The Future of Culinary Tourism

Prior to COVID-19, experiential travel was on the rise. And when the tourism industry finally rebounds from the pandemic, research suggests the trend will continue to rise in popularity.

We know there is pent-up demand for travel and consumers are seeking human connection more so than ever. Culinary tourism offers hands-on, multisensory experiences with local businesses and attractions and allows visitors to connect with your destinations in a more meaningful way.

Also, as we’ve seen in the past, and especially through the pandemic, consumers are increasingly more aware of their local food system. And travellers are no different, wanting to know where their food comes from when visiting a Canadian destination.

Culinary tourists are especially eager for hands-on experiences that allow them to interact with the people and stories of the places they visit. For them, it’s a way to get to know the destination better.

The pandemic has also shown that driving trips will be prioritized over flying, specifically with culinary tourism in mind. As such, there’s an opportunity to target Canadian travellers who wouldn’t normally travel within the country but are now looking at places closer to home.

This also indicates a shift to a more safety-conscious decision-making process about where, when, why, and how consumers travel for pleasure. Knowing this, businesses must develop communication strategies to educate travellers about how they are kept safe when visiting your destinations.

Aside from that, outdoor activities and attractions with fewer crowds are bound to be favoured in a post-COVID environment. It’s important to keep this factor in mind when developing culinary tourism experiences in your region.

Module Two: What are Multisensory Experiences?

Before learning about how to develop multisensory experiences, first let’s expand upon what tourism experiences are. This includes defining:

• tourism products;
• tourism experiences;
• and the nine different components that make up multisensory experiences.

Tourism Product

First, what is a tourism product as it relates to multisensory experiences?

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, a tourism product is a combination of tangible and intangible elements contributing to a destination’s marketing mix. Food and drink or structures and facilities are examples of tangible features; while intangible components are considered elements like cultural practices, natural and human-made resources, and activities of specific interest to consumers.

Tourism products are an emotional driver for potential travellers as they add value to the overall visitor experience, especially when packaged together with additional offerings. That in mind, packaged products are often promoted by Destination Marketing Organizations, with local businesses and attractions benefiting from the shared marketing efforts.

A great example of a tourism product that combines intangible and tangible elements with cultural practices and outdoor experiences is The Edible Country offered by Visit Sweden.

The product boasts 100 million acres of fine do-it-yourself dining with a total of 23 tables across different parts of the country. Each table is bookable through an online platform and the menus vary depending on the types of foods available, landscape, cultural ties, and the people visitors interact with.

What’s important to take away from this example is the added value of the packaged products and experiences. Consumers are given the opportunity to explore nature, learn about the history and landscape of the region, and connect with the people who make up the personality of the community; all while enjoying a unique and memorable culinary experience.

Tourism Experience

In relation to this webinar, a tourism experience is defined as an activity offered to visitors by a business or tourism operator within a destination. These activities provide entertainment and the opportunity to learn, while the place or platform a tourist visits contributes to the overall experience as well.

Tourism experiences are often developed and operated by the local businesses in a region, with many banding together strategically to deliver more compelling offerings. As such, it’s common for multiple tourism experiences to make up a single tourism product, which in turn, helps define the destination and what it has to offer potential visitors.

If we refer back to The Edible Country example, the individual tables, foraging expeditions, and cooking sessions are the tourism experiences that make up the product.

It’s also important to note, tourism experiences have a price, they are sold through various distribution channels, and most have a life-cycle; experiences affected by seasonality, for instance.

To further explain tourism experience, consider a sugar shack tour with tastings accompanied by other local goods such as cheese, craft beer, and wine.

Sucrerie de la Montagne offers such an experience, giving guests the opportunity to learn about the traditions of maple syrup making, while getting the chance to taste the sugary treat along with other products that highlight Québec’s culinary traditions. This experience is labelled as one of Canada’s Signature Experiences, and is only available from February to April.

When it comes to developing multisensory experiences, a broad approach must be taken in terms of design, marketing, and event planning. These experiences involve engaging and stimulating the 5 senses to build a fuller awareness of the surroundings and create a more memorable experience of a product, an event, or the environment.

In the context of tourism, this means integrating sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste into the experiences that make your region special.

The default for most destinations are culinary tourism offerings, as they are incredibly well positioned to deliver multisensory experiences – the simple act of eating involves smell, sight, touch, and of course, taste. However, there’s also opportunity to integrate senses into experiences not typically thought of as being multisensory.

To explain, let’s look at one model of how this is done in museum interpretation and tourism.

Components of Multisensory Experience

In regards to transformational learning and museum interpretation, the head, heart, and hands model is utilized when planning and offering transformative experiences, such as learning.

However, when discussing this in the context of site interpretation, it is even more important to understand the role of “head, heart, hands, stomach” for planning and delivering multisensory experiences.

In this museum interpretation model, the head signifies providing stimulation for the mind.

Next, the model indicates the need to provide opportunity for critical reflection and connecting with emotions, which is represented by the heart.

Next is providing consumers with the opportunity to actively engage or participate in an experience. This is represented by the hands.

In the context of a visitor experience, it is also important to provide satisfaction to needs such as hunger, and so the stomach is added to this model.

Multisensory experiences are more than just getting guests to think by sending them a clever text or email; they’re more than just offering a taste with free samples, or giving visitors the option to try something with their hands.

What makes an experience multisensory is including several different elements that are related to the head, heart, hands, and stomach. Each sense informs the other leading to a more rounded visitors experience.

Consider this example:

If Jorge and Susan visit a cheese shop that only allows customers to look at the different cheeses through a glass display case, the opportunity for a true multisensory experience is lost. However, if they’re given the chance to interact with the food in a way that stimulates or directly demonstrates the cheese making process, the layered experience offers more value and is more memorable.

In the latter scenario, not only do Jorge and Susan see, touch, and taste the ingredients, but they also hear and learn about the process from a guide or instructor. Again, by layering the senses, consumers are provided with a unique tourism experience.

Module Three: Best Practices

Case Study: The Art of Whiskey Making, Ballindalloch Distillery

New, let’s take a look at a case study that highlights a few best practices to developing multisensory experiences. Ballindahlloch Distillery in Speyside, Scotland, is a small family owned distillery specializing in the art of whisky making – they offer a number of experiences, from in-house and virtual whisky tastings to private events and tours, that include multisensory elements.

”The Art of Whisky Making” at Ballindalloch Distillery is a full-day experience where visitors are given the opportunity to learn about the process of making whiskey. The distillery is built in an old farmstead connected to the Ballindalloch castle estate, which dates back to the 1500s. This provides guests with the chance to explore part of the region’s history along with the hands-on experience of distilling whisky.

The distillery is owned by a fairly young family, calling themselves “unconventional whisky experts” who prefer to use a manual process of production. Through multisensory experiences, the family is able to draw their connection to craftsmanship, heritage, and location to communicate a stand-out product.

The Art of Whisky Making experience begins at 8am and ends at 4pm, and throughout the visit, guests have the opportunity to work with Ballindalloch distillers Colin, Ian, and Davey. The experience teaches everything from milling to warehousing, while also offering visitors a culturally inspired lunch. The cost to participate is 175 pounds, or approximately $300 Canadian.

An immersive, multisensory experience gets people talking, and Ballindalloch is just one of several learn-from-the-maker offerings from a distillery. For those operating within the market of beverage making and consumption, this is a good example of best practices to consider when developing your own multisensory offerings.

To learn more about Ballindalloch Distillery, explore their website through the external link now available in the sidebar.

Seizing the Opportunity

We’ll now highlight two tourism activities which could be expanded upon to deliver a fuller multisensory experience. After each example, you will be prompted to identify ways to make the offers more multisensory; remember, opportunity exists when one or more of the senses are missing. Record your ideas in the worksheet now available for download in the sidebar.

The first scenario is a typical visit to a local history museum. Guests are welcomed at the front desk, provided with a map, and invited to watch the screening of a short film about the history of the area. Before the movie starts, the room is silent and the lights are on. Once the movie beings, the lights dim and audience members are encouraged to sit back and relax in the fold out chairs provided.

During the rest of the tour, visitors view displays with written descriptions sharing the relevant information. Some displays also incorporate tactile elements, giving guests the chance to touch and feel what tools and materials used by previous generations felt like.

At the end of the visit, guests exit through a gift shop where they are able to purchase souvenirs as well as some local honey and jams.

Take some time to reflect on how this experience could be enhanced.

In this particular example:

• Is there an opportunity to incorporate the sense of sound?
• Can the experience be enhanced with the sense of taste?
• Where in the tour do you think it’s appropriate to add these senses?

In scenario two, let’s consider how an afternoon hiking and kayaking excursion can be made multisensory.

Guests enter the shop surrounded by blackberry bushes along the banks of the river. They are greeted with smiles, one member of the group is asked to go over some paperwork, while the others wait next to her and look around the store. Afterwards, the group is shown where their equipment is and introduced to the guide who is waiting for the whole group.

While the guests wait 10 minutes for the rest of the group to arrive, the guide chats about who he is and how long he has been paddling for. Once the whole group is together, the guide explains the safety measures and techniques of how use the equipment, including the way to properly hold a paddle and fit a PFD.

Guests are then provided with a pack filled with granola bars, water, and an apple to be enjoyed at the rest stop before the short hike. After watching the instructions, putting on their gear and receiving their snack packs, the group heads off toward the water.

Again, reflect on how this experience could be enhanced.

In this example:

• Is there an opportunity to incorporate the sense of touch?
• Can the experience be enhanced with the sense of taste?
• Where in the tour do you think it’s appropriate to add these senses?

Case Study: Genesee Valley Country Village and Museum

It’s important to remember that multisensory experiences bridge the gap between consumers and the destination and its culture and history. Before moving onto the next module, please watch the 4-minute video linked now in your sidebar.

The video explains how these gaps are bridged through multisensory participation at the Genesee Valley Country Village and Museum in New York State. Pay particular attention to the role of food in the interpretation of the site and visitor experience.

Module Four: Multisensory Experience Standards

Core Standards

When developing a multisensory experience, it’s vital to include the four points seen here. Ask yourself, does the experience:

• Incorporate activities, products, and stories that are unique to the destination and environment?
• Highlight the unique aspects of the business and connect to its goals and purpose?
• Surprise visitors by exceeding their expectations?
• Create a multisensory awareness of the product and destination?

As discussed, an elevated experience stimulates multiple senses and features unique activities visitors can only get in your destination. These types of experiences provide value at a higher spend and inspire travellers to do more, see more, taste more, and visit more.

Again, by engaging the senses of consumers, you bring more awareness to how they interact with the uniqueness of your destination, whether it’s by touch, sound, smell, taste, or a combination of these elements.

Setting Goals for Your Experience

To help guide yourself to developing multisensory experiences, think about the following:

• What is it that makes your business stand out to travellers?
• What are the unique aspects that you offer?
• What can someone get at your business that they can’t get elsewhere?
• Is it a specific product or superb customer service?

After clearly defining what makes your business and offer unique, it’s time to decide how you’re going to meet visitor needs and grow your business?

Is there a way your business can engage the senses to fulfill traveller needs?

A great way to uncover the answers to these questions is to consult with DMO’s targeting similar markets as your business. Their insight offers you a window into what tourists are looking for when it comes to destinations similar to the one you operate in.

Armed with this information, you’re able to strategically develop multisensory experiences.

Finally, what can be leveraged to create a well-rounded multisensory experience of the environment, history, people, and unique aspects of your tourism experience?

Based on visitor needs and the offer you create to meet those needs, what are the elements or touch-points that will engage the five senses across all aspects of your experience?

This includes the moment a potential guest learns about your experience, when they leave your experience, and hopefully, when they remember it upon their return home.

‘Secret Sauce’ Attributes

Up next we’re going to answer the aforementioned questions more directly and discuss bringing together the secret sauce elements of multisensory experiences. This includes the enablers for successful development, such as:

• collaborations;
• hands-on experiences;
• learning components;
• personal connection; and
• tastes.

As covered earlier in the presentation, we know that multisensory means multiple senses, but there are other important elements that come into play as well.

Partnerships and collaborations are key elements in creating unique experiences with multiple sense or assets of your destination, while also connecting visitors to a wider range of things to do when exploring the town, region, or province.

Beyond that, think about the collection of attributes shown here as the secret sauce to unforgettable multisensory experiences. Are they:

• Immersive?
• Active?
• Meaningful?
• And engaging?

Now, let’s break these elements down one-by-one by exploring a few examples.

An immersive experience brings a visitor directly into a process or cultural practice – physically, mentally, and sometimes even emotionally. An example of this type of experience is shadowing a producer, chef, or business owner to learn about what they do and how they do it.

Codsounds in Newfoundland specializes in foraging tours and food experiences. Their Wild Game Cookery, Fur and Feathers, is an outdoor workshop. Participants are immersed in field dressing, cleaning (skinning & plucking), de-boning and, of course, cooking wild game.

In this instance, not only do guests leave with a memorable experience in a unique setting, but they also leave with the new skills and knowledge they gained along the way.

Active components are extremely important to creating multisensory experiences. Consider the active component as hands-on activities where visitors directly observe and participate in the experience. Culinary tourism is almost always active and experiential, because when visitors taste a beverage or eat a food product they are participating in an activity.

An example would be a kitchen party dinner at the Acadian Peninsula with lobster, music, and stories shared by locals and business owners alike.

When we think back to a meaningful experience, we connect to the emotions and memories gained by participating in something special. Maybe it’s the intimacy of the setting, the rich stories shared, or the people, places and process of the experience.

An example of a meaningful experience is an intimate tea ceremony while travelling abroad to Kyoto, Japan. The Kimono tea ceremony gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the culture and history of the ritual while directly participating in its traditional elements such as wearing a kimono.

Essentially, an engaging experience captures attention, retains it, and creates memories through enjoyable and valuable content and/or activities.

These types of experiences encourage participants to engage mentally, physically, and emotionally with a tourism opportunity. An example is learning about a particular group’s history and then reflecting on your own experience and previous knowledge of that group.

Consider the Han Wi Moon Dinner at Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon. Guests are given the opportunity to:

• walk the historic site;
• learn about its cultural significance and Indigenous history;
• enjoy a dinner made from foraged and locally produced foods; and
• listen to stories told by a Star Storyteller under the prairie sunset.

Module Five: Activating a Multisensory Experience

7 Steps

When activating multisensory experiences, follow these 7 steps:

1. inventory and assess existing tourism experiences;
2. identify opportunities for new experience or ways to enhance existing ones;
3. develop a concept;
4. conduct market research;
5. design and develop the new experience;
6. test the new or enhanced experience; and
7. market the experiences.

It’s important to note, these steps do not need to happen in a strict chronological order; you can explore multiple points at the same time.

Next, we’ll explore each of these steps along with a few related key questions.

Step number one is inventorying and assessing your existing tourism experiences. During this phase, ask yourself:

• What is your offer or service?
• Who are your visitor and what audiences are you trying to attract?
• What are businesses around you or in similar destinations offering?

When assessing your existing tourism experiences, consider the personality of your business and how each of your offerings stimulate the senses. Remember, each experience must be immersive, meaningful, active, and engaging.

Step two involves identifying opportunities to develop a new experience or enhance an existing one. The important questions to explore include:

• Are your existing experiences multisensory?
• Can you enhance them with sensorial components?
• What new experience can you create?
• And can you partner with neighbouring businesses or experience providers?

The third step is to design an idea or develop a concept by answering the following questions:

• What is your idea?
• Is it developing a new experience or enhancing an existing one?
• What resources are available in your area both regionally and provincially?
• Who are the potential partners, including sourcing, delivery, marketing, and promotional?

Knowing and understanding the market and competition is the important fourth step. This is a more intensive step, but thorough market research not only helps you better understand your target markets, it also identifies and highlights the uniqueness of your experience in relation to the other offerings available.

This includes learning more about similar experiences, your competitors, and best practices in destinations similar to yours. Market research also involves learning more about your current customers as well as other relevant consumer segments.

Questions to consider are:

• Who are your core consumers?
• What are the needs of these travellers?
• How does your idea respond to those needs?
• And how is your experience different to others in your area or similar destinations?

When conducting market research, explore at least three similar experiences from destinations within Canada or around the world.

• What can you learn from these experiences and destinations?
• How much are competitors charging for their experiences?
• How much will delivering your new experiences cost you?
• What price is justifiable in your marketplace?
• What are the sustainability costs and mitigations from the experience?

Most provincial destination marketing organizations have a resource like Tourism Saskatchewan’s Market Segment profiles or Destination Canada’s Explorer Quotient profiles. That said, we encourage you to connect with your provincial marketing organization to find out how they segment their markets.

To learn about Tourism Saskatchewan’s Market Segments and Destination Canada’s Explorer profiles, please see external links now available in the sidebar.

After researching the market, visitor needs, opportunities and resources, the next step is to design and develop the experience. This includes a range of activities such as business modeling, pricing structure, schedule, logistics, training, and so on.

During the process, it’s also important to identify interesting stories to tell and opportunities to collaborate with or celebrate neighbouring businesses. Some questions to guide the process include:

• What are the main activities of the experience?
• What are the specific sensorial components? This includes taste, sight, smell, touch, and hearing; as well as the head, hand, heart, and stomach.
• What are the storytelling moments in the experience? This could be your personal story, a story about your business, or a story about the region you operate in.
• When can you highlight other businesses in the region?
• Based on the market research and your operational costs, how much can you charge for the experience?
• What resources or capacities do you need? For example, personal equipment or financial support.

It’s important to note, marketing is a key element to all these questions and should be factored into your answers.

Once you’ve planned the flow of the experience, prepared the personnel, and assembled the required resources, it’s time to begin testing. This process involves giving friends and family the opportunity to try the experience and piloting it with visitors who are aware the experience is in its infancy and being tested.

What’s most important during this step is collecting the feedback and identifying areas to be improved. To do so, consider the following questions:

• How does the experience work upon delivery?
• What is working well?
• Are the sensorial or wow moments what you expected?
• What needs to change?
• Where is visitor engagement low and where can it be increased?

Marketing your experience involves identifying the channels where potential visitors are looking for information and being present in those spaces. It also includes creating and updating content, having staff who champion your business, and turning your visitors into ambassadors of your brand through unique, memorable experiences.

Aligning with collective marketing platforms in your area, such as DMOs and PMOs, is also key to tap into the overall image of your destination, while exposing your experience to consumers at the national and international levels.

A few questions to guide your thinking include:

• Where do your target markets seek information?
• Are your website and social platforms updated with information about your new experience?
• If applicable, is it easy to book the experience online?
• What can promotional partners share?
• Are there any collective marketing programs for your destination?

For more on this, please refer to the Attracting Culinary Tourists webinar following this presentation. A link to the webinar is now available in your sidebar.

Thank You

Thank you for your participation. Be sure to check out other culinary tourism webinars offered in the Elevating Canadian Experiences content hub.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please visit culinarytourismalliance.com.