Thank you to our colleagues at the Tourism Industry association of Canada for being tremendous partners, and talking some time to chat with us about our organization, our members, and the role we are honoured to play in the tourism industry in Canada, and internationally.
Originally published in June 2023, released within the TIAC Talk Newsletter June 13/23.

“Being a member and partner within Team Tourism in Canada via TIAC is critical for TMAC. Collaborating and networking with our Tourism Industry colleagues is key for our TMAC members. We have a critical and significant role in building back better, influencing and mobilizing travellers to and within Canada...” 

Donna Hatt, CAO, TMAC 

Read Donna's full interview here

1. Can you tell us about TMAC and its role within the tourism industry? 

With integrity, the accredited and accomplished members of the Travel Media Association of Canada have played a pivotal and significant role within the tourism industry here in Canada and beyond.

As a network of nearly 400 independent storytellers and partners, through their published works across all platforms and channels, they’ve been the trusted voice for travelers and a conduit for the industry to reach them. Introducing and educating readers, they inspire and motivate travel through the stories they share about the tourism industry’s unique offerings and experiences. Published in leading and influential channels internationally, be it print, online, on air, or through broadcasting, with confidence, tourism industry operators and partners have collaborated and worked with TMACers.

From coast to coast, we are the colleagues that understand and appreciate the industry’s value and the role storytelling plays within marketing and communications plans, particularly when introducing or re-introducing experiences.

Uniquely, TMAC is itself a collaboration with industry, among our membership, approaching its 30th anniversary in 2024. in addition to our travel media members, are tourism industry media relations managers – working together under the TMAC umbrella, the network is a valuable asset for all members.

2. What key challenges are TMAC and its members facing, and how do you overcome them?

Artificial Intelligence, its impact and implications on storytelling and content curation within the travel media profession and tourism industry has not yet been fully realized or shaped. It will be a challenge, and an opportunity for TMAC members. Rooted in our code of conduct, TMACers take pride and are committed to creating authentic and valuable, first person, original stories, that contribute to the tourism economy and the communities it is a part of.
 
Ensuring industry acknowledgement and appreciation of the value and integrity of work by our travel media professionals will be an ongoing focus of our efforts.

We have already acknowledged among our membership that the foundation of our profession is rooted in their “assurance of the integrity of articles written under their byline”.  A framework for assessing suspect instances of non-compliance is being developed, as are those which articulate acceptable and tolerable uses of AI and its programs. We will be establishing the benchmark that can be trusted, and serve as a best practice.

Canadians don’t like to brag about themselves, and they should, especially when others are!  
Intentional and leveraged use of the stories curated by our media members about them - tourism industry operators – should be showcased and celebrated by them in their communication channels, within their teams and communities, with pride.

It’s a fact, travellers are influenced more by credible third-party recommendations and insights. Particularly here in Canada, the industry needs to celebrate and showcase stories written about them, offering unique insights, recommendations and tips for a great experience, not kindly accept them and tuck them away.
 
While national, provincial and urban destination marketing organizations recognize the value of travel media and use it to their advantage, the smaller voices of independent businesses and emerging, developing destinations are often unaware of the impact of travel media and the ease of working with them.

Aiming to rectify this, we’re introducing a series of workshops ‘How to work with Travel Media’. Having piloted one with success at the International Indigenous Tourism Conference earlier in 2023, we’ll be reaching out to Provincial Tourism Industry Associations as well as provincial and regional marketing departments to help empower and enable industry to work effectively and efficiently with travel media, thereby growing their exposure, storytelling, and capturing the attention of the target audiences, as a key element within their marketing plans – growing their business sustainability and success.

We’re rebuilding. As a part of the first and hardest hit industries, when travel came to a halt, so did the livelihood of our travel media members. When our partners are impacted, we are impacted. Many seasoned travel media professionals left the industry, reducing the number of Canadian voices curating and sharing stories through the lens of Canadians.  
 
Pivoting, those who remained were critical in the reawakening of the industry, building confidence and informing the public about travel opportunities and building awareness. As a non-profit association, relying on memberships to operate, we are reaching towards our 30th anniversary in 2024, with conference and optimism. Our membership and inventory of accredited members is rebounding. As we welcome new members, we emerged in 2023 with a re-qualified membership, ensuring we retain the integrity of our profession within the eyes of our colleagues, clients and collaborators.  

3. Could you share a notable achievement or success story from TMAC? 

One of the best ways to illustrate the power and impact of travel media on the economy and tourism industry is through our annual conference. Intimately bringing together 200 Canadian travel media and travel media professionals together for multi-day media tours, media marketplace appointments, local tours, showcase evening events and professional development sessions, with experiences that change annually as we are hosted in a different Canadian destination, often outside of major city centres.

This was the case with our 2022 Conference in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Emerging from COVID-19, this was our first in-person conference hosted in a rural, in a more remote, culturally rich, little known international entry point to Canada.

Acknowledging the Meetings and Events business is in and of itself, as we were, a significant economic impact, however our impact extends beyond. Having nearly 100 on assignment travel media professionals infiltrate and become enamoured with your destination – celebrated in real time, and the weeks, months and years to come - significantly increases the value of the event and impact.

In addition to the room night and related impact we had on the region over 10 days, the resulting, published stories about this destination is approaching 100 in key travel publications, with a retail value that will exceed $1 Million.  This does not include the social media coverage generated. Reflecting on their 2022 ‘season’, the region attributes its increased room nights sold and arrivals through their port of entry to their hosting of TMAC in June, just as tourism was reopening. Optimism for 2023, given increased reach of stories, experienced first hand in national and international publications and channels, is welcomed, and too will be monitored, and celebrated.

Additionally, the community economic approach to hosting the conference created and maximized partnerships and new collaborations, supporting social entrepreneurship, local sourcing and building community engagement and pride. Capacity building is critical in each of our conferences, it’s a legacy we strive for.

4. In your opinion, what are some current trends or emerging opportunities the Canadian tourism industry has with TMAC?

Never before has it been more important for Canadian stories about destinations, people, places, culture and be told, shared and embraced, as we prepare to attract and welcome increased travel to Canada.  Rooted in Canada with an international reach, we have an intimate appreciation for and pride in what Canada has to offer.

The demand for real, authentic, and trustworthy professional storytellers will be required as we write and sculpt sustainable, meaningful tourism experiences that will support economic, social and cultural growth in Canada.

Our content creating, storytelling professionals exceed in all aspects of communicating, and have audiences with eager and healthy appetites for new-to-them destinations and experiences, they are conscientious influencers. Through written, visual and emerging channels, trusted Canadian voices, will be leaned on, to rebuild our tourism industry and the economy.

5. Can you highlight any partnerships or collaborations that have been instrumental in driving success for TMAC?

Recognizing our role and responsibility in reconciliation, proudly, in June we will sign of a Memorandum of Understanding, a partnership agreement, with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. Building on a number of foundational items, in the spirit of learning, supporting and compassion, we are working to ensure Indigenous perspectives and experiences are being included within stories being published; educating members on Indigenous style and authenticity, ensuring Indigenous voices are heard within storytelling, growing awareness, and demand for these businesses and experiences.  We will also work collaboratively to provide workshops to enhance Indigenous-led businesses' ability to engage and leverage travel media.

We are particularly proud of our partnership with ITAC this year with the introduction of a new TMAC Award Category, the Best Canadian Indigenous Tourism Experience Story. Welcoming a dynamic collection of submissions, judged by a panel of accomplished and respected writers, inclusive of Indigenous representation, the finalists have been announced with winners being revealed on June 17th at the Awards Gala in Sudbury, Ontario.

6. As a Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) member, how has being a part of this organization benefited you and your work with TMAC?

Being a member and partner within Team Tourism in Canada via TIAC is critical for TMAC. Collaborating and networking with our Tourism Industry colleagues is key for our TMAC members. We have a critical and significant role in building back better, influencing and mobilizing travellers to and within Canada.

Our TIAC membership not only aligns us strategically within Canada, but more importantly demonstrates our commitment to the tourism industry, not only as a supplier, but a trusted partner, that will impact travel through their storytelling and reach of their network.

As the first adopter of the new Associate Membership, this channel has strengthened our individual members as well. The insights gained informs and is integrated within their work, enabled them to be more responsive to the evolving challenges and needs of the industry while fuelling their ‘pitches’ and stories.

Our membership has also been collaborative, and mutually beneficial. In 2022 we strengthened our relationship through activation and representation at the Tourism Congress, new opportunities for TMAC.

As presenting partner of the Canadian Travel Media Award, we raised the profile and acknowledgement of travel media professionals within the industry. It was humbling to note that two (2) of the three (3) finalists and the winner, were TMACers (and now the 3rd is a TMACer following the Congress!). We have since worked with TIAC to strengthen this award category and will be a champion for it again in 2023.

Additionally, invited to curate and facilitate one of the panel discussions, not only did this give us the opportunity to be ‘seen’ among our colleagues, it opened new connections with the panelists themselves. Privileged to be grated this task, it demonstrated a mutual respect and appreciation for our membership and the role we play in the tourism industry, and Canadian economy.

7. Would you like to highlight upcoming events, conferences, or initiatives for our readers?

Now SOLD OUT, the 2023 TMAC Conference and Medi Marketplace will be hosted in Sudbury, Ontario. With Canadian Travel Media embarking on 6 different multi-day media tours reaching from Manitoulin Island to North Bay from June 11 – 14, they will gather as a group of 200 delegates from June 14 – 18.  From local tours and evening showcases that immerse delegates within the destination to Professional Development sessions and networking, to a media marketplace where 2,000 appointments will be entertained, it concludes with the Travel Media Association of Canada Awards recognizing excellence in travel media celebrated across 18 categories.

Considered to be the pre-eminent event for Canadian Travel Media and international destinations wanting to work with them, together we are doing our part to build back a stronger, more sustainable and inclusive tourism economy, one story at a time.

Follow along, travelmedia.ca and @travelmediaCA