It’s cards on the table time again: the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has just published the 2011-2015 Corporate Plan summary: New directions to reclaim growth. The plan reaffirms CTC’s main strategic goal of growing tourism export revenues for Canada—in other words, luring international travellers and their money to Canada.

The annual rolling strategic plan also makes plain CTC’s objectives and priorities for the next five-year period.

The plan has two foundations. First, CTC, with support from partners, successfully leveraged the media exposure generated by the 2010 Winter Games, bringing the idea of Canada as a tourism destination to billions of international viewers. Second, CTC shifted investments based on the highest possible return and to where Canada’s tourism brand—“Canada. Keep Exploring”—naturally leads.

Canada needs to boost the number of international visitors. In 2000, 65% of tourism revenue came from domestic travellers. By 2010, that ratio was 80%. So CTC decided last year to undertake a strategic shift, focusing on roles and a leaner, more scalable operation, in an effort to generate more revenue from international travellers. The target is $5.3 billion, from total tourism proceeds of $100 billion, by 2015.

The 2011-2015 Corporate Plan summary outlines two objectives: 

• Increase demand for Canada’s visitor economy;

• Focus on markets where Canada’s tourism brand leads and yields the highest return on investment.

These objectives will generate wealth for Canadians by focusing on short-term and long-term potential maximum return on investment as markets evolve and mature. And by investing in the right communications channels, CTC can convince big-spending travellers to turn their Canada travel plans into reality.

The four key priorities that form CTC’s framework for action are to:

• Ensure customer relevancy and differentiate Canada;

• Harvest the afterglow of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for Canada;

• Lead industry in international brand alignment and consistency;

• Foster organizational excellence.

These priorities will help position Canada’s tourism brand as one of the world’s leading experiential tourism brands, convert consumer intentions from the Games’ media coverage into actual travel intentions, guide industry and government alike in tourism marketing and ensure CTC is an organization with the right people and resources to deliver on its plans.

“CTC operates in a highly dynamic global tourism industry where innovation, marketplace conditions and consumer tastes drive a constantly evolving commercial environment,” says Michele McKenzie, CTC president and CEO. “Change and adaptation is the one constant that all successful organizations must embrace in today’s new economic reality. And with change comes opportunity.”