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Germany

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Marketing and Sales Programs

Our marketing and sales programs invite German travellers to see and experience Canada in a whole new way. Whether we launch an integrated marketing campaign, attend ITB Berlin or bring media and destination partners together to exchange stories, our initiatives target three major audiences:

Consumer Read more > Close >

We focus on three key consumer groups based on CTC’s Explorer Quotient®(EQ) types:

·       Free Spiritsin Germany are predominantly over 50 years old and come to Canada to relax while satisfying a deep-rooted interest in culture and history.

·       Cultural Explorersin Germany are over 50 years old; their primary interest is the in-depth discovery of a culture’s traditions, customs, history and natural wonders.

·       Authentic Experiencersin Germany are over 50 years old and are driven by a need to experience a culture from a local’s perspective; they take on the customs, language and way of life as legitimately as they can. 

Consumer websites and marketing campaigns

German consumers can visit our consumer website or our ski websiteto browse for holiday packages, learn about great Canadian travel destinations and experiences, view podcasts and read travel blogs.

Germany 2012 marketing campaigns

In Germany, we produce two annual integrated consumer campaigns with tactical components, incorporating social media, print, online, outdoor and experiential channels to build destination awareness and drive sales to trade and industry partners. We are running a tactical conversion focused campaign during the spring (February through April) and a broader winter-season destination awareness campaign during late autumn to promote ski and winter breaks and to keep Canada top of mind for travellers.

 

Travel Trade Read more > Close >

In Germany, trade development focuses on the retail and wholesale aspects of selling travel. On the retail side, the in-market team conducts sales calls, works co-op programs with key accounts, attends trade shows, organizes tour operator and partner familiarization (FAM) tours and conducts training and promotions under the Canada Specialist Program. 

Canada Specialist Program

The Canada Specialist Program(CSP) helps German travel professionals learn about Canada’s distinct experiences. Participating travel agents are offered a range of information and support, including:

·       Certified web-basedtraining program

·       Events and seminars

·       Regular e-newsletters

·       Decal kits

·       Familiarization (FAM) trips

·       Exclusive travel agent rates

·       CSP sales tools

·       CSP sticker and logo for certified specialists

·       Regular “News and Events” releases on the CSP website

·       CSP Facebook site with general updates and as communication platform

·       Publication of contact details on CTC consumer website

·       For select participants: publication of contact details in CSP brochure

·       CSP giveaways for customers of select participants.

CTC-Germany also collaborates with tour operators to develop innovative marketing programs and creative promotions to extend and complement the advertising campaigns.

Trade shows

·       ITB Berlin

·       Rendez-vous Canada

For details on these events and more, check out our Trade Shows & Events. 

Media Read more > Close >

CTC-Germany assists the media with partnered press trips, media events and by hosting individual and TVmedia visits to extraordinary Canadian destinations. Our strategy is to gain visibility in the German media by staging partnered media events across Canada and pitching relevant and targeted story ideas to media influencers. In 2012, we are organizing EQ-targeted themed group press trips featuring various Signature Experiences Collection® members as well as Canada’s cuisine and lifestyle. These will highlight Canada's five Unique Selling Propositions.

·       Wine, Western and Sparkling Hill(s), BC

·       Québec Winter Carnival, QC

·       Culinary Canada in Ontario

·       100 Years Cowboy Lifestyle and Couture in Alberta

·       Adventures on the Coast of Nova Scotia

Also new in 2012: “Explore like a local,” which is an individual press trip initiative with a difference: media visiting Canada will have use of a motorhome, a SEC-branded credit card and a pre-paid sim card for their smartphones so that they can go and explore Canada for themselves, while blogging on CTC’s social-media channels and in their own publications. Seven provinces and territories are partners. The CTC will also organize individual press trips upon demand with a strong focus on TV to other provinces and territories.

German media website and newsletter

The German media website will continue to run until a global platform is online. It addresses the German-speaking media world and is the active means for online marketing for the CTC and our partners. The site offers a huge variety of story ideas, press releases, itineraries, celebrity spots and news from all over Canada. In 2012, we are publishing approximately 15 story ideas from the main CTC media centre, 36 news items as well as 12 press releases.

We also send a bimonthly media newsletter to a database of 1,200-plus German-speaking media contacts.

GoMedia Canada Marketplace

Ten German media, including three broadcasters, will attend CTC's GoMedia Canada Marketplace, where Canadian travel operators exchange stories and ideas with international media. GoMedia is held annually in Canada and is hosted by a different destination each year. GoMedia 2012 will take place in Whitehorse, YK, May 27-31.

Media events 2012

In November 2012, the CTC will again host three media events in Hamburg, Berlin and Munich.

We will interactively feature CTC’s Signature Experiences Collection®, with courses planned according to four Canadian regions—Canada’s east, centre, west and north. The goal is to enable partners to mingle with the journalists and generate their 2013 media leads. This “gourmet trip across the country” aims to bring Canada closer to the audience in an intense and emotional way. 

 

Inbound travel to Canada from Germany
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Overnight trip to Canada (000's) 310.9 297.8 298.6 315.4 291.7 315.4
Year to year change 4.9% -4.2% 0.3% 5.6% -7.5% 8.1%*
Receipts ($M) 410.1 407.3 421.6 466.2 445.0 470.8
Year to year change 3.2% -0.7% 3.5% 10.6% -4.6% 5.8%
Source: International Travel Survey, Statistics Canada.

Quick facts Read more > Close >

  • Germany recorded 78.8 million outbound departures in 2010, up 3.4% from 2009. (Source: Tourism Economics – Tourism Decision Metrics, July 2011)
  • There were 315,400 overnight trips to Canada from Germany in 2010, up 8.1% from 2009.
  • German travellers injected $470.8 million into the Canadian economy in 2010, up 5.8% from 2009.
  • In 2010, German travellers spent on average $1,493 per person-trip; the average stay was 17 nights.
  • More than 50% of German travellers were 45 years of age or older, representing approximately 159,100 visitors.
  • Visiting nature parks, the third most popular tourism-related activity, increased 11.1%.

Source: Statistics Canada, International Travel Survey unless otherwise indicated.All Statistics Canada numbers are preliminary.

Current trends and market considerations Read more > Close >

The German economy is slowing down after 3.5% GDP growth in 2010 and a strong start in 2011. Primary causes are global challenges such as a weak Euro and the debt situation in some countries. However, unemployment remains rather low (currently 6.8%) and is expected to further decrease. Germany remains the economic powerhouse of the EU.

The number of overnight visitors decreased during the first five months of 2011 but showed an increase of almost 10% in June 2011.

Germans are increasingly looking to "get away from it all" and to create new experiences. The focus is not so much on “where to go” but “what to do” when it comes to vacation planning. There is a trend towards more, but shorter, vacation trips. Personal wellbeing in an authentic environment is paramount for many German travellers.

Similar to reports from other European markets, Canada is considered a top "dream destination" among German travellers, but there remains no urgency to visit in the short term. Canada is also perceived as offering vast wilderness and nature but lacking the cultural excitement and comforts of other destinations.

The CTC is working to showcase Canada’s rich cultural attractions, unique character, plus the exhilarating—and often unexpected—adventures found year-round in an effort to entice German travellers to visit now.

Guided by the CTC corporate strategy, the German strategy focuses on high-yield travellers—consumers who spend more, stay longer and are less influenced by exchange-rate fluctuations and market pressures.

Meetings, Conventions and Incentive Travel (MC&IT) Market development activities Read more > Close >

  • Axis joined a Canadian Tours International FAM trip to Ontario, a great opportunity to build relationship with six key clients attending from Germany.
  • Canada calendar mailing to TOP 50 clients.
  • Canada e-blast to 144 key contacts.
  • Database development: Added 25 new clients, increasing the database to 112 clients /143 individual contacts in preparation for mail blasts, calls and in market meetings.
  • Canada update calls to 30 clients. 

 

Current trends and market considerations

  • A survey among 1,664 events planners carried out by the Association of German Event Planners revealed that 45% of respondents rate the economic outlook similar to 2011 with a budget that remains stable.
  • Demand for meetings for companies based outside major cities is enhanced by the strong regional airport network in Germany.
  • Trend is towards smaller, lesser-known but more original hotels.
  • 75% of event planners expect to hold the same number of events as in 2011, or more.
  • 26% will cut and 53% will maintain the number of participants.
  • 62% will plan their events in capitals or major cities, 12% in less significant cities and townsand 26% will change their bookings from capital cities to lesser-known largecities.
  • 43% expect a shorter and 11% a longer lead time for planning meetings. 

Contact our team

Check out our dedicated MC&IT website or the listings in Trade Shows & Events. For more information on MC&IT strategic programming in the European market, e-mail frei [dot] susan [at] ctc-cct [dot] ca (Susan Frei), Director, International MC&IT, or call her at 1-703-825-1134. 

For details on other events, check out our Trade Shows & Events. 

Contact our team Read more > Close >

Contact our team for more information.

kh [dot] limberg [at] travelmarketing [dot] de (Karl-Heinz Limberg), Account Director

b [dot] ackermann [at] travelmarketing [dot] de (Barbara Ackermann), Director Media & PR

n [dot] brauckmann [at] travelmarketing [dot] de (Nina Brauckmann), Junior Account Manager Travel Trade

Latest Campaigns Read more > Close >

A selection of ads from CTC's most recent campaign.

     

 

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