Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Happy Holidays from the CES Team!
Thank you to all of our clients, partners and friends for a great year! Looking forward to what will come in the New Year!
We wish you all a safe, healthy, and happy Holiday Season!
From the CES Team!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
What Makes a Good Tour Guide: The Art of Guiding
 |
| Peru Trekking Adventure - Salkantay Trail |
I’ve had the privilege of being able to do a lot of travel
in my life and have learned that nothing beats the knowledge of local guides.
But what makes a good tour guide? What type of skills and training are
required? And how do you make someone have an unforgettable experience?
I recently returned from leading a group of people to Peru
and we had the most amazing tour guides for each of our experiences – this
inspired me to write this blog. What made these guides stand out was first and
foremost their passion for sharing their culture and history with all of us.
This quality is not something you can learn in a training course. You have to
have the desire to share information about your culture and to create
excitement and understanding with your guests.
One of our guides that was with our group leading a 7 day
trek to Machu Picchu set the tone by doing an introduction about the culture
and the history of the region we were about to hike through in such an engaging
way. His passion was evident. He spoke slowly with a lot of emotion making all
of us instantly engaged in what he had to say.
During the tour he would find special places for us to gather to hear
stories, and he allowed time for intimate ceremonies at significant sites
during our trek. The trek itself and environment was amazing, but what made the
journey special was our guides. So that demonstrates
that passion is a major quality in what
makes a tour guide great.
If you are a tour guide it is essential to be able to tell engaging stories. You can just list
facts about a place, but you will lose people’s attention span fast. Being a
Tour Guide is all about being able to deliver a great story. We had another
incredible guide in Peru that had an amazing ability to tell a great story. We
were on a boat tour with about 1 hour to our next destination and he had all of
us sitting in anticipation of what he had to say next. He was so interesting
and incorporated historical facts with great storytelling. He made the 1 hour
ride seem like no time at all.
 |
| Guided Tour of Machu Picchu |
You also need to pay attention to your group’s behaviour and
be able to judge the type of personalities and group dynamics. In other words, you have to feel the vibe of
the group and adapt accordingly. Guides will be asked all sorts of questions
and will have to deal with a variety of different personalities. This will be a
true test of character and your ability
to adapt is critical. Since we had a
group of 10 people in our trek, we had varying personalities and levels of
fitness so our guides did an amazing job managing our group’s dynamics.
Above I mentioned some of the qualities that make a good
tour guide, but there of course is a lot of training required as well. It was
evident that Peru had excellent training
programs for their guides. They were professional, had incredible customer
service skills, were highly trained on the environment, history and culture of
the area, most were fluent in several languages, health & safety standards
were at a high level, and they were trained in how to project their voice and
share information in an engaging way. All of these skills take a lot of time
and practice and even people that are naturally good at guiding still require
proper training.
So to some all of this up, I’ve narrowed it down to 4 key
elements to what makes a good tour guide:
- Passion – You need to be passionate about what you are sharing with visitors
- Become an Engaging Storyteller
- Ability to Adapt
- Training and Skill Development
If you or people in your community are interested in
becoming a Tour Guide contact CES for information on how to get started.
T: 1-877-444-5550
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Free Webinar on Digital Storytelling & Cultural Preservation
Canadian Ecotourism Services (CES) is offering a Free Webinar on Digital Storytelling & Cultural Preservation! This Webinar is for Cultural Coordinators, Tourism Entrepreneurs, Community Leaders, Economic Development Officers and anyone interested in digital storytelling projects.
or
email info@cesclients.com
What you will learn:
·
Discover how you can preserve
your culture for future generations through digital storytelling!
·
How to get Youth, Elders and
everyone in between involved!
·
How to build interesting content
and create your App/Website!
·
Continue to add new stories and
content for generations to come!
When: October
26th at 12:00 pm EST
Where: At
the comfort of your desk! – Details will be sent upon registration
To
register please contact CES at 1-877-444-5550
Travel Trends for 2017
The travel industry is always shifting and changing based on
current worldwide trends, the emergence of new markets, and different niche
groups. As a business or someone that is involved in the tourism industry, it’s
important to keep up with these new trends. Here is some insight with some of
the growing trends and emerging niche markets for 2017.
Growing Market of
Wellness-Minded Travellers
One of the newest trends to hit the travel industry is the
growth of wellness travel. This includes
more than marketing just resorts and retreats, it involves promoting your
destination to target the growing market of wellness-minded travellers.
Destination expert Roger Brooks, president of Peoria,
AZ-based Roger Brooks International, says “health and wellness is now one of
the top four brands that destinations are pursuing.”
Costa Rica Tourism is gearing up to focus its 2017 PR
campaign to promote the “Pura Vida” Lifestyle which is guided by the core
values of community, health and wellness.
Responsible Travel is
on the Rise
After reviewing an article posted by responsibletravel.org,
one of the growing demands is in Responsible Travel – which is tourism that
maximizes the benefits to local communities, minimizes negative social or
environmental impacts, and helps people conserve fragile cultures and habitats or
species.
Research studies continue to show that travellers prefer
companies that instil eco-friendly practices in their operations. Travellers
have a higher level of environmental and cultural awareness, meaning that they
are more demanding and able to influence tourism providers to change their
practices.
Nature-Based Tourism
Growth
I’ve noticed this new trend first hand by exploring
Vancouver Island. There is a lot more younger people, a.k.a. Millenials, out in
nature, hiking, and exploring some off the beaten track nature-based activities.
I was in Port Renfrew, the other day, a community on Vancouver Island’s west
coast with a population of only 120 people, and their local tourism industry
grew this year by 700%! That is an incredible growth in tourist numbers and
shows that people are searching for opportunities to get them up close and
personal with nature.
Nature-based tourism accounts for about 20% of the total for
international travel and continues to grow according to the UNWTO.
The Real Local
Experience
Living like a Local has also become a growing trend. People
are searching for more authentic, “real” experiences that allow them to connect
with people and places.
This trend fits perfectly with CES’s Authentic Indigenous
Moments (AIM) Project – which is an indigenous platform that focuses on
creating authentic community experiences between visitors and local guides.
A Growth in Niche
Markets
The tourism industry is experiencing more segmented markets
and new groups of consumers. The following are some of the top growing niche
markets that relate to responsible travel:
·
Adventure Tourism
·
Agritourism
·
Culinary or Gastronomic Tourism
·
Orange Tourism – Focuses on Cultural, Economic
and Social Development
·
Sharing Economy – peer-to-peer market
·
Wellness Travel
If you are interested in enhancing your current tourism
project or turning your tourism idea into reality, contact info@cesclients.com for details on how to
get started!
Sources:
The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends and Statistics - http://www.responsibletravel.org/whatWeDo/The_Case_for_Responsible_Travel_2016_Final.pdf
Travel Market Report - http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Emerging-Wellness-Travel-Trends-For-2017-And-Beyond
Friday, September 9, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
Share your Story with the World - Digital Storytelling Project!
We're happy to announce that we'll be offering Digital Storytelling Projects through our Cultural Preservation Initiative starting at only $4,500!
This is an amazing opportunity to:
This is an amazing opportunity to:
- Celebrate and preserve your community's unique culture and heritage
- Record and document stories about your culture, traditions and language
- Map and share the spirit and identity of your people
- Create a digital living museum of your community
- Develop an innovative app that showcases stories from your past, present, and future
- Engage youth & elders and everyone in between in protecting your culture
Call Amanda to apply at 1-877-444-5550 or email her at amanda@cesclients.com.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Tourism Excellence North Brokers Meeting - June 8, 2016
Announcement: There is going to be a Tourism Excellence North Brokers Meeting at Old Fort William on Wednesday June 8th from 9:30am to 4pm.
The meeting is free to attend and is most relevant to tourism stakeholders from the region, in particular provincial and federal tourism advisors municipal staff, economic development officers, destination marketing organization staff, sector organizations and others who are on the ground and in the field supporting tourism operators, destinations and communities as a regular part of their everyday job.
Click here for more info and to register - http://tourismexcellencenorth.ca/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=ViewOneBooking&id=1
Background
The Tourism Excellence North (TEN) program was presented at the 2016 NOMA Conference this year and is a tourism development program for Northern Ontario, inspired in part by the success and impact of a similar program led by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in Atlantic Canada. TEN is a suite of 10 training solutions designed to strengthen the ability of tourism operations to respond to changes in the marketplace, adapt to quality visitor expectations, develop innovative experiences that raise the bar on visitor value and deliver increased returns for operations and the destination as a whole. TEN strategically guides investment into tourism development holistically over the long term. TEN is aligned to support priorities for tourism development in Northern Ontario, specifically those of Tourism Northern Ontario (TNO) and Explorer’s Edge (EE). TEN also supports and aligns with service quality enhancement and visitor experience priorities of Canada’s Federal Tourism Strategy: Welcoming the World and Ontario’s Growth Plan for Northern Ontario. Initiated in September 2014, the final plan, completed in February 2015 is supported by a 3-year implementation plan.
For more information visit their website at http://tourismexcellencenorth.ca.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
How to Start an Ecotourism in 1 Day
You are invited to the following event:
HOW TO START AN ECOTOURISM BUSINESS IN 1 DAY
 |
Event to be held at the following time and date:
Wednesday, 18 May 2016 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (EDT)
To Register click here!
|
How to Start an Ecotourism Business in 1 Day
What you will learn how to:
Where: At the comfort of your desk! – Details will be sent upon registration
Who: Canadian Ecotourism Services (CES) is a tourism and community development firm with over 18 years of Indigenous tourism development. We specialize in planning, business development, coaching & training, cultural preservation projects, cultural village development, cultural digital apps and marketing and branding.
Tired of the same old methods and consultants? - Join us and discover why we are one of Canada’s premier firms working with Indigenous communities across Canada and around the world.
Share this event on Facebook and Twitter We hope you can make it! If you have any questions give us a call at 1-877-444-5550. Cheers, Canadian Ecotourism Services (CES) |
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
In Remembrance of Sherman Herodier - An Amazing Soul that Touched all of our Lives
Not too many times in your lifetime you come across
special people that make an impact on your life. Our team at Canadian
Ecotourism Services (CES) have all had the privilege to have met Sherman
Herodier. We all had more than just a working relationship with him. We all
consider him a close friend and an Elder that we can all look up to. Each of us always looked forward to
connecting with him and his amazing sense of humour always made our day. He was
a strong Cultural Ambassador in Eeyou Istchee and spoke so highly of preserving
his culture for future generations. His kind soul has touched all of us and we
will always remember him.
Here are a few words from our team…
“I
guess I knew that Sherman and I would be lifelong friends when he trusted me
enough to give me a Cree nickname. After a week together in Waskaganish,
Sherman looks at me and says 'Jason White . . . White . . . . hmmmm, Gawabaitch
(don't quote me on the spelling), and then he and the other guys all laughed. I
figured they just thought it was funny that I now had a new name in Cree.
It wasn't until a couple of days later that my friend Paul Diamond said to me
'you know that nickname Sherman gave you? Well, it doesn't exactly mean 'white'
like the colour.' I had be duped! But by a sweetheart of a guy.
And
then a couple of months later I'm at the Air Creebec gate getting ready to
board around 7:00 am, and I hear 'hey, Gawabaitch' . . . and as I stood up to
go and see my friend Sherman at least 30 Cree people looked at me and started
to laugh, lol. Not in a mean way of course. I'm going to miss him.”
– Jason White
“Every time I think of Sherman, I have a smile on my face. I feel so grateful to have known him. He was such a kind and loving soul and I’ll always remember him.” – Amanda Huculak
“We
at the CES were all greatly touched in different ways by Sherman and are so
saddened by his passing. He was what we all hope to be when it comes to being a
humanitarian. His spirit will rest high in all of us. Rest in the highest
spirit Sherman, and when we live our life true and strong we will think of you
old friend.” – Clinton Belcher
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Our Corporate Social Responsibility - CES Gives Back!
CES has provided over $100K in funding for Indigenous
Communities to develop tourism across Canada
CES has over 19 years
of experience working with Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad on
grassroots community-based projects. Our team shares a passion for helping
communities move forward with various projects and we offer a variety of
different programs where we donate in kind services to help bring projects to
life. We tend to operate more as a social enterprise than a profit driven
business. We value the relationships with each and everyone of our clients
which sets us apart from your typical consultant.
We thought we would
share some of the results of our past programs and initiatives that we have
done in the past and the communities that we helped along the way. All in all
we have contributed through our
Corporate Social Responsibility over $100K to 33 communities across Canada.
Here are just a few of the programs and the impact that they have had on
communities in Canada.
The Community Needs Assessment Program (CNAP)
This program is
perfect for those communities interested in defining their potential for viable
tourism businesses in their community. It includes all costs covered for an
on-site visit to the community where someone from our team will assess the
tourism potential of the community and will meet with leadership to exchange
ideas and discuss options for moving forward. We then prepare a brief ‘go
forward/next steps’ strategy as well as provide options for funding to move
projects forward. This has been a successful project and we have visited 8
communities across Canada over the past 4 years. Some of the recent communities
that have been approved for this program and have moved forward with tourism
initiatives are:
- Seine River First Nation
- Kitselas First Nation
- Six Nations Tourism
- Magnetawan First Nation
- Georgina Island First Nation
- Wikwemikong First Nation
- Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point
- Tulita Development Corporation
The Cultural Preservation Initiative (CPI)
This program provides
up to $10,000 in funding towards the development costs of the My Community App
Project. The My Community App project shares the spirit and identity of your
community using digital storytelling on an engaging interactive App. It uses
videos, images, maps, and written stories that share the culture and history of
your community told by the community. We provide the training, the resources
and the knowledge for this project and it is meant to be grown and added to for
years to come. We target the Youth, the Elders and everyone in between to
contribute to this exciting project. We have now implemented projects across
Canada in Georgina Island First Nation, Seine River First Nation, Moose Cree
First Nation, Chesterfield Inlet, West Moberly First Nation, and Kitselas First
Nation. Here’s what Web Bennet from Kitselas First Nation had to say about this
exciting project - http://youtu.be/JwvRv7v2HhA.
Tourism Feasibility Study Program
Throughout the years
we continue to adapt our programs and have determined that Feasibility Studies
are great ways to kick start tourism initiatives in order to determine if they
are viable options for a community. We wanted
to work with communities to ensure a project is feasible before investing a
great amount of resources into concepts.
So in the Fall of 2015 we started the Tourism Feasibility Study Program that
provides up to $5,000 in funding for professional fees towards the costs of
developing a Feasibility Study. So far we have 2 successful Clients that are
moving forward with their projects. Due to the need and success of this program
we decided to implement it again in 2016 and are now accepting applications for
it. For more info please contact info@cesclients.com.
In addition to our
funding programs we offer a variety of complimentary services to our Clients
such as Free Webinars and Proposal Writing.
To stay informed about
our new programs and funding programs follow us our social media sites:
- CES Blog - http://cesclients.blogspot.com
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cesclients
- Twitter - @ces_clients
- Google + - https://plus.google.com/115431186891854071376
- Or visit us at www.cesclients.com.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
‘Aiming’ for the Future of Indigenous Tourism in Canada
Having worked in the Indigenous Tourism
Industry in Canada for over 19 years, Canadian Ecotourism Services (CES)’s CEO,
Clinton Belcher created an innovative approach that combines new age technology
with grassroots cultural entrepreneurs. This idea has more of less been an
approach that CES has recommended to their clients for a long time, however the
addition of new technologies has taken it to the next level.
Here’s
some background on the concept…
Retention of culture has become an issue
for many indigenous communities throughout the world and there is a critical
need for opportunities and innovative models to integrate culture into
community life. The tourism industry presents a unique opportunity to preserve
culture and educate visitors about the rich culture, history and traditions of
the past, present and future.
CES’s Pando Terra™ model represents the
root for sustainable community development by way of community initiatives and
projects’ encouraging community advancement, and allowing for true grassroots
growth to take place. Pando Terra™ is an organic process of economic
development in harmony with cultural traditions. Rather than focusing on tourism development
as a catalyst for growth, tourism will develop naturally as a secondary outcome
of a solid community platform. People will want to know more about the
community and learn about the people and their culture. This has led to an
increased demand for entrepreneurial programming support, leading to the need
for controlled growth and well thought out marketing and development
strategies.
This becomes the kind of ‘experiential’
tourism being highlighted throughout Canada; the kind of tourism that has
existed in many parts of the world for years, and is branded ’Spontaneous
Tourism’ by CES.
Tourists want to experience diverse
cultures; to eat, live in, and explore a new place for a short time, and not
necessarily participate in any specific ‘tourist’ activity. The importance of
the need to support the community first before commercializing the culture
needs to remain the priority. Pando
Terra™ supports this model and promotes responsible sharing of culture and
product offerings.
The
Cultural Entrepreneur…
Many Indigenous communities already have
passionate individuals in their communities that enjoy sharing their culture
and knowledge with visitors. These community members can be storytellers,
guides, fishermen, artists, singers, dancers, wood carvers, artisans, cooks,
and more!
However, these particular individuals may
not have their own business and are unaware of how to market themselves and
reach out to potential visitors. So there is a large communication gap and
missed business opportunities in each community.
Creating
‘packaged moments’…
This led CES to creating a model that
celebrates individual Cultural Entrepreneurs under one community platform,
known as the Authentic Indigenous Moments (AIM™) Model. The main objective is
to empower local community members to share their culture and do what they are
passionate about, whether it is guided experiences on the land to learn
traditional survival skills, how to make the best bannock, or sitting around a
fire telling stories and legends of the past. The community has individuals
that are looking for these types of opportunities, however many are overwhelmed
with the process of starting their own business. This approach allows cultural
entrepreneurs to share their knowledge, skills and passion with visitors.
The purpose of the AIM™ is:
- To create a clear tourism identity
- To create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities
- To provide a centralized web portal for visitors
- To create mobile connections between the visitors and their hosts
- To maximize marketing activities
Use
a Digital Destination Strategy…
The use of an interactive web platform is
vital to the success of this approach. A community has the opportunity to promote
their tourism experiences through a centralized node that is accessible on all
devices such as desktop computers, mobile and tablet devices. A great feature
for this approach is that visitors also can navigate the different tour
options, write reviews, and book online with ease. Each Cultural Entrepreneur
is featured on the site, so that the potential visitor can begin to develop a
relationship with this individual and learn about them before even meeting them
in person. It is a self-regulating system that is based on reviews, which
places pressure on each entrepreneur to be a great host to visitors.
Some of the benefits of AIM™ include:
- Creates personalized, high quality, independent cultural tourism activities for the region
- Acts as an incubator to encourage entrepreneurs
- Offers additional income to community members
- Provides additional marketing services for the region, the communities and its existing businesses
- Provides a ‘one stop shop’ for visitors wanting to visit the region
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