Success Stories

Destination Marketing Fund Cluster Development

Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region is developing a tourism cluster in order to diversify the economy. Back in 2007, the CF undertook an CF-RCED project to study the implementation of a Destination Marketing Fund (DMF). The DMF was ultimately assembled and has been operational for the last 2 years in successfully marketing the region. The CF, along with the DMF and their partners, are now promoting tourism on a larger scale.

This project has three main components:

  • Complete a tourism economic impact study
  • Develop a 5-year tourism marketing plan
  • Implement an interactive tourism website with both destination information and reservation capabilities

The centrepiece of this project is the creation of the interactive tourism website. In addition to providing destination marketing content, it will also provide tourists with the ability to purchase packages, make reservations, and buy tickets to events that occur during their stay. This website will generate opportunities for both small and large tourism operators regardless of the size of their budgets. Another compelling feature of this project is the clustering that will be encouraged among local businesses.

Partners include: Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region, Grande Prairie & Region Destination Marketing Fund, Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association, City of Grande Prairie, GeoTourism Canada, and the County of Grande Prairie.