According to Andrew Campbell, it’s been a while since most Canadians took a walk on the wild side. Motivating people to venture into the great outdoors is not the walk in the park it used to be, so Parks Canada has engaged Toronto marketing firm Veritas to help Canadians reconnect with the outdoors.
Sliding attendance at national historical sites and parks is a disappointing reality resulting from several factors, said Campbell, vice-president of external relations and visitor experience for Parks Canada.
“We did a study couple of years ago to discover why there has been a reduction in visits. One of the main societal reasons is the lack of time for people to do leisure-type activities.” Other factors included distance between parks and populous urban areas, an aging population and an overall lack of awareness regarding what parks and historic sites have to offer.
“Surprisingly, people said they didn’t feel they had the knowledge of history necessary to appreciate a national historic site – or the camping abilities to enjoy national parks,” Campbell said.
Veritas’ efforts will encompass a variety of marketing streams, including paid advertising and cross-promotional activities.
“Today we have a fairly large social media presence, including our website and other venues. Veritas will tie it all together for us in a single, coherent campaign,” said Campbell.
The agency will be paid $395,000 over two years out of Parks Canada’s projected $220-million two-year revenue.
Parks Canada is intent on collaborating with other relevant groups such as the internationally focused Canadian Tourism Commission and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
“Through the federal tourism strategy, Parks Canada has a role in promoting Canada,” Campbell said. “We make about a $3-billion impact annually on the Canadian economy in terms of industry benefits derived from hotel stays, guided tours and other travel activities.”
