Journal of Vacation Marketing
Volume 7 Number 3
Promoting urban green tourism: The development of the other map of Toronto Rachel Dodds and Marion Joppe Received (in revised form): 18th January, 2001 Reviewed paper Green Tourism Association, 500 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada. Tel: (416) 392-1560 Ext 85828; Fax: (416) 392-0071; E-mail:
[email protected]
Rachel Dodds is the manager of marketing and business development for the Green Tourism Association (GTA) in Toronto. She joined the association in 1999 after obtaining a masters in tourism management from Grif®th University, Queensland, Australia. In addition to her work with the GTA she teaches at Humber College in the Faculty of Ecotourism and Adventure Recreation, and is also involved in tourism planning and management consulting. Marion Joppe is a faculty member of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto. She holds a PhD in law and economics of tourism from the Centre des Hautes Etudes Touristiques, Aix-enProvence III, France. Previously she has worked for a variety of private sector organisations, including ®nancial institutions, tour operators and consulting groups. She sits on a number of boards, including the Green Tourism Association.
versity and experiential richness. In looking at promoting greener practices, the association developed the `Other Map of Toronto'. This map highlights eco-businesses, green spaces, galleries and heritage sites, natural food stores, and sustainable transportation options among other features. The development and launch of the map is discussed and some of the problems encountered are examined. Key strategies for launching green tourism products are presented in the recommendations.
ABSTRACT KEYWORDS: ecotourism, urban green tourism, tourist map, sustainability
INTRODUCTION Not only is it important to attract visitors to a destination, but it is also important to ensure that tourists are encouraged to experience more than just the key urban landmark attractions. Part of the problem is that information about environmentally friendly and green alternatives is not readily available to tourists (or even residents). This paper looks at a relatively simple way of developing a sustainable promotional tool that can not only enhance the overall experience of visitors, but can also be commercially self-supporting.
While the focus of ecotourism has largely been on rural or sensitive areas, the vast majority of tourists visit an urban environment. This paper examines how the Green Tourist Association in Toronto, Canada, developed the concept of urban green tourism Ð a concept that promotes environmental responsibility, local economic vitality, cultural di-
URBAN TOURISM Tourism in the developed world has historically taken place in urban settings, and large capital cities have long been recognised as major tourism destinations. Although its growth has been exponential in the past few
Journal of Vacation Marketing Vol. 7 No. 3, 2001, pp. 261±267, & Henry Stewart Publications, 1356-7667
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decades since the mid-1960s, tourism has only become recognised as a vital industrial sector for urban economies in the last ten to 15 years. Law1 identi®ed two reasons for this recognition. First, the deindustrialisation of urban areas has resulted in a search for replacement industries that could create employment. Second, there has been a need to ®nd new uses for former urban industrial areas, and associated buildings of historical importance. The urban development strategies adopted have had three main thrusts and have involved: Ð infrastructure: the development of largescale facilities and infrastructure, with convention centres, waterfront developments, aquaria and festival marketplaces being particularly popular; Ð events: the hosting of mega-events and festivals, focusing especially on the arts and sports; Ð marketing images: the marketing and selling of an image that denotes the city as exciting, by focusing on the entertainment and spectacles it has to offer. While the aim of the marketing has been to attract as many people as possible to help ®ll the convention centres, sports stadiums and hotel rooms and attend various attractions and events, the overall objectives have been largely economic Ð job creation and revenue generation. The impacts, however, are borne by the local population, who are generally not a concern of the destination marketers. This is because all too often their mandate calls for an increase in the number of visitors and their length of stay, and not an enhancement of the quality of life for residents.2 Along with the growth of tourism has come an increasing set of concerns about its environmental, cultural and social impacts. Tourists are consumptive beings and tourism suppliers are waste and energy intensive. Too few steps are being undertaken towards keeping the urban tourism industry sustainable. While there is generally an increased awareness of environmental issues, the trend towards convenience leads to the adoption
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of disposable goods (such as disposable cameras, brochures, etc) and `surface travelling' at a destination city (by seeing and being seen at the key tourist sights and doing the most activities in the shortest amount of time). All too often, local culture and heritage activities are overlooked. In addition, supporting the local economy through the purchase of local products and acting in an environmentally responsible way are often forgotten in the rush to consume the urban tourist experience. Ecotourism has been de®ned as `responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people'.3 It has been recognised and is being promoted as a viable development option for tourism. Properly developed, it can build on an increasing demand by consumers for less destructive activities, and if it is well developed it can offer experiences that are more real Ð in other words experiences that are more rewarding, enriching and authentic, and offer some form of learning as an outcome. Too often, though, ecotourism is associated with exotic, undisturbed, remote (or at least rural) areas as well as with developing countries. Yet by de®nition it includes parks and green spaces, culture and heritage, and the concept can therefore be just as easily adapted to the urban environment.
THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF TORONTO Toronto is Canada's largest city and the capital of the its most populous province, Ontario. It is the most important gateway into Canada, and also the number-one urban destination in the country Ð attracting over 21 million visitors per year and generating over C$5:3bn in revenue.4 This translates into eight visitors a year for every permanent resident Ð a ratio that might strain the social and environmental carrying capacity of many destinations.5 Toronto is more than just a big urban conurbation, though. There are approximately 20,000 acres of green spaces within
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the city and over 374 bird species can be found within a 50-mile radius of the city's core. Two major green spaces, Tommy Thompson Park and Toronto Islands, are recognised as major habitats in the migratory path of birds, and mean that the city has the largest natural and cultural heritage park in an urban area in North America. In fact, there are approximately 46 kilometres of waterfront, over 3 million trees and over 50 designated environmentally sensitive areas and Canadian Heritage acclaimed rivers within the city.6 URBAN GREEN TOURISM Like ecotourism, urban green tourism is a new and emerging concept. The concept of urban green tourism was initially proposed, and re®ned, by a group of interested individuals and organisations who came together to explore the potential and marketability of ecotourism in Toronto.7 It was felt that it was important to encourage travel and exploration in and around a city that would help support natural and cultural aspects, while also encouraging respect for and conservation of urban resources and cultural diversity. Furthermore, it was seen that it should also be a way to increase the exposure of businesses and organisations that identi®ed with the concept and aims of the Green Tourism Association (GTA). The urban green tourism concept can be broken down into four components.
Ð Environmental responsibility Ð protecting, conserving, and/or enhancing nature and the physical environment to ensure the long-term health of the life-sustaining ecosystem. Ð Local economic vitality Ð supporting local economies, businesses and communities to ensure economic vitality and sustainability. Ð Cultural diversity Ð respecting and appreciating cultures and cultural diversity so as to ensure the continued well-being of local or host cultures. Ð Experiential richness Ð providing enriching and satisfying experiences through
active, personal and meaningful participation in, and involvement with, nature, people, places and/or cultures. The GTA was incorporated as a non-pro®t organisation in 1996. Not only does it aim to promote and market the above concepts to tourists and residents, but it also aims to support urban green tourism businesses and works to green the tourism industry. Despite such high ideals, it became quickly apparent to its board of directors that to get a buy-in to its mission and goals by businesses and the tourism industry required tangible proof of two things: ®rst, that visitors coming to Toronto were indeed looking for `greener' experience, and second, that joining the association would translate into additional business for companies. The marketing budgets of many small to medium-sized enterprises are simply too limited in this industry to justify paying for membership, services and advertising unless there is going to be a direct contribution to a business's bottom line. Therefore, a decision was made to look at developing a promotional piece that would serve a very useful purpose for visitors and residents alike. It would also aim to inform them about many aspects of the city that are not normally included in the mainstream tourism literature. Eventually, it led to the development of the green map. THE OTHER MAP OF TORONTO In 1999 the green map was launched by the GTA. Named the `Other Map of Toronto', it is also the 22nd map in the international Green Map SystemTM . However, it is the ®rst such map to provide a single source of information that links tourism to the environment. The Green Map SystemTM is a globally connected, locally adaptable framework for community sustainability. Green maps utilise icons to chart the sites of environmental signi®cance in urban places around the world.'8 However, the objectives of the Green Map SystemTM are somewhat distinct from those of the GTA and the `Other Map of Toronto'. The primary purpose of the Green
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Map SystemTM is to `illuminate the interconnections between society, nature and the built environment, helping residents make lower impact lifestyle choices and discover great ways to get involved in the urban ecology.'9 Adapting the concept for the promotion of tourism meant highlighting more of the cultural, historic and community resources and businesses, and disregarding toxic and contaminated `hot-spots' as well as corporations that had a reputation as polluters. The map10 colourfully highlights `green' activities (as de®ned by the four criteria identi®ed earlier), including businesses, green spaces, ecotours, galleries and heritage sites, organic and natural food stores, and sustainable transportation options. A tourist map generally highlights areas of interest for visitors, attractions, landmarks, museums etc, thereby providing an easy reference for touring. Toronto's green map also highlighted such areas, but additionally provided features relating to environmental awareness. Old shorelines, hidden creeks and watersheds were shown in relation to the city's attractions in a way that could be easily understood, as the map was laid over an aerial photograph of the city. Short paragraphs on the map also added a green perspective, addressing topics such as natural history, environmental visits, green spaces and parklands, special gardens and tips on how to be a green tourist. In total, approximately 190 business and attractions are featured on the map, which was produced on recycled paper with vegetable ink. RESPONSE TO THE MAP The map concept appealed to all levels of government and industry, and the majority of funding/sponsorship was raised through these avenues. In addition to funding, a broad market was reached, including multiple levels of industry and government as well as tourists and residents. Clearly the initial launch of a new product like the map was going to be vitally important to its success. To maximise the leverage from public relations and generate as much free publicity as possible, the GTA was able to get the
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map launched by the city's mayor during the prime tourist season. Direct marketing included developing media kits and drops, sending out press releases and teasers to top North American travel writers, and attending many promotional events. Distribution of the map also took place at all key entrance points to the city, tourist information sites, sites featured on the map, civic centres, the Internet, and many events and conferences. Despite the limited funds available for the launching of the map the GTA was able to generate considerable awareness. This was determined by the following yardsticks: Ð total indirect and direct reach of the map (as of 31st October, 1999) equalled over 2,700,000 people Ð PR value of over C$38, 000 was received in the ®rst six months Ð 29 media articles were received (print, radio, television) Ð there is a high probability that this number is a low estimate, as a large percentage of press was not able to be traced Ð readership of media amounted to over 2,200,000 Ð over 33,000 of the 60,000 maps produced were distributed within the ®rst two weeks Ð requests ranged from local people to as far away as Australia and Turkey Ð ®gures show that 8 per cent of tourist enquiries at visitor information sites asked for green information or a copy of the map. As mentioned earlier, long-term viability and access to all are some of the main bene®ts of urban green tourism. The map provided positive bene®t through a number of areas. Awareness Ð Local small businesses received international exposure that an individual marketing effort could not afford. Ð Residents' and tourists' awareness levels of Toronto's `green' options were increased, as the map provided one collective source of ecotourism information in the city.
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Ð International exposure to the concept of urban green tourism was seen through the variety of media articles and requests for further urban green tourism information by tourist of®ces and academic institutes. Ð Overall awareness of environmental issues and projects being undertaken by the city as a whole was increased Ð the map brought to the foreground many issues such as smog, pollution, urban sprawl, protection of natural and heritage sites, tourism marketing etc. Reach The maps produced were free, thereby making them accessible to a wide variety of target markets. Accessibility All key information for explorers was in one source. The map provided background information, tips to be green, contact phone numbers, addresses, descriptions and more. Expansion The GTA's multiple requests for additional information and overall exposure and further funding options led to the expansion of the organisation and many new or expanded projects (membership, newsletters, website and online resource centre, green tourist guide book, and event and conference attendance and presentations). Enhanced corporate image Businesses' and the tourist industry's corporate `green' or environmentally conscious image was enhanced through their association with the map. Partnerships The collection of information and also distribution reinforced partnerships between existing `green' efforts in the city, and the
map provided a reliable collective source of information.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED Obviously no product or product launch is ever perfect and it is important to point out the problems and setbacks of marketing ecotourism products in this way.
Distribution Mass distribution was not the aim. In keeping with the `green' ideals, many maps were mounted at information sites and kiosks. Passing the map to friends or sharing was suggested, so as to discourage waste. However, this tactic made traditional tracking, monitoring and evaluation of the map's effectiveness dif®cult.
Contents One map cannot cover everything. Initially, a blanket fax was sent out to attract all green sites and activities, and then a selection and ®ltering process was undertaken. All map applicants had to sign a pledge to be greener. However, not all sites responded (due to lack of awareness about urban green tourism), and so some categories such as restaurants and cafes were not exhaustive. Secondly, there was probably too much information included, and there was some negative feedback suggesting there was too much reading for it to be a easily usable map.
Funding The GTA is a non-pro®t organisation and relatively new. Getting industry to buy into the concept was dif®cult, and consequently the majority of monies came from government funding grants. This resulted in a very limited marketing budget, and therefore there was a lack of media tracking, advertising expenditure etc. In addition, due to limited start-up funds, a total of only 60,000 maps were printed.
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Reach Again due to limitations of funding, staff and small quantities, more outlets could not be covered.
CONCLUSION To date there has been little marketing and education directed at urban tourists regarding supporting a sustainable environment. The map provided a collective source of information that was appealing, unique and useful. As many of the 21 million tourists who visit Toronto are using the city as a gateway to other destinations, successfully marketing the concept of sustainability to visitors will hopefully in¯uence tourist behaviour at other destinations visited. The project was a valuable learning tool for marketing ecotourism products and developing the concept of urban green tourism. When marketing ecotourism products in such a way, six strategic issues can be highlighted.
Ð Broad distribution. The product must be accessible to the market through as many key locations as possible. Systems to facilitate both distribution and tracking should be set up in advance. Ð Partnership development. Many environmental or tourism agencies share a common goal of awareness. Organisations should contact others who may be linked to the tourism/environmental industry and share ideas. Many will have contacts to share or facilities already set up that can be adopted in exchange for marketing or media attention. Ð The bottom line. Whether large or small, businesses want to see a return on any investment. Marketing initiatives have to focus on creating exposure and on how to reach the various identi®ed markets and segments. Business will want to hear how a product or campaign will ultimately bring more customers through their doors. Ð Ownership. Making customers and business associates buy in to the concept, so
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that they feel they have ownership of the `green' idea and ideals, is also important. Ð User-friendly products. `Eco' marketing can be converting the converted (those who already undertake green activities or support this mission). To convert the `other' customers, it is necessary to provide products that give customers easy options and alternatives that require little effort on their part to adapt or undertake. Ð Practice what you preach. The most important marketing image as a sponsoring organisation is being seen as being green. The image developed should focus on being environmentally and culturally sensitive. All outgoing promotional materials should be made of the highest recycling content possible and staff should be knowledgeable in the ®eld. The main objective of the map was to provide information to tourists and residents on the many urban green tourism options in Toronto. By participating in one of the suggested activities, using a recommended mode of transportation or by supporting a local green business map, users have helped to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and take steps towards an improved urban environment. With over 21 million visitors a year, and the average tourist returning 17 times11 , the collective impact of such actions on Toronto's tourism industry should not be overlooked. In the ®nal analysis, not only was the development of the map a success but it also proved to be a success in terms of the organisation's sustainability. In the year following the launch of the map, the organisation moved to a paid membership structure Ð with 89 paid members within one year. The GTA was also able to complete and launch three additional projects, solidify new partnerships and obtain full-time funding. REFERENCES (1) Law, C. M. (1992) `Urban tourism and its contribution to economic regeneration', Urban Studies, Vol. 29, Nos 3/4, pp. 599±618. (2) Joppe, M. and Haywood, M. (1996). `Planning for tourism: Challenges of the urban
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environment', paper presented to Joint ACSP/AESOP Conference, Toronto, 25th±28th July. (3) Ecotourism Society (2000) www. ecotourism.org (last accessed July 2000). (4) Tourism Toronto (1998) `Statistics', Toronto, Tourism Toronto. (5) Joppe, M. and Dodds, R. (2000) `Urban green tourism: Applying ecotourism principles to the city', in `Exploring New Territories in the New Millennium: Making Research Count', proceedings of TTRACanada Conference, Whitehorse, 17th±
(6) (7)
(8) (9) (10) (11)
19th September. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (2000) Toronto's Environmental Plan', Toronto, TRCA, p. 124. Blackstone Corporation (1996) Developing an Urban Ecotourism Strategy for Metropolitan Toronto', Toronto, Green Tourism Association. Green Map System (2000) www.greenmap. org (last accessed July 2000). Ibid. www.greentourism.on.ca Tourism Toronto, ref. 4 above.
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