Focusing on internet traffic and not bricks and mortar tourism agencies is the wave of the future.
That was the word from Muskoka Tourism during the District of Muskoka’s most recent community and planning services committee meeting.
Micheal Lawley of Muskoka Tourism told councillors that since 2011, they have seen a 57 percent decrease in annual traffic to their Visitor Information Centre on Highway 11 North. However, Lawley also reported that since 2013, traffic to the Muskoka Tourism website has seen 468 percent growth to 1.1 million user sessions.
Lawley suggested that it’s important for the council to recognize the shift in consumer behaviour, and use this information to make sound business decisions.
During his report, Lawley also told councillors that Muskoka Tourism leads Ontario’s tourism industry in Search Engine Optimization or SEO.
In particular, he said their video marketing campaign, which included 20 videos promoting the area, has racked up more than 1.5 million views.