Canadian DMO Marketing Activities Study 2013
At a glance
- Survey of 22 Canadian DMOs representing $193.2 million in combined budgets, achieved 18% response rate from 125 contacted marketing executives.
- Study examines marketing budget allocation, deployment strategies, and mix of traditional and digital marketing initiatives across Canadian destination organizations.
- Report covers website applications, mobile strategies, international marketing efforts, and budget planning guidance for Canadian DMO sector.
- Research provides benchmarking data on how Canadian DMOs structured their marketing spend and selected promotional channels in 2013.
What the report covers
Destinations International's 2013 Canadian DMO Marketing Activities Study surveyed destination marketing organization executives across Canada to document how marketing budgets were allocated and deployed. The survey captured data from 22 DMOs representing combined annual budgets of $193.2 million. The research examined budget strategies, traditional and digital marketing mediums, international marketing activities, website applications, and mobile platforms, providing Canadian DMOs with benchmarking information for strategic planning and budget decisions.
Key findings
The survey, conducted in February 2013, gathered responses from 22 Canadian DMOs out of 125 contacted marketing executives, representing an 18% response rate. The responding organizations collectively managed $193.2 million in marketing budgets, providing a substantial sample of the Canadian DMO sector's spending patterns and strategic priorities.
The study examined how Canadian DMOs deployed their marketing budgets across multiple channels and initiatives. Key areas of investigation included the balance between traditional and digital marketing mediums, the scale of international marketing efforts, and the adoption of emerging technologies such as mobile websites and destination-specific applications.
The research documented current and future website applications and integration strategies among Canadian DMOs, reflecting the sector's growing focus on digital presence and online engagement. This included assessment of mobile website functionality and the development of dedicated destination apps as marketing tools.
The study provides Canadian DMOs with a resource for strategic budgeting and marketing planning by offering sector benchmarks on how peer organizations allocated resources across different marketing channels and initiatives during 2013.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Survey response rate | 18% |
| Combined budgets of respondents | $193.2 million |
| DMOs surveyed | 22 |
| Marketing executives contacted | 125 |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
The study provides Canadian DMOs with peer benchmarking data on budget allocation and marketing strategy deployment. Access to sector-wide budget patterns and channel selection data enables DMOs to evaluate their own spending decisions, identify best practices, and inform future marketing plans and budget requests.
Hotels & hospitality
Understanding how Canadian DMOs allocate marketing budgets across channels helps hotels identify which destination promotional initiatives receive investment. This insight supports hotel marketing decisions about partnership opportunities with DMOs and expectations regarding destination-level promotional support and channel emphasis.
Travel tech & distribution
The survey's focus on digital marketing mediums, mobile websites, and destination apps indicates Canadian DMOs' priorities in technology adoption. Travel-tech vendors gain insight into demand for digital solutions and the competitive landscape for destination marketing platforms among Canadian organizations.
Methodology and limits
Destinations International conducted an online survey in February 2013, sending questionnaires to 125 Canadian DMO marketing executives. Twenty-two organizations responded, representing an 18% response rate. The responding DMOs collectively managed $193.2 million in annual marketing budgets. The survey gathered data across six key areas: budgets, budget deployment, marketing mediums, international marketing, website applications, and mobile strategies. This brief is based on the publicly available summary; full findings are contained in the downloadable PDF report.
Official source
The report is © Destinations International. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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