Client-partner

Visit Oakville

Service: Research and Insight Generation

August 2022 – December 2022

As the tourism industry was starting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Visit Oakville saw an opportunity to assess Oakville’s current visitor experience and develop a plan to better meet visitor needs, both online and in-person.

The goal of the project was to develop an evidence-based and actionable plan to improve the visitor experience over the next few years that not only addresses pain points but also ensures that visitation to Oakville is inclusive and accessible. Project objectives were to better understand the current visitor experience; to co-develop a comprehensive inventory of tourism assets and visitor touchpoints; to gather insight, input, and feedback on the visitor experience and potential from tourism stakeholders; to profile target visitor personas for Oakville and map their related visitor journeys; and to determine what actions are required to better meet target visitor needs and improve the overall visitor experience.

Activities

  • Online digital reconnaissance research

  • Background document review

  • Baseline visitor research using mobile movement data

  • Asset inventory

  • Trends research

  • Competitor research

  • In-market research including itinerary development to learn about the visitor experience on the ground

  • Industry survey (32 respondents)

  • Key informant interviews (12)

  • Situational Analysis

  • Development of target personas (5)

  • Visitor journey mapping

  • Action planning session with Visit Oakville Task Force

Outcome

The project resulted in a Visitor Experience Assessment and Strategy, outlining 19 recommendations for improving the visitor experience. It also included target visitor personas for Oakville and mapped the associated visitor journey for each. The resulting strategy along with Visit Oakville’s recently refreshed Strategic Plan will set priorities and guide work planning for the organization in the years to come.

Testimonial

  • “Bannikin demonstrated their passion and hard work throughout the project. It was evident that they cared for the project and wanted the outcome to not only be successful but also attainable.”

    Tait MacInnes, Visitor Experience and Project Specialist at Visit Oakville

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