Exploring the Potential for Craft Beer Tourism

tourismcafe.org@Tourism_Cafe #Tourism_Cafe
EXPLORING THE
POTENTIAL FOR CRAFT
BEER TOURISM
12 March 2018
Calgary, AB
Welcome
• Welcome
• Facilitator
introduction
• Purpose of the
day
• What we hope to
achieve

Thinking Like a Traveller
tourismcafe.orgtourismcafe.org@Tourism_Cafe #Tourism_Cafe
Q of C

Emotions Rule
Visitor Lifecycle

Tourism: Understanding
the Potential
Travellers
Enjoy local
beverages
Love beer
Interested in
tours
May purchase
when travelling
Seek out social places
to drink beer when
travelling
Willing to pay for
speciality experiences
Standardized offer for a
modest fee
Integrated experience
with a higher price point

Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the world economy
(UNWTO)
Tourism growth is forecast to outpace economic
growth in the next 10 years
WTTC. (2017). Travel and tourism economic impact: World.
Graph: UNWTO. (2011). Tourism towards 2030, Global overview.
DESTINATION CANADA:
THE NATIONAL TOURISM
MARKETING AGENCY

2017 on track for Canada's best tourism year ever
2016 tourist
arrivals to Canada
Source: Destination Canada, 2017
Tourism to Canada is growing rapidly
TRAVEL ALBERTA:
THE PROVINCIAL TOURISM
MARKETING AGENCY

TOURISM IS GROWING IN ALBERTA AS WELL
Air
passengers
up 4.4%
Highway
counts
up 8.9%
Food
services
& drinking
receipts
up 5.6%
National
Parks
attendance
up 6.5%
Source: Alberta Tourism Market Monitor, Dec 2017
TOURISM IS IMPORTANT TO ALBERTA’S ECONOMY
Video: Travel Alberta

Open any social media app, and
there it is: the artfully arranged meal
of someone who is currently across
the globe…Add the onslaught of
food and travel blogs and culinary-
travel television series — from the
pioneering “Anthony Bourdain: No
Reservations” to the present-day
Netﬂix documentary series “Chef’s
Table” — and it’s easy to see how
food has transformed from mere
sustenance to an obsessive priority,
or even the reason, for a trip.
Valerie Chen - TravelAge West
Image: expressfoodie.com
BEER TOURISM IS PART OF THE GROWING
POPULARITY OF FOOD TOURISM IN GENERAL
Food tourism is the pursuit of unique and memorable
eating and drinking experiences. It includes any
tourism experience in which one learns about,
appreciates, and/or consumes food and drink that
reﬂects the local, regional or national cuisine,
heritage, and culture of a place.
Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance
WHAT IS FOOD TOURISM?

Food Tourism Is a
Rapidly Growing
Segment
The percentage of leisure
travellers who travel to
learn about and enjoy
unique dining experiences
grew from 40% to 51%
from 2006 to 2013.
The American Culinary Travel Report
Participate in culinary
travel activities such
as dining out for a
unique or memorable
experience, learning
about local foods and
beverages, taking
classes, or attending
food and drink
festivals.  
 
Food Travellers
Image: vancouverislandexpeditions.com
Image: traveltowellness.com

Want to learn about local food & drink
Look to dining as a means of socializing &
sharing experiences with others
Have higher-than-average spend on trips
Revisit destinations due to gastronomy  
(UNWTO, Global Report on Food Tourism, 2012)  
Food Travellers
Image: royalmail.com.au Image: carolannmccarthy.com
Image: Peller Estates 10Below Ice Wine Experience
FOOD TOURISM GROWTH HAS FUELLED
WINE TOURISM AND WINE EXPERIENCES

“As the popularity of…
locally crafted beer has
ballooned over the past
decade, brewery-driven
travel has followed suit.
Destinations, suppliers
and breweries are
increasingly recognizing
the economic potential
that beer tourism
represents and are
consequently developing
more products.”
- Michelle Baran, Travel
Weekly
BEER TOURISM IS
FOLLOWING SUIT
"Small and independent craft
brewers are part of the DNA of
their communities. They are
becoming mainstay attractions
for travellers.”
- Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director, Brewers Association (US)
Source: 2017 Craft Beer in Review, Brewer's Association (US)
Image: Terminal City Brewery Tours
BEER IS BECOMING A REASON FOR TRAVEL

Beer tourism is becoming so popular Travelocity
launched a beer tourism index in 2016
Source: https://www.brewersassociation.org/communicating-craft/travelocity-debuts-new-beer-tourism-index/
How we spend our
money is changing. In
the “experience
economy”, we pay to
do things, not have
things.
But visitors want to go beyond tours and
tastes - today’s travellers are seeking
experiences
(c) Joe Pine & James Gilmore 1999

EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL - A VISITOR PERSPECTIVE
“Seeing the sights is no longer enough. Experiential
travellers want to venture beyond the beaten tourist paths
and dive deeper into authentic local culture, connecting with
people from other cultures in deep and meaningful ways, the
arts, architecture and music, cooking and food, sports,
adventure and nature, language, history, economics and
literature, philanthropy and a desire to give back.”
Joe Diaz (2009)
Co-founder, Afar Magazine 
 
EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL - A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
“Experiential travel connects travellers with the essence of
a place and its people by engaging visitors in a series of
memorable travel activities, revealed over time, that are
inherently personal, engage the senses, and make
connections on an emotional, physical, spiritual or
intellectual level."
Nancy Arsenault (2004)
Deﬁning Tomorrow’s Tourism Product
Canadian Tourism Commission 
 
THE CRAFT BEER OPPORTUNITY:
DEVELOP MEMORABLE VISITOR EXPERIENCES

SHOW ME THE
MONEY
Ingredients
(Barley, hops, malt)

Retail
(Cans, bottles, growler fills,
branded merchandise)
Services / Activities
(restaurants / tastings & tours)

Brewmaster for a day,
beer & food pairings,
workshops

EXAMPLE: RAISING THE BAR ON VISITOR VALUE
Goods:
• 23 varieties of beer
• 8 types of beer multipacks
• branded clothing and beer-related retail
merchandise
• beer-infused packaged foods
• gift cards
• items from $5 - $100
RAISING THE BAR ON VISITOR VALUE

Services/Activities:
• 45-min standard brewery tour: focus on the brewing
process, some visitor engagement with hops & tasting -
free 
• Self-guided tours - free 
• Taproom and Torpedo: tasting rooms/restaurants with 16-19
taps for tasting different Sierra Nevada beers 
• Big room: venue for 350 for concerts and events
RAISING THE BAR ON VISITOR VALUE
• 30-min guided educational tasting: 8
beers - $10 
• 90-min Heritage tour: focus on their
story - $12 
• 2hr Hop Head tour: focus on learning
about hops & exploring IPAs - $20 
• 2hr Bigfoot Vertical Tasting: multi-
vintage tasting of Barleywine Bigfoot
Ale - $30 
• 3hr Beer Geek tour: behind the scenes
access - $45 
• 2hr Sustainability tour: focus on their
sustainable practices - price not posted
LAYERING ON VISITOR EXPERIENCES
Sierra Nevada’s solar panel farm

Sierra Nevada
layered on different
experiences for
different audiences
Developing experiences begins with
the customer in mind

Free Spirits
ALBERTA
Cultural Explorers
ALBERTA
Understanding
Alberta’s best
customers and what
they are seeking
Developing Memorable
Tourism Experiences
Image: whitneyrawls.com

1. Theme or story
2. Engage the senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, sound
3. Evoke emotions
4. Keep it simple - ‘chunk down’ what the guest will be
doing
5. Set the stage - the details count!
6. Put the visitor at the heart of the experience -guide on
the side
7. Ability to personalize and customize
8. Authentic and genuine to the company and the brand
9. Consider including memorabilia
ELEMENTS OF A MEMORABLE
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
STORIES ARE AT THE HEART OF
GREAT EXPERIENCES

ALEXANDER KEITH’S BRINGS ITS
STORY TO LIFE FOR VISITORS
http://www.rockycreekwinery.ca/

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2016/03/23/Which-beer-goes-with-chocolate
“Beer and chocolate
are the perfect
partners. Essentially
they both have a
balance of bitterness
and sweetness.
When they are tasted
together the tastes
complement each
other.”
- Jane Payton, Dea
Latis

ON-SITE & PARTNERED BEER EVENTS
$165pp, max. 10 participants
Dining on the Ocean Floor

A JOURNEY OF COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY & PASSION
$380 per outing for up to 14 people
https://thebendtourcompany.com/tours/big-bike-cycle-pub-tour/

https://www.brewvana.com/tours
• $20pp for a group of
10
• Perfect for group
markets
• birthdays/
anniversaries
• special events - e.g.
stag parties
• corporate functions
http://funbeertoursmke.com/tour-proﬁles/#road-rally-pub-crawl

DOGHOUSE BEER HOTEL & SOUR
BEER FACILITY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72m161Tnc6A
Unsworth Vineyards
• Supports commodity growers/partners with guaranteed income
through low season
• Entices visitors to the winery to taste & buy
• Guarantees restaurant business and revenue during low
season
• Engenders community support & awareness

Unsworth Vineyards
• Community Supported Restaurant Program
• Pay a membership fee to join
• Members receive 5 x 3-course dinners from October -
April offered Thurs/Fri evening
• $35 per meal for members / $45 for non-members
http://www.unsworthvineyards.com/
BC Ale Trail
• Province-wide
initiative to
leverage the
growing interest in
craft-breweries
• Suggested
itineraries
• Promoted events
• Restaurants,
tastings, tours - no
experiences
https://bcaletrail.ca/

NOVA SCOTIA GOOD CHEER TRAIL
Tapping Into
Existing Initiatives

Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance -
Craft Beverage Trail
albertaculinary.com
• Brewery
listings &
descriptions
• Maps by
region
LOCAL MARKETING COLLABORATIONS

ALBERTA BEER BRANDING

Think about…
how you ﬁt in the bigger picture and as
part of a larger visitor journeyImage: iese.org.uk
Where do you want to be?

Growing Tourism:
Next Steps
We All Have A Role To Play

Are You Ready?
Traveller Ready
Market Ready
Export Ready
CONNECT WITH YOUR DESTINATION
MARKETING ORGANIZATION (DMO)

READY FOR VISITORS? REGISTER WITH ATIS
(Alberta Travel Information System)
industry.travelalberta.com/ATIS
CAPACITY BUILDING & TOURISM TRAINING
Inquire about training
opportunities with
your local DMO and
through Travel
Alberta

CONNECT WITH AND SUPPORT MEDIA
REFLECTION
• Take 3 minutes to jot down next steps that you would
like to take after this workshop to grow your potential
for tourism.

QUESTIONS?
Thank you!
Image: hufﬁngtonpost.com

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tourismcafe.org
@Tourism_Cafe
@tourism_cafe
#TourismCafe
Lesley Anderson
lesley@tourismcafe.org
250.668-5988

Exploring the Potential for Craft Beer Tourism

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