County of St. Paul No. 19 - Request for Proposal - Northeast Lakeland Destination Development Plan

Alberta's Lakeland Destination Management Organization (DMO) seeks innovative proposals to develop a comprehensive Destination Development Plan (DDP) for the Northeast Lakelands (Lakeland) region and to jointly support the initial implementation of its first two years. This pivotal project aims to diversify the region's economy, enhance visitor experiences, and foster sustainable growth by leveraging public and private partnerships. This project focuses on developing the Lakeland Destination Development Plan (DDP) and implementing Years 1 & 2 of this strategic framework focusing on economic analysis and measures for outcomes. The DDP will diversify the region's economy, enhance the visitor experience to attract spending, build collaborative business partnerships in marketing and human capital development, leverage public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects, and attract visitors and investors to the region to boost regional competitiveness. The DDP will prioritize sustainability, infrastructure improvements to support economic growth, and business attraction and investment initiatives to create new economic opportunities. The primary goal of this project is: • To develop a comprehensive and workable tourism system in a 20-year Destination Development Plan for the Lakeland. Key objectives include: • Consolidate existing research and conduct targeted analysis to identify key tourism development opportunities, including emerging markets and niche segments. • Develop strategies for a diverse range of tourism products (adventure, cultural, agritourism, wellness), including themes for sub-regions of the Lakeland with loops, circuits, dwell times and concentrations. • Strengthen industry partnerships among tourism businesses, government agencies, and local communities to foster innovation and growth. • Create the capital fundraising strategy and investment documents for the industry development. • Prioritize investments in critical infrastructure (transportation, accommodation, amenities) to enhance visitor experience and support business growth. • Develop a robust marketing strategy to promote the Lakeland as a premier tourism destination and attract visitors. • Based on the TDZ Discovery Report, continue the regional and sustainable destination vision development with stakeholders, including local businesses, community leaders, and residents, to define tourism goals, non-negotiables, product ideas, and actions. • Define specific tasks, timelines, and responsibilities for DDP execution, including infrastructure, marketing, access, and collaborations. • Define the resources (funding and staffing) required to execute the plan. • Determine optimal membership, other funding models for DDP delivery including a Destination Marketing Fee (DMF) structure, and DMO sustainability (20 years). • Establish clear, measurable performance and progress measures for DDP monitoring and tactical adjustment. • Define the DMO's role in DDP implementation and long-term sustainability. • Clarify inter-relationships between existing and proposed partners and their strategies to support the DDP. • Unite the region under a common tourism development vision. The selected consultant will be responsible for the following key phases and deliverables: Destination Development Plan (DDP) Creation (Years 1 & 2) • Research and Analysis: Synthesize existing tourism research and conduct economic and market analyses to identify opportunities, emerging markets, and niche segments relevant to the Lakeland. • Stakeholder Engagement: Building on the TDZ collaboration, consult further with communities and regional subject matter experts to create sub-region development plans and actions. • Strategic Framework Development: o Build upon the foundation of the TDZ Discovery Report. o Collaborate with DMO Project Management (contractors and consultants) to complete the project and use their regional knowledge in the development of the DDP. o Develop a diverse tourism product strategy (e.g., adventure, cultural, agritourism, wellness) with clear and accepted sub-region development opportunities identified. o Formulate strategies for strengthening industry partnerships (tourism businesses, government, communities). o Prioritize infrastructure investments (transportation, accommodation, amenities) to enhance visitor experience and support business growth. o Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote the region. o Define clear, measurable objectives and actions for each of the vision's goals. o Develop specific tasks, timelines, and responsibilities for infrastructure, marketing, access, and collaborations. o Define resource requirements (funding, staffing) to execute the plan. o Determine membership and other funding models for plan delivery. o Establish performance and progress measures and plans for tactical adjustments. o Define the DMO's role in DDP implementation and long-term sustainability. o Define inter-relationships between existing and proposed partners and their internal strategies supporting the DDP. o Ensure the DDP unites the region with a common tourism development vision and includes plans for DMO sustainability for the next 20 years. Initial DDP Implementation (Years 1 & 2 within Project Term) • Execute selected key initiatives and tasks identified in the DDP's action plan, focusing on: o Supporting local tourism businesses in accessing financing (low-interest loans/grants, networks, mentorship, business coaching). o Assisting businesses in navigating regulations and permitting processes. o Facilitating access to hospitality education through strategic partnerships with post-secondary institutions. o Developing and implementing collaborative and unified marketing and branding opportunities for regional businesses. o Fostering joint ventures and other partnerships to mitigate organizational economic risks for tourism businesses.