A Program to Assist Tourism Suppliers
with Building New Markets and Getting More Business
Through Alliances with the Travel Trade
 

Introduction

The overall objective of TradeSmart, The Travel Trade Supplier Certification Program, is to expand the markets for New Brunswick’s tourism products through building successful partnerships with the travel trade domestically and internationally. This program currently focuses on the North American travel trade market.

Specific program objectives include:

1. Assist tourism suppliers with establishing appropriate practices and policies to facilitate doing business with the travel trade - primarily travel agents, tour operators and receptive operators;
2. Recognize those suppliers that have appropriate practices and policies and assist their efforts to develop successful business partnerships with the travel trade;
3. Assist the travel trade with developing relationships with our tourism suppliers.

Benefits to Tourism Suppliers
 

Suppliers who meet the standards of the program will reap the
benefits of being recognized as TradeSmart certified.

You will be:

• Profiled as a supplier with an understanding of working with the travel trade;
• Recognized in travel trade publications (ads and editorials) and New Brunswick travel trade literature;
• Invited to participate in trade activities such as educational visits, marketplaces, and more;
• As appropriate, based on tour operator needs on a case-by-case basis, the Tourism Sales Team of the Department of Tourism and Parks will profile and recommend suppliers who have been approved for the program and who have demonstrated their continued adherence to the guidelines;
• Referrals for travel trade business opportunities will be distributed;
• Reduced fees for future trade-related industry training;
• You will be profiled in the Province’s travel trade marketing activities and materials, where appropriate.

Program Features

In general, participation in the program involves four steps:

1. Attendance at the TradeSmart Introductory Seminar.
2. Having tourism suppliers provide documentation as to their travel trade-related practices and policies;
3. Participating tourism suppliers can arrange for an optional private counselling meeting or telephone conversation with a travel trade program professional to assist them in preparing their application;
   
4. Review of the documentation by the program administrators to ensure the practices and policies are in accord with the guidelines for the program. Where necessary, consultations with the supplier will be undertaken, particularly if the submission does not meet the minimum requirements for acceptance into the program.

Once accepted, the supplier will be profiled in travel trade marketing initiatives, where appropriate - essentially, where the supplier's product or service is of potential interest to the travel trade prospect.

The program has been customized for each of three types of tourism business, each with somewhat differing guidelines and requirements. The categories include:

• Accommodations
• Attractions
• Activity Products.