Laura Plant Tourism Consulting
About Us
Laura has been fortunate enough to work in the tourism industry since 1999 (longer if you count her years on the front lines of customer service in Whistler). She enjoys seeing people recognize the role that tourism plays in improving the social, environmental and economic aspects of their communities. But even more she enjoys assisting organizations with delivering on the business of tourism.
While working with Destination British Columbia (formerly Tourism BC) for over 12 years, she managed the Community Tourism Foundations program that assisted in creating over 95 tourism plans in BC, many resulting in the creation of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). The accompanying Community Tourism Opportunities cooperative marketing program assisted with hundreds of tourism destination marketing projects each year by matching funds with local projects.
Working with many DMOs provided insight into the successes and challenges and enabled her division to evolve and continue offering new programs. In 2011, her team introduced the Governing for Success: Enhancing Board Performance workshop to assist DMO boards and staff with the many activities of running a successful organization.
In addition, she managed the sport tourism program that worked with community DMOs in BC and assisted in growing the Tourism Business Essentials series of guides from two to over 10 titles. These guides, and some accompanying workshops, are aimed at tourism operators to assist them with learning more about the tourism industry and how to build their businesses.
Laura worked with government programs, researched grant opportunities and reviewed Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) applications and renewals.
After starting a consulting business in 2013, Laura maintained a part-time contract with the Tourism Industry Association of BC as Communications & Membership Support Manager until 2021. Laura is now a part-time contracted Destination Management Advisor on the Destination BC/Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team assisting the Fraser Valley, Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky planning areas with implementing their Destination Development Strategies. In addition, Laura assists small DMOs with annual strategic planning and MRDT reporting.
About Our Team
Laura Plant
Laura worked over a decade with Tourism BC/Destination British Columbia (formerly Tourism BC) in Community Partnerships managing several industry-facing programs, as well as reviewing Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) applications and renewals.
In 2013, Laura became a consultant focused on assisting BC Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) with annual strategic planning and MRDT reporting.
Heather Boyd
Heather began working independently with Laura in 2021, bringing 14 years of experience at Destination BC in roles including Manager, Sector Development & Marketing, Manager, Remarkable Experiences, and Manager, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains. She supported the creation of provincial sector strategies, experience design programming, and MRDT program coordination in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport.
Matt Gibson
This is a short description about the team member and his role in the company.
Services
Services
With over 35 years of combined experience in BC’s tourism industry, our team has a strong understanding of BC’s tourism industry structure, programs, and partnerships. We work with clients to both develop tourism strategies and destination development initiatives that are practical and aligned with provincial priorities, and assist with implementation where requested.
MRDT Consulting
Our team has assisted numerous BC destinations with their Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT / aka “hotel tax”) applications and/or renewal processes, including creating five-year strategic plans and one-year tactical plans. Both Laura and Heather have backgrounds in reviewing MRDT applications for Destination BC and we are familiar with the MRDT process, understand the program requirements and can assist destinations to manage this process through to successful application and/or renewal submission.
We also work with several DMOs on an annual basis to manage the MRDT annual performance reporting and budget reconciliation due each spring, as well as annual tactical planning and budgeting due each fall.
If this is something your DMO team could use support with, please reach out.
Project Management
Our team assists Destination Marketing/ Management Organizations (DMOs)
to activate projects from their annual tactical plans, such as:
- MRDT performance reporting and annual tactical plan development
- Managing projects from the DMOs annual tactical plan that need additional human resources such as
- Creating or updating materials, guides, etc.
- Sector co-op applications, project tracking and content planning to ensure engagement and ROI from the investment
- Consumer show support – registration, collateral development, etc.
- Overseeing the development of communications pieces for industry, DMO boards, City Councils (partner relations)
- RFP development and response review
- Representing the DMO on committees, associations and reporting back
Clients
Destination British Columbia / Vancouver, Coast and Mountains
Tourism Terrace
Tourism Kitimat
Tourism Burnaby
Tourism Squamish
City of Langford
Sunshine Coast Tourism
Tourism Delta
Sidney BIA
Destination Silver Star
Tourism Abbotsford
Tourism Chilliwack
Tourism Dawson Creek
Tourism Langley
Tourism Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows
Tourism Nanaimo
Tourism Tofino
Tourism Ucluelet
Stó:lō Tourism
City of Merritt
City of Dawson Creek
go2HR
Larose Research & Strategy / Fraser Valley Regional District
Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC)
Get in Touch
Phone
778-788-3499
laura (at) lauraplant (dot com)