Market Ready: A business that markets to potential travellers; communicates with potential travellers year-round, and is able to accept advance reservations.
Market ready tourism product providers have a legally registered business and follow a defined business plan that allows them to provide their product in a way that meets typical customer needs and expectations.
Criteria
The following criteria must be met if a business is to be classified as “market ready”. The business must meet “traveller ready” criteria plus:
- Provide published pricing.
- Have a published consumer billing, payment, and cancellation policy.
- Have a marketing plan and marketing materials
- Online presence that represents their Alberta-based business (or content devoted to Alberta tourism product)
- Can be supplemented, but not limited to printed materials (guide, brochure, etc.).
- Have a customer service training program for front-line staff.
- Maintain an up to date business listing on the Alberta Tourism Information Service (ATIS).
- During operating season, maintain a 24-48 hour response time, or less, to inquiries and a 24 hour response time to reservation/booking requests
- Be prepared to communicate and accept reservations by telephone and e-mail and provide same day confirmation of booking arrangements.
- Have high resolution images and/or video footage for promotional purposes.
This is the basic level of readiness to conduct a tourism operation.