András Lukács is the new executive director of Tourism Rossland, having moved to town from Yellowknife, NT, where he was the manager of research and planning for the Government of Northwest Territories’ Tourism and Parks division.
The Rossland News caught up with him to find out more about his background and his hopes for Tourism Rossland.
Rossland News: In your email introducing yourself to Tourism Rossland stakeholders, you said that you studied leisure networks in digital media space while completing your PhD in Sociology at Loyola University Chicago. Can you briefly explain what that means?
András Lukács: My academic work looked at how the Internet and digital media reconfigures social relationships between various age-cohorts. Young people have extensive access to adult social worlds and cultural content via online platforms. This access is often deemed inappropriate by “moral entrepreneurs.” But the lived experience of young people is a lot more complex. So I studied how authority and power relationships are negotiated in networked social spaces where traditional markers of identity (age, sex, etc.) are often invisible. One of the key takeaways is that generations cannot be understood by demographics alone. Cultural capital and broadly understood social class still have a large impact shaping distinct worldviews. From the perspective of Tourism Rossland and marketing in general, it means that psychographic targeting could be more accurate than marketing based on demographics.
RN: What was the most valuable thing you learned while working for the Government of Northwest Territories’ Tourism and Parks division?
AL: I guess I will mention three things. First, Canada is a northern country, yet a disproportionately large percentage of the Canadian population lives near the southern border and have limited understanding of “The North.” So having the opportunity to live and work in the Northwest Territories gave me an appreciation of the vastness and beauty of this country and exposed me to the Aboriginal cultures of Northern Canada. Second, working for the Government of Northwest Territories gave me the opportunity to really understand how government processes work and the complex role governments play in tourism and small business development. Third, working on various marketing research initiatives really underlined the importance of evidence-based decision making.
RN: What part of your experience working in Yellowknife, NT do you think will help you the most now that you’re executive director of Tourism Rossland?
AL: The Northwest Territories is not a mass-market tourism destination. We found that general awareness campaigns did not provide the best possible return on investment. Therefore, we had to develop a nuanced and detailed understanding of our visitors, relying on data-driven analytics and insights. I believe a similar, market-research-based approach could be successful in Rossland as well.
RN: What do you think your biggest challenge will be working at Tourism Rossland?
AL: Tourism as an industry is a complex network: attractions, events, entertainment, accommodation, transportation, food and beverage, arts and crafts, etc. So my biggest challenge personally as a newcomer is understanding the local landscape and building relationships with our stakeholders. From an organizational perspective, our continued challenge is to secure and leverage funding via partnerships. Additionally, we must find the balance between economic growth and maintaining Rossland as a funky, close-knit, unique community.
RN: What would you like Tourism Rossland to accomplish by the end of this year?
The organization was very well managed under Deanne Steven, which gives me the opportunity to be patient and work with the Tourism Rossland board in establishing our strategic direction. By the end of my first year, I would like us to start implementing a plan aimed at capitalizing on the opportunities that exist during the summer and shoulder seasons. Additionally, we will continue supporting the growth of our winter products and hope that Tourism Rossland can find a sustainable business model for the ski bus that serves our visitors and residents alike.