November 13, 1997 Tourism Summit focuses on Cabot 500 Year Sandra Kelly, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and Liam Sneyd, President of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, met November 12 with representatives of industry at the Best Western Travellers Inn in St. John's. The group reviewed the preliminary data which measures outcomes of the Cabot year from January to September and discussed the lessons learned from 1997. "The government views the Cabot 500 Celebrations as an overall success. The goal of 60,000 extra non-resident tourists is on target. There was a frank, honest and open discussion and many different viewpoints were expressed at the table," Ms. Kelly said. "The challenge now is to take what we have learned and use it in planning for the future." President of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador Liam Sneyd said he welcomed the opportunity for government and industry to sit down at the table and assess the impact of Cabot 500 on the tourism sector. "We need to take a realistic approach in our evaluation, addressing all aspects of the Cabot 500 Celebrations." While there were significant gains in visitation over 1996, benefits were not evenly distributed to all regions of the province. It was acknowledged that while St. John's and parts of other regions did well, some regions reported disappointing results. Participants agreed that the Matthew Visit, while attracting great interest and high numbers of visitors, changed the normal pattern of resident travel within the province. Several major themes emerged from the meeting. As a result of the international and national publicity which Cabot 500 generated, and the raised awareness of Newfoundland and Labrador as a tourism destination, Cabot 500 will be a springboard for long-term tourism development. Upcoming special events like the 50th Anniversary of Confederation and the 1,000th Anniversary of the Viking Arrival in North America in the year 2000 are major opportunities. Mr. Sneyd said: "In order to maintain the momentum, additional marketing efforts are needed, especially to match the additional investments which businesses made during the Cabot year." The widely reported idea that there was "no room at the inn" was identified as contributing to the perception that accommodations were in short supply when, in fact, accommodations capacity expanded significantly. Participants agreed that culture and heritage tourism has come of age in Newfoundland and Labrador. The many Year of the Arts projects were widely successful and helped establish a sector of the tourism industry that, along with the province's strengths in natural and outdoor product, is increasingly attractive to potential visitors. The convention business, in particular, was identified as a source of market strength and the industry representatives told Ms. Kelly that it must be a priority for the future. The summit recognized that convention organizing groups were responsible for bringing new conventions to the province and deserve credit for being a major economic stimulus. Participants expressed that, for many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, Cabot 500 struck a common chord, and gave us all a reason to be proud and to celebrate what we have accomplished together. The meeting was comprised of a selection of industry representatives from different sectors and regions of the province. A year-end presentation of the Cabot results will be made to the full industry at the annual Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador convention in Gander in February. Contact: George Earles, Communications Specialist, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, (709) 729-5456 Yvonne Power Heath, Manager, Policy and Programs, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, (709) 729-2000
_________________________________ Backgrounder: Cabot 500 on Target to Achieve Tourism Goals
Other highlights of Minister Kelly's announcement are as follows:
Opening Ceremonies
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