News Releases
Government Home Search Sitemap Contact Us  

November 13, 1997
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)


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

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation announced that the tourism goals set out for 1997 are on target. There were 54,800 additional tourists from outside the province between January and September 1997, as compared to the same period in 1996.

This announcement is based on preliminary data which will be revised again at the end of 1997.

Other highlights of Minister Kelly's announcement are as follows:

  1. Total Non-Resident Tourists: Total non-resident tourists between January and September 1997 were 314,300, as compared to 259,500 for the same period in 1996. The increase of 54,800 is a 21 per cent increase.

  2. Airlines: Strongest growth occurred in airline travel, comprising 35,300 extra visitors on both scheduled and charter carriers.

  3. Other Modes of Travel: Other sources of growth were the gulf ferry service (14,100), cruise vessels (5,000) and the Flotilla (400).

  4. Growth in Auto Markets: On the ferry service, the fastest growing market was Ontario, with a growth rate of 27 per cent. The growth rates by market are as follows:

    Maritimes 4%
    Quebec 11%
    United States 12%
    Western Canada 26%
    Ontario 27%

  5. International Tourists: While international tourists arrive in various ways, there was a substantial increase in international air arrivals directly to St. John's (13%), with among the largest increases being from Great Britain (32%) and Germany (31%).

  6. Growth in Resident Tourists: The goal of increasing the number of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians traveling in the province was also achieved. This conclusion is based on a decline in the number of residents traveling outside the province. For example, on the gulf ferry service alone, the number of provincial residents declined by 6.5 percent, or 5,020 passengers. Estimates for airlines are not yet available.

  7. Tourist Sites: Visitation to various tourism sites also increased: provincial tourist chalets (16%); provincial historic sites (52%); and provincial museums (8%).

  8. Hotel Occupancy: A national hotel industry organization reports that occupancy in major hotels across Newfoundland and Labrador increased by 22 per cent between January and August, while the national average percentage increase for the survey was 1.9 percent.

  9. Growth in Accommodation Capacity: In anticipation of the Cabot 500 year, the number of tourist accommodation properties grew to 390 properties, an increase of 11 per cent. The number of rooms in the province grew to 6,089, an increase of nine per cent. This increase in capacity means that the growth in the number of tourists was spread over a larger industry than which existed in 1996. In all there were 14 new hotel/motel/inn properties, 19 new hospitality homes and seven new housekeeping units/cabins.

  10. Car Rentals: Car rental revenue (St. John's Airport) increased by 39 per cent up to the end of September.

  11. Merchandisers: There were 59 licenced commercial Cabot 500 merchandisers, the largest categories being souvenirs (30%) and clothing (24%), with other categories including jewellery, metalcraft, wood craft, food and beverage, and cultural products (books and music). Many products have a shelf life beyond the Cabot Year.

  12. Media Coverage: Increased media coverage of the Cabot celebrations has monetary value similar to tourism advertising. The preliminary estimate of total free media coverage in Canada alone, for print and television, between January and August is $8.7 million.

  13. Expanded Event Base: Nine anchor events and dozens of regional events were successfully marketed and executed, adding to the legacy of events and skills for future years. The major anchor events were:

Opening Ceremonies
Year of the Arts (continuing)
Northern Lights Festival and Labrador Winter Games
Cabot and His World Symposium
Festival 500: Sharing the Voices
The Matthew Visit
The Summit of the Sea
500 More Youth Conference
Corner Brook Concert (November 15)

1997 11 13 2:15 p.m.

SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us


All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement