December 16, 1999
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

Attractions Canada Awards Program for 2000 announced

Charles Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, announced today the province's involvement in the second year of a national initiative by Attractions Canada. Attractions Canada, a Montreal-based group, partners with the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Canadian Heritage and others to promote and showcase activities, events and other attractions in an effort to encourage Canadians to travel and discover their country. The awards program provides the public and industry with an opportunity to nominate provincial attractions and sites for national recognition.

"This is a wonderful program, which aims to recognize little known Canadian attractions. Newfoundland and Labrador is home to a diversity of high quality and exciting sites, and this provides a great opportunity to expose and promote them to the country and the world," said Mr. Furey. "The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation is pleased to once again partner with Attractions Canada in identifying and honouring these deserving events and attractions in the province. Operators should see this program as an opportunity to heighten awareness of their product in both the provincial and national markets."

There are six categories for which provincial winners will be named, and these winners will then be submitted to a national competition. The categories include outdoor sites, indoor sites, cultural events, sports events, new attractions, and national or international attractions. National winners will be used in Attractions Canada awareness campaigns for the ensuing year, and bring invaluable and high profile visibility to the attraction and the province.

The deadline for applications is January 17, 2000 and may be obtained from the following:

Sandy Hickman
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's, NF
A1B 4J6
ph: (709) 729-5260
fax: (709) 729-0870

Provincial winners for 1999 were: Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve; The Ryan Premises (Bonavista); Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival (St. John's); ITU World Cup Triathlon (Corner Brook); Viking Encampment (L'Anse aux Meadows) ; and The Insectorium (Deer Lake).

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Communications, (709) 729-0928.

1999 12 16 10:05 a.m.