NLIS 5
September 6, 2006
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)
New tourism season
extension program launched
A new era in the tourism industry was
marked today by the launch of an exciting new pilot project designed to
extend the traditional tourism season in the Clarenville-Bonavista
region beyond the summer months.
The Discovery Trail Tourism Association (DTTA) worked closely with the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Department of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation to develop this initiative as part of the
province�s larger mandate to make Newfoundland and Labrador a premier
year-round travel destination.
Thirty-eight tourism operators are participating in the project by
staying open longer for business and by offering new fall getaways and
packages which will include everything from a weekend workshop with
famed artist Gerry Squires to an afternoon picking partridgeberries
around the coastal headlands followed by a night at a B&B.
Provincially-operated historic sites and visitor information centres in
the area will remain open until the end of October. And Rising Tide
Theatre, a major area attraction, has put together a seven-days-a-week
program for the extended season.
The Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities
Agency (ACOA)�s Innovative Communities Fund, contributed over $170,000
to the development of this project. The provincial government invested
over $83,000 through the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development�s Regional/Sectoral Diversification Fund, and through the
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. In addition, private
operators and members of the DTTA committed over $10,000 to the program.
The project launch and funding announcement was made today by Norman
Doyle, Member of Parliament for St. John�s East, on behalf of Peter
MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency; Tom Hedderson, provincial Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation; and John Fisher, President of the Discovery
Trail Tourism Association.
�The Discovery Trail Tourism Association is to be commended for seizing
this opportunity to build on its success in the tourism industry,� said
Mr. Doyle. �The federal government, through ACOA, is more than happy to
be part of a project which will highlight our province�s huge potential
and hopefully lead to long-term employment and economic capacity
building in the region�s rural communities.�
�As stated in our provincial tourism product development strategy, there
is great opportunity to grow our tourism industry in Newfoundland and
Labrador by extending our traditional tourism season,� added Minister
Hedderson. �The Discovery Trail has a rich natural history and a strong
cultural base. I am confident that the region and the province will
benefit significantly from this project.�
The DTTA worked with M5, a St.
John�s-based marketing and communications agency, to develop a
multi-media campaign to complement the product development strategy. The
new series of print and electronic advertisements, as well as a direct
marketing and communications campaign, will focus on rediscovering the
Discovery Trail.
�We are very excited to unveil our new campaign this week,� said Mr.
Fisher. �We are encouraging people to look at the Discovery Trail in a
whole new light and to come here this fall for a romantic getaway or a
corporate retreat. This project represents a maturing of our industry.
The association and its members are fully engaged and we await positive
results.�
The Discovery Region Season Extension Pilot Project will provide a
testing ground and hopefully provide a future model for other
communities on how to meet the diverse challenges associated with
developing a successful season extension.
For details on getaways and packages, check out
www.fallfordiscovery.com
Media contact:
Doug Burgess, Director, Public Affairs, ACOA, (709) 772-2935
Susanne Hiller, Director of Communications, TCR, (709) 729-0928
Betsy Saunders, Executive Director, DTTA, (709) 466-3845
2006 09 06
12:10 p.m. |