Government pleased with renewal of tourism partnership

Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, is pleased with Prime Minister Stephen Harper�s announcement made today for the renewal of funding for the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP) for a three-year period.

�The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership has allowed Newfoundland and Labrador to strengthen its tourism marketing efforts in the United States, Europe and Japan,� said Minister Hedderson. �These efforts continue to help build tourism within the province and deliver solid economic returns for Newfoundland and Labrador.�

Founded in 1991 and renewed on consecutive three-year terms, ACTP is a joint partnership of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the four Atlantic Provinces and their provincial tourism associations. ACTP seeks to market Atlantic Canada as a tourism destination for foreign visitors, focusing on the tourism marketing of the Atlantic region in international markets.

�The current ACTP agreement has improved the industry�s ability to reach and penetrate markets with greater impacts, resulting in increased tourism-related visits and revenues from export markets,� said Nick McGrath, President of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. �We look forward to the benefits the new agreement will bring to our operators in Newfoundland and Labrador and to our local economy.�

Over the next three years, the ACTP will invest $19.95 million to support the implementation of research-driven, integrated consumer and trade marketing campaigns designed to attract more visitors to Atlantic Canada from key markets in the United States and overseas.

Media contact: Susanne Hiller, Communications, (709) 729-0928, 728-7762, susannehiller@gov.nl.ca

2006 07 26                                   4:10 p.m.