Tourism, Culture and Recreation
November 21, 2006

The following statement was issued today by the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I rise in this House today to inform colleagues about our tourism initiatives to market this province in a competitive global marketplace.

Government is continuing to invest in our tourism sector and will continue to aggressively market Newfoundland and Labrador. We demonstrated this commitment during Budget 2005 and Budget 2006 when we increased the tourism marketing budget by $3 million bringing the total annual Marketing Budget to $10.0 million.

Our top marketing priority is improving our internet presence. The internet has become the most popular source for travel information and it is one of the most cost-effective means to promote the province. Our internet strategy is nearing completion and we will be launching a new tourism web site in January 2007.

The new web site will reflect our brand and personality. It will have easy trip-planning options with interactive travel tools and easy navigation. There will be timely, relevant information - links for maps, directions, weather, and so on.

We are also redesigning and changing the size of our annual Travel Guide. The 2007 guide will complement the new web site and will be more user friendly. The smaller size makes it much easier for tourists to throw in their bags or knapsacks as they travel around this province.

We�ve been encouraging Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to be tourists at home this year with our resident marketing campaign, �There�s No Place Like Home.�

We also partnered with the Discovery Trail Tourism Association to implement a fall advertising campaign. This initiative has generated very positive feedback, especially from the 38 tourism industry operators who invested in the campaign partnership.

Certainly, extending the traditional season beyond the summer months is a priority. We are working with industry partners to complete an outfitting strategy as part of this priority. As well, a strategy to promote winter tourism will help to enhance tourism activity.

These initiatives are integral to making Newfoundland and Labrador a multi-season tourism destination. During a time when global competition is increasing and travellers are looking for safe, pristine and unique locations, Newfoundland and Labrador is poised to become a destination of choice.

2006 11 21                                      1:50 P.M.