I rise in this Honourable House today to advise my colleagues that the province�s highly-successful resident tourism marketing campaign, For the Love of NL, has been extended into the fall, with all households expected to receive the promotional brochure in their mailboxes by the end of this week.

As you may recall, there was concern expressed in all Canadian jurisdictions this year that the tourism industry would be hard hit by the global recession, as economic uncertainty tends to impact negatively on people�s travel plans.

I am therefore pleased to report that early indicators, to the end of July, show the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism industry is performing very well this year � in fact, as noted in a news release issued today by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, overall visitation has increased slightly, by almost one per cent, over the same period last year. In addition, traffic at provincial Visitor Information Centres is up nine per cent; non-resident traffic on Marine Atlantic is up 4.4 per cent, and occupancy at roofed accommodations is up one percentage point.

We are determined to keep this momentum going. Tourism operators tell us that our early decision to bolster this year�s summer resident campaign has been beneficial to them. And, when the first fall campaign literature started flowing to households last week, we received an e-mail from one participating bed and breakfast operator who said he received 11 bookings within just one day.

That kind of response is, of course, music to our ears. Over the past several years, we have made a concerted effort, in co-operation with the tourism industry association, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, to extend our tourism season beyond the traditional peak summer months. We have increased our marketing budget to $13 million annually, and also invested in product development, training initiatives, and marketing partnerships specifically designed to allow the province � and individual tourism operators � take best advantage of our year-round tourism potential.

This year�s resident campaign has clearly struck a chord � and I believe Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are becoming increasingly aware that some of the best vacation opportunities in the world are, indeed, right here at home.

I invite all members of the House to encourage our residents to continue to support our tourism industry by thinking about taking a fall getaway � to a place they�ve never been, or to a favourite spot they would like to revisit.