in the House of
Assembly, and in a subsequent news release on Thursday,
December 10, provided a distorted and misleading
impression of the Provincial Government�s tourism
marketing activities on the west coast of the province.
"I must correct information presented by the
Opposition which suggests the Provincial Government has
made cuts to its tourism marketing efforts in the
western region, particularly on the Northern Peninsula,"
said Minister French. "Nothing could be further from the
truth. There has been absolutely no change in provincial
funding provided to regional Destination Marketing
Organizations, and support for tourism marketing efforts
has, in fact, increased steadily over the past several
years."
Minister French noted the Opposition suggested the
loss of a contractual position, operating through the
Western Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) office,
was the result of Provincial Government cuts. That is
incorrect.
"The Provincial Government has entered into a
$175,000 tourism marketing partnership with the Western
DMO, an arm�s length organization established in 2007 to
provide professional marketing expertise to tourism
organizations and operators throughout the western
region � including the Northern Peninsula," said
Minister French. "It is time that all regional
organizations come together, work together, and market
the entire region as a destination of choice in an
ever-more competitive global marketplace. Visitors want
to experience a wide array of experiences and
activities, and the western region has tremendous
potential for growth if marketed in a professional,
cohesive manner."
Examples of recent additional tourism-related
investments specific to the Northern Peninsula area are
included in the backgrounder below.
"The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
also provides hundreds of thousands of dollars each year
to support west coast-based theatre, music, and literary
festivals, community events, and heritage initiatives,
including the Writers at Woody Point literary festival,
Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador productions in Cow
Head, and the St. Anthony Iceberg Festival, just to
mention a few," said Minister French. "These initiatives
are designed to provide memorable experiences to
visitors from both within Newfoundland and Labrador and
beyond.
"We also have staff members in the region who work
directly with tourism operators and organizations on a
daily basis, and our collective efforts are clearly
paying off, as evidenced in the continued growth of
tourism activity on the West Coast and throughout the
province, despite this year�s worldwide recession," the
minister added. "To suggest the Provincial Government is
reducing its support for tourism marketing on the west
coast, or for tourism development in the Northern
Peninsula in particular, is utterly untrue and
irresponsible at best."
Minister French said it is disappointing to see false
information circulated in the public arena when the
Provincial Government is working so closely with the
tourism industry through the recently-established
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism Board, a
public-private partnership dedicated to implementing a
long-term tourism strategy for Newfoundland and
Labrador.
In February of this year, the province released a
long-term tourism strategy entitled Uncommon
Potential: A Vision for Newfoundland and Labrador
Tourism, which focuses on seven strategic directions
to further develop the tourism industry. It can be
viewed at:
www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/tcr/publications/index.html.
Budget 2009: Building on Our Strong Foundation
provided an additional $1 million for tourism marketing,
bringing the total annual budget to $13 million (from $6
million in 2003). The tourism industry contributed
almost $850 million to the provincial economy in 2008 �
up from $790 million in 2007 � and employs approximately
13,000.
- 30 -
Media contact:
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
709-729-0928, 697-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Highlights of Tourism Investments
Specific to the Northern Peninsula
Two new advertisements, released in 2009,
featuring L�anse aux Meadows and Gros Morne
National Park;
$174,013 to St. Anthony Basin Resources Inc.,
to help implement its tourism plan � which
includes a new dock at L�Anse aux Meadows to
cruise ships and a new parking area for tour
buses;
$86,757 to the White Bay Central Development
Association to construct a bridge leading to an
underground salmon pool near Roddickton, and to
complete a trail system leading to the pool;
$57,000 in season extension initiatives along
the Viking Trail, including $20,000 to support
the inaugural Iceberg Festival in St. Anthony in
2009;
$36,000 to restore Bide Arm�s first
structure, Ashton House, which contributes to
the Northern Peninsula�s tourism product;
$30,511 for the Town of St. Anthony towards a
project designed to establish a 500-metre trail
called Fish Point Walkway;
$23,961 to Rising Sun Developers, the
economic development division of the Town of St.
Anthony, to extend a trail to Cremaillere Bay, a
former fishing village, and to develop park
signage in Bottom Brook Park, a waterfowl
sanctuary and hiking area; and,
A total of $18,780 for Visitor Information
Centres in St. Anthony, Gros Morne and Hawke�s
Bay.
2009 12 11 2:40 p.m.