The following statement was read today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation:

Season Extension Initiatives Provide Early Boost to Tourism

The Provincial Government has demonstrated its commitment to developing the growing, $850 million tourism industry in this province, and most people are aware of our investments in marketing Newfoundland and Labrador as a traveller's destination of choice.

But I rise in this Honourable House today to draw particular attention to our efforts to extend tourism activity beyond the traditional peak season.

I had an opportunity in mid-May to attend the opening weekend of the Trails, Tales and Tunes festival in Norris Point, which has become a signature event to help kick off the tourism season on the west coast of our province.

While I was there, I was told on several occasions that our $14,000 support of this event helped increase visitation and provide an early boost to tourism operators and other local businesses.

We know this is true of the other season extension investments on the west coast, which include the Feather and Folk Festival on the southwest coast, and the Humber Valley Spring in Your Step Festival, to which the Provincial Government has provided $19,000 and $10,500 respectively.

There is great potential for further development of our tourism industry. To the end of April, we are seeing a seven per cent increase in visitor traffic over the same period in 2009, and a 21 per cent increase in visits to our website, Newfoundlandlabrador.com.  

We hope and expect this will continue and that 2010 will be one of the best — if not the best — tourism seasons to date.

2010 06 15                                                1:45 p.m.