The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Derrick Dalley, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation:

Newfoundland and Labrador Leads the Country in Tourism Marketing

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the Honourable House today to inform my colleagues that our tourism marketing campaign Find Yourself was recently honoured with 10 Adrian Awards, presented by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International in New York City.

The Find Yourself campaign has now won a total of 147 national and international awards, including a Grand Prix CASSIE, the top award for advertising in Canada. These awards demonstrate that our province is leading the way in tourism marketing in the country. We are particularly proud of the CASSIE because it not only recognizes creative design, production, and content, but it focuses on the tangible results of our advertising campaign such as tourism numbers and spending. The Find Yourself campaign was also named Marketing Campaign of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

In January, we released two new chapters in our television advertising campaign, featuring Iceberg Alley and Secret Place. These ads are well received by audiences throughout Canada, motivate the tourism industry here in the province, and exude the sense of pride we have in this amazing place we call home.

Our government has been working with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and destination management organizations as part of the Tourism Board to implement our provincial strategy Uncommon Potential: A Vision for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.

Mr. Speaker, our vision is to be a leading tourism destination, offering authentic experiences, showcasing our people, culture, and natural environment. Resident and non-resident tourism spending in Newfoundland and Labrador was almost $880 million in 2010. Our goal is to reach $1.6 billion in tourism spending by 2020. There is no question we’re on the right path.

2012 03 08                        2:55 p.m.