Current Newsletter
In this issue:
Experiential Accommodations
Harbour & Seacoast Community Development
Urban Tourism
Experiential Accommodations
Experiential Accommodations: October 17 - 21, 2011
Prince Edward County & Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Experiential accommodations are an element that the current and emerging traveler wants and is willing to pay for. The purpose of this mission is to assist operators in developing attributes at their
property that are experiential in an effort to tap into this global consumer demand. The accommodations that will be visited in these regions will offer the traveler a close encounter with the
destination’s offerings, have historical significance, places where nature is brought into the accommodation experience, or that focus on food/wine. Accommodations may also be theme(seaside resorts, golf, innovative experiences, etc.). Participants will be exposed to accommodations that are the primary visitation motivator, as opposed to simply a “place to stay”
while in the chosen destination.
Target participants: Inns, B & B’s, accommodation owner’s, etc.
Harbour & Seacoast Community Development
Harbour & Seacoast Community Development: October 23–October 28, 2011
Boothbay Harbor and Rockland, ME; “The Massachusetts Cultural Coast”;
& Newport, RI, USA
This mission is designed for harbor authorities, seacoast communities, fishing wharfs, etc. to help develop the tourism potential around their existing infrastructures by developing tourism experiences and seeking partnership opportunities. This mission will help make the transition to diversify harbor front activities and generate more revenues through tourism. It will also focus on quality coastal tourism experiences and will visit select communities that have used their location alongside a river/waterway to develop water-based experiences, cultural products/artisans, and wildlife viewing. The goal of this mission is to educate the tourism community about marketing and development initiatives that are beneficial to coastal communities. Destinations visited have integrated with the local economy to provide positive economic spinoffs keeping local businesses thriving and providing jobs and the means for people to stay in their local seacoast communities. “The Massachusetts Cultural Coast” partnership focuses on initiatives designed to drive the economy through the development of cultural tourism in coastal communities.
Target participants:Waterfront developments corporations, tourism operators located in coastal communities, harbour authorities, community/economic development officers, etc.
Urban Tourism
URBAN TOURISM: November 13 - 19, 2011
Asheville, NC, Greenville & Charleston, SC, & Savannah, GA
Recent years have seen a decline in tourists visiting Atlantic Canada’s rural areas, while visitation to urban centers has increased. Factors contributing to the shift in destination preferences include accessibility and changing consumer travel habits, such as shorter and more frequent vacations. This mission will capitalize on this growing urban trend by focusing on product development opportunities, innovative marketing techniques and collaborative partnerships.
This mission will highlight a number of cities in the South/Eastern United States that have been repeatedly recognized for their industry leadership in urban tourism. These destinations have used their city’s downtown core to drive tourism and effectively market the city as a prime tourist destination while marketing daytrips/excursions to rural areas. All destinations chosen are relevant to Atlantic Canadian cities in terms of product offering (culinary, culture, entertainment & heritage, festivals & events, historic city centers, etc.)
Target participants:Municipalities, Downtown Business Associations, Regional Development Authorities, DMO’s, downtown private sector operators and municipal officials, etc.
