Tourism industry leaders gathered together to examine the issues critical to the success of the tourism industry and build consensus on the industry's future direction. The Tourism Partnership Building Forum was held November 12 and 13 in the Rodd Marina Inn & Suites, Montague, co-hosted by the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI) and Tourism PEI. The two-day session was action oriented and designed to build consensus on where tourism should be going as an industry and how to collectively get there.
Understanding that there were issues of concern within the industry at large, the partnership gathered to address these issues and agreed on key challenges facing industry and worked out strategies including:
• Partners agreed that tourism is a significant and immediate revenue generator for the Province, with each dollar invested returning $20 back to the provincial economy. As a result, the partnership agreed to launch a public education program to highlight the positive impact of tourism to the entire provincial economy.
• Product Development – The parties agreed to two key priorities of:
a) Confederation Trail development and
b) Culture and Heritage development.
• A cohesive marketing strategy with continued focus towards a significant allocation of funds aimed at growing and nurturing the Prince Edward Island Brand with a need for a long-term solution to continued marketing funding.
• Consensus to proceed with an Occupancy Reporting System for the industry.
• Implementing a study to review the overall tourism industry structure.
"Tourism industry leaders were asked to participate in this co-operative session with interests from private sector and provincial and federal governments to work towards a goal of recognizing the significant impact that tourism has on our lives and our provincial economy," noted Philip Brown, Minister of Tourism. "The frank discussions and workshop sessions were necessary to get the entire industry working from the same page. We are ready to move forward."
The Forum is the first step in an integrated process designed to strengthen our partnership and ultimately strengthen the Island's tourism industry. A second meeting has been scheduled for December 10, 2003 to further the process.
"It was a great way to begin this process of assessing, refocusing, and moving forward our priorities in the tourism industry," noted Gordon McInnis, President of TIAPEI. "The level of commitment from the group is very strong, and as a united group we are committed to working cohesively towards growing tourism and the entire provincial economy."