Atlantic Canada's tourism businesses will be pulling out all the stops as they market their products and services to the North American motor coach industry during the Atlantic Canada Showcase taking place in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador from October 12 to 14, 2004.
Atlantic Canada Showcase is a popular travel industry marketplace dedicated to attracting North American motor coach operators and tour wholesalers interested in developing or expanding travel packages offered in Atlantic Canada. With 190 Atlantic Canadian travel industry participants, representing 127 companies, this year’s Showcase will be the largest in four years.
Atlantic Canada Showcase is presented by the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP), a nine member, pan-Atlantic partnership comprised of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the provincial government departments responsible for tourism, and the four Atlantic Canada tourism industry associations.
“Showcase has an impressive track record of bringing new tourism business to Atlantic Canada,” said the Honourable Joseph McGuire, Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. “The Government of Canada is proud to be involved in an event that heightens the profile of Atlantic Canada tourism products by promoting them to the broader North American market.
”During the marketplace to be held at the St. John’s Convention Centre, motor coach tour operators and travel professionals (buyers) will meet with representatives from Atlantic Canada tourism businesses (sellers) through pre-scheduled appointments. Along with these networking opportunities, participants are invited to take advantage of familiarization tours in each of the four Atlantic Provinces taking place prior to and immediately following the Showcase.
“Atlantic Canada Showcase is a one-stop shopping destination for a large number of buyers from the North American travel trade industry,” said Bruce Sparkes, chair of Atlantic Canada Showcase 2004, and vice president of operations for City Hotels Ltd. “During the two-day event, buyers are introduced to a wide variety of tourism products and cultural experiences unique to Atlantic Canada.”
“We are pleased to partner with ACTP and the other Atlantic provinces to make Atlantic Canada Showcase a successful marketplace for both buyers and sellers,” said the Honourable Philip Brown, Minister of Tourism for PEI. “We anticipate that our province’s tourism industry will experience significant growth over the next few years as a result of the business relationships that are built during the event.”
Since its inception in 1994, the Atlantic Canada Showcase has been hosted by cities in each of the four Atlantic Provinces. The main goal of the biannual event is to grow Atlantic Canada’s tourism industry by increasing motor coach activity and integrating the region as a travel destination in more North American tour packages. It also encourages Atlantic Canadian tourism businesses to introduce new and unique packages in the marketplace, and provides a venue for encouraging year-round tourism in Atlantic Canada.
“There’s no better way to promote the tourism industry on Prince Edward Island than to give people a first-hand experience of what we have to offer,” said Gordon MacInnis, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island. “By giving tour operators an opportunity to see the beauty of our region, learn about our history and experience our culture, we increase our chances of winning their business.”
ABOUT ACTP
The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP) is a nine-member, pan-Atlantic partnership consisting of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the provincial departments responsible for tourism in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and the four provincial tourism industry associations. Since 1994, it has successfully mounted three consecutive projects, with the fourth project now underway. Funding for the 2003-2006 initiative, valued at $19.95 million, is cost-shared by the partners, with 50 per cent contributed by ACOA, 30 per cent contributed by the four Atlantic Provinces and 20 per cent contributed by the four tourism industry associations in Atlantic Canada.
For more information, contact: Ron Crozier, Office of the Minister for ACOA, (902) 888-4150; Sherry MacDougall, Communications Officer, Tourism PEI, (902) 368-5535; Don Cudmore, Executive Director of Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, (902) 566-5008; or Wes Harrison, Senior Communications Advisor, ACOA PEI & Tourism, (902) -368-0842, Wes.Harrison@acoa-apeca.gc.ca