August 28, 2006 * Tourism [to Jan 2010]Tourism Minister Philip Brown visited with William Cooper, a travel counsellor located at the Charlottetown Airport Terminal, to check in on traffic over the summer. The facility has experienced approximately a 30 per cent increase in traffic, year to date, and as a result, Tourism PEI has increased their presence at the airport. “We believe that it is absolutely critical to greet and assist visitors when they first arrive on the Island. For this reason, we have upgraded service at the airport which is one of the province’s gateways,” noted Minister Brown. “This year, with the rapid growth of air traffic, we reassessed our facilities and decided that having personnel on-hand would provide the best possible customer service. Staff working at the Charlottetown Airport have reported that visitors are flocking to the information display, obtaining their literature needs and planning their stay on the Island. We’re very pleased with the outcome and expect to continue the service.” Tourism PEI will review final numbers on literature distributed and value of the increased service but with positive feedback from industry partners as well as the customer themselves, it is expected that staff will continue to greet travellers at the Charlottetown Airport in future years.Media Contact: Sherry MacDougall