July 20, 2005
Happy Valley - Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Destination Labrador will initiate a three-year marketing
and product development plan with the assistance of
$979,800 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(ACOA). The announcement was made today by Labrador MP
Todd Russell, on behalf of the Honourable Joseph McGuire,
Minister of ACOA. Prospects for tourism in Labrador are significant, said
MP Todd Russell. Labrador has some of the most impressive
natural beauty and most important historical and cultural
sites in Canada. We can develop a tourism industry in
Labrador to compete with any other destination in the
world. This contribution will help us achieve the goal of
sharing our story and our natural beauty with the rest of
the country and global tourism market, creating a
sustainable tourism industry.The Tourism Development Plan for Labrador, prepared in 2002
and A Special Place: A Special People, prepared in 2004
will guide the projects undertaken.The Labrador Tourism Accord will also include the further
development of the Destination Labrador organization and
its business plan. The plan will include measurable
objectives for Labrador tourism and methods of measuring
progress, said Mr. Russell. The second and third phases
of the project will involve more detailed development of
the organizations business, marketing and sustainability
plans and work towards strengthening key partnerships for
the future.This initiative comes out of a series of consultations
with more than 250 organizations and individuals involved
in the tourism industry across Labrador, as well as an
extensive market analysis, said Dave Hollett, Interim
Chair of the Destination Labrador group. There is a high
level of community support for Destination Labrador to
coordinate the tourism sectors development and growth. We
all understand that success in building a vibrant tourism
industry means that all the regions in Labrador collaborate
and work together.A Board of Directors will be established and will be made
up of representatives who have a direct stake in the
tourism industry and reflect all geographic areas. The
recommended management structure will be private sector
focused with varying and rotating terms for representation.In addition to the board of directors, the project also
includes the establishment of an Advisory Committee to the
board. This committee will include representation from
ACOA, Canada Heritage and/or Parks Canada, and the
provincial Department of Tourism. ACOA is providing funding for this initiative under the
Business Development Program, which offers non-commercial
investments to support the promotion of entrepreneurship,
trade, marketing and education through industry, community,
youth and business associations. FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY:Destination Labrador will undertake a three-year marketing
and product development plan with $979,800 from the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). The
announcement was made today by Labrador MP Todd Russell on
behalf of ACOA Minister Joseph McGuire.Mr. Russell said the funding will be distributed over a
three-year period and will assist the Labrador tourism
industry to take advantage of the opportunities that exist
to grow the sector.
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Valérie Poulin
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire
Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(613) 941-7241
Victoria Etchegary
Acting Director, Public Affairs
ACOA
(709) 772-2935
Dave Hollett
Interim Chairperson
Destination Labrador
(709) 896-2477
