September 5, 2006
Central Bedeque, Prince Edward Island
Think of it as treasure hunting with the latest technology.
Now think of it as part of your vacation. Geocaching is an
adventure tourism activity that uses Global Positioning
System technology to help visitors find out-of-the-way
locales, discover surprising scenic views, and explore the
road less traveled.Thanks to funding announced today by the federal and
provincial governments, geocaching will soon be introduced
to PEI's south shore."Geocaching is enjoyed by people around the world," said
the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(ACOA). "Bringing this activity to PEI is an innovative way
to attract visitors to the area and entice them to stay
longer."The Minister of Tourism for Prince Edward Island, the
Honourable Philip Brown, noted, "Visitors are always
looking for new tourism products that will help them
experience and enjoy PEI." He added, "This progressive
project combines the use of technology with the exploration
of the pastoral and coastal beauty of the south shore
region."With today's announcement, PEI's South Shore Tourism Group
will produce a brochure and map promoting the south shore's
tourism attributes, and will develop a new website,
www.geocachingpei.com, to promote the area to geocaching
enthusiasts.There are currently more than 21,000 geocaches in Canada;
over 2,500 of those are in New Brunswick, almost 2,000 are
in Nova Scotia, and 79 are in PEI."Geocaching is a growing activity, but it is not yet
developed in PEI," said Phil MacKay, chair of the South
Shore Tourism Group's product development committee. "We
are going to teach our operators about geocaching and offer
it as an activity to visitors."
ACOA will contribute $17,350 to the project through its
Business Development Program. The provincial government
through Tourism PEI will contribute $5,000 and the Central
Development Corporation will provide $4,000.
FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY:Think of it as treasure hunting with the latest technology.
Thanks to funding announced today by the federal and
provincial governments, geocaching will soon be introduced
to PEI's south shore. Geocaching uses Global Positioning
System technology to help visitors find out-of-the-way
locales, discover surprising scenic views, and explore the
road less traveled. Foreign Affairs and ACOA Minister Peter
MacKay and Tourism Minister Philip Brown announced funding
to help the South Shore Tourism Group promote the area to
geocaching enthusiasts.ACOA is investing over $17,000, Tourism PEI is contributing
$5,000 and the Central Development Corporation is providing
$4,000 to the project.For more information, please contact:
Krista Kelly Sherry MacDougall
ACOA PEI and Tourism Tourism PEI
902-566-7569 902-368-5535
Phil MacKay
South Shore Tourism Group
902-436-7953
