News Release Archive
ECONOMIC RENEWAL--NS TRAVEL GUIDE INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARK
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Tourism marketers are calling the new Nova Scotia travel
guide the most comprehensive ever.
One half million copies of the 1996 Doer's and Dreamer's
Complete Guide to Nova Scotia came off the presses in late
December and are ready for distribution in the earliest and
largest print run to date, Economic Renewal Minister Robbie
Harrison announced today.
"By making the 1996 guide available in January, we have
carved our position in a highly competitive marketplace,"
said Mr. Harrison. "Nova Scotia is a leader in tourism
marketing, and this year, with the early release of the
travel guide, potential travellers to the province will have
the best resource available at their fingertips ahead of the
competition."
A 1995 marketing conversion study by Corporate Research
Associates found between 87 and 91 per cent of travellers
from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, mid-Atlantic United
States and New England ranked the Nova Scotia Travel Guide
the most useful source of information for planning their
vacation.
The study also indicated 53 per cent of callers to the
province's toll-free information and reservation number from
Atlantic Canada and 42 per cent from Ontario, vacationed in
Nova Scotia. In another 1995 study by the Centre for Tourism
Research, the Nova Scotia Travel Guide was rated as one of
the best of its kind in North America.
"The Doer's and Dreamer's Guide is Nova Scotia's signature
tourism publication and is proven to be instrumental in
influencing the decision to travel to the province and
planning vacation itineraries," said Mr. Harrison.
"The high quality and comprehensive design of this year's
guide speaks to Nova Scotia's international standing as one
of the most attractive places in the world for leisure
travel. The Nova Scotia Travel Guide is an international
benchmark for travel guide publications and getting it into
the hands of potential customers is the single strongest
marketing activity Nova Scotia has."
Sixteen pages have been added to the 1996 travel guide to
include close to 300 new listings in attractions,
accommodations and outdoor operators, bringing the total
number of listings in excess of 2,000.
The 1996 guide features vibrant colour, improved design and
for the first time, an index of advertisers in a
specially-designed advertising "Shopping Centre" for each
scenic travelway. As an example, members of the Nova Scotia
Restaurant Association are now strategically and prominently
listed by travelway under a distinct restaurant banner,
giving more than 70 restauranteurs significantly higher
profile.
The 1996 cover highlights the original Bluenose as it races
to retain the title as the world's champion racing schooner.
Multiple images, on the cover, highlight the 1996 regional
tourism theme, Year of the Wooden Boat. Feature stories
throughout the guide offer a glimpse into Nova Scotia's
centuries-old romance with the sea and present-day
connections.
The Doer's and Dreamer's Complete Guide to Nova Scotia has
worldwide distribution. In North America, it is available by
calling the Nova Scotia information and reservation service
at 1-800-565-0000, through the Internet and World Wide Web
at http://explore.gov.ns.ca/virtualns or by writing to the
Nova Scotia Marketing Agency, PO Box 519, Halifax, Nova
Scotia, B3J 2R7.
-30-
Contact: Marsha Andrews
Tel: 902-424-4207
E-mail address: mandrews@gov.ns.ca
trp Jan. 15, 1996
