News Release Archive
ECONOMIC RENEWAL--STRATEGY TO GUIDE INDUSTRY INTO 21ST CENTURY
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A tourism industry partnership involving government, communities
and the private sector has resulted in the completion of a five
year strategy designed to guide the industry into the 21st
century.
"A Strategy for Tourism" outlines a five-year plan of immediate
and long-term initiatives. The strategy has seven key goals:
nurture and protect tourism assets; provide customers with
quality, valuable experiences; market products effectively;
develop effective partnerships; foster a customer-oriented
business culture; improve transportation access and
infrastructure; and nurture and protect tourism assets.
With tourism expenditures totalling $925 million in 1995, and
targeted to top more than $1 billion by the year 2000, Paul
Stackhouse, chair of the tourism strategy implementation
committee, said an increasingly competitive marketplace brought
forth the need for input and direction at the grassroots level.
"Nova Scotia competes in a fast-paced and changing marketplace,"
he said. "For example, more and more consumers are looking for
unique vacation experiences, there's an increasingly older
population, and new technologies are changing the way we do
business. All of these factors, plus many more, have told us our
approach must be to strengthen the quality of the Nova Scotia
experience."
More than 100 actions are identified in the strategy. A steering
committee of representatives from the Economic Renewal Agency,
the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS),
Voluntary Planning and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(ACOA) developed the document as a result of a year-long,
province-wide consultative process involving hundreds of industry
members.
Mr. Stackhouse said gears have already shifted into the
implementation stage. "Now that we have moved into
implementation, momentum is building within the industry," he
said.
"Excitement is growing and we're starting to see tangible results
and progress. Probably the most visible at this stage is improved
air access from Europe as Icelandair's direct service to Halifax
begins next month."
The committee has identified four priority areas for
implementation within the next 12 months: developing and
marketing Nova Scotia's strengths, improving quality, enhancing
transportation access, and addressing seasonality.
"The strategy is truly the result of the tourism industry and the
tourism stakeholders working together to build a plan," said
Economic Renewal Minister Robbie Harrison. "Our partners have
successfully spearheaded the mandate to develop a proactive,
strategic framework that is the heart of Nova Scotia's tourism
vision and strategy."
The committee will present the first progress report on "A
Strategy for Tourism" during the TIANS annual general meeting,
May 31.
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Contact: Steve Warburton 902-424-0927
E-mail: econ.swarburt@gov.ns.ca
Paul Stackhouse 902-420-0555
E-mail: pstackho@notes.pbnet.com
trp Apr. 19, 1996 - 4:14 p.m.
