Lobsters Lead Ceilidh in Calgary

Fresh lobster is almost as common as oil-stained cowboy boots in Calgary this week as Nova Scotia blitzes the city with a new tourism campaign.

The Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage is running a five-day Ceilidh in Calgary promotion to test the western Canadian market.

"While we continue to aggressively market Nova Scotia in traditional markets, we're also exploring new ones like western Canada," said Judy Streatch, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. "The Ceilidh in Calgary is one of many tactics in our tourism marketing campaign to draw more visitors to experience Canada's seacoast."

The campaign aims to reach the more than one million people living in Calgary. It began on Monday, May 1, with the arrival of a CanJet flight from Halifax. Media witnessed more than 50 large boxes of fresh Clearwater lobster being unloaded from the plane to the musical accompaniment of the 78th Highlanders.

The Highlanders are turning heads across the city as they appear at various locations and invade local radio stations. Department staff accompany them to give interviews with fun facts and information about Nova Scotia. The Highlanders have livened up the Calgary drive time with the sound of their pipes and drums live on air.

Sixteen lobster dinners and five 5-day trips for two to Nova Scotia are up for grabs through the Amazing Race for Lobsters contest. Each day, Calgarians can follow clues given during popular radio shows to find the secret locations of tourism staff distributing foam lobsters and passes to a party on Friday, May 5.

That event will feature musical performances by Cape Breton band Beolach, a selection of Nova Scotia inspired food, and the draw for the remaining two grand prize trips.

People from the travel industry and travel media are included in the promotion. Travel industry workers will attend a lunch event focused on directly increasing visits to the province. Travel media will attend a dinner highlighting Nova Scotia's rich culture and scenery. Both events will feature Nova Scotia's music and food.

The Ceilidh in Calgary promotion is one of many consumer-focused initiatives in Nova Scotia's marketing campaign. The campaign also includes promotions in Boston with the Cat ferry, at the Milwaukee Celtic Festival, and numerous travel shows.

The marketing campaign is based on the annual tourism plan, which is developed by the joint industry-government Tourism Partnership Council. The plan is based on extensive research and designed to expand the tourism industry in Nova Scotia.

Partners for the Ceilidh in Calgary include CanJet Airlines, Clearwater Seafoods, and Delta Hotels.