BAY OF FUNDY - POTENTIAL STAR GENERATOR FOR NOVA SCOTIA TOURISM

Will the Bay of Fundy become Nova Scotia's next tourism icon? That question could have profound economic impacts for operators of tours, accommodations, foodservice and attractions along Nova Scotia's Fundy shore. A major new assessment of the Bay of Fundy will gage the region's potential to achieve the same "Star Generator" status enjoyed by well-known destinations such as the Cabot Trail and Peggy's Cove.

"The area has proven customer appeal and unique market differentiation viability. The lure factor of the natural setting, notoriety of world's highest tides, and wide offerings of tourism products provides a good foundation to take the Bay of Fundy region to the next level", comments Paul Stackhouse, co-owner of the Hillside House Inn in Annapolis Royal, and current Chair of the Tourism Vision Team. According to the Nova Scotia Tourism Vision, the creation of three new Star Generators could have the ability of generating 600,000 to 750,000 visitors per year to the province.

Both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have included the unique qualities of the Bay of Fundy in their marketing programs, with the latter, recently making a multi-million dollar, multi-year investment in the development of the Fundy Coastal Drive. In fact, statistics from 2005 indicate that 60% of all visitors to New Brunswick spent at least one night on the Fundy Coast.


Building upon the strength of the destination's Nova Scotia side is far more than a marketing exercise. Recent investment in the Bay of Fundy by the Province of Nova Scotia leveraged a new interpretative centre which is under construction at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs; and there are several proposed development projects, such as a Digby Area Fundy Discovery Centre, Fundy Geological Museum expansion, Cape Split trail system, and an application to achieve UNESCO World Heritage site status for Grand Pré and an expected UNESCO application for Natural World Heritage Site status for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs. "Working toward the goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2012 has required the tourism industry to fundamentally shift how we approach and deliver tourism across the province", adds Stackhouse. "While some of the accomplishments of the Tourism Vision initiative have been reached reasonably quickly, fostering the establishment of new Star Generators is a much longer term strategy. Hiking and other eco-tourism products are becoming more popular throughout the Fundy region, and we need to ensure that our roads not only provide safe and comfortable access, but can enhance the experience, by offering locations for spectacular look offs, for example".


The Vision task team is spearheading a tourism product inventory and mapping project that will identify and weigh the region's strengths, areas for resource pooling, and opportunities for partnerships. The research will, in part, provide an up to date examination of the region's current and proposed tourism product developments, activities, and attractions, as well as analyze transportation links, accessibility, and accommodation capacity - considered important components of creating a new tourism Star Generator.

Enhancing the status of the entire Fundy region should produce economic benefits that reach beyond direct providers of tourism products and services. Increasing the number of visitors is only one part of that benefit. Packaging an entire region of attractions and places of interest will keep visitors longer, and increase spending made in that area. The assessment process will therefore include interviews with various Regional Development Authorities, Regional Tourism Industry Associations, selected municipalities, and other stakeholders from the Fundy area. In December, the Tourism Vision Team chose Resource Management Associates of Parrsboro to undertake the work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of February.

Author

- First name: Jim

- Last name: MacLachlan

- Company: Nova Scotia Vision for Tourism

- Email: jim@nstourismvision.com