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November 30, 2012
For immediate release
Province outlines Tourism Plan 2013 at TIAPEI annual general meeting
Tourism and Culture
“The importance of tourism on Prince Edward Island cannot be understated, so it’s important that industry and government work together to enhance marketing and product development activities that drive demand,” said Minister Henderson. “We will also work with the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership, ACOA, the Charlottetown Airport Authority and private industry partners to tap into the world’s biggest emerging market in China, while at the same time maintaining our focus on traditional markets.”
The department will continue to explore negotiations on the four provincially owned golf courses with the best interests of Island taxpayers in mind. It will also perform a review of provincial parks and museums operations in an effort to establish a new modernized vision.
Tourism PEI will also review its efforts to promote the shoulder season with industry partners. Despite considerable investment to increase visitation outside of July and August, there has been limited growth in the shoulder season since 2001. And while promotions like Fall Flavours and the Festival of Small Halls are reporting record sales, those sales have only helped maintain visitation, not increase it.
“The Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) participates in Tourism PEI’s annual planning process, ensuring each year’s efforts respond to the challenges set out in Strategy 2015,” said John-Anthony Langdale, Chair of TAC. “The Tourism Plan 2013 commits to understanding and addressing our seasonality challenges, assessing our brand’s resonance with our key markets and ensuring our investments in our key demand generators are even more focused and better-resourced.”
Tourism is an important industry and tax revenue generator for Prince Edward Island. It accounts for about seven percent of GDP, the highest percentage of any province, and represents approximately $45,000,000 in annual tax revenue. Tourism employment represents the equivalent of approximately 7,400 full-time jobs across the province.
