Access North kicks off a drive to lengthen the tourist season and attract more holidaymakers to this pristine environment
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| Phenomenal surroundings: visitors are only just discovering the region’s unique attractions |
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tourists in Newfoundland and Labrador, it is hard to know where to begin.
Visitors can see whales and spectacular icebergs on the northern coast,
go bird-watching, or visit the quaint fishing villages that cling to
the rugged rocks outside St. John’s.
The historically-minded can stand in the same spot as the first Vikings
who landed on the American continent 1,000 years ago. Adventurers can
explore the coast of the Terra Nova National Park by kayak or fish for
salmon in the gin-clear rivers. It is a little-known fact that former
US president George Bush senior likes to visit the remote areas of the
province because of the solitude and excellent salmon fishing.
Every year, more and more holidaymakers are discovering unique attractions like the Gros Morne National Park, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is an area of great natural beauty with a rich variety of scenery, wildlife, and recreational activities. Visitors can hike through wild, uninhabited mountains and camp by the sea. Waterfalls, marine inlets, sea stacks, sandy beaches, and colourful nearby fishing villages complete the phenomenal natural and cultural surroundings of the park.
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Minister
of tourism, culture and recreation Julie Bettney
says: “We have to ensure that we maintain enough of our wilderness
to permit this industry to grow and continue for future generations.”
This year, marketing efforts have focused on Labrador’s year-long
Access North celebrations, which will include the opening of over 930
miles of snow-mobile trails. Visitors can take a snow safari and see
the Northern Lights, which are near a peak in their 11-year cycle.
Access
North is the first step in a drive to lengthen the province’s tourist
season in order to truly capitalise on what it has to offer. Currently,
the season extends from mid-June to early September, but Ms Bettney
points out that winter tourism in Labrador could be a viable growth
area. “Snow-mobiling represents a huge opportunity,” she says.
Tourism contributed £257.02 million to the provincial economy
last year, or two per cent of GDP. Although this may seem small, the
minister stresses that the sector’s importance lies equally in
its potential. Many people believe that tourism could be the salvation
of rural Newfoundland and Labrador. “I believe the industry could
become a much larger contributor to our economy,” says Ms Bettney.
“It could employ thousands of people and have a significant impact.”
The
province’s orientation towards special-events tourism was initiated
in 1997 with a celebration marking the 500th anniversary of the province’s
discovery by John Cabot. Then, 2000 coincided with the millennium of
the Vikings’ arrival in Newfoundland, the first Europeans to reach
North America.
Little did those Vikings know that they had started a trend: last year,
20 cruise ships stopped in St. John’s where the harbour has been
widened to accommodate larger vessels.
The
warm and open-hearted nature of the people was demonstrated in the traumatic
days after September 11, when dozens of transatlantic aircraft were
grounded in the province for security reasons. The generosity of the
local population generated such great goodwill that many of the unscheduled
visitors vowed to return for a proper visit.
“Although tourists are drawn to this province for outdoor adventure,
it is their interaction with our people that tends to leave them with
the greatest impression of this province.
“There tends to be an overwhelming response to the friendliness
of our people,” adds Ms Bettney.
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