In an effort to build upon past successes and fortify marketing initiatives for 2002, the Tourism Atlantic Marketing Initiative will encourage increased travel to Atlantic Canada. The program will consist of a media-based consumer campaign focussed on Atlantic Canada�s leading external markets, Ontario, Quebec and New England. Tourism statistics over the last several years show that these markets together represent 75 per cent of inbound visitors to Atlantic Canada.

�The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is committed to supporting and strengthening our tourism industry as it strives to restore consumer confidence and interest in travel,� said Minister Thibault. �Travellers who choose to visit Canada and this region this year will discover a safe and friendly tourism destination close to home and will be helping our country�s economy in the process.�

ACOA will fund the Tourism Atlantic Marketing Initiative with $3.75 million from the Business Development Program. It is anticipated that this funding will leverage an additional $1.25 million from provincial governments and industry associations in Atlantic Canada. The Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI) is administering the initiative on behalf of its regional counterparts.

�Tourism is a vital sector in the Atlantic region, with $2.76 billion in revenues and an estimated 100,000 jobs for Atlantic Canadians in the year 2001,� said Kim Green, president of TIAPEI. �Today�s announcement is timely, as tourists begin to plan their yearly vacations. We are pleased that the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency continues to be a strong supporter of the tourism industry throughout all of Atlantic Canada.�

According to tourism industry standards, the generation of $10 in visitor spending for every marketing dollar spent is a realistic and achievable goal. Based on these standards, this initiative is projected to generate $50 million in additional tourism receipts for Atlantic Canada for the 2002 season.

Minister Thibault added, �Our objectives are clear and concise. By setting a target of $50 million in new sales, operators large and small across the region will benefit from this marketing boost.�

The Government of Canada has been quick to introduce measures to bolster the tourism sector as it faces a downturn in the economy and the impact of the terrorist attacks in the United States on travel. In October 2001, the Honourable Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry, announced the provision of $15 million of new Government of Canada funding as part of a $20 million marketing initiative, in partnership with the Canadian Tourism Commission, to encourage Americans and Canadians to travel to or within Canada.  The Tourism Atlantic Marketing Initiative represents an added effort, in the face of increased challenges, to fortify the future viability of tourism businesses in Atlantic Canada.

The Tourism Atlantic Marketing Initiative will also complement the efforts of the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP), a nine-member pan-Atlantic partnership consisting of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the four tourism industry associations and the four provincial departments responsible for tourism in Atlantic Canada. Since its creation in 1991, the ACTP has successfully mounted three consecutive three-year projects, and is now in the second year of a three-year $19.5 million marketing initiative, which has New England as its primary market.

For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Savoy Office of Hon. Robert Thibault (613) 941-7291
Catherine MacInnis-Gordon ACOA PEI and Tourism (902) 368-0502

Pierre Gauthier
gauthier.pierre@ctc-cct.ca