By Tyler Waugh, The Irish Loop Post/Local Journalism Initiative
A tourism pilot project for the Irish Loop wraps up a productive first phase this month and looks ahead to next steps that include better signage, an online inventory map, and talks about future governance and funding models.
Phase one saw seven workshops held, including five community-oriented events called Linking the Loop, that resulted in 40 memorandums of understanding (MOU) signed by stakeholder groups and municipalities. It also involved some youth-oriented activities to build identity and a sense of place among the younger generation.
“Basically, the goal is to strengthen the entire region as a regional destination, getting all hands collaborating, and we couldn’t be happier with the energy we are feeling in the room and at the table right now,” said Genevieve McCorquodale, project manager for the Irish Loop Regional Tourism initiative. “There’s a lot of momentum and a belief in what we can get done collectively. We're here to pull everyone together to learn from each other and to share, and that's already happening whereas communities that maybe historically haven't worked together are now at the table.”
The project is being administered through the Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Celtic.
McCorquodale said the MOUs indicate the participants are committed to moving forward, although there are no financial commitments at this point. Signed MOUs are in hand from Mount Carmel-Mitchell's Brook-St. Catherine's, St. Shotts, Trepassey, Renews- Cappahayden, Cape Broyle, Witless Bay, Bay Bulls and Ferryland.
Among the tourism stakeholders that support the initiative include The Wilds Resort, Edge of the Avalon Inn, Mistaken Point Ecological Centre, Gatherall’s Boat Tours, and Lighthouse Picnics in Ferryland.
“Basically, the MOUs are them signing off on the steering committee that we have formed to represent them in this work,” said McCorquodale, adding additional communities and groups have MOUs awaiting approval at the council or board level.
The working group is chaired by Gertie Molloy of CBDC Celtic and Mistaken Point - Cape Race Heritage and includes Paula Hanna from Bread & Cheese Inn, Craig March of Cliff’s Edge Retreat, John Chidley of Merrymeeting Arts & Crafts and the Irish Loop Artisans Co-op, St. Shotts Mayor Anita Molloy, Michelle Fagan of the St. Mary’s Battery Committee, Renee Houlihan of the Colony of Avalon and Judy Walsh of CBDC Celtic.
Phase one capped off the last week of July with the launch of a new brand and a logo. Produced by JAC Marketing, the brand includes the tagline, ‘We’re More Than A Drive, We’re a Destination.’ It describes the region as a place with a thousand reasons to stop, a story at every turn and one road that ties it all together.
The route itself is tied into the logo, curled into a long, single unbroken L and a shamrock that sits above the ‘I’ as a nod to the Irish heritage predominant in the region. The colours are credited as coming straight from the landscape, citing Black Spruce, tuckamore, sea glass, Keeper’s Light and Bog Cotton.
“This shows where residents and stakeholders and government partners sat down together and talked about what this place is and where it needs to go,” said McCorquodale. “This is representative of that vision.”
McCorquodale said the branding will give communities, attractions and signage a unified look and identity, while maintaining awareness that each community has its own feel and amenities that make them special.
“They're each unique and that's what people are protective about, like a momma bear, and we respect that,” she said. “We want that to continue. But what we're looking to do is elevate and shine a light on those that want it, so that we can potentially capture some of those tourism dollars.”
McCorquodale is collecting exit data and feedback from visitors over the month of August. She believes Phase II should begin in the fall. It includes new signage at each entry point and the launch of a QR code that will take visitors to an online database of lodgings, amenities, attractions, as well as listings for general services in the region.
“All the major attractions will be in there, but so will the smaller ones,” she said, “because for the most part every big one likely started as a little one, right? And when you’re traveling it helps to know services that are available nearby, for example, if you get a flat tire. So, this is going to be a tool that's going to be able to be used not only for tourists, but it's going to be able to be used by locals as well.”
All the tourism-related information will come directly from Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, so businesses and organizations – even mom and pop operations - will need to ensure they are listed on that site.
McCorquodale said tourism-related businesses should register with the province’s Tourism Assurance Plan (TAP) if they haven’t already. The program requires some minimum standards of operation and, in return, participants are eligible for provincial marketing and promotions, as well as opportunities within provincial destination management organizations (DMOs).
“The Newfoundland Labrador site generates billions of views – it's a massive tool that the province has for operators,” she said. “Logistically, what this will do, is that information will link directly with our digital map, so we won't have to go in and update it all the time. Operators themselves are responsible for updating their listing every year and we want everybody who has legitimate tourism businesses to be highlighted. It’s a big communications piece. We want the rising tide to float all boats, so to speak.”
McCorquodale said phase two will also look at a governance model and revenue sources.
“It’s a big piece, but that’s a discussion that needs to take place internally and I wouldn’t want to put anything out there,” she said.
Some similar initiatives across the country ultimately take the form of a non-profit like a chamber of commerce, tourism association, or destination management organization, while others take a different approach, like a cooperative.
Examples of revenue strategies include social enterprise revenue, such as collecting fees from quilters guilds and other community groups, to members charging a destination tax that is then forwarded to the organization on a monthly or quarterly basis.
The Province also recently adopted legislation that provided towns the option to implement an accommodation tax of between four and 12 per cent on lodgings that can be used for funding regional tourism partnerships and other activities.
“We know we can’t be reliant on government funding forever and we will need to explore some avenues to create our own revenue,” McCorquodale said.
