Trade show report RENDEZ-VOUS CANADA: VANCOUVER Signature experiences prove a big hit


THE architect behind the Canadian Signature Experience (CSE) programme has lauded the success of the


initiative four years on from its inception. Frank Verschuren, Experience Specialist


for the CTC, says the programme – which features experiences as diverse as riding the Rocky Mountaineer


, hiking in


Cape Breton National Park in Nova Scotia (pictured) and walking the streets of gold-era Dawson City in the Yukon – “is working well to showcase Canada in a different light, reinforcing product awareness and meeting the promise of the ‘Canada Keep Exploring’ brand." “It has been very effective in showing


the world that there is much to do in Canada beyond the usual stereotypical things people know about,” he said The programme, recalled Verschuren, was borne out of a need ‘to keep the momentum going’ after the 2010 Winter Olympics, which Canada hosted in Whistler/Vancouver.


Talking... Atlantic Canada


Brenda Gallant DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, TOURISM PEI AND CHAIR OF ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM PARTNERSHIP


What common themes link Atlantic Canada? We are comprised of four provinces: New


After an 'assessment’ last year the CTC


retained 153 experiences and added several more, bringing the total to 183. One of the great successes of the CSE


programme is that is has transformed great products and experiences into ‘trade ready products’, added Verschuren. “We made it a pre-requisite that CSE


products must be geared up to be exported overseas. Our receptive (inbound) tour operators have been


EXPERIENCE


actively contracting them to the UK travel trade and we have showcased them through events such as the Canada Shared day in London this February." When it comes to his own favourite


CSEs, Verschuren pointed to ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences in the Canadian Arctic, wildlife experiences like polar bear viewing out of Churchill, Manitoba, grizzly bear watching on BC's west coast and whale watching in Atlantic Canada.


New adventure ship will be swell for BC


Over 50,000 take to the Glacier Skywalk


ALBERTA’S newest attraction is proving popular with visitors since it opened on May 1. The Glacier Skywalk, located on the scenic Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff, attracted around 50,000 visitors in its first six weeks of operation, said Rusty Noble, General Manager, Columbia Icefields for Brewster Canada. The horseshoe-shaped glass cliff-edge walkway is perched 918ft above the Sunwapta Valley. Look down and visitors might see a mountain goat; look up and they will see alpine and glacial vistas and waterfalls carving a path through ancient granite rocks. Visitors start their experience at the


Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre and are bussed the couple of kilometres to the Skywalk. The walkway to the platform, with its


four layers of glass, features several interpretation stations where visitors can learn about, amongst other things, How the Rockies were formed, The Birds of the Rockies, Plant Life and Water and Hydrology in the Rockies. Prices are C$25 for the Skywalk or


$65 for both the Skywalk and a bus tour of the nearby Athabasca Glacier aboard a vehicle specially designed for ‘glacial travel’, where visitors get to step out onto ancient ice as thick as the Eiffel tower is tall. Glacierskywalk.ca


BRITISH Columbia-based Maple Leaf Adventures is adding a new ship to its fleet for 2015. Swell is a restored 88-foot classic wooden tugboat which will offer boutique expedition cruises along the BC and Alaska coast. Guests will have access to the bears, whales, glaciers, nature and culture of The Great Bear rainforest, Canada, Alaska’s Inside Passage, Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) and Gulf Islands National Park and Reserve and Vancouver Island. MapleLeafAdventures.com


Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and the underpinning common bond is the ocean. From a culinary perspective, fresh crabs, scallops, mussels, oysters and lobsters are all readily available. There is something special about the east coast: wherever you go you will notice a uniqueness to the people, an authenticity and a guaranteed warm welcome that goes beyond what you will find in other parts of the country. Visitors can be surprised when people they meet invite them to their house for dinner! That doesn’t happen every time, but it does happen!


Why should a UK travel agent suggest Atlantic Canada? There are many reasons! Firstly, we are such a short trip from the UK – just five hours! Today’s travellers are looking for unique experiences; they want a glimpse – even to be part of – the community. We have focused really hard on the unique things that we offer. For example, you can go out on a lobster boat, fish for your own dinner and eat it on board, dig for clams or learn how to step dance – there are so many unique things to do in our region.


What is your idea of a ‘perfect Atlantic Canada experience’? My perfect day would see me fully immersed in the local culture and colour. Throughout the region that could mean experiencing French Acadian, Celtic and Aboriginal music, culture and influences. Getting involved in and experiencing simple activities, meeting local people and just relaxing and enjoying the sense of being away from it all is what will provide the best memories. We are a destination that really helps you rejuvenate!


SELLING CANADA • SUMMER 2014 15


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