| From March 23rd to the 26th, 2000 the Coast of Bays
was represented at the 4th Annual Outdoor Newfoundland and Labrador Show. This
was the second consecutive year that the Coast of Bays had a booth in this show. However,
unlike the previous year, this year’s event was held at Memorial Stadium in the heart
of St. John’s. The show showcased communities, regions, tour operators, outdoor
equipment suppliers, RV manufacturers, to name a few and draws a variety of people from
the avid outdoors person to the casual sight seeing person both looking for new things to
experience. The Coast of Bays Corporation, Coast of Bays Tourism Association, and Stan
Hill partnered on this initiative to introduce the Avalon Peninsula to the tourism
potential in the Coast of Bays. Baxter House and Stan Hill hosted the Coast of Bays Booth
for the entire show and were very pleased with the level of interest shown toward our
region. As with last year, the fishing was a hot topic and will likely result in increased
visitation to the region.
In addition to the Coast of Bays booth, Conne River also had a booth in the Show.
Gerard Joe, representing Conne River was impressed with the attention their booth received
and the opportunity to inform people of the Micmac in Newfoundland. Gerard also displayed
a variety of craft items from Conne River which proved to be a big draw to both the Conne
River and the Coast of Bays booths
Many people within the St. John’s area are starting to use this show as a means of
determining where they are going to vacation. More and more people within Newfoundland are
realizing that the province has a lot to offer and there is no need to leave to have a
quality vacation. They are starting to travel to provincial destinations that they have
not yet seen in order to discover what their province has to offer. If this trend
continues the Coast of Bays should benefit as this is one area that most Newfoundlanders
have yet to experience.
The COBC and COBTA would like to thank the Town of Harbour Breton and Conne River for
supplying us with prizes for giveaways. This enabled us to generate a database of names
and addresses of potential visitors to the region. We would also like to thank Stan Hill
who, in his role as President of the Tourism Association, took time from his busy schedule
to assist in the booth throughout the entire show.
We intend to continue attending this show to further increase the recognition of the
Coast of Bays region as a destination worth visiting. Only through continued presence at
shows such as these can we create interest and a greater understanding of this region. |
