“The Provincial Visitor Information Centres play an important role in services we provide to the travelling public,” said the Honourable Derrick Dalley, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. “The in-person, one-on-one standard of service continues to be sought out by many travellers. As a government, we continue to work closely with our tourism industry stakeholders to build a very solid and strong tourism industry in this province. We look forward to a strong 2012 tourism season.”

Provincial Visitor Information Centres include: North Sydney, Port aux Basques, Deer Lake Highway, Notre Dame, Clarenville, Whitborne and Argentia. The Deer Lake Airport and St. John’s Airport Visitor Information Centres, operated in partnership with local airport authorities and municipal partners, are open year-round.

Budget 2012: People and Prosperity – Responsible Investments for a Secure Future invested more then $18.5 million to implement tourism initiatives and programming, including $13 million for tourism marketing.

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Media contact:

Diana Quinton

Director of Communications

Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation

709-729-0928, 709-631-8155
dianaquinton@gov.nl.ca

Please click here to download a nomination form.

The 2012 Ambassador of Hospitality Award will be presented at Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador’s Tourism Luncheon happening in June. Details of this event are still being finalized and will be released soon. The luncheon will highlight the contribution tourism makes to Newfoundland and Labrador both economically and socially.

“It is with great pleasure that I congratulate the Ramada St. John’s hotel and its staff on this recognition of
achievement,” said Mark Young, Ramada brand senior vice president. “Their commitment to providing
guests with exceptional service and extraordinary accommodations speaks to their dedication to the
quality of their hotel and that of the greater Ramada brand.”

The Ramada St. John’s is a 79-room hotel offering a restaurant, fitness center, meeting space, business
services, and free airport shuttle. Rooms feature flat-screen televisions, plush “WynRest” duvets and air
conditioning.

“This is a great honor for our hotel and a testament to the hard work and determination of our wonderful
staff,” said Greg Fleming, the hotel’s general manager. “Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are worldrenowned
for their hospitality and our staff take great pride in making sure every guest feels right at
home. Winning this award – again – just shows that our customers are getting the great service they’ve
come to expect, and we are truly grateful for their loyalty.”

Ramada Worldwide, a member of the Wyndham Hotel Group family of lodging brands, is a global chain of
nearly 900 midscale and upscale hotels featuring single, double and suite accommodations. Many
properties offer complimentary continental breakfast, high-speed Internet access, expanded cable
television, in-room coffee and daily newspaper. Select properties offer on-site restaurants, cocktail
lounges, room service, concierge service, meeting and banquet facilities and copy and fax services.

Reservations and information are available by calling 1-866-612-5800 or by visiting
www.RamadaStJohns.com. Ramada hotels are independently owned and operated under franchise
agreements with Ramada Worldwide, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN).

All Ramada hotels are independently owned and operated except for certain international Ramada hotels
which are managed through a joint venture partner. Ramada Worldwide is a subsidiary of Wyndham
Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN).

CONTACT:
Greg Fleming
General Manager
Ramada St. John’s
Phone: 709.722.9330
E-mail: info@ramadastjohns.com

Concern has been raised that not all surplus lighthouses can be preserved and supported, which may result in the loss of some of these historic resources. In this regard, lighthouse properties may be transferred to new owners wishing to take advantage of their heritage designation or tourism potential, so long as they are maintained in a manner consistent with established conservation practices.

To ensure the lighthouses that hold particular historic value are preserved, a nomination process must be completed that will allow the lighthouse to be considered for Heritage Designation. Those interested in preserving a lighthouse under the new Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act may include individuals, private business, municipalities, or non-profit groups.

• Applicants may apply to Parks Canada for heritage designation of any federally-owned lighthouse property. For the surplus lighthouses, a written commitment to acquire ownership and protect the lighthouse must be accepted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in order for it to be designated under the Act.

• Potential owners must submit a business plan that shows their proposed use of the property will be economically viable over the long term, and that they have the capacity to manage the property, and that some degree of public access is maintained by the new owner/operator.

• In some cases, lighthouses contain aids to navigation, which must remain operational. Parties wishing to purchase these properties would need to enter into an agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, permitting it access to the site for maintenance and operation of the aid to navigation.

A surplus lighthouse may only be designated as a heritage lighthouse if a person or body submits a written commitment to acquire the lighthouse and protect its heritage character in the event that it is designated as a heritage lighthouse.

Applications for Nominating a Lighthouse
Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador can nominate a lighthouse for designation under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act by forwarding a petition to the Heritage Lighthouse Program by May 29, 2012. To meet the requirements of the Act, petitions must nominate a lighthouse that is currently owned by the Federal government; and be signed by at least 25 residents of Canada who are 18 years of age, or older, including the names and addresses of all petitioners; and be addressed to the Minister of the Environment.

Information for making an application to nominate a lighthouse is provided by:
Heritage Lighthouse Program, Parks Canada
25 Eddy Street (25-5-P)
Gatineau, QC, K1A 0M5
Telephone: 819.934.9096; Facsimile: 819.953.4139
Email: lighthouses@pc.gc.ca
Web: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/lhn-nhs/pp-hl/index.aspx

Please note that there may be some administrative or legal issues to be addressed in relation to some of surplus lighthouses that would restrict the capacity of DFO to transfer ownership. It is recommend that those interested in submitting a petition for a surplus lighthouse contact Andrew Anderson at (613) 990-8886 or andrew.anderson@dfo-mpo.gc.ca for further information prior to submitting a written commitment to acquire a surplus lighthouse.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/infocus-alaune/2010/02/index-eng.htm

Guide to Preparing a Business Plan
Questions regarding the preparation of a Business Plan for acquiring a surplus lighthouse can be addressed to:
Taryn Dutton
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Newfoundland and Labrador Region
Telephone: 709-772-0621
E-mail: Taryn.Dutton@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Further information in the preparation of a business plan can be found at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans website:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/infocus-alaune/2010/02/lighthouse-phare-guide-eng.htm

Please click here to view the complete 2010 Resident Travel Survey Summary Report.

Participants are required to download and print the following workbooks in preparation for the session.

EQ Bootcamp Workbook_Module1

Building Experiences Workbook_Module2

SocialValues_Glossary1

TravelValues_Glossary2

Worksheets

Module One: EQBoot Camp
You may already understand your customers in terms of where they live, what they like to do or their demographics.  With the Explorer Quotient (EQ), you can add another, very powerful aspect to your knowledge of your customers – by understanding the travel attitudes and values that drive their planning and purchasing decisions. EQ Boot Camp is a 3 hour interactive workshop designed to help your business incorporate EQ into your existing business’ marketing approach, better aligning promotional messages and imagery as well as your product offer with targeted customers.

Module Two: Building Experiences with EQ
CTC research shows that travellers around the world want to explore the unique, the exotic and the unexpected.  Canada’s tourism businesses are key to delivering on that promise.

A companion to the CTC’s newly-updated Experiences Toolkit (2nd edition), this 3-hour interactive workshop is designed to inspire and lead participating tourism businesses through a step by step approach to building memorable and engaging visitor experiences.

Participants will leave the workshop with some solid ideas for how to apply the knowledge to their businesses, long after the workshop has ended.

Locations:
Oceanview Hotel, Rocky Harbour  -  March 20, 2012
Ramada St. John’s, St. John’s – March 22, 2012

For more information or to register, please contact:
Melissa Ennis
E:mennis@hnl.ca
TF: 1-800-563-0700, ext: 231
P: 709-722-2000, ext: 231

Brought to you by the Canadian Tourism Commission in partnership with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation

Please click here to download a copy of the Tourism Board Member Application Form.

The deadline for Tourism Board applications is Monday, March 26, 2012. At that time, a selection committee of HNL’s Board of Directors will review the applications and make a recommendation to HNL’s Board of Directors for the new Tourism Board representatives.

The following is a backgrounder on the NL Tourism Board; current structure and representatives on the board; and application guidelines.

Background
Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador launched Uncommon Potential: A Vision for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism (Vision 2020) in 2009. Vision 2020 establishes seven Strategic Directions, priorities and actions to guide the development of Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism industry over the next decade. The first priority in achieving the Vision was the establishment of a private/public Tourism Board.

The Tourism Board is comprised of government, industry and destination management organization representatives.

In order to achieve our Vision of doubling annual tourism revenues by 2020, industry and government have to work together to set the priorities and focus.  The Tourism Board is responsible for championing the implementation of the Vision and leading the way to 2020.

A full Vision 2020 report is available for your review at www.uncommonpotential.com

Currently, the Tourism Board is comprised of:

4 tourism industry leaders:
• HNL Chair position, Darlene Thomas
• Industry Representative Peter Antle (two-year term ending April 2012)
• Industry Representative Judy Sparkes-Giannou (two-year term ending April 2012)
• Industry Representative Barry Rogers (two-year term ending April 2013)

5 Destination Management Organizations leaders:
• Doug Loucks, Chair, Destination St. John’s
• Chad Letto, Chair, Destination Labrador
• Maria Matthews, Chair, Western Destination Management Organization
• Peggy Bartlett, Chair, Central Destination Management Organization
• Trevor Stuber, Chair, Eastern Destination Management Organization

4 senior government leaders:
• Judith Hearn, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
• Mary Taylor-Ash, Assistant Deputy Minister of Tourism
• Rita Malone, Assistant Deputy Minister of Regional Development
• Karen Skinner, Director, Enterprise Development, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

In addition, Stan Cook Jr. is the Chair of the Tourism Board and Lisa McDonald is the Tourism Board Manager operating out of the HNL Office.

Application Guidelines
The following are guidelines for Industry Representatives on the Tourism Board:

• Applicant must be a member of the provincial tourism industry association, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador.

• Applicant must have demonstrated extensive tourism industry expertise in senior management positions and/or in owning/operating a tourism business with at least ten years experience in the tourism industry.

• Applicant must be able and willing to participate in meetings and functions as scheduled by the Tourism Board. Note: Board terms and other governance processes and procedures will be determined once the Board members are in place and actively engaged in Board activities.

• Travel expenses will be reimbursed.

• The industry representative position is for a two-year term.

The Board will have access to additional expertise as needed to achieve the Vision, and will be supported by the Tourism Board Manager to carry out policy, administrative, and communication functions.

HNL is very excited about what lies ahead of us in the next few years as we work to achieve the province’s Vision for Tourism. HNL looks forward to working with all partners moving forward.

For more information, please contact Carol-Ann Gilliard at cgilliard@hnl.ca or 1-800-563-0700, ext: 229.

Nominations are now being accepted for the following annual awards:

Legend Award

This award is presented to the individual or group who has made significant contributions to the enhancement of the tourism industry in St. John’s.

Event of the Year Award

This award is presented to the group or organization who, through the production of an event, best exemplifies the spirit of St. John’s and generates tourism visitation for the St. John’s region.

Signal Award

This award is presented to the individual, group or company who has made a significant contribution to the evolution and sustainability of the cruise ship industry in St. John’s.

Victoria Wagon Award

This award is presented to a taxi driver who best exemplifies the spirit of exceptional customer service.

Destination St. John’s Award of Distinction

This award is presented by Destination St. John’s to a conference chair/committee who, through the hosting of a conference in St. John’s, has generated significant economic benefits and increased the profile of St. John’s.

Click here to view award criteria.

Nomination forms must be received before 4:30 pm, Wednesday, April 4^th, 2012.  To obtain a nomination form and/or additional criteria for these awards, please see News Releases at www.stjohns.ca or contact:

City of St. John’s

Dept. of Economic Development, Tourism & Culture

348 Water St.

P.O. Box 908

St. John’s, NL   AlC 5M2

Tel:  (709) 576-8394

E-mail:   tourism@stjohns.ca                

Check out the Mid Winter Bivver Festival happening in the Exploits Valley region March 9 – 11 .

Take a look at the full schedule of events below!

Mid Winter Bivver Schedule of Events

In conjunctin with the Mid WInter Bivver Festival, members of Newfoundland and Labrador’s James Beard Culinary Team will prepare a fantastic meal fat the Mount Peyton Hotel, with their famous leader, Chef Roary MacPherson!

This culinary event will take place, Saturday, March 10 at the Mount Peyton Hotel

6 pm for a reception with the meal to start at 7 pm  

A dance will follow dinner featuring a local band, Black Top

Tickets will be available to purchase at our front desk for the price of $70 per person, inclusive of HST.

The deadline for ticket purchase is Wednesday, March 7 at 5 pm

The yummy menu is as follows and will be paired with wines from the Auk Island Winery in Twillingate:

Fresh baked breads and rolls & Amuse Bouche –Blueberry cured Bay D’Espoir trout, greens & Scallop Bisque, cabbage confit, butter croutons & Split yellow pea masala, wilted greens, cumin spiced crostini

Choice of:

Honey and cumin spiced breast of duck, served with crispy confit leg of duck

OR

Herb Crusted 8 ounce Sirloin Steak

Both served with: Bubble and Squeak puree and mustard pickle macaroon

&

Angie’s dessert

The Team
Manager of the James Beard Culinary Team is our own famous Executive Chef, Roary MacPherson, from the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland.  The mission of the James Beard Foundation is “to celebrate, preserve, and nurture North Americas culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.” Towards that end, chefs are invited to “perform” at the Beard House by presenting lunches, brunches, workshops, and dinners to Foundation members and the public.

To be invited to partake in such an event is a true honor and in the culinary world as the “Carnige Hall” for chefs. This event also host many top end food writers from around the world.

This year’s event is featuring the WOMEN CHEF”S OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR.”  The members of the
2012 team are as follows:

Angie Ryan – The Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland

Jillian Lake – The Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland

Andrea Maunder – Bacalao

Michelle Leblanc – Chinched

Stephanie Holt – Kenny’s Pond Seniors Complex

Dana Hauser – Fairmont Royal York

Cathy Trepannier – Parliament Hill

Support Member Joey Holt

Iceberg Quest Tours was also nominated for the Canadian E-tourism award for Best Website which was designed by John Atkins & Co.

Way to go Iceberg Quest Tours www.icebergquest.com and John Atkins & Co. www.johnatkins.ca !!