/March2011Eng

MARCH 2011 HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE Fredericton Tourism Spring Industry Launch March 15 St. John River Heritage Corridor Officially Unveiled Dine Around Freddy: Fine Dining at a Delicious Price! edVentures Ready to Take Registrations 2011 Visitor Guides Have Arrived!

Spring Consumer Shows Abound Travel Trade Update: Fredericton Promoted to AAA & Shore Excursion Cruise Passengers Meetings & Conventions Update: Congress 2011 Coming to Fredericton – Are you Ready?

Summer Entertainment Guide – Reserve your Coupon Space!

Summer Student Employment Opportunities Name Change for York Sunbury Museum New7Wonders of Nature Campaign: Vote “Bay of Fundy”!

What do Customers want from Travel Websites?

New Faces/New Places What’s Happening Literature Delivery

Barracks Fine Craft Shops to Re-open May 28

FREDERICTON TOURISM SPRING INDUSTRY LAUNCH MARCH 15 Fredericton Tourism is launching something new March 15 at the Fredericton Convention Centre. Mark your calendars. It’ll be a fast-paced morning of learning and great announcements.

You’ll be the first to see Fredericton Tourism’s new look, complete with new website, social media, and trade show booths. We’ll also be announcing new summer programming, partnership marketing programs and an exciting new tourism event that will help put New Brunswick’s Capital City on the national map. You’ll also get tourism’s economic impact results for 2010.

Tourism Talk – March 2011

Designed to give operators and tourism stakeholder’s one-stop information on new trends and themes in tourism, current issues and challenges facing the industry in one, quick, focused morning. Things will get started at 8:45am with coffee and muffins.

9am: Today’s Traveller: What the Research Tells Us – David Rioux, Senior Research Analyst, NB Tourism and Parks.

10am: Fredericton Tourism Spring Industry Launch 11 am: Concurrent Workshops: • Workshop 1: Accommodations Workshop - Getting on the NB Tourism and Fredericton Tourism-hosted JackRabbit Online Booking Engine (including options for 10% on all bookings or a new $125 flat rate fee) - Carol Alderdice, Manager Web Technology, NB Tourism and Parks •

Workshop 2: How Festivals and Attractions Can Maximize Fredericton Tourism’s Social Meda Hub

This year’s event is guaranteed will provide operators with networking opportunities and information they can use heading into the 2011 season. To attend, simply RSVP to Debbie Perry, tel. 460-2087 or email: debbie.perry@fredericton.ca . We hope to see you there!

ST. JOHN RIVER HERITAGE CORRIDOR OFFICIALLY UNVEILED

A partnership of communities running the length of the St. John River recently announced the creation of the St. John River Heritage Corridor, an initiative aimed at establishing the River as one of Canada’s great natural and cultural tourism destinations.

To read more about this initiative, visit: http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1382761

DINE AROUND FREDDY: FINE DINING AT A DELICIOUS PRICE! Dine Around Freddy 2011, in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association, is back for its second year! This exciting culinary experience was introduced in Fredericton last year and gives individuals the opportunity to enjoy fine dining at a great price.

Between March 10-31, Dine Around Freddy will feature three-course dinners - appetizer, entrée and dessert - featuring fresh, local ingredients for just $29.00. The idea behind Tourism Talk – March 2011

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this dining venture is to bring awareness to our culinary strengths in Fredericton, while at the same time supporting a great local charity. Part of the proceeds from each meal sold during Dine Around Freddy will be donated to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

In addition to the $29.00 priced menu and new to Dine Around Freddy this year, will be an optional choice menu offering customers higher end, gourmet meal choices for $45.00. For the avid food lovers, this menu will feature the very best in fine dining in Fredericton. Additionally, some participating restaurants will be offering a wine tasting menu priced at just $15.00, where customers can enjoy a 3oz wine sampling with each course.

Participating restaurants include: The Terrace Dining Room, Blue Door, Brewbaker's, Racine’s, Caribbean Flavas, Bruno’s and Fackelmans Schnitzel Parlour.

For more information, contact Sara Holyoke, Organizing Committee Chair, tel: 451-7953 or email: sholyoke@deltahotels.com ; you can also visit the website: www.tourismfredericton.ca/en/diningfood/culinaryevents.asp

edVENTURES READY TO TAKE REGISTRATIONS! Registration is now open for edVentures 2011! In fact the photography workshop being offered by Freeman Patterson - perhaps Canada’s most famous international photographer – has already sold out and has a waiting list. Patterson’s workshop is one of a fleet of 30 new offerings for the 2011 season.

Five other new instructors will offer workshops this year, including ceramic restoration expert Maria Guevara, batik painter Rita Sassani, weaver Bronwyn Gallagher, and artists Linda Kelly and Hannah Grant.

In total, more than 120 workshops are now open for registration, in 11 different categories. Most are offered on the campus of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, with others taking place at partner sites Science East, the Beaverbrook Art gallery, Kings Landing Historical Settlement, the Charlotte Street Arts Centre and UNB. Check out www.edventures.ca for details.

Please become an edVentures fan on facebook! /edventuresFredericton

2011 VISITOR GUIDES HAVE ARRIVED! The 2011 Visitor Guides have arrived. We will be delivering over the next few weeks to local accommodations and attractions. We will also have guides with us at our Tourism Launch event on March 15, and you can plan on taking a supply back to your business with you that day.

Tourism Talk – March 2011

SPRING CONSUMER SHOWS ABOUND Consumer Shows Coming Up! Fredericton Tourism and the St. John River Heritage Corridor will be busy this spring promoting Fredericton, edVentures, and our great attractions and festivals at Consumer Shows in our key markets. Look for us at the following shows: • AAA Travel Show, Foxboro, MA: March 4 - 6 • Montreal RV & Caravan Show: March 10 - 14 • *Fredericton Home Show: March 25 - 27 • Ottawa Travel & Vacation Show: April 2 - 3 • Québec Fête de l’été, Quebec City, PQ : April 15 - 17 • *SaltScapes Expo, Halifax, NS : April 29 – May 1 *Come with us! See below We have dramatically increased our presence at Saltscapes this year, and are interested in partners who can provide animation/activity/entertainment for our area. If you have an idea and would like to work with us to make Saltscapes fantastic, please let me know!

The Fredericton Home Show also provides a great opportunity to let locals know what you offer; let me know if you have interest in making our booth dynamic! We will be focusing on edVentures as our primary message at this show.

If you would like to participate or for more information on these consumer shows, please contact Patricia Donnelly: 460-2044 or patricia.donnelly@fredericton.ca

TRAVEL TRADE UPDATE:

FREDERICTON PROMOTED TO AAA AND SHORE EXCURSION CRUISE PASSENGERS AAA Fredericton Drive Vacation Working with AAA New England, NB Tourism and Fredericton Tourism have developed a drive vacation package in the AAA reservation system and available for sale by AAA counselors. At the AAA New England travel show this month Fredericton Tourism will promote this package and have a prize draw of the Drive Vacation Package which includes accommodations at the Delta, admission to Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Kings Landing and bike rentals from River Trails Bike Rentals & Tours. NB Tourism will be working with AAA to promote the provincial drives vacations to AAA agents and the New England consumer market.

Ahoy! New Brunswick’s Capital Offers Shore Excursions for the Second Year

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Last year Fredericton Tourism, working with Freedom Tours, developed a Fredericton City Tour as a new shore excursion option for cruise ship passengers docked in Saint John. We were pleasantly surprised at the success of the program with 70 people buying this culture-focused itinerary during the months of July and August alone. This year the tour will be tweaked a bit to try and increase the sales in the fall when the majority of cruise ships are in the port city.

Group Tour Planner updating underway Mary Ellen is currently editing and updating the Fredericton Group Tour Planner which is a digital publication- a flip magazine that can be accessed via the following link: http://www.tourismfredericton.ca/en/traveltrade/ordergrouptourplanner.asp If your hotel, attractions, group tour and restaurant offers does business with tour groups, have a look at your listing info in the Planner and email Mary Ellen (Maryellen.hudson@fredericton.ca ) with updated information and photos to reflect 2011-12 rates and information.

Appointment Requests are underway for Rendezvous Canada This month Mary Ellen will be making appointment requests for international tour operators that Fredericton Tourism would like to meet with at Rendezvous Canada, international marketplace happening in May.

Meetings & Conventions Update:

CONGRESS 2011 COMING TO FREDERICTON ARE YOU READY? Get Ready! More than 6,000 people are coming to the Capital Region The City of Fredericton has been chosen as the site for the 80th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, May 28 – June 4. The University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University will co-host this prestigious event.

The majority of delegates will hail from outside of New Brunswick, providing restaurants, retailers and businesses in the capital region a prime opportunity to capitalize on new customers. This will be your time to shine!

To take advantage of the thousands of people in our city, please plan to do the following: -

Extend opening hours (delegates will be transported downtown every evening) Stay open every day of the event (8 days) Offer menu specials Offer delegate discounts Show them our Maritime Hospitality!

Tourism Talk – March 2011

This is the biggest event ever to be held in our city. It’s expected the economic spinoffs will be to the tune of about $6 million. In addition to that, this event will generate national and international media coverage, which can only enhance the profile of our universities, our city and your businesses.

For more information, visit http://congress2011.ca.

Volunteer at the largest event in Fredericton’s history - Congress 2011 Interested in becoming a volunteer? The 2011 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences takes place May 28 – June 4, and is expected to draw 6,000 delegates to our city. Hundreds of volunteers are needed for event planning, co-ordinating delegate accommodations, directing traffic, operating venues, providing visitor information, assisting with academic and cultural events, and for our audio visual, signage and sustainability teams – among many other things.

For more information on our volunteer needs or to register to help, visit: http://www.congress2011countdown.ca/getinvolved.html Rendez-Vous Fredericton Partnership The Rendez-Vous Fredericton is the partnership between Fredericton Tourism and the hospitality industry in Fredericton (mainly hotels and the universities). The partnership is aimed at increasing Fredericton’s competitiveness as a destination for meetings, conventions and sport tourism. With a focus on marketing the Greater Fredericton area as a destination in this sector, Rendez-Vous Fredericton members work collaboratively on a variety of sales initiatives and marketing ventures.

The partnership is a two tiered, flat fee membership model with optional marketing opportunities, managed by Fredericton Tourism. Membership fees are paid annually (February to January).

For more information on becoming a partner in Rendez-Vous Fredericton contact Wendy Bradley at 460-2852 or wendy.bradley@fredericton.ca Meeting and Event Assistance For assistance in bringing or planning your next event in Fredericton, please contact Wendy Bradley at 460-2852 or wendy.bradley@fredeicton.ca For assistance with conference servicing (marketing materials), please contact Debbie Perry at 460-2087 or debbie.perry@fredericton.ca

BARRACKS FINE CRAFT SHOPS TO RE-OPEN MAY 28 While interior renovations to the Old Soldiers’ Barracks continues in the space that the NB college of Craft & Design now occupies, the exterior construction is complete and the Province has given the green light to proceed with the artistrun program for 2011. The Barracks Fine Craft Shops are partnerships that offer local, hand-made, one-of-a-kind items created by the artists that work in the shops. Many Tourism Talk – March 2011

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artists will demonstrate the work they do while on-site. From this same location, Fredericton Tourism also operates River Valley Crafts, a consignment store, which showcases hand-made goods by New Brunswick craftspeople. The artist-run stores will open on May 28th to coincide with the first day of Congress 2011 (which promises to bring in approximately 6,000 delegates over 9 days) and close for the season September 18th after the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival.

Applications to be an artist/tenant at the shops will be accepted until April 1, 2011.

Further information with a list of covenants and an application form is available by contacting Fredericton Tourism at tourism@fredericton.ca or 460-2041.

SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE RESERVE YOUR COUPON SPACE! We have begun planning our 2011 Summer Entertainment Guide and have limited coupon space available. If you would like to find out more, please contact Karen Miller at 460-2041 or email: karen.miller@fredericton.ca . Hurry, the deadline is March 10.

SUMMER STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Do you want to enjoy your summer? Come work for us!

Fredericton Tourism has a number of summer positions available. We work as a team to promote the Greater Fredericton Region. We strive to give the best customer service to our visitors. We need you to work the whole summer, days, evenings & weekends so we want it to be fun! We're looking for up-beat, self-motivated people to work with likeminded individuals. Fluency in both official languages is preferred.

To view the positions, visit: http://www.fredericton.ca/en/citygovernment/joblistings.asp Application deadline for all positions is 4:30pm, Friday, March 11th, 2011.

Fredericton Tourism, PO Box 130, (11 Carleton St.), Fredericton, NB E3B 4Y7 Fax: 460-2474 E-mail Phone: 460-2041 Only those applicants chosen for interviews will be contacted.

The City of Fredericton supports employment equity.

Tourism Talk – March 2011

NAME CHANGE FOR YORK SUNBURY MUSEUM At a recent board meeting, the York Sunbury Historical Society Directors voted to change the name of the York Sunbury Museum. The new name that will be implemented over the course of the next year is the “Fredericton Region Museum.”

This name was chosen because it reflects the overall theme of the exhibits found inside the Museum.

The York Sunbury Museum first opened its doors in 1934 and after moving to various venues in the downtown area, found a permanent home at the Officers’ Quarters in 1959. Operated by the York Sunbury Historical Society, the Museum and Society took its name from the two counties, York and Sunbury. When the History Society opened the Museum, their mandate to research, publish and exhibit the history of the two counties represented its membership and its exhibits. Today, most of the Society members live in the greater Fredericton region and the exhibits in the Museum pertain to the history of central New Brunswick.

After several months of discussion and research, the Board consulted several of its members as well as patrons from the greater Fredericton community and decided that the name of the Museum should reflect the overall theme of the exhibits. The administrative task of changing the name on tourism literature, signage, directories and on the internet will take several months so the change will take place gradually over the course of the next year.

NEW7WONDERS OF NATURE CAMPAIGN: VOTE “BAY OF FUNDY”!

As you may already be aware, the Bay of Fundy has been selected as the only Canadian destination among the 28 finalists in the international New7Wonders of Nature campaign.

Just as with the Vancouver Olympics, the New7Wonders of Nature campaign is yet another international occasion where Canadians can be proud of the uniqueness and beauty of their country. Our winning bid will be an invitation for the world to explore all of Canada’s amazing, diverse and world-class natural experiences.

To cast your vote, please visit: http://www.votemyfundy.com/

WHAT DO CUSTOMERS WANT FROM TRAVEL WEBSITES? 53% of UK consumers research and buy holidays online, though many could be deterred by unclear pricing, according to a survey commissioned by Econsultancy. (www.econsultancy.com )

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The Toluna survey of 2,004 UK consumers found that 29% of respondents don't find travel websites easy to use, and that unclear pricing is the most likely reason for abandoning purchases online. To read about the highlights of this survey, visit: http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/7134-what-do-customers-want-from-travel-websites

NEW FACES/NEW PLACES Welcome to Betty Blanchard, who is the new Salesperson with the Ramada Fredericton.

Welcome back to Stacey Russell, Fredericton Tourism’s own Digital Marketing/Travel Media Specialist who will be returning to us after a maternity leave.

WHAT’S HAPPENING March is a great time to explore what is in your own backyard! For a complete listing of community events, visit our Calendar of Events on-line at: http://www.tourismfredericton.ca/en/calendar.aspx

LITERATURE DELIVERY A.J. Furlotte, Fredericton Tourism's Operations Assistant, is recovering from surgery. In the meantime, Raelene Arsenault with our VIC network will be making literature deliveries to accommodations and attractions. Should you require quantities, call Rae at 460-2755 or raelene.arsenault@fredericton.ca

Published by Fredericton Tourism, 11 Carleton Street, P.O. Box 130, Fredericton, NB E3B4Y7 Phone: (506) 460-2041, Fax: (506) 460-2474, Toll Free: 1-888-888-4768, Website: www.tourismfredericton.ca Please contact Debbie Perry if you have tourism news you would like to submit to Tourism Talk.

Email: debbie.perry@fredericton.ca ; Phone: (506) 460-2087, Fax: (506) 460-2474

Tourism Talk – March 2011