Tourism / Heritage / Lifestyle

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-1

A
A tourism training program should be developed by UCCB's hospitality faculty, in conjunction with Extension and Community Affairs. This program would focus on training of front line staff who are in the closest contact with tourists. It would focus on Cape Breton history, our cultural resources, and tourist amenities. The program should be made available on a flexible basis, through correspondence or evening courses. A certification should be granted that would be recognized by operators and would improve a resume. The eventual goal would be to have this certification become a requirement for any tourism-related job.

B
A community clean-up program should be implemented. Ireland has implemented a successful urban renewal program that offers tax incentives to property owners who make aesthetic improvements to their properties. Their model should be analyzed and implemented, if feasible.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-2

A
The Town of Louisbourg should be developed into a tourist town that sees tourism as not only a tangible part of its economy but at its very heart and soul like Baddeck or Cape Cod. The main street should have a new design that facilitates easy strolling, has quaint charm, and attracts craft and gift shops and restaurants. Displaced fisherpeople should be used where at all possible to participate in the reconstruction.

B
The Fortress of Louisbourg and Parks Canada have had a somewhat uneasy coexistence with the town. The Fortress is key to the economic revival of the town and is fundamental to the growth of tourism in the County. Parks Canada by its very nature and mandate must preserve the historical integrity of the site and does not view the Fortress as a vehicle for job creation. The Fortress is currently underutilized as a tourist attraction and, considering the investment in the site by the people of Canada, must be able to provide a larger positive impact on the Town of Louisbourg and the entire region. While it should continue to be a historical site, the facility must be permitted to reach its full growth potential. Discussions should be convened immediately to have the operation of the facility transferred to Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.

C
The F�te-de-Saint Louis should be promoted as a major annual event. There is tremendous potential to develop this traditional French holiday into a major "must see" attraction.

D
Any substantial upgrading of the facility should be done through retrained fisherpeople. As was the case with displaced miners in the sixties and seventies, intensive training programs should be instituted to train the artisans necessary for reconstruction.

E
The Fleur-de-Lis Trail should be developed with related tourism amenities and attractions.

F
Louisbourg 1995. This celebration has a tremendous potential for creating interest in Louisbourg and becoming a significant tourist draw. There is potential to develop three or four major events associated with the theme that could all be spectacular and "must see" events; however, the planning of this celebration has evolved into a six month program of splintered activities. Many of the current anticipated activities would be targeted solely to local residents, rather than tourists.

The 250th Anniversary of the first siege of Louisbourg should be a primary focus of Louisbourg 1995. This seems to be the most significant event. By choosing one primary theme, the tourists and public would better associate with the focus of the celebration.

The Louisbourg 1995 planning committee should focus most of their energy and resources on three or four major events. The other events should still take place, however, they should not receive the same focus as the main events. These main events would be spectacular events worthy of being called "world class." We are suggesting the Grand Encampment and the F�te-de-St. Louis, due to their historical themes, as central to the theme.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-3

A
Downtown Sydney should be re-zoned and designed to be attractive to tourists. Sydney will remain the centre for accommodations in the County and the centre for urban attractions. The new "tourist zone" would be anchored by Wentworth Park on the south and Victoria Park on the north. On the west, the boundary would be the waterfront; on the eastern side it would be Charlotte Street from Wentworth Park to Dorchester at which point it would extend to George Street and run to Victoria Park. The zone would also include the municipality's financial and government districts, but other businesses and organizations that are not complementary should be relocated.

B
An expansive clean-up program should be implemented to make the downtown core more attractive to tourists. Such a program would include the dismantling of the drydocks, making store fronts on Charlotte Street more attractive, and a general clean up of any other unattractive sites.

C
The police station should be relocated and the lower floor of the Civic Centre developed into retail space.

D
The Courthouse building could be developed into a heritage/cultural centre to serve as an anchor of the tourist zone.

E
Victoria Park should be developed into a public park and any redevelopment for military purposes should be consistent with the tourism strategy.

F
There should be more events developed for the waterfront area similar to Canada Day celebrations, the Festival of Lights, the Saint John Festival by the Sea, Buskers events, etc.

G
A portion of Charlotte Street should be made a pedestrian zone. This zone would be designed with benches, streetlights, statues, and fountains that would appeal to tourists and revitalize the downtown area. Appropriate businesses could be attracted to this area-- cafes, boutiques, craft shops, etc. A city planner/engineer should be contracted to produce a plan that would analyze traffic flows as a result of this change and to address the need of the lost parking places.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-4

A
The Big Pond Festival should be developed and promoted as a major summer music festival. For example, Friday evening could be the annual concert by Rita MacNeil, Saturday could be a concert featuring other major Cape Breton acts - The Rankin Family, Barra MacNeils, Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, the cast from the Summertime Revue, etc. and Sunday could be the annual Scottish concert. The event could be planned as a weekend or over an entire week.

B
Develop a world class golf course and resort. The resort should also have a marina to provide an outlet to the Bras d'Or Lakes in Cape Breton County. Water sporting events, such as a regatta or power boat racing, could be developed from the site.

C
Old logging roads in the area should be developed into nature trails to facilitate recreational activities, such as cross country skiing or nature walks.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-5

A
The road to the Miner's Museum should be upgraded including a widening of the street, curb and gutter, and landscaping.

B
Dominion Beach should receive more promotion for tourists. The beach has great potential as a local attraction however, it is used most widely by local residents.

C
The Marconi Site should be upgraded and made more accessible to tourists.

D
The core of Downtown Glace Bay should be made more attractive and appealing to tourists with particular emphasis on the area surrounding the Savoy Theatre.

E
New projects, especially in eco-tourism and soft adventure, should be encouraged for the Marconi Trail. These could include boat tours of the coast, scuba diving, nature trail development, etc.

F
Access to beach areas along Route 28 should be improved.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-6

A
Develop the downtown area of North Sydney to make it more attractive for tourists. With a developed boardwalk and an aesthetically appealing Commercial Street, more ferry passengers would be encouraged to go there, rather than wait at the docks. This would create more business for shops and restaurants in the area.

B
The waterfront development and downtown North Sydney area should be easily accessible to ferry passengers to ensure that these people visit the downtown area. The cars are lined up in a first-come, first-served basis for the ferry, so the passengers will not take their cars downtown. If this area cannot be clearly marked and easily accessible, a shuttle service should be developed.

C
The Northside area, as well as the entire County, should be promoted on the ferry coming from Newfoundland. Promotional alternatives should be analyzed.

D
New tourism developments for the Northside, such as the Chapel Point Battery development, should be encouraged if economically feasible or if deemed to be a piece of requisite infrastructure.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-7

A
The function of the Sydney Harbour Ports Board should be amalgamated with ECBC's Tourism Unit hiring a person to specifically market the area as a cruising destination. Closure of the Harbour Board's office would reduce operating expenses and concentrate tourism marketing in the ECBC Tourism Unit.

B
The concept of developing cruises to the Labrador coast or the Greenland coast with Sydney established as the point of embarkation/debarkation should be analyzed further to see if it is actually feasible. If it is, it should be pursued through cruise ship companies.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-8

A
As with the Sydney Harbour Ports Board, the function of Convention Cape Breton should be amalgamated with the ECBC Tourism Unit with proper support staff. This would result in a concentrated tourism marketing effort.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-9

A
The Centre 200 Box Office should be developed to serve as a Central Box Office for the County. All entertainment events (concerts, plays, sporting events, etc.) would register with the box office to sell their tickets. The Centre 200 Box Office would charge the promoter a percentage of ticket sales. The Centre should also provide a 1-800 number for the Province.

B
The managers of the local entertainment venues (Centre 200, Savoy, Boardmore Playhouse, and Lyceum) should establish a planning committee. This committee would discuss coordination of facilities, avoid scheduling conflicts, engage in knowledge-sharing, etc. to ensure the maximization of our entertainment venues. The committee would be monitored by the CBCEDA.

C
The development of managers, agents, promoters, etc. should be encouraged to ensure that the business side of the sector develops in concert with the talent.

D
UCCB has a wealth of resource material in Celtic music at the Beaton Institute. Given our Celtic heritage and musical culture, it appears to be natural for UCCB to offer a fine arts or ethno-musicology program. This may mean that it is an option in an existing degree; however, the resources and demands are there. This program could attract international students from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, etc.

E
Local radio stations must give more support to Cape Breton talent. CJCB/CKPE sponsor the Music Spirit East and Country Challenge competitions which are very good for promoting our talent; however, the radio stations must follow the lead of CBC's "Main Street" and introduce more local talent into regular programming.

F
ECBC should sponsor an annual compilation CD of Cape Breton musicians. This CD would be distributed to record company executives at the East Coast Music Awards each year, and possibly at the Junos. The CD would be a marketing tool for up-and-coming talent. It could also be distributed to radio stations.

G
UCCB should investigate introducing music/film/television production into its technology programs. The program could be a feeder system for the growing entertainment sector in Cape Breton County. As well, the development of film/television production talent would create a core of expertise that would help to attract more films and television productions to the area.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-10

A
A film/television marketing specialist should be hired or trained by the ECBC Tourism Unit to actively promote the area as a location, to handle inquiries from interested parties, and to act as a liaison between film crews and local businesses and government officials.

B
A database of local services, technical people, film locations, etc. should be compiled to be accessed by the marketing specialist and/or film crew.

C
Develop a television production from Cape Breton. A possible topic could be the many and varied characters of Bette MacDonald in conjunction with a showcase of other talent.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-11

A
Marketing and Promotion - ECBC Tourism Unit

This function is currently being conducted with much duplication. The Tourism Unit of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation has been the most effective group in marketing the tourism product. As a result of their expertise and industry knowledge, the Unit should have the sole responsibility for marketing and promotion. No other public organization should be funded to do marketing for tourism.

B
Coordination of Operators - Cape Breton Tourist Association

The CBTA is in place to represent the operators. Coordination will involve providing standards for tourist service amongst operators, maintaining a standardized exchange rate, and facilitating communication amongst operators.

C
Tourist Information Assistance - Cape Breton Tourist Association

The Cape Breton Tourist Association should be responsible for maintaining a tourist information centre. The main information centre should be located on the waterfront in Downtown Sydney. Satellite offices should be considered for the North Sydney waterfront and Louisbourg. The satellite offices should not have any administrative functions and should be devoted solely to providing information to tourists. Summer staffing could be done from students from the UCCB Hospitality Administration Program with appropriate supervision.

D
Strategic Planning - Cape Breton County Economic Development Authority

The CBCEDA must be involved in the coordination of activities of the ECBC Tourism Unit and the CBTA to ensure that the tourism sector develops as outlined in the ACTION PLAN. As part of this coordination, the ECBC Tourism Unit and the CBCEDA should establish a marketing committee to provide a creative voice that determines the future direction of marketing and promotion for the area.

The CBCEDA will have authority over the operations of the CBTA. The Authority will ensure that the CBTA works toward providing excellence in coordination of operators and tourist information services, as previously recommended.

E
Tourism Marketing Research - University College of Cape Breton

Though one of the most substantive generators of employment and income in the region, there is no local facility to provide and maintain ongoing tourism marketing research. A Tourism Marketing Research Centre should be developed at UCCB which would coordinate and provide analysis of national and international tourism marketing trends. The information would be provided to operators, organizations and government bodies directly involved in the tourism sector.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-12

A
A craft marketing agency should be established to develop markets for Cape Breton County produced, handcrafted products. The CBCEDA should be responsible for ensuring this agency is implemented.

B
A craft discovery centre should be established in downtown Sydney. The centre would be a high profile, centrally located, craft awareness and public promotional centre that would showcase Cape Breton County's crafts. The centre would have a viewing gallery, a retail centre, and craft demonstration studio space. This centre should be in close proximity to the Boardwalk in an existing or proposed building, rather than as a free-standing structure.

C
The programs at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design should be expanded to focus on design, quality control, marketing, business management, and advanced craft techniques.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-13

A
Provide financial support to an existing year-round museum to focus on Cape Breton's heritage and developments in science and natural history. The museum should have travelling exhibits and be accessible for school visits. The museum should be equipped with multimedia displays.

B
The new regional government should have a cultural officer on staff. The officer could play a coordinating role within the cultural sector and act as a liaison between the cultural sector and other sectors.

C
Cape Breton, possibly through the Beaton Institute, should become more involved in the world Celtic community. For example, there is an annual Pan-Celtic Festival which is rotated among Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Cornwall, and Brittany. Cape Breton could participate and eventually host this festival. Becoming more involved in the international Celtic community would forge closer ties with the areas of Europe and would likely draw more international visitors.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-14

A
A thorough market study should be conducted to analyze the size, value, and characteristics of the potential target markets.

B
The CBCEDA should develop a marketing strategy for retirement relocation based on the research compiled in the marketing study.

[1994] [1995]

Recommendation Tourism/Heritage/Lifestyle (T)-15

A
Home-care services should be expanded in the region in line with service currently operating in the Halifax/Dartmouth area.

B
Legislation should be amended to permit walk-in access to professional services without a physicians referral.

C
Private sector investment in seniors housing and alternative housing for seniors should be encouraged by the three levels of government.

[1994] [1995]