News Release

For immediate releases                                                         March 9, 2001

Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation has promoted Cape Breton Island as a tourism destination for over 13 years. Since 1987, $13 million has been spent to implement its annual marketing plans. This included paid advertising, the production of promotional materials, hosting familiar-ization and media tours and travel trade initiatives. Cape Breton Island, like the rest of Nova Scotia, has experienced strong growth in tourism, with provincial tourism revenue exceeding $1.2 billion in the year 2000.

The Corporation has decided to take a new approach to tourism marketing similar to that of other sectors. The Marketing Council of Tourism Cape Breton Inc. will now apply through ECBC’s existing programs for tourism marketing dollars.

For the past year, Tourism Cape Breton inc. has been working in close partnership with ECBC, the Province of Nova Scotia, Municipal governments and Canadian Heritage (Parks Canada) to develop one marketing plan for the Island. "Each of the parties involved will ultimately reach their common goal which is to increase visitation to Cape Breton Island, increase the yield from our visitors and extend our season," said Rick Beaton, vice-president of ECBC. "We see it as a new, more efficient way of doing business."

ECBC will also undertake, in conjunction with its tourism industry partners, the development of a tourism road map to the year 2006. This road map will offer a long-term plan to provide maximum impact in the tourism sector.

The Board of Tourism Cape Breton Inc. has ratified the decision of its Marketing Council to take over the responsibility for the generic marketing of Cape Breton Island. Tourism Cape Breton Inc. Chair, Lou Leith, said, "This is a strong indication of the Corporation’s confidence in our membership organization and in particular, the Marketing Council." She continued, "This new direction should see tourism continue to grow and the strength of the tourism industry on this Island solidified.’

Tourism Cape Breton Inc. will hold its semi-annual meeting in late April, at which time the Marketing Council will present its strategy for a seamless transition.

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For Further Information Contact:

Ken Montgomery
Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation
902-564-3846

Maureen Carroll bsp
TCB Inc.
902-564-9851