Our strategic approach is informed by Vision 2020, which provides the blueprint for industry growth.  It is also based on a strong foundation of knowledge, experience, and insights relating to the tourism and travel landscape, as well as primary research (e.g., Visitor Exit Surveys, TAMS surveys), statistics, and tourism marketing publications and travel reports (e.g., Destination Canada, TIAC, World Tourism Organization).

Industry Challenges and Opportunities

For Newfoundland and Labrador, there’s no such thing as an accidental tourist. It takes deliberate planning and determined effort to visit here.

Travel distance, time, cost, and access are barriers for visitors and competitive disadvantages for Newfoundland and Labrador’s industry. Access and affordability, in particular, are critical components to the future success of the tourism industry. Getting here, and travelling around, can be challenging and expensive compared to more ‘mainstream’ destinations in Canada. The 2014 TAMS research reported ~40% of potential travellers said “cost is the reason for not visiting” and ~30% of travellers said “distance is the reason for not coming.” Vision 2020 identifies access issues as a critical challenge, and the goal is to continue to identify and implement collaborative business solutions with transportation partners. These travel barriers further reinforce the importance of building strategic partnerships with transportation partners.

And, the challenges do not end there. A short peak season, capacity constraints during peak season, infrastructure and facility deficiencies, and underdeveloped tourism ‘products’ and experiences make a tough job even more difficult.

Despite these barriers, there is incredible opportunity within Newfoundland and Labrador for tourism.

A Growing Demand for Experiential Travel. Our biggest opportunity group do not see themselves as ‘tourists’, but as increasingly sophisticated and experienced ‘travellers’ seeking more unusual places and experiences ‘off the beaten track’. Trends such as a growing demand for experiential travel, and a desire for original experiences that have a sense of unpredictability and authenticity, present Newfoundland and Labrador with a growing opportunity to tap into the needs of future travellers. 

A Renewed Focus on Target Markets. We continue to use research and consumer insights to refine our traveller-centric approach to segmentation as it relates to understanding travel behaviours and emotional motivations. Future refinements to target audience segmentation will help deliver high returns on investment for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s marketing efforts. 

Building on the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism Brand. The greatest opportunity continues to lie in the ‘creativity’ brand positioning and personality for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism – and the creative strategy and execution, which will romance, reflect, and express it. The advertising campaign has put Newfoundland and Labrador higher than ever on travellers’ radars as being a distinctive destination. And it has created exceptional and valuable ‘buzz’ among our biggest opportunity group. More importantly, it evokes a rich emotional response and desire to visit this naturally exotic and unexpectedly different place.

To achieve Newfoundland and Labrador’s industry potential and compete on a national and international tourism scale, we have created detailed strategies for growth. These objectives and marketing strategies are supported by Vision 2020, and our destination and industry development plans.

Marketing Objectives

In 2018, non-resident visitation to Newfoundland and Labrador was over 530,000, and total tourist spending reached over $1.14 billion.

The broad marketing objectives for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism are to continue to increase the number of visitors from our core markets, encourage our visitors to stay longer and to experience more thereby increasing the tourism industry’s annual contribution to the economy.

Across all of Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s marketing initiatives we aim to improve on critical marketing objectives, including:

• Increase Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism visitation and expenditures annually.
• Build on Newfoundland and Labrador’s brand awareness in priority markets.
• Increase tourism brand engagement and build traveller advocacy for Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Move the target audience of potential experiential travellers from awareness to interest to action (travel inquiry or on-the-ground visit).

Marketing Growth Strategy

Vision 2020 provides the vision statement and blueprint for extraordinary growth:

• “Newfoundland and Labrador will be a leading tourism destination offering an authentic and exotic experience through the ‘creativity’ brand pillars of our people, culture, and natural environment.”

Generating growth in visitation and revenue begins with the Vision 2020 mission to:

• “Inspire travellers through authentic experiences that embrace our natural creativity, environment, and unique culture for the sustainable benefit of our people and our province.”

Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism uses paid, owned, and earned marketing as the engine to power the desired growth strategy.

The tourism product experience – in the form of people and program-based brand experiences – also have a large role to play in increasing length of stay, amount of money spent, and overall tourism revenues.

To be successful, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism focuses and concentrates its (limited) budget dollars and resources on the best opportunity – and creates fully integrated programs and campaigns that move potential travellers through the travel path to persuasion and purchase (from awareness to desire to trip planning to visitation).