News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Tour operators from around the world and tourism providers from Atlantic Canada will gather in Fredericton beginning this Sunday, Oct. 2, for Atlantic Canada Showcase, with the goal of bringing more visitors to the region.

The showcase is one of the biggest events of its kind in the region, as more than 140 tourism providers have registered to meet with more than 70 tour operators during the three-day conference.

“I am happy to have the 2016 Atlantic Canada Showcase in New Brunswick,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister John Ames. “This is one of the best opportunities we have of giving North American and overseas tour operators a first-hand look at what the Atlantic provinces have to offer visitors. Tourism not only brings visitors to our province, but investment, too. For every dollar invested in promoting New Brunswick as a tourism destination, there’s a return of $3.20 we can reinvest toward job creation and helping to make New Brunswick the best place to raise a family.”

The showcase is presented every two years for various branches of the industry, including motorcoach, group and specialty travel, as well as the fully-independent traveller. The conference includes business-to-business meetings, networking events and educational sessions which allow business relationships to be formed, contracts to be initiated and new experiences to be discovered, resulting in increased visitation to Atlantic Canada. 

“This beautiful part of our country has a lot to be proud of, and the Atlantic Canada Showcase is a great way to help bring the world here,” said federal Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Chagger. “By connecting operators with international buyers, the showcase provides fantastic opportunities to grow our industry. The federal government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, is pleased to support initiatives like the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership which support the federal tourism strategy’s priority of ‘inspiring the world to explore Canada.’”

In addition to networking events, tour operators will take advantage of pre-packaged familiarization tours in each of the four Atlantic provinces. These tours provide an opportunity to showcase the region’s hospitality, scenery, heritage and culture.

“Tourism operators in New Brunswick are thrilled to be the host province for the 2016 showcase,” said Kathy Weir, president of the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick. “The face-to-face meeting opportunities are enhanced by the familiarization tours and networking events which, combined, explode in a multitude of opportunities for New Brunswick tourism businesses to showcase the variety of treasures awaiting our visitors. From urban to nature, from cuisine to adventure, from relaxation to high-energy, our tourism operators are committed to providing visitor experiences that ensure lasting memories.”

The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership is sponsoring Atlantic Canada Showcase. The partnership is a nine-member, pan-Atlantic marketing initiative comprised of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the four Atlantic Canada tourism industry associations and the four provincial departments responsible for tourism.