Tourism posted another solid performance in 2000 with total visitors (auto, air and cruise) reaching a record 426,250, up 3.2% over 1999. Associated spending was about $290 million, compared with $263 million a year earlier. Including resident tourism, tourist expenditures in the Province total more than $600 million per year.
The number of visitors has increased considerably over the past several years. This upward trend is due to a number of factors including: well planned special celebrations (the most recent being
Vikings! 1000 Years) which have heightened awareness of the Province as a tourism destination; new and enhanced infrastructure including expanded ferry capacity on the Gulf crossing and the construction of the Trans Labrador Highway; aggressive promotion of the Province as a cruiseship destination; continued advances in service quality; and an increase in the variety of available tourism experiences. The success of these efforts is evident in the statistics: the number of visitors to the Province has risen by close to 40% over the past five years.
Vikings! 1000 Years
The Vikings! 1000 Years celebrations were a major contributor to tourism growth in 2000. Visitation to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, the focal point of the celebrations, grew by more than 14% to over 32,000. The celebrations were marked by the arrival of the
Islendingur, a replica Viking longship from Iceland. A model Viking village, Norstead, was
constructed near the site which allowed visitors to experience the foods, crafts and skills of the Viking era.
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Visitors to the Province
Travelling by Air and Automobile
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| Source: Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation |
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Another key attraction of the celebrations was FULL CIRCLE: First
Contact, a travelling exhibit displaying 300 Nordic and Aboriginal artifacts, Viking legends and artistry. This exhibit hosted close to 14,400 visitors and will tour museums throughout North America until 2003.
Cruiseship Industry
The cruiseship industry has experienced considerable growth in recent years due to aggressive marketing efforts. Last year there were 66 port of calls resulting in almost 15,000 passenger visits. Associated spending was estimated to be in excess of $2 million. The number of port of calls expanded by 10% from 1999. However, the increased use of smaller vessels for expedition cruising resulted in a drop in the number of passengers from the record 22,500 visits recorded in 1999.
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| Tourism section continued on next page. |
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Photo: Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Labrador - The Big Land - is a huge wilderness accessible by road, boat and air |
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