Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 150 -Section 9Strategies for Accommodations and CampgroundsSection 3 presented a profile of the supply and demand situation with respect toaccommodations and campgrounds in the province. Later in the report we will present thedata for each of the province’s regions and economic zones along with an assessment of needsand opportunities in each zone. This section addresses the strategic issues of what kinds ofdevelopment should be pursued in what kinds of circumstances and in what fashion.We deal with fixed roof accommodations first; campgrounds and RV parks second.Strategies for Fixed Roof Accommodations DevelopmentGenerally speaking, priority should be given to supporting and assisting accommodationsdevelopment in the following fashion:o First, projects that have significant demand generating potentialo Second, projects that have demand influencing potential and are located in a prioritydestination areao Third, filling gaps in the supply of accommodations of the right type and qualitywithin defined priority destination areasProjects not meeting one or more of the foregoing tests would not be supported, other than forupgrading and other market readiness support initiatives.Raising the Bar – the Opportunity and the ChallengeBefore immersing ourselves in the details of the proposed strategy for accommodations, itneeds to be acknowledged that the ‘mainstream’ of travellers seek out traditionalaccommodations - hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts - in their travels. The data from therecent survey of visitors to the province confirms this. This is because most of ouraccommodations are of that character. But they are also what most consumers seek out,because they know what they are getting, expect good value from such properties and theyserve the basic need – overnight accommodation and associated services. And that is as itshould be, and will continue to be.However, what we are pursuing here, beyond filling gaps in the availability of traditionaltraveller service-style accommodations, is a strategy to influence the marketplace to come tothe province/region/community, to stay longer and to spend more. Hence the strategiesintroduced below give priority to developing properties that can play a role in influencing andgenerating new demand, not just servicing travellers. The natural marketplace forces cannormally be expected to deal with the latter.THE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study