Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 162 -An exception could be made in very small communities lacking other forms ofaccommodations where B&Bs are the only reasonable option. In this case, the project wouldbe ‘filling a gap’.A suggestion be made that non-professional B&Bs be listed in the travel guide as ‘touristhomes’ rather than B&Bs to avoid confusion with the ‘professional type’. Those that servebreakfast as well as accommodation could have that information provided in their listing.Only ‘professional B&Bs would be listed as B&Bs. This idea has merit and should beconsidered. However, there will be some challenges in fitting this with the Canada Selectdefinitions.Evaluation CriteriaWe suggest the following kinds of criteria be used to qualify and evaluate accommodationsprojects in this instance – hotels, motels and B&Bs (in addition to the traditional assessmentcriteria used by financial institutions). Support would be provided only in instances where theproject meets the test of filling a significant gap, where growth in tourism visitation and/orspending in the area/region is being constrained as a direct consequence of the gap. Most ofthe following criteria should be met:o Location in a designated destination area (as per the strategy), gateway community orservice centre, with good accesso Shoulder and/or winter season potentialo Different from other accommodations in the area with respect to appeals andamenities, and preferably having demand influencing appealso Complements existing tourism development in the areao Contributes to strengthening the destination area, the region and the province in theprovince’s key tourism marketso Merits at least a 3 star Canada Select ratingo Sustainability and viability of the projecto Availability of competent proponents to undertake the initiativeo Non-government funding availabilityo Overall do-ability of the projectUpgrading Accommodations and Fundamental TransformationsA property upgrade normally doesn’t involve major changes in its design or market mix. Itsimply means improving its quality and character through maintenance activities andrefurbishing. This is a normal part of property operation and shouldn’t be the target ofsupport and assistance programs.However, in some cases, a proposal could be for a fundamental transformation of the propertyinvolving redesign and major construction resulting in a total upgrade or redevelopment, suchthat its competitive positioning is dramatically enhanced. In this case, consideration shouldbe given for support.THE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study