Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 201 -Budgets are identified in the Plan for initial investigation of some of the pan-Labrador initiatives,but not for their implementation.The document misses the opportunity to define the “Labrador Experience” and how to achieve it.We see the Experience as containing many ingredients such as sub-arctic, frontier wilderness,dramatic landscapes, aboriginal cultures, innovative pioneer spirit, the extreme warmth of thepeople and their extraordinary bond with the land.Enhancements to the PlanDestination AreasWe recommend the following as touring areas:" Labrador West/Central – this is a natural touring area with the Trans Labrador Highway,Route 500, connecting the two, an airport at either end and land connections into theQuébec North Shore via Highway 389 to Baie Comeau and the Québec North Shore andLabrador Railway to Sept Isles. Horizon Holidays is currently offering Labrador andNorth Shore Discoverer, exploring one of Canada’s final frontiers, visiting HappyValley-Goose Bay, Churchill Falls, Wabush and the Quebec North Shore, by railway andhighway." Labrador North Coast – this area is accessed either by sea or air. In winter,snowmobiling is a common means of travel. Happy Valley-Goose Bay is the maindistribution centre for air travel and there are longstanding cultural and economic tieswith the Happy Valley-Goose Bay-Sheshatshui-North West River area. As noted in thediscussion on Torngat National Park, Québec outfitters and some individual adventurershave been accessing the area through Kuujjuak in Nunavik, northern Québec, via theMontreal–Kuujjuak-Iqualiut jet service. However, there is no scheduled service fromKuujjuak into Labrador." Coastal Labrador Drive – Labrador Coastal communities from L’Anse au Clair toCartwright are connected by Route 510, known latterly as the Coastal Labrador Drive. Ithas a rich natural and cultural heritage that is showcased in part at Red Bay NationalHistoric Site and Battle Harbour National Historic District. Currently, it is accessedduring the shipping season by the Sir Robert Bond ferry service to Cartwright fromHappy Valley-Goose Bay and the Strait of Belle Isle service being delivered by theApollo. There is also air service into the area from Happy Valley-Goose Bay and DeerLake." Labrador Coastal Cruise – the Labrador coast is proving to be an attraction for cruiseships traveling both from the south via Newfoundland and from the west on the NorthernCircle route, via Greenland. The Northern Ranger coastal boat service carried significantnumbers of tourists up the coast for many years. Attempts have also been made toestablish a home porting operation in the province. We feel there is major potential forTHE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study