Travel to Nova Scotia

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Many analysts agree that the 2008 downturn in tourism was mainly due to two forces: the high Canadian dollar and the high price of gas and diesel fuel. All of a sudden Canada was not a “cheap pace to visit.” Of course this hurt tourism operators in all areas of Nova Scotia but Halifax, because of its convention business, didn’t fair too badly.

As the prices of travel increase a new breed of travel begins to appear. This is someone who wants a vacation but can not afford to go too far. These people have been dubbed “staycationers.” According to a Connecticut travel blog the term was first coined by Canadian comedian Brett Butt in his TV series Corner Gas.

*Kathy Gurholt Photo

A simple definition of a staycationer is “someone who either takes a holiday within their own home area or, at the very most, takes a day trip or weekend away.” These activities include visiting museums, swimming pools in other areas of town and attending local festivals.

Since a family of four can rack up almost $500 a day in traveling expenses a two-week vacation may top $7000. And this is not including the wear and tear on the vehicle. If flying to a destination this sum could be over $12,000.

The other bonus of a Staycation is that it does not come with the stress of a real vacation. There are no planes to cat or home security issues to consider. The most stress is wondering what site to visit within a 20 mile radius or fearing that an unwanted relative may show up unnannounced.

In some instances staycations can be extremely expensive. Some people with a “cocoon” attitude spend twice the amount for ten years’ vacations on improving the backyard: swimming pools, luxurious patios and outdoor kitchens and games areas. This, of course is taking it to the extreme. But with gas prices unstable and the price of a luxury home down almost 40% others re buying their dream home for reasonable price and having pool parties during their vacations.

In Nova Scotia, most activities, including whale watching, are at the most a two-day affair. this makes setting p camp in the province and driving to the various festivals and programs a drive that’s easy on the gas tank.

So, the staycation is a staple here.

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At no other time in recent memory has a Canadian federal budget been more anticipated or discussed. In our form of government – based on the British parliamentary system- governments rise and fall on money bills and the annual budget is the biggest. This is especially true if the government is in minority, which means that, while the opposition parties do not have enough seats to govern, if they vote together they have more members. And while some may argue that going into debt is not a great way to help the economy (my credit card bill demonstrates this!) the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is overjoyed.

On examining the yesterday’s budget TIAC President Randy Williams said, “The government’s new investments in Canada’s tourism sector announced in today’s federal budget will provide stimulus to the industry in these challenging economic times, and will help address several longstanding competitiveness issues facing our industry.”

What this means to Canadian tourism in dollars and cents is this:

• $40 million over two years to the Canadian Tourism Commission ($20 million for domestic marketing and$20 million for emerging markets)
• $100 million for marquee festivals and events over two years
• $150 million for Canada’s national parks system over two years ($75 million for visitor facilities and $75 million for national historic sites)
• $25 million to create new hiking trails across the country
• $407 million for improvements to passenger rail service in the Montreal to Toronto corridor operated by VIA Rail
• Additional funding of projects which will assist in the development of vital tourism infrastructure
• $24 million over two years for cruise ship tourism
• $60 million over two years for local and community cultural and heritage institutions (i.e. theatres and museums)
• $140 million over five years for Northern Economic Development , a substantial portion of which will be directed towards tourism projects.

Williams went on to say that, “These investments will help to improve product animation – or the way we deliver experiences – of some of
Canada’s most important tourism destinations, and will provide both international and domestic travellers with even more compelling and urgent reasons to visit Canada.”

“Moreover, the additional marketing dollars allocated to the CTC will allow the country’s national destination marketing organization to promote these new and improved tourism products to potential visitors from traditional and emerging economies of the world.”

What this means is that there will be help for Nova Scotia’s more than 6500 tourism businesses that employ over 40,000 people. This is not including the multiplier effect for the suppliers to the industry, rthe ones who provide the products to feed, house and entertain our travellers, contribute payroll and business taxes.

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“If you feel like you are spending far too much time staring at a computer screen all day, why not get away from it all and apply for the ultimate dream job – earning a top salary for lazing around on a beautiful tropical island in Queensland, Australia…”

- Employment ad for Experience Queensland, a tourism agency in Australia

Tourism Queensland in Australia has launched a worldwide search for a poster boy/girl who will advance the cause of bringing people to the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The job entails being a media darling through blogging, social networking and interviews that will expound the virtues of this great part of the world. Oh, and the job pays around $100,000USD for 6 months work to swim with turtles and, on land, drive around in a gold cart and talk to tourists.!

Now, you can bet other tourism agencies are getting on the bandwagon to exploit this kind of publicity. because even if Queensland hires a dud the die is cast and they’ve completed their objective – which is to spread the word about the Great Barrier Reef. And guess what, the campaign is only going to cost $1,000,000USD for a three-year campaign because they have launched it using the newest social media techniques like Twitter and Facebook. Geeze, that’s not bad for the amount of publicity it will have achieved.

Nova Scotia’s Best Job?

Personally, I think Tourism Nova Scotia should put on a best job campaign too. The winner of this job should get paid $60,000CAD for 6 months work, only he or she would have to travel a bit more the Australian job. In other words the winning applicant would have to show up at most of the festivities going on in a Nova Scotia summer, from Cape Breton down to Yarmouth. This includes dressing up at Louisbourg, riding on the Bluenose, firing the cannon at the Citadel. He or she could stay at the best places in the area and partake in the local traditions too.

As a matter of fact, I don’t think this would cost very much more than the cost of transportation. Because each area would chip in the accommodations and food.

Aren’t I smart?

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When we graduated from high school in the early 1970′s my friend, Steve Scott, worked his way across the Pacific on a real tramp steamer. He heard the outcome of the 1972 Summit Hockey series in Borneo and had no one with whom to share his joy because few people on the ship had ever heard of hockey – ice hockey. Then after a thorough tour of Australia and New Zealand he send me a card saying he was “. . . hitting the Hippe Trail with some blokes from Cairns.” In other words he was backpacking up through southeast and southern Asia.

Backpacking Through Europe, A Rite of Passage

The whole backpacking craze began with the television. With night after night of programming showing the exotic places on the globe there was no other generation before in history that was so well versed in geography. Ad to this the youth culture that was beginning to crop up in universities across the country and suddenly we had millions of people in motion.

Steve’s brother, Lee, went the other way. He and our friend, Dixie, flew to London and bought a used VW van – yup, the famous VeeDub. This certain spot was where travelers bought and sold transportation right out on the plaza. Then they drove it around Europe for a year before selling it at the same spot in London where they bought it in the first place. As they traveled they picked up backpackers and stayed in youth hostels. Armed with only a bread knife they picked pumpkins for money for gas and took donations for rides.

Flaskpacking

Almost 40 years later there is a new breed of wanders called the “Flashpacker.” Like their fathers, or grandfathers, these guys and gals like to travel to exotic places taking new trails through places like North Africa and through China (China was not open when we were kids.) They have the yearning, the guts, no itinerary and the adventurous spirit – and they have the money. Because unlike their predecessors the flashpacker travels in style on what is known as the “Banana Pancake Trail.”

Flashpackers are the streamlines version of Steve Scott. They have light boots and a small pack that contains a laptop computer, cell phone, MP3 player and digital camera. Although they don’t stay in fancy hotels they do not rough it. And after a hard hike to see some ancient ruins they don’t mind a long night of partying at the local watering hole.

Working Their Way Around the World

And while Steve Scott hauled freight and lugged bananas for his passage across the ocean and a few bob for the trail the modern flashpackers have a better game. Many of them work right from their local cafes, designing websites, blogging and writing travel articles while eating bananas. As for grandma’s birthday? They never miss it. They talk to Granny on Skype.

And flashpackers will have a great time in Nova Scotia because there are hundreds of WiFi spots and not too many dead spaces for cell reception. And there is plenty of sun (most of the time) for their portable solar cells to charge their laptop batteries

So take your hat off to the flashpackers. They have a party-on-the-go!

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Last year there were many negative reports about having a safe vacation in Mexico. So have things settled down in one of the most thriving tourism industries in the world? Well, after listening to reports from news agencies many perennial tourists are thinking of going elsewhere for their annual warm-climate holiday. But are they the only ones balking at going to America’s hot southern neighbor?

Many Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals who are working in the U.S. are not making their annual trip home to visit friends and relatives. Some are turned off by the slumping economy but others are passing on the trip because they are afraid of the worsening climate, especially the kidnappings, killings and rising shootouts between gangs.

IN fact the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert last fall warning American citizens to take every precaution when visiting the country. The warning specifically states that “increasingly violent fight for control of narcotics trafficking routes, especially in the cities of Tijuana, Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez.”

Tijuana is especially hard hit. The Baja border town relies on American tourism for much of its business, whether it be Mexican nations, foreign visitors or Americans. In fact the transportation industry has reported the decline in the number buses traveling there.

Not only are their kidnappings but an increases in carjacking and muggings has quieted down car traffic into Mexican cities. It’s not that the crimes are ongoing but they happen just often enough that many people feel that they are running the gauntlet.

Even the airlines have noticed the difference. Mexicana Airlines saw a 4% drop from just a year ago, especially in bookings from Mexicans traveling home but admit that this could also be attributed the decline to the economy.

However many others reported that when the crimes were reported the police were either powerless or too busy to help. The corruption of the drug business is reported to be the life blood of many of these towns and the police are involved.

However, this did not deter many other Mexican nationals from coming home. Last year a government program called Welcome Home Paisano reported that more than 1 million Mexicans returned home for vacations. This agency basically preaches common sense when traveling in Mexico or any other place for that matter.

So, although there haven’t many incidents on the national news lately, the tourist season is just beginning.

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