Tourism
The Internet has changed the face of tourism:
Travellers use it to plan their vacations
Operators use it to market their businesses
Travellers
You can use the Internet to plan your next vacation. Check out countries, museums, places to stay, and places to eat anywhere in the world. As well as using online travel agencies, the Internet is useful for booking sites for airlines, trains, buses, and rental cars.
Sites like these can be helpful
NovaScotia.com - Nova Scotia's official tourism web site - everything you need to know about travelling in Nova Scotia
Check-in Nova Scotia - Nova Scotia's information and reservations system
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway - information for Canadians who want to travel at home and abroad. Click on Travel/Tourism at the bottom of the magnifying glass
Google Earth - explore Nova Scotia and the rest of the world from your computer
Art and Museums Online - links to a large number of art galleries, museums, and science centres around the world, large and small, and other sites including digital art sites
Canadian Tourism Commission - the official tourism guide to Canada
MapQuest - maps of everything, everywhere, that take you right to a street address. You can also get written directions
Google Maps - maps of Nova Scotia (and the rest of the world) that can be viewed using satellite photos. Google Maps includes a business location search and you can also get written directions
Many travellers, including backpackers, use the Internet to tell people about their experiences, give tips on places they’ve stayed, and help fellow travellers find a bed for the night. Type "travel guides" into your search engine. Many online guides include a place to share information with other travellers.
You can also use the Internet to store, show, and organize your photos. Type "organize share photos online" into your search engine for web sites and articles on using them. Here are some popular sites that let you organize, edit, and share your photos, make prints, slide shows, and albums
Tourism Operators
Tourism accommodation owners, small business operators and cooperatives can benefit from more than marketing their products and developing websites on the Internet. There are numerous sites that offer time-and money saving opportunities that can benefit your business. Online banking can help you keep your books in better working order. Researching the competition can help you keep up-to-date or ahead of the game.
You can use high-speed to create a web site that puts you on the map, with clear, specific information about your business - where it is, how to get there, what scenery and services are close by. Photos are a plus. You may also want to include things like connections to transportation, other places to visit and stay, good places to eat, Internet cafes, and wi-fi hot spots. You can build your own web site. See Tips, How to build a web site.
Here are some links that may be of interest to you and your business:
On-Line Services available at the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage:Tourist Accommodation Licences: Forms and Applications
Campground and Fixed Roof Tourism Operation Reports - The following two forms are available online for the convenience of tourism operators. These forms are processed securely:
Visitor Services Applications - The following three applications are available online for the convenience of tourism operators:
- Open Door Program application
- Ici on parle français application
- Ici on parle français formulaire d'inscription
Tourism Development Guides - These are manuals that can be downloaded to assist Nova Scotians in the establishment of tourism-related businesses and in planning or marketing tourism services like a commercial or community attraction, adventure tourism, a retail tourism business, restaurant or an accommodation business.
Funding Programs: The Tourism Marketing Opportunities Program - This provides funding to promotional initiatives that clearly demonstrate their ability to influence the implementation of the provincial strategic tourism priorities. It has two components:
Tourism Studies - PDF copies of the following research studies are now available online. Print copies are no longer available. Some of these files are very large, and will require some time to download.
Tourism Research - For current and historical indicators of the Tourism Industry in Nova Scotia, please go to Tourism Insights
Nova Scotia Tourism Partnership Council - The Tourism Partnership Council directs the planning and delivery of provincial tourism marketing and product development programs
Social networking: Washabuck, Cape Breton