Travel Media Fams
This program promotes Nova Scotia’s tourism products through national and international media. Media familiarization tours, or fams, last from several days to two weeks and may involve individuals or a small group. Your involvement will enhance awareness of your business and area to media outlets worldwide. Who can participate: Accommodations must have ensuite baths, have four or more rooms, have a 3.5 star rating, be willing to offer a 30% off rack discount and provide direct billing/invoice. Attractions provide complimentary admission. Activities provide a media discount.
Timing: Year round
Cost: In-kind contribution of your product and/or service
Contact:
Randy Brooks
(902) 424-4171
rbrooks@gov.ns.ca
Provincial VIC Product Knowledge Familiarization Tours (FAM Tours)
Experiencing your product first-hand greatly increases travel counsellors’ knowledge of your area and your product, allowing them to transfer this information to our visitors. Each spring, travel counsellors in provincially and locally operated visitor information centres and Check In staff take part in regional product knowledge familiarization tours (FAM tours). The tours are part of their annual training to enhance their knowledge of Nova Scotia’s tourism product. Tours are three to four days and involve 35 to 40 participants each. Industry support is critical in maintaining this important aspect of product knowledge training.
Three regional FAM Tours will be conducted in 2011, these regions include: Fundy Shore, Northumberland Shore and the Annapolis Valley. The remaining regions (Halifax, Eastern Shore, South Shore/Yarmouth Acadian Shores, and Cape Breton) will be conducted next year, and rotated annually moving forward.
2011 Dates:
Fundy Shore - May 24 - May 27, 2011
Northumberland Shore - May 30 - June 2, 2011
Annapolis Valley - June 6 - June 9, 2011
Cost: In-kind contribution or reduced cost of your product and/or service
Contact:
Peter Johnson
(902) 424-2788
johnsp@gov.ns.ca
Travel Trade Fams
This program assists in educating travel agents, reservation agents, tour operators, wholesalers and group leaders to be a highly effective sales force for Nova Scotia products by allowing them to experience them first-hand. Your involvement will enhance awareness and promote your business throughout North America and Europe. Who can participate: Accommodations must have full ensuite bath and be willing to offer a 30% off rack discount and provide direct billing / invoice. Attractions must provide complimentary admission and activities must provide a complimentary or reduced rate.
Timing: Year round
Cost: In-kind contribution of your product and/or service
Contact:
Cindy Wade
(902) 424-4676
Open Door Program
Promote your product to tourism staff who can in turn sell it to the visitor. Participating operators offer some form of discount or added value. Front-line staff, including travel counsellors with visitor information centres and Check In staff, must present their ID card to qualify for the discount or added value. Timing: Year round or at operator’s discretion
Downloadable Application Form (PDF)
Cost: Determined by the operator who can offer reduced rates or waive admission fees, for example; offers should be based on availability and operators may set criteria
Contact:
Shannon Holmes
(902) 424-3225
holmess@gov.ns.ca
