Labrador StraitsA Vision for Tourism in the Labrador Straits
In 1979 some half-dozen hardy tourists journeyed to Red Bay, Labrador to experience the excitement surrounding one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Canada. Remnants of stone structures littered with fragments of red clay roofing tiles and, below the harbour's waters, the skeletal structure of a 16th century galleon presented fascinating evidence of Basque whaling activities in the 1500s. It would be another decade before the extent and significance of this discovery was fully understood. During that decade, Red Bay was transformed from a secluded coastal Labrador fishing village to the focus of international attention. The trickle of visitors in 1979 became a flood by the 1990s as nearly 10,000 tourists called at the community.
The archaeological discoveries at Red Bay marked the beginning of a new industry for the Labrador Straits: tourism. As the numbers of visitors and the level of attention grew, the demands for local services increased proportionally. The decade of the 1980s saw the winding, pothole-ridden Labrador Straits road transformed into a paved highway; new accommodations and restaurants opened and existing ones were upgraded; new craft shops, visitor centres and museums appeared. Now, in 1997, tourism is entrenched as a significant part of the Labrador Straits economy.
Soon after the discoveries at Red Bay, residents of the Labrador Straits conceived a vision for tourism in their region. They saw their region not as a place for entertaining tourists, but rather as a place to educate people. Tourism for them was not pony rides and water slides, but history, tradition, culture and natural environment. The Labrador Straits is rich beyond compare in these kinds of resources. Residents believed that, properly managed, these resources could form the backbone of a viable and sustainable heritage tourism industry.
Red Bay is located at the eastern end of the Labrador Straits highway, which means that visitors must travel through the entire region to get there. This "accident of geography" is a key factor, as it means that all communities in the Labrador Straits have the opportunity to participate in the tourism industry. The significance of this factor was recognized early on, and residents made a conscious decision to focus attention on other heritage tourism attractions, in addition to the primary Red Bay attraction.
This vision for tourism in the Labrador Straits, including a focus on our history, heritage and environment, and a regional approach to development, has guided the growth of our heritage tourism industry during the past decade. The "new" vision statement presented at the start of Section 3 of this Heritage and Tourism Strategic Plan builds upon that vision of the past.
[In Section 3:]
The (New) Vision:
"A thriving regional tourism industry which creates meaningful employment, supports and encourages private sector participation, reinforces the intrinsic value of our heritage and provides an educational experience for visitors and local residents alike."
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An extract from: Heritage and Tourism Strategic Plan
A Component of the Zone 5 Strategic Economic Plan
Doug Robbins
January 1997
The archaeological discoveries at Red Bay marked the beginning of a new industry for the Labrador Straits: tourism. As the numbers of visitors and the level of attention grew, the demands for local services increased proportionally. The decade of the 1980s saw the winding, pothole-ridden Labrador Straits road transformed into a paved highway; new accommodations and restaurants opened and existing ones were upgraded; new craft shops, visitor centres and museums appeared. Now, in 1997, tourism is entrenched as a significant part of the Labrador Straits economy.
Soon after the discoveries at Red Bay, residents of the Labrador Straits conceived a vision for tourism in their region. They saw their region not as a place for entertaining tourists, but rather as a place to educate people. Tourism for them was not pony rides and water slides, but history, tradition, culture and natural environment. The Labrador Straits is rich beyond compare in these kinds of resources. Residents believed that, properly managed, these resources could form the backbone of a viable and sustainable heritage tourism industry.
Red Bay is located at the eastern end of the Labrador Straits highway, which means that visitors must travel through the entire region to get there. This "accident of geography" is a key factor, as it means that all communities in the Labrador Straits have the opportunity to participate in the tourism industry. The significance of this factor was recognized early on, and residents made a conscious decision to focus attention on other heritage tourism attractions, in addition to the primary Red Bay attraction.
This vision for tourism in the Labrador Straits, including a focus on our history, heritage and environment, and a regional approach to development, has guided the growth of our heritage tourism industry during the past decade. The "new" vision statement presented at the start of Section 3 of this Heritage and Tourism Strategic Plan builds upon that vision of the past.
[In Section 3:]
The (New) Vision:
"A thriving regional tourism industry which creates meaningful employment, supports and encourages private sector participation, reinforces the intrinsic value of our heritage and provides an educational experience for visitors and local residents alike."
----
An extract from: Heritage and Tourism Strategic Plan
A Component of the Zone 5 Strategic Economic Plan
Doug Robbins
January 1997