These vendors have their fingers crossed for a robust tourist season
Hospitality N.L. conference gathers industry professionals for networking and education
Some of the biggest players in Newfoundland and Labrador's hospitality and tourism are gathering at the annual Hospitality N.L. conference and trade show, working to make sure the doors of the province are open to the world.
Valérie Saltel, the francophone tourism development co-ordinator for the non-profit economic development agency Horizon T.N.L., said the organization is ready to give the province its biggest marketing push since the pandemic hit.
"We have wonderful people to welcome the tourists, so for us the job is done, we just have to keep going, promote at the maximum the destination," she said.
The Hospitality N.L. conference and trade show is a three-day event where hospitality and tourism business professionals network and most of all, understand how to navigate the climate of the industry.
For hotel equipment manufacturer and distributor Loc International, part of welcoming tourists is making sure the province's accommodations feel like home.
Mathew Lewis, the company's business development manager for the Atlantic region, says opportunities to connect with people at events like the conference are crucial to the hospitality business.
"A lot of … the discussions and, you know, partnerships, relationships, are made at things like this," he said "It's not when you're in your home, you know, doing your followups and your calls — it's when you're out here actually meeting with hoteliers and … talking to people."
Flights are essential in order to get to the destination, and for Happy Valley-Goose Bay-based airline Air Borealis, things are looking up in Labrador.
According to Ashmita Lamichhane, the airline's marketing specialist, last year was one of the best years they've had since the COVID-19 pandemic began. With the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies, Air Borealis operates the base camp on Inuit-owned land south of Torngat Mountains National Park, which was fully booked from June to September last year.
"I think the number surpassed the number we had before COVID, so the base camp has been, like, really good for our entire operations," she said
The conference and trade show, which includes discussions on workforce development, air access challenges and opportunities, and Indigenous tourism, wraps up Thursday.
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