$18.2 Million in New Funding for Nova Scotia to Boost Tourism Restart

by | Jun 17, 2021 | Finance, Business | 0 comments

FUNDING

Nova Scotia has earmarked $18.2 million toward restarting the tourism industry, which has been struggling after a more than a year of COVID-19.

Of the new funding, $10.5 million will go toward a customer attraction program to give marketing help to tourism accommodations, like hotels and motels, to encourage overnight stays. Eligible operators will receive a grant of $1,000 per room for the first 10 rooms, and $500 for each additional room.

Another $2 million will go to a program geared toward small tourism operators, which offers a one-time grant of $5,000 for tourism businesses that were affected by COVID-19 restrictions, but were not eligible for earlier programs. These businesses can include tour operators, amusement and theme parks, zoos, gardens, campgrounds, and travel agencies. The grant aims to help those businesses with advertising and other expenses, like purchasing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. Additional program details:

Tourism Accommodations Restart Customer Attraction Program:

  • $10.5 million program administered by Tourism Nova Scotia
  • eligible businesses must be registered as a host under the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act, offering at least one or more rooms to the travelling or vacationing public and be HST registered
  • funds may be used for various advertising options, developing packages and incentives to encourage overnight stays, such as an overnight plus a bottle of local wine, or family weekend packages with free breakfasts, as well as customer-focused upgrades or amenities
  • applications open June 23

Small Tourism Operators Restart Program:

  • $2 million program administered by Tourism Nova Scotia
  • eligible businesses include tour operators, scenic and sightseeing transportation operators, outdoor adventure operators and outfitters, businesses that operate nature parks and zoos, amusement or theme parks, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds and travel agencies
  • eligible operators must be HST registered
  • applications open June 23

Funding for Public Attractions:

  • $710,000 to cover free admission to the 28 sites included in the Nova Scotia Museum system and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia sites in Halifax and Yarmouth for July and August
  • $2 million to sponsor outdoor events and attractions that feature local artists, such as mini outdoor concerts, open streets and diverse cultural activities, to be funded through the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Response Council

Marketing Campaigns:

  • $3 million in additional spending, for a total of $5.8 million in marketing campaigns
  • a new $150,000 campaign called #ShineOnTourism asks Nova Scotians to offer their world-famous hospitality to help the tourism industry; it aims to remind Nova Scotians of their role as ambassadors, foster pride and confidence in the tourism industry, and raise awareness of the value of tourism
  • the $1.3 million Nova Scotia campaign, called Rediscover Nova Scotia, builds on last year’s successful effort to celebrate residents who stayed close to home, while showcasing the incredible experiences found in Nova Scotia. The campaign emphasizes that Nova Scotians don’t need to leave the province to find unique experiences and adventure, and that Nova Scotia has incredible places to rediscover
  • Tourism Nova Scotia launched a $1 million Atlantic Canada marketing campaign today, June 15, called Do More to remind Atlantic Canadians that because Nova Scotia has so much to offer, it deserves more than one trip
  • Tourism Nova Scotia will also be ready to showcase the province in consumer advertising in other jurisdictions, including Ontario and Quebec, when appropriate; these campaigns will cost about $3.4 million

Free admission to museums, art galleries

The last chunk of money will be spent on funding public attractions. The province said $2 million will be used to sponsor outdoor events — like concerts, craft markets, cultural events and open street events — through the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Response Council.

A further $710,000 will cover free admission in July and August to the 28 sites included in the Nova Scotia Museum system, as well as the two Art Gallery of Nova Scotia sites in Halifax and Yarmouth.

In the release, the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia said it welcomes the funding in the tourism sector, which lost $1.6 billion in revenue in 2020.

To read government announcement and get more details CLICK HERE .