ABRAM-VILLAGE – June 9, 2018 – “The province can create all the best tourism marketing campaigns in the world to brag you up but if you, the tourism operators, didn’t deliver the goods, we’d lose our magnificent reputation and people would stop coming here,” said Diana Larivière, board member of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI, during a June 8 reception held to launch the 2018 francophone tourism season.

She noted that the Chamber is extremely grateful to the operators of francophone tourism establishments throughout the province since they contribute so much to the Island economy and to job creation.

“You all offer incredible products and services in such a friendly and welcoming way; it’s your amazing customer service that has created this amazing reputation that we have as ‘The Friendly Island’ and that we’re considered one of the best vacation destinations in Canada. You’re the reason they keep coming back!”

Larivière therefore encouraged them all to “keep delivering a magnificent service, keep maintaining your attractions in such a clean and attractive condition and keep being so welcoming”. She also urged them especially “to pass on these great values of customer service to the next generation to ensure that we can maintain our amazing reputation”.

The Chamber of Commerce wanted to help organize this celebration, with the Evangeline Tourism Association and RDÉE Prince Edward Island, to honor and thank tourism operators for everything they do.

Last year, PEI’s tourism sector created 7,700 jobs and generated revenues of $447 million. “We’d certainly like to be able to say that all of these revenues made it to your bank accounts! But suffice it to say that a substantial amount of money did enter your cash registers and that you provided work for an amazing number of workers – managers, cashiers, hosting staff, cooks and chefs, servers, guides, sales clerks, actors, musicians, gardeners, maids, janitors, security officers, etc.” said Larivière.

“Without all of these jobs, it is quite probable that a number of these people wouldn’t have any employment income to support their families. Some would without a doubt leave our province to move to Ontario or Western Canada to seek employment.”

She concluded by wishing the tourism operators lots of sunshine, lots of visitors and especially lots of income this summer.

Evangeline-Miscouche MLA Sonny Gallant (on behalf of the province), Marcel Bernard, president of the Evangeline Tourism Association, and Martin Marcoux, president of RDÉE Prince Edward Island, also congratulated the tourism operators and wished them a prosperous season.

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CUTLINE: Three PEI Francophone organizations held a reception Friday to launch the 2018 summer tourist season and to wish tourist operators a prosperous summer. Helping toast their season are, from left, Martin Marcoux, president of RDÉE Prince Edward Island, Marcel Bernard, president of the Evangeline Tourism Association, and Diana Larivière, board member of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI.

 
For more information:
Raymond J. Arsenault
Coordinator
Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI
902-854-3439, Ext. 231
raymond@rdeeipe.org