Association to showcase Canada’s tourism offering during familiarisation trip this February
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Canadian cruise association Cruise the Saint Lawrence has launched a marketing initiative to encourage more cruise operators to sail winter explorer itineraries to its nine member ports.
Designed to capitalise on the growing interest in winter cruising, the new initiative will officially kick off with an inaugural familiarisation tour in February. Executives from three international cruise lines and one trade media representative will explore winter in Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Québec and Saguenay.
Programme activities will include urban discovery tours, ice skating, tobogganing, Carnaval de Québec, a visit to Québec’s ice hotel, dog sledding, skidooing and ice fishing. Participants will also be able to find out about other tourism activities in Québec, Atlantic Canada, the coast of Maine, Boston and New York. These will include excursions related to the Inuit culture in winter, baby seal observation on the ice floes off the Iles de la Madeleine and skiing in the Chic-Choc mountains of the Gaspé Peninsula.
Officials from Transport Canada, local port administrations, Canadian Coast Guard, Laurentian Pilotage Authority will take part in an information session detailing technical requirements and what services cruise lines can take advantage of to ensure ship and passenger safety.
The upcoming tour represents a first for both Québec and the entire Canada New England region.