ROCKY HARBOUR, NFL – Nov. 4, 2015 – Gregory Urier, tourism development officer with RDÉE Prince Edward Island, has just returned home after experiencing what he terms as “extraordinary” training in experiential tourism at the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism in Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland, Oct. 20-30.

As part of their five days of training, entitled “Edge of the Wedge”, Urier and his colleagues from all provincial and territorial member organizations of RDÉE Canada actually got the opportunity to immerse themselves directly into several tourism experiences that had a truly Newfoundland flavour – all of which simply amazed them.

“The experiences, the training, the trainers, the locations we visited – everything was excellent and especially inspiring,” said Urier. He is therefore looking forward to sharing his newfound knowledge with PEI tourism stakeholders to encourage them to adopt a more experiential and partner-based approach.

The development officer notes that numerous surveys of tourists from around the world prove that tourists no longer want to be simple observers; they want to participate actively in various experiences and they’re ready to pay big bucks to dive into innovative, unforgettable, unique and authentic activities that have a local flavour.

He adds the best experiential tourism activities establish a direct link with the visitor on an emotional, physical, spiritual, social or intellectual basis.

Among the tourism experiences Urier and his colleagues had during the training:

• learning how to make and use an aboriginal talking stick;
• cleaning commercial fish tanks;
• reasssembling the skeleton of a huge whale;
• making fish nets;
• putting on chest waders to explore culverts that allow fish to swim upstream;
• making their own dessert in a restaurant;
• making a musical instrument with a mop and a bow.

RDÉE PEI is the provincial francophone economic development council. It is part of a national network called RDÉE Canada.

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CUTLINE: Greg Urier, tourism development officer with RDÉE PEI, shows a mop musical instrument and an aboriginal talking stick that he got to make during his training on experiential tourism in Newfoundland.

 

For more information:

Greg Urier
Tourism Development Officer
RDÉE Prince Edward Island
(902) 370-7333, Ext. 406 (Charlottetown)
(902) 854-3439, Ext. 223 (Wellington)
gregory@rdeeipe.org