Ici, on parle francais

Nova Scotia tourism operators are making a special effort to welcome French-speaking visitors this summer.

Through a new program called Ici, on parle fran‡ais, participating businesses display a decal on their door that indicates staff inside can converse in French. Bilingual staff members are identified with lapel pins similar to the decal.

The pilot program is a joint project of the tourism industry and the provincial government. It is part of a larger campaign to attract more visitors from Quebec.

"The Quebec market has excellent potential for growth," said Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. "We produced our first French-language Doers and Dreamers travel guide earlier this year to help with trip planning. Now, French-speaking visitors will have an easier time finding bilingual staff to assist them once they arrive in the province."

Economic Development and Tourism is administering the pilot program with information mailed out to operators earlier this month. Businesses such as campgrounds, tour operators, accommodations, tourist attractions, restaurants and visitor information centres are now taking part. To be eligible, they must have French-speaking front-line staff on duty when open.

Tourism operators can call 1-800-313-4447, extension 3747, for more details. Those who qualify will receive a free membership kit, including lapel pins, tent cards and door decals. Staff will evaluate the program's effectiveness throughout 1999 and introduce necessary changes for 2000.

In focus groups, French-speaking visitors have indicated a desire for French-language services when vacationing.

"The program will help to address the need for French-language services. It also has advantages for tourism operators who offer spoken French services to visitors. They now have an easy way to identify themselves, and promote their services to this growing market," said Doug Fawthrop, chair of the Nova Scotia Tourism Partnership Council and managing director of White Point Beach Resort.

The F‚d‚ration Acadienne de la Nouvelle-cosse (FANE) has expressed strong support for the program. "The Ici on parle fran‡ais program demonstrates the Department of Economic Development and Tourism's appreciation of the importance of the French language," said Jim Aucoin, the federation's executive director. "It also sends a strong message to all francophones who visit our beautiful province, that they are very welcome, and that we will do our utmost to accommodate them in their own language. The FANE supports this program wholeheartedly."

Nova Scotia's $1.1-billion tourism industry supports jobs for about 33,800 Nova Scotians with a payroll of about $430 million. More than half of this billion-dollar revenue comes from outside the province, making tourism a significant export industry. Last year's revenues also added up to $105 million in provincial and municipal taxes.