2001 Edition of Doers and Dreamers Guide Now Available

TOURISM/CULTURE--2001 Edition of Doers and Dreamers Guide Now Available

Nova Scotia's 2001 edition of the Doers and Dreamers Guide is now available. It's packed with information on more than 1,000 accommodations, hundreds of festivals and events, the province's many museums and attractions, its outdoor and nature tourism operations and its restaurants.

"We hear from visitors again and again about the value and comprehensiveness of our guide," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "It is one of the best guides anywhere and this year's version is no exception. I extend thanks to our staff and to area tourism associations for their valuable suggestions and the work they did to update information contained in the guide."

The startlingly beautiful blue cover features a fishing-village scene at Aspotogan, typical of the pictures visitors can see around every turn while touring coastal Nova Scotia. Other images on the cover feature the province's heritage, outdoor adventure, urban adventure and coastal hiking.

"This guide is one of a series of publications designed to promote Nova Scotia as a tourism destination," said Paul Stackhouse, chair of the Tourism Partnership Council. "It encourages people to stay in the province longer and also serves the needs of our operators."

It contains nearly 3,500 listings, up eight per cent from last year. More than 800 individual advertisers are represented.

The 2001 version is better organized and easier to use than ever. The outdoors section has new tabs and index.

Check In and Web-site references are given on all listings pages and are highlighted in several other places throughout the book.

Canada Select and Camping Select star ratings are highlighted in gold.

The new guide gives the province's heritage sector a greater profile, with an expanded history and heritage section in the front and Getting to Know Us heritage anecdotes in each travelway section.

This year's edition is printed on supercalender paper from the new paper machine at Stora Enso Port Hawkesbury Ltd. Some 750,000 copies will be distributed to potential visitors in response to numerous marketing activities planned for 2001.

Copies are available throughout North America by calling the Nova Scotia Information and Reservation Service at 1-800-565-0000 or through the province's official tourism Web site at http://explorens.com

The French version, Nouvelle Écosse: Du rêve à l'aventure Guide touristique 2001, will be available in March, along with a festivals-and-events guide, a golf guide and an outdoor and nature-lovers' guide.

Nova Scotia's annual tourism-industry revenues are estimated at $1.25 billion. That translates into jobs for 35,000 Nova Scotians with an estimated payroll of $487 million last year. Tourism is also a significant export industry, with more than half its revenue coming from outside the province.