Margaret McEachern knows she can offer Island visitors more than just great shopping at her business Knit Pickers in Mayfield.
McEachern and other tourism operators will learn how to develop “hands on” experiential tourism packages at workshops this week hosted by Tourism PEI.
In partnership with TIAPEI and regional tourism association partners, the workshops will explore how to become a certified “Authentic PEI Experience” and the possible new revenue it can bring to businesses.
“At Knit Pickers we make knitwear designs that are inspired by the beautiful landscape of our province,” McEachern said. “I think there is a lot of potential for my business to develop an experiential tourism product where visitors learn to knit, weave, and participate in the creative process that goes into our designs.”
Experiential tourism development is a key component of Vision 2021, a five-year strategy for the tourism industry commissioned by the Tourism industry Association of Prince Edward Island and developed in consultation with industry members from across the province. The Island’s Regional Tourism Associations identified operators in their regions who might be interested in learning about experiential tourism and passed their names onto Tourism PEI for the workshops.
The ultimate goal of the workshops is to help develop new Authentic PEI Experiences for visitors, and to work with tourism operators to make their vision a reality.
“Today’s travellers want more than sightseeing, food, and entertainment; they want authentic experiences that immerse them in local culture and traditions,” Economic Development and Tourism Minister Heath MacDonald said. “There are already dozens of operators who provide Authentic PEI Experiences and we know we can offer even more, which will help us continue to surprise people with how much there is to do on Prince Edward Island.”
For a list of certified experiences, visit Authentic PEI Experiences. For more information on Vision 2021, visit PEI Tourism Matters.
Media contact:
Andrew Sprague
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
(902) 368-5535
asgsprague@gov.pe.ca