Travel to Nova Scotia

Birding is one of the biggest draws in tourism for Nova Scotia and brings thousands of people in during the off-season, a time when sightseeing tourists are scarce. To accommodate this demand for information here are some links that birders coming to Nova Scotia will find useful:

Recent Bird Postings In Nova Scotia:

Nova Scotia Bird Society:

eNature Sibley Guide:

East Coast Birds:

Cape Breton Birds:

Farm Birds:

Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas:

Birds of Nova Scotia: Robie Tufts:

eBird Canada:

Nova Scotia Bird Check List:

Nova Scotia Winter Birding:

Piping Plover:

Return of the Bald Eagle:

Eagles in King County:

Bird Studies Canada:

Important Bird Areas of Canada:

Avian Conservation:

Migratory Birds:

All About Birds:

Antigonish Harbour Birds:

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“The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is one of the world’s premiere cultural and entertainment spectaculars with over 2000 first-class Canadian and international, military and civilian performers. Featuring pipes and drums, massed bands, historic re-enactments, dancers, acrobats, comedians, choirs, military displays and competitions, plus a host of innovative acts in a fast-paced 2 1/2 hour family show. “

Now is a good time to buy tickets for the Royal International Tattoo that takes place from July 1 through 8, 2009. In Nova Scotia, the Tattoo is now as common a yearly occurrence as the old time circuses that once arrived by train and set up the Big Top and tents on the fair grounds. Only this big show features more bands instead of animals.

A friend of mine was remarked, “Nah, I’m not going. Yah heard one pipe band, yah heard ‘em all.” Au contraire ! This is a great show and, although I really like pipe bands, there is so much more to enjoy.

For one thing, it is a great venue to appreciate our Armed Forces. The Canadian Forces have been a centerpiece for this show since its inception and continue to support the 2009 Tattoo in order to promote their history and esprit de corps.

The foreign bands are great and many bring in a comedy section with them. It is quite spectacular.

You can get your early-bird tickets at: Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Seating Plan For Metro Centre

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In 1994 some journalists from Toronto thought that the media and the tourism industry should form a professional relationship and the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) was formed. Since then the ranks swelled to over 450 members with a breakdown of 4-% media and 60% industry partners.

Guided by a volunteer Board of Directors TMAC includes travel writers, authors, broadcasters, photographers and producers working in just about every form of mass media from newspapers to television and from CD-Rom to internet streaming.

From February 3-9, 2009 the Annual General Meeting and Conference of TMAC will be held at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C. Click on to the site for infomrmation updates.

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TIAC, The Tourism Industry Association of Canada, is presenting Canada-e-Connect (CEC), an e-Tourism Strategy Conference for Canadian tourism on January 21-23, 2009 in Toronto, ON.

In order to kick-start a flailing tourism industry the CEC will bring the tourism industry and technology together for a conference featuring keynote speakers including Google’s Rob Torres as well as Terry O’Reilly, the founder of Pirate Radio and Television, the largest audio production company in Canada. He is also the host of CBC Radio One’s Age of Persuasion. In hs career,  O’Reilly has won over 400 national and international awards for directing and writing and has been named as one of “Most Influential” figures in Marketing magazine’s annual “Power 100 List.”

In all, Rob Torres has logged more than 15 years of travel industry experience.  As Google’s Industry Director of Advertising and Marketing for the North American travel sector, Rob oversees the development and growth with integrated and innovative advertising campaigns. Before joining Google, Rob held a seven year position in a then-u”upstart Travel site” called Expedia.ca where he was Vice President of Strategic Hotel Partnerships.

The heavy hitters as well as those who are eager to learn at CEC discussing the emerging trends in e-tourism, including digital marketing, social media, mobile technology and Web 3.0. As social media is hotter than a forge fire right now you can bet Facebook and Twitter, as well as the top video sites like YouTube, will be on the forefront. TIAC President and CEO, Randy Williams, and Chairperson of the CEC Advisory Committee, Jaime Horwitz, guarantee that this will be a watershed event.

These type of events are usually booked a year in advance. Back in the spring of 2008 tourism was in a shallow slide but I don’t think anyone could have foreseen the economic distress that awaits the 2009 season. However, with all these bright people in attendance this convention will certainly be afire with new strategies and precepts that were probably never discussed last summer. In other words, this one is for a ll the marbles and I imagine that the unique proposals on tourism for these economic times will make this an amazing event.

Here is the Canada-e-Connect 2009 FaceBook group.

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At this time every year many people take stock of the previous year with the intentions of improving the new one. After the hit we took in tourism this year I guess the sky’s the limit when it comes to making adjustments.

1. The Airline Industry - As I’ve brought up in previous blogs the airline industry has to begin treating people like people instead of seats. This should begin the moment the ticket is purchased and go right through until the passenger leaves the airport.

2. The Airport Industry - Airports have to be able to accommodate the comfort of passengers and not treat them as consumers of overpriced merchandise from their tenants.

3.  The Accommodation Industry - All accommodations businesses should be keyed into the airports to handle any emergencies that may occur. I don’t think a bed-and breakfast would be too annoyed to get winter bookings.

4.  The Taxi and Transportation Industry -  If ticket-holding passengers are stranded cabs and other transportation modes like shuttles should be obliged to pick them up. There should be an insurance fund attached to the ticket to pay for this.

5.   Nova Scotias Bus Pass - Tourists should be able to book to go anywhere in Nova Scotia by buying a “Nova Scotia Bus Pass,” based on what they have in Australia and Europe. A two-week pass should enable people to get of and get on buses and small shuttles throughout the province.

6.   CAT and Ferry Transport - When the Prince of Fundy Ferry ran from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth there was a schedule that benefited the accommodations ont eh South Shore. The ferry companies should get together with the government to bring this coordination back so that tourists can again walk on in the U.S. and be picked upon the Canadian side by tour operators.

Spending money to bring people here is great and I approve of these programs. But we have to make the people that come here more welcome and, in cases of emergencies, help them quickly. In addition we have to return to the ferry schedules and also help people get around the province better.

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