Hospitality is the watchword of National Tourism Awareness Week, but someone forgot to tell the weather. Grey skies, wind and rain greeted those who were brave enough to come out Monday to Cupids at Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador's kickoff to the national initiative.
The non-profit association is partnering with Cupids 400 to highlight and promote the province's tourism business, which Tourism Minister Terry French said is an $850-million industry. The minister said it's a goal of the provincial government to double tourism income by 2020 from its 2007-08 level of $790 million.
French said tourism, which employs 13,000 Newfoundlanders, could challenge the fishing industry as the dominant contributor to provincial coffers.
Not that tourism should ever replace the fishery or will ever replace it, but the reality of it is that we're nearing the ( fishing) numbers of several years ago. It's that big of an industry, he said, adding the provincial government has doubled its tourism marketing budget because of the effort travellers need to make to come to the province.
I always say, you don't get on the (Ontario highway) 401 and make a wrong turn and end up in Newfoundland and Labrador. You gotta make a conscious effort to come here. ... You don't come here for any major theme parks. You come here for the cultural experience, the historical experience.
According to provincial figures, Newfoundland and Labrador has seen 107,000 tourists in the province in 2010 through to April, an increase of seven per cent over the same time period last year.
In opening remarks to the crowd of residents and officials in Cupids, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador chairman John Dicks touted the opportunities for employment in the tourism industry, and thanked the Cupids 400 committee for partnering with them as the town continues its year-long celebration of the first English settlement in what would become Canada.
Cupid's Clarence Barnes, in costume as John Guy, the English merchant who settled what was then known as Cuper's Cove in 1610, read out the proclamation in the Cupids fire hall, where the event was moved because the new $5-million Cupids Legacy Centre is not finished.
Let us honour and thank those who work in the tourism industry who share their knowledge, energy and ability, by proclaiming June 7-13, 2010, National Tourism Awareness Week in Newfoundland and Labrador, said Guy.
Cupids kicks off national tourism week
Clarence Barnes, dressed as English colonist John Guy, proclaims National Tourism Awareness Week in Cupids on Monday. Photo by Daniel MacEachern/The Telegram
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Published on
June 8, 2010
- Published on July 1, 2010
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Daniel MacEachern
Hospitality is the watchword of National Tourism Awareness Week, but someone forgot to tell the weather. Grey skies, wind and rain greeted those who were brave enough to come out Monday to Cupids at Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador's kickoff to the national initiative.
The non-profit association is partnering with Cupids 400 to highlight and promote the province's tourism business, which Tourism Minister Terry French said is an $850-million industry. The minister said it's a goal of the provincial government to double tourism income by 2020 from its 2007-08 level of $790 million.
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Comments
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- Lina Payne
- - September 3, 2010 at 12:38:17
If they are looking to increase the tourism, they should think about hosting weddings at the location. Then they could really play up the Cupids!
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- CANADAFIRSTAID
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:55:54
Why isn't the Legacy Centre finished?? Get crack'n - visitors are come'n . . . CFA
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- don
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:53:38
I agree with Philip Bishop from Cupids. This whole Cupids celebration thing is very questionable. Where is the evidence to prove the Cupids celebrations claims? I believe there is ample evidence to show that John Guy NEVER settled in Cupids. It appears that the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador have pumped millions of taxpayer dollars into this so called historic and tourism event without checking the validity of the claims and getting the facts. The Cupids celebrations could be just like the fake lake that Harper and his cronies are building in Toronto! The Auditor General and the opposition in both St. John's and Ottawa should be looking into this scandalous waste of taxpayer monies in Cupids. I have read documents myself which clearly prove that John Guy landed at a place called Cuperre's (Cuper's)Cove which was a branch of and located near a place called Sammon (Salmon) Cove. The Salmon Cove which appears on maps of Conception Bay in the 17th century is now known as AVONDALE. The Salmon Cove which is now located near Cupids did not appear on any maps from the 17th century! Maps from the 17th century clearly show that Cupids Cove and Salmon Cove (AVONDALE) were in existence but were separated by miles from each other. Clearly, John Guy was not referring to the Salmon Cove near Cupids in his letter of October 6, 1610 because there was no place called Salmon Cove located near Cupids in 1610! Why are the celebrations being held in Cupids? The real location of Cuperre's Cove has never been found! I have read all of the letters which John Guy, Henry Crout and Percival Willoughby wrote about Cuper's Cove and there is no mention in any of these letters about a place called Cupids . If you were writing a letter from Cupids you would likely say that you were writing from Cupids wouldn't you? I understand that the archaeologist in Cupids has not found any artifacts that can be directly linked to John Guy! There have been claims that the cemetery containing the remains of the original colonists at Cuper's Cove has been found at Cupids. No evidence has been provided to prove those claims! Apparently, the remains in the graves at Cupids have never been exhumed and subjected to DNA analysis, forensic examination and mass spectrometer and other testing by independent scientists. Nobody really knows who is in those graves in Cupids! Apparently, the Cupids claims are based on a trust us and take our word for it and what else could it be kind of science. This project in Cupids appears to be based on pseudo-archaeology and local folklore. What's next? Will somebody claim they think that the Holy Grail is buried in Cupids and ask for a $10 million dollar Government grant to dig it up? The way things are going, they would probably get such a grant! I believe that the Auditor General, the media and the opposition members should be investigating what is really going on in Cupids and be looking for real answers and facts and not simply listening to local folklore and unproven claims! Perhaps the media are afraid to rock the boat and risk losing advertising revenue and the opposition is afraid of upsetting the Premier so close to his ribbon cutting ceremony that is scheduled for Cupids in August 2010!
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- heathet
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:53:08
Could you be so kind as to forward some of your events. Thank-you
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- Philip
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:38:46
Why don't somebody give definite proof that John Guy's Cupperes coue and Cupid's are the same place. From documents written 1610-1630 it doesn't appear to be the case.
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- CANADAFIRSTAID
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:42:30
Why isn't the Legacy Centre finished?? Get crack'n - visitors are come'n . . . CFA
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- don
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:38:42
I agree with Philip Bishop from Cupids. This whole Cupids celebration thing is very questionable. Where is the evidence to prove the Cupids celebrations claims? I believe there is ample evidence to show that John Guy NEVER settled in Cupids. It appears that the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador have pumped millions of taxpayer dollars into this so called historic and tourism event without checking the validity of the claims and getting the facts. The Cupids celebrations could be just like the fake lake that Harper and his cronies are building in Toronto! The Auditor General and the opposition in both St. John's and Ottawa should be looking into this scandalous waste of taxpayer monies in Cupids. I have read documents myself which clearly prove that John Guy landed at a place called Cuperre's (Cuper's)Cove which was a branch of and located near a place called Sammon (Salmon) Cove. The Salmon Cove which appears on maps of Conception Bay in the 17th century is now known as AVONDALE. The Salmon Cove which is now located near Cupids did not appear on any maps from the 17th century! Maps from the 17th century clearly show that Cupids Cove and Salmon Cove (AVONDALE) were in existence but were separated by miles from each other. Clearly, John Guy was not referring to the Salmon Cove near Cupids in his letter of October 6, 1610 because there was no place called Salmon Cove located near Cupids in 1610! Why are the celebrations being held in Cupids? The real location of Cuperre's Cove has never been found! I have read all of the letters which John Guy, Henry Crout and Percival Willoughby wrote about Cuper's Cove and there is no mention in any of these letters about a place called Cupids . If you were writing a letter from Cupids you would likely say that you were writing from Cupids wouldn't you? I understand that the archaeologist in Cupids has not found any artifacts that can be directly linked to John Guy! There have been claims that the cemetery containing the remains of the original colonists at Cuper's Cove has been found at Cupids. No evidence has been provided to prove those claims! Apparently, the remains in the graves at Cupids have never been exhumed and subjected to DNA analysis, forensic examination and mass spectrometer and other testing by independent scientists. Nobody really knows who is in those graves in Cupids! Apparently, the Cupids claims are based on a trust us and take our word for it and what else could it be kind of science. This project in Cupids appears to be based on pseudo-archaeology and local folklore. What's next? Will somebody claim they think that the Holy Grail is buried in Cupids and ask for a $10 million dollar Government grant to dig it up? The way things are going, they would probably get such a grant! I believe that the Auditor General, the media and the opposition members should be investigating what is really going on in Cupids and be looking for real answers and facts and not simply listening to local folklore and unproven claims! Perhaps the media are afraid to rock the boat and risk losing advertising revenue and the opposition is afraid of upsetting the Premier so close to his ribbon cutting ceremony that is scheduled for Cupids in August 2010!
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- heathet
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:37:58
Could you be so kind as to forward some of your events. Thank-you
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- Philip
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:13:41
Why don't somebody give definite proof that John Guy's Cupperes coue and Cupid's are the same place. From documents written 1610-1630 it doesn't appear to be the case.
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