Private Public Leadership
A Partnership for Tourism Growth & Development
Realizing our vision for a prosperous tourism industry, one that will see the value of the sector doubled by 2020, requires a significant shift in thinking, and a transformation in the way government and industry work together.
Our common goal is a sustainable tourism sector that taps into our growth potential and delivers maximum economic, social, and cultural value. Government, public agencies, industry, and communities need to work collectively towards it. Significant linkages between us all will be vital to our future success.
With an aggressive target identified, our strategy affirms the need for partnership working on an unprecedented level. A shared leadership between government and industry is crucial to ensure participation and reinforcement of industry engagement in the delivery of the strategy’s action plan.
In the current landscape, there is no one entity that is ultimately responsible and accountable for leading the growth and development of a highly interdependent tourism industry. Tourism’s current structure is neither adaptable nor responsive. Further, it is highly fragmented.
While there are positive relationships among government, industry, and non-profit organizations to build upon, there is a strong need to better organize and focus our efforts.
All government departments and agencies with tourism-related mandates need to strategically align and integrate. And government needs more industry stakeholder input to ensure a strategic focus towards our shared goal.
In addition, regional tourism organizations such as destination marketing organizations and non-profit tourism experience providers, need to have well-defined roles, responsibilities, and financial support structures. And leadership throughout the industry needs to be strengthened with further training and development.
Through the visioning process, government, industry, and all stakeholders have developed the foundation for a formal partnership. Our new Tourism Board will champion the implementation of our vision and lead the way to 2020.
The Board’s immediate key priorities will be to:
- Define and drive tourism investment and development decisions focused on the research, marketing, product development, and visitor experience priorities of Vision 2020.
- Align government and industry efforts by building strong linkages throughout the provincial and federal governments; define the roles, responsibilities, and financial support structures for our tourism organizations; develop closer links with local communities and regions; and strengthen the leadership capacity within our industry.
- Use every available communication tool and avenue to communicate Vision 2020 and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders.
The Board will be a true private public partnership comprised of government and industry leaders and will evolve into the leading organization for tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Initially, the new Tourism Board will be comprised of:
- 4 tourism industry leaders.
- 4 Destination Marketing Organizations leaders.
- 4 senior government leaders.
The Board will have access to additional expertise as needed to achieve our vision and strategy, and will be supported by an industry secretariat to perform policy, administrative, and communication functions.
It is critical that the leaders of the new Board have the skills and abilities necessary to carry out their mandate. Members will be senior leaders within their own business, department or organization, and recognized leaders within our industry. They will have a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities of our industry, and a commitment to the priorities of Vision 2020.
