View of Richmond

The next few months will be very busy for our tourism associations and organizations as they prepare for the upcoming tourism season. Representatives of the tourism industry will be attending a number of travel shows with the intention of drawing visitors to our area. One of the shows that Cape Breton tourism operators are targeting for their share of the tourism dollar are the Travel and Vacation Show in Ottawa at the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park on April 2nd and 3rd. This show will have exhibitors from 40 countries and approximately 160 travel exhibits where visitors can compare prices, attend information seminars and take tourism demonstrations and entertainment from around the world. Destination Cape Breton Association will be there to promote Cape Breton Island, as part of the Nova Scotia Tourism contingency.

Another major marketing venue that Destination Cape Breton Association will be attending to attract visitors to Cape Breton is the Saltscapes East Coast Expo taking place at Exhibition Park in Halifax April 29th to May 1st. This is the 7th year that I will be representing DCBA at the Saltscapes Expo, which will have approximately 400 unique exhibitors providing more than 100 presentations and demonstration, offering visitors the opportunity to gain awarness of the many experiences that this spectacular part of the world has to offer its visitors. The Expo will highlight everything from the Unique Retail section to Savour the Flavour of Atlantic Canada to sample our culture, music and travel, as well as what's new with cottage and garden and healty living. The show has something of interest for everyone. Atlantic Canada is a very important tourism market as a high percentage of visitors travelling to our area come from the Atlantic Provinces.

On the entertainment scene: There will be a yard sale, bake sale and chinese auction held at the St. Peter's Lions Hall in St. Peters on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday March 28th, starting at 9am. This event is a fundraiser for Dorothy's Pets in Need. Dorothy's Pets in Need is a non profit entity, located in River Bourgeois, which provides shelter and food for abandoned animals.