Tourism zipping along
New operation says first summer surpassed expectations; spending in province now worth a billion dollars
Arecipe of uniqueness, pretty locale and a doorstep location to St. John’s boded well for a zipline company in the 2012 tourism year.
“Oh my God, did it ever,” said North Atlantic Ziplines Inc. operations manager Phil Smith.
The 2012 season was the first operating one for the ecotourism adventure company, though founder Rob Carter planned the business for years, carefully selecting Petty Harbour, a location about a 10-minute drive from St. John’s that retains its picturesque fishing village feel.
“The day he ran the first person through, he was ear to ear,” Smith said of Carter’s expression when the first customer ziplined across the course in June 2012.
The number of tours has well exceeded the projection in the company’s business plan, Smith said, and additional staff were required last summer.
Now, having been featured on “The Rick Mercer Report,” and by Destination St. John’s and other efforts, such as national travel guides, North Atlantic Ziplines is going into the 2013 peak season with more expectations of possibly eight tours a day and a crew of 20, Smith said.
He said, with nearly 3.5 kilometres of cable and 10 lines, it’s the largest course in Canada. Zipliners can reach speeds of up to 40-60 kilometres per hour. Heights from the ground range from 50 to 250 feet.
Two Telegram staff — web editor Glen Whiffen and photographer Keith Gosse — recently tried out the course while taking photos and video.
“You realize just how long the ziplines are when you watch the person ahead of you drop off the platform with that whir sound of the line, and the person quickly gets smaller and smaller in the distance until you lose sight of them among the hills and trees,” Whiffen said.
“There are 10 lines and each is dif- ferent. You are just flying through the sky on the lines, high above the valleys with a spectacular view, and on some lines you whip through narrow cuts in the trees. It’s pretty amazing.”
The experience was so well received, that at one point this summer, the company had a two-week waiting list as tourists were prone to prebook while locals are more spurof-the moment, Smith said.
And the operation isn’t just a seasonal one. It’s been running through the winter, including night tours. Zipliners might even catch sight of moose in the landscape below.
The demographic of the customers has surprised the company, Smith added.
He said initially it was thought the biggest appeal would be to young people, university students, rock climbers and other adventurers.
But it’s mostly women — a seven to one ratio — and lots of people age 35-50 who are trying it out.
And Smith said “The Rick Mercer Report” piece drew in teambuilding business — from businesses and groups that want to book group tours as a morale booster, or offer a new spin on the corporate retreat.
Team-building sessions, which include other features, take about five hours, Smith said.
For a standard customer, the course is two to two and a half hours at a cost of $115 per adult. (There are discounts for groups, youth and students.)
Smith said the sweeping Newfoundland tourism ads, which have won numerous awards, have helped boost the province’s tourism outlook, along with the TV show “Republic of Doyle,” which is shot in St. John’s and the surrounding area.
••• In 2012, the tourism industry became a $1-billion industry, a magical milestone Terry French was glad to announce in February. He reclaimed the Tourism portfolio in fall 2012, after a switch out to Environment in 2011.
“I am delighted to be back,” French said in an interview after announcing tourism’s worth at the annual Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) convention in February.
He pledged a goal of $1.6 billion in tourism revenue by 2020.
French noted there are now more than 600 tourism operators across the province, and the coveted ad campaign by Target Marketing is in its 16th chapter.
Tourism employs about 14,000 people in the province, French said.
He said 2012 saw a 10 per cent increase in visitors to the province over 2011.
“In a world economy where everything is going south, ours is still going north,” French said.
Possible pitfalls this summer are the domino effect in the province’s ferry fleet after it was announced the Nonia was being taken out of service.
But French said the province will roll with the punches while it continues to invest in the ferry service.
Initiatives planned for 2013 in tourism include a quality assurance program to bring businesses up to basic service standards, more emphasis on social media and an online presence to spread the word about the province’s natural and cultural attractions.
The province will also concentrate on encouraging tourism clusters similar to the one that exists in the Twillingate-Fogo area and elsewhere.
Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador will pick an area and start working on the plan, French said.
He acknowledged that Tourism, like other departments, will be looking for ways to save money as the Tory government pursues fiscal restraint.
“There are no decisions made yet,” he said.