The Municipalities have partnered to take a unified approach to the growth and development of the tourism sector in our area, which we’re calling the Cumberland region. From May 2018 to June 2019, the Municipalities worked collaboratively with tourism industry stakeholders to produce the Cumberland Region Tourism Development Strategy (the CRTD Strategy). The Municipalities generally followed the process outlined in the “Guide to Community Tourism Planning in Nova Scotia” to develop the CRTD Strategy. The CRTD Strategy was developed to align with regional and provincial goals and strategies related to tourism and economic development.
It is important to recognize that the Municipalities’ vision and goals include increasing tourism revenues by attracting higher yield visitors that will stay longer rather than by attracting a higher overall number of visitors. We aim to achieve a balance between increasing tourism revenues to grow our economy and enjoying and protecting our natural environment. Sustainable tourism practices that celebrate and respect the culture, history, and natural environment will be vital to the success of the Cumberland region. The CRTD Strategy specifies the Cumberland region priority target audience as the following three Explorer Quotient® (EQ®) explorer types: cultural explorers, authentic experiencers, and free spirits from Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and Quebec.
The CRTD Strategy defines the vision for tourism in the region as “to be recognized as a four‐season tourism destination through facilitating the development, enhancement, preservation, and collective marketing of our natural, historic, and cultural assets, leading to an improved economy and quality of life.” The overall goal, as stated in the CRTD Strategy, is to increase “pleasure visitors’” length of stay within the region by two days to an average length of stay of 8.3 days and to increase annual tourism revenues in the Cumberland region by $27 million by 2024. To reach this goal, the CRTD Strategy outlines the following five objectives:
1. Collaborative tourism leadership structure
2. Branding and marketing
3. Sustainable tourism asset development
4. Communication, engagement, and outreach
5. Extend shoulder season and develop winter
The CRTD Strategy vision, goal, and objectives will be achieved through a collaborative approach undertaken by the Municipalities, the tourism industry operators, and other partners. The CRTD Strategy outlines an action plan to be implemented over the next three years. One of the first action items in the CRTD Strategy is to develop a tourism brand strategy and visual identity, create a tactical‐ level marketing strategy, and to design and develop a tourism‐specific website.
The Municipality of the County of Cumberland, in partnership with the Town of Amherst and the Town of Oxford, invites qualified service providers to submit proposals to create a tourism brand strategy and visual identity for the Cumberland region, to develop a tactical‐level tourism marketing strategy for the Cumberland region, and to design and develop a tourism‐specific website for the Cumberland region.
Background:
The Cumberland region occupies an area of 4200 km2 of mainland Nova Scotia and is the only land entrance to Nova Scotia. It is composed of three municipal units – the Municipality of Cumberland, the Town of Amherst, and the Town of Oxford – together, referred to as the Municipalities.
The Municipality of Cumberland is comprised of many communities; including Pugwash, Joggins, and Advocate. Although small, these communities are distinct and possess their own unique identities. For instance, Joggins Fossil Cliffs has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Pugwash is home to the renowned Thinkers’ Lodge National Historic Site, and the Globe and Mail highlighted Advocate Harbour as one of five hidden vacation gems from across Canada. In recent years, the Town of Springhill and the Town of Parrsboro both dissolved, becoming communities within the Municipality of Cumberland.
The Town of Amherst is the largest regional centre in the Cumberland region, with a population of 9,555. Amherst is known for its historic architecture and charming downtown area, and for the festivals and events it hosts throughout the year, including the annual Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival
Oxford is located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia with a population of 1,190. Oxford is just minutes off the Trans Canada Highway and is centrally located between the two airports of Moncton and Halifax and fifteen minutes from the beautiful Northumberland Shore beaches. It is officially recognized as the Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada, home to the world’s largest processor of wild blueberries. The Trans Canada Trail passes through the town and Oxford and is recognized for its excellent multi use trails. Oxford is also known for the confluence of three rivers, River Phillip, Black and Little Rivers providing excellent fishing for Atlantic salmon, brown trout, sea run trout and speckle trout as well as kayaking, canoeing and general boating.
Scope of Work:
The scope of work for this project includes three distinct portions of work: development of a tourism brand strategy and visual identity, creation of a tactical‐level tourism marketing strategy, and the design and development of a tourism‐specific website. The expected scope of work for each portion is described in further detail in Schedule A.
5. DELIVERABLES
The successful Proponent will complete the following deliverables, as described in the “Scope of Work” and Schedule A:
1. A tourism brand strategy and visual identity for the Cumberland region
2. A tactical‐level marketing strategy for the Cumberland region
3. Design and development of a tourism website for the Cumberland region
6. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE
The following reports and information are available for reference. To receive digital copies of these documents, please visit the websites and links below.
a) Cumberland Region Tourism Development Strategy‐ https://www.cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/899‐ cumberland‐region‐tourism‐strategy/file.html
b) Cumberland region tourism asset inventory‐ https://cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/rfp‐and‐tenders.html
c) Driving Export Revenue 2017‐2022 Strategic Plan‐ https://tourismns.ca/sites/default/files/Driving%20Export%20Revenue%20‐%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf
d) Tourism Nova Scotia research‐ https://www.tourismns.ca/research/explorer‐quotient
e) Town of Amherst Community Economic Profile https://amherst.ca/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=3052‐2018‐ community‐profile‐booklet‐small&category_slug=community‐and‐economic‐ development&Itemid=329
f) Cape d’Or Master Plan‐ https://www.cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/capital‐projects/800‐cape‐d‐or‐ master‐plan/file.html
g) Pugwash Waterfront Development Master Plan‐ https://www.cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/news/737‐pugwash‐waterfront‐development‐final‐report‐combined/file.html
March 18th
Address:
MUNICIPALITY OF CUMBERLAND
UPPER NAPPAN SERVICE CENTRE
1395 BLAIR LAKE ROAD, RR # 6
AMHERST N.S B4H 3Y4
Attention: Stephanie Moreau, Tourism Development Officer
Relevant agencies worth considering include Walker Sands and Crenshaw Communications.