Agriculture and Tourism
Until 2009, Northumberland County did not have a brand to identify itself and describe who we are. I advocated and lobbied for the new brand and 401 signage for six years to make it happen. The new branded signs are now also installed at all entrances to Northumberland County.
When Northumberland County first ventured into Economic Development, I was very vocal in supporting the creation of this department to give a larger, regional appeal to developers, agriculture, agri-business, marketing and tourism. Although most of the member municipalities in Northumberland were invloved in economic development in some fashion or another, I believed that a large “regional” advocacy department with a larger revenue stream would have far better opportunities of making national and international connections. The data that has been collected and compiled by County staff is invaluable and will pay off for us in time.
The new Online Booking and Reservation System pilot project is another exciting initiative coming soon. Tourists will be able to access smaller and seasonal operators such as cottage resorts, bed and breakfasts, attractions, and events to help compete with larger branded franchised operators. It will provide a state of the art market place for potential visitors and encourage them to visit more often and stay longer. This project was approved by County Council with a specific allocation of 15,000.00 from the 50,000.00 2010 Tourism Technology Initiative Fund. It is designed to stimulate small local businesses that could not achieve this high degree of e-marketing and e-commerce without a combined market and partnership strategy.