Since its 1997 debut, Celtic Colours has established itself as one of Canada’s premiere musical events, and a cultural highlight of Nova Scotia’s tourism season, with a reputation for excellence that is known around the world. The combination of top-notch talent—both local and international—with spectacular scenery is a winning one. Through Celtic Colours, Cape Breton during October has become more than just a destination, it’s a tourism experience waiting to happen.
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has recognized this, naming Celtic Colours International Festival one of the Signature Experiences Collection® (SEC)—an innovative marketing program with the goal of inspiring more high-spending international travelers to book their next vacation in Canada.
“Through this program our festival will be able to reach markets that we have not had the resources to develop,” says Mary Pat Mombourquette, Business Director of Celtic Colours. “We have noticed, in recent years, that our international audience is expanding beyond the countries where Celtic traditions flourish such as Scotland and Ireland. People from Australia, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, China, France and Germany also took in our festival this year. Being part of the Signature Experiences Collection, will allow us to expand these markets and create new ones.”
The SEC, first launched in July, showcases high-quality Canadian tourism enterprises from coast to coast to coast that deliver the authentic experiences CTC research says its international customers look for when they choose a vacation. As ambassadors of Canada’s tourism brand, “Canada. Keep Exploring”, these memorable experiences have met rigorous criteria to ensure they will stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace.
And Celtic Colours certainly does stand out in the marketplace. For the second consecutive year, the nine-day cultural celebration has been recognized as a finalist for the Canadian Tourism Awards in the National Cultural Tourism category. The Canadian Tourism Awards, presented by The Toronto Star, allow Canada’s tourism industry to recognize those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer a superior tourism experience to travelers in Canada. Selected by a jury of tourism industry professionals, the awards will be handed out November 24, 2011 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.
