"The Premier is playing a dishonest game with the future of VICs in Nova Scotia. The Liberals should immediately stop this short-sighted decision before any more damage is done.”
The union representing workers at the Provincial tourism Visitor Centres and a PC MLA from Southwest Nova have expressed concerns Tuesday about the VICs "missing" from the 2016 version of the Doers and Dreamers Guide.
In previous versions of the Guide, the VICs were identified on the provincial map with a "?", the universal symbol for "tourism information". This year's map is absent the symbols.
“Is this how they are communicating the closure to the employees?” asked NSGEU president Joan Jessome. “Workers from Visitor Information Centres across Nova Scotia have yet to be called back to work. This is the exact same pattern we saw last year when [premier Stephen] McNeil shut down VICs in Pictou and Digby.”
McNeil, says Jessome in a news release, shut down Digby and Pictou VICs last year without any warning to staff, the industry or communities.
Recently, there have beeb fears that six additional centres will be shuttered, including the VIC at the Ferry Terminal in Yarmouth.
“If the province is trying to increase tourism, why is the Government getting rid of our “faces of tourism”?” asked Jessome. “While Government may be happy with telling visitors to just “Google it”, workers in these centres provide a personal touch and are able to direct visitors to hidden gems throughout Nova Scotia.”
“When the six Information Centres are left off the map and the currently non-existent ferry is featured – there is something strange going on and it is time the Premier explain to Nova Scotians what his plans are,” said Jessome.“Is this how they are communicating the closure to the employees?” asked Jessome. “Workers from Visitor Information Centres across Nova Scotia have yet to be called back to work. This is the exact same pattern we saw last year when McNeil shut down VICs in Pictou and Digby.”
Tourism Nova Scotia spokesman Mike MacKenzie told SCT that the VICs do appear on the regional maps in the guide and explained that change was due to "changing habits" of travelers.
“Clearly, the decision [to close the centres] has been made," said Argyle-Barrington-Pubnico PC MLA Chris d'Entremont. "We have been asking about this since last fall. Stephen McNeil should just tell us the truth. The Premier is playing a dishonest game with the future of VICs in Nova Scotia. The Liberals should immediately stop this short-sighted decision before any more damage is done.”
Bay Ferries has been negotiating with the Province on a contract to operate the Ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine, but says that that an agreement has not been reached to date. Bay Ferries includes the Yarmouth-to-Portland route on its full-age ad in the Guide, but does not include Yarmoutyh in its promotion of the Maritime Ferry Trail. When asked why the Yarmouth-Portland route was advertised in the Guide with no agreement in place, MacKenzie told SCT that Tourism Nova Scotia shared the confidence of the Transportation Department that a deal would be reached.