Atlantic Canada is expecting a rise in tourism, as one of its ecological reserves is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its 565-million-year-old fossils.
Found in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve is one of seven world heritage sites in Atlantic Canada.
It is located on the rocky stretch of coastline on the southeastern tip of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula – home to some of the oldest known evidence of complex, multicellular life.
A designation from UNESCO is regarded as the most prestigious recognition a fossil site can get and it will have an important effect on the reserve, with visitor numbers set to soar.
Guided walks to see the fossil site will be one of the key activities being promoted by the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership during World Travel Market London (7-9 November 2016).
The partnership comprises the four provinces of Atlantic Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Atlantic Canada is the closest North American destination from the UK, and is a five- or six-hour flight from London.
The partnership will also highlight Nova Scotia’s new Seafood Trail, which is the first of its kind in Canada.
The culinary trail brings together a collection of 85 restaurants, retailers and fisheries which highlight the province’s range of seafood products and experiences.
actp-ptca.ca
Stand: NA400