Travel & Tourism Awards 2020

www.lux-review.com Page 83 LUX Travel and Tourism Awards 2020 Describing the magic that makes somewhere special is like wrestling with smoke, but that’s the job of YASTA. This is the group that ties tourism in the area together, drawing the disparate elements into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Through product development and marketing, YASTA is the force that shares with the world where the land meets the sea, where cultures collaborate and where the stars align. YASTA tells the story of the indelible connection between people and place. The small, but committed staff hope that through authentic experiences and products that share the tales of Yarmouth & Acadian Shores, they can encourage more people to visit. Several methods are utilized, including digital marketing, content creation, event attraction and development as well as exploring the ways that people use the tourist trade. They measure this success by how many room nights have sold in the region, tracking visitor numbers to attractions and events and engagement on social media and their website. Collaboration between local operators and partners is essential to the success of YASTA, and crucial to being able to share the best that the area has to offer. With an exciting range of options from the breath-taking Deep Sky Eye Observatory to the award-winning destination Cape Forchu, there is plenty to commend the area and working together ensures that business can support each other. Tourism doesn’t just revolve around the businesses that directly appeal to customers. Just as important are those organizations that promote tourism activities. Hailing from Nova Scotia, the non-profit Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Tourism Association (YASTA) performs this important role. Here at LUXlife, we looked a little closer to discover more. Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Tourism Association Best Tourism Promotion NPO 2020 - Nova Scotia YASTA firmly believes in telling the authentic stories of this region and aligning tourism experiences that celebrate it, will only bring more people to the area. New ideas and fresh perspectives are key to advertising this unique but ever-growing, region of Nova Scotia. More people from the United States, Eastern Canada and Germany are visiting every year. Over the past two years YASTA has also made investments in user-generated content that have helped showcase what the destination has to offer and increase online engagement. As talk around the climate crisis rumbles on, YASTA has taken great pride in helping operators promote sustainable tourism experiences such as the Deep Sky Eye Observatory and the Tusket Island Tours both winning the Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Awards (2018 & 2019). Perhaps the greatest sign of YASTA’s success is the growing reputation of the area within the Province. Belying its size as a small community, Yarmouth & Acadian Shores is host to a tremendous amount of successful major events. This is a credit to the willingness of municipal partners and private sector operators who are willing to partner with the team to grow the tourism economy. These partnerships have included film festivals, car companies and culinary businesses. For the most part, the work of organizations like YASTA are not talked about, but they play a major part in the way that we hear about interesting places with something different to offer. As the work continues for YASTA, we think about the success that collaboration and partnership has brought in bringing together all these different groups, and what success they will all achieve in the future. Company: Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Tourism Association Contact: Neil Mackenzie Web: www.yarmouthandacadianshores.com