Session 1 - Mayor Dennis O'Keefe

St. John's Delivering Excellence

By Mayor Dennis O'KeefeChair, Cruise St. John'sOct 13 2011

Award Winning Port

• 2010 Winner " Best Port Welcome" by Dream World Cruise Destinations Magazine

• St. John’s selected as one of five ports, along with Bali, Indonesia; Cobb, Ireland; Guadeloupe; and Koper, Slovenia

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

• Local Partnerships

• Cruise Line Partnerships

• A Strong Destination

• We Go The Extra Mile

• It's About The Little Things

• Vibrant and Evolving

• Safe Haven for Mariners

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

Local Partnerships

• St. John's Cruise Committee

• Comprised of City Departments, St. John’s Port Authority, CBSA, Tour Operators, Ships Agents, Downtown Development Association, Major Attraction's Operators, Taxi Industry, Destination St. John’s, RNC etc.

• Plan and prepare for each visit

• Cooperate and share information

• Communicate

• Anticipate

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

Cruise Line Partnerships

• We meet

• We communicate

• We listen

• We act

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

A Strong Destination

• Safe & Secure

• Friendly & Hospitable

• Culture & Heritage

• Scenery & Natural Environment

• Ships Dock Downtown

• Shopping

• Unique Shore Excursions

• Award Winning Destination Management Companies

• Modern Infrastructure

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

We go the Extra Mile

• Welcome Entertainment

• Tourism Desk onboard vessel

• RNC Mounted Unit dockside and throughout downtown

• Ambassadors in uniform dockside and downtown

• Onboard Entertainment for Home Porting vessels

• Freedom of the Seaport Ceremony to celebrate Inaugural Visits

• Farewell Musket Salute

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

It's About the Little Things

• Welcome and directional signs on

harbour apron and downtown

• Welcome signs in windows of downtown merchants

• Parks Canada Signal Flags of welcome flags Cabot Tower

• Flags dockside

• Banners and flowers

• Downtown & dockside clean up

• Research

Why is St. John's an Award Winning Port?

Vibrant and Evolving

• Industry partners product development initiatives such as …

• National Geographic Map Guide Project

• Recruitment Party

• Weapons of Warfare

• Fort Cape Spear

• Bunkers and Berries Program

• Quidi Vidi Craft Incubator

• The Rooms and Johnson GeoCentre Exhibits

What Makes St. John's an Award Winning Port?

Safe Haven for Mariners

• Sheltered Port

• Convenient Location

• Ability to Mobilize Partners

Thank You