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By Madeleine Leclerc

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Following months of preparation, the Town of Grand Falls' Economic Development, Tourism and Culture Department has launched its new 28-page tourism guide.

Inside its pages, the guide features the history of Grand Falls and the falls and gorge which have made the town famous, as well as a list of restaurants and accommodations, a road map and a list of things for tourists to see and do while in town. Approximately 15,000 copies were printed.

"Tourists who consult the guide will not be able to say that there is nothing to do during their stay with us," stated Vicky Durepos-Landry, Director of the Economic Development, Tourism and Culture Department.

"We started working on it late last year. Tenders were called for in January towards its publication. In February, photos and texts were prepared for printing," she added. "We based our information on what was already available, much of it from the Falls and Gorge Commission. The information was updated and researched," she added.

Copies of the guide were distributed during a tourism show held on April 18 and 19 in Quebec as well as other locations. "The guide will also be placed in restaurants, campgrounds, tourism centres, etc.," stated Durepos-Landry.

"For its 2009 edition, the tourism guide will probably be upgraded to only one sheet, folded in two or four, to be a more eco-friendly publication. Less paper, thus less pages," added Durepos-Landry who is looking into a more interesting format.

"I will also be attending a tourism show in Moncton May 2 and 3, on behalf of the Town and in conjunction with the River Valley Tourism Association.

"Both Denis Boucher, Economic Development, Tourism and Culture Assistant Director and I are also working on a business plan towards modernizing both the Malabeam and La Rochelle tourism centres. A study was made in February by a tourism consultant who recommended that these two centres receive facelifts. These buildings were built in 1983 and need major renovations."

Since the falls and gorge are among the province's top 10 tourism attractions, they are heavily promoted by its Tourism Department, at no cost to the town.

"For example, the April edition of The Reader's Digest and the May edition of the Canadian Living magazine featured advertisements featuring the falls and gorge," stated Durepos-Landry.

"The province also has two full colour pages on the falls and gorge in its new tourism guide. These two pages alone would have cost the town approximately $24,000, but since our attractions are among the top 10, there was no cost to the municipality."

"Last year, the Malabeam Centre welcomed 62,000 visitors. We're seeing less and less tourists from Ontario and Quebec. The high gas prices as well as the increase in the Canadian dollar are certainly factors in the drop in tourists from these provinces. People are more selective in their way of choosing where to visit and stay," stated Denise Lagacé-Rioux, town councillor and representative with the Economic Development, Tourism and Culture Department.

"As a member of the River Valley Tourism Association, the Town also promotes the St. John River from Grand Falls all the way to Saint John and its Reversing Falls," she said.

"We also have many people who visit after hearing about the falls and gorge attractions from family members who still live in Grand Falls," she added.

Durepos-Landry also plans on working with the Falls and Gorge Commission towards making more residents of Grand Falls up to St. Quentin/Kedgwick, Edmundston and Woodstock aware of the local attractions and give the latter more exposure.

"We tend to take these attractions for granted. How many among us have ever taken the boat ride in the gorge? There are still many residents who have never been on the boat ride or have ever walked along the trails from the Malabeam Centre up to the La Rochelle, as well as along Lovers' Lane up to the dam," she added.

"A lot of people still do not realize what we have here. People need to appreciate it," Durepos-Landry pointed out.