Making Memories For Visitors, Making Revenue For Providers
What is Experiential Tourism?
Experiential Tourism is fueled by a global travel movement toward experiential learning and an experience economy. Visitors create memories through authentic cultural hands-on experiences that engage the senses and make connections on an emotional, spiritual or intellectual level.
Each experiential product is unique and not an experience one can typically find in travels elsewhere, e.g. in any harbour on the eastern seaboard, a visitor can find deep sea fishing. In PEI, water-based experiential packages include picking bar clams, hauling lobster traps, picking a mussel sock, tonging for oysters and learning how to prep it to eat. These are unique opportunities.
Experiential tourism is not workshops, tours, excursions and/or presentations. To be certified as an Authentic PEI Experience, all of the criteria listed below must be meet:
Criteria for Authentic PEI Experience Product
1. Hands-On Activities
A desired outcome is to achieve a complete participatory experience that provides new knowledge and authentic experiences. Participants must get their hands dirty making, creating, hauling, digging, gathering etc.
The Farm, Forge Fiddle experience invites visitors to work with a farmer and horses as done in the 1890s. Forge spoons with a blacksmith and learn to play them with a fiddler. Finally, learn to square dance before a chef-prepared meal onsite.
2. Community Experts
Authentic Islanders are individuals who enjoy sharing their expertise and makes any visitor feel welcome into a special place in our Island culture. Additionally, environmentally conscious travelers want local
people who live in harmony with their environment.
The Beat of the Drum experience invites visitors to work with an Indigenous artisan to learn the importance of the hand drum to the Mi’kmaq culture. Participants prepare the drum base and weave in a moose to complete a drum to take home.
3. Uses All Five Senses
The visitor has the opportunity to engage all five senses, which in turn will enhance and ingrain the experience as unique and identifiable
with Prince Edward Island.
The Lobster Excursion experience invites visitors to smell the salt air; see the crisp blue water and red cliffs; touch live lobster when pulling them from a trap; hear the seagulls circling the boat looking for lobsters and taste freshly cooked lobsters eaten on the fishing boat
4. Personal & Intimate
Regardless of the type of experience being offered, the authentic provider must be personal and engaging. Thus, group sizes must be capped to a number that allows for this. The expert must be knowledgeable and make guests feel comfortable asking questions and sharing thoughts.
5. Public Safety Requirements
All necessary certifications for water, air and culinary experiences must be obtained. Some examples, but not necessary all, are liability insurance and DFO approval.
6. Food Handling Safety
The Food Safety Handing Course provided by Environmental Health is mandatory for all experiences providing any type of food. At a minimum, one individual onsite must have valid food handling certification.
All experiences that offer food must post an on-location notice from Tourism PEI. This indicates that the experience is not a certified culinary experience, yet the provider has met the criteria for exemption as outlined by the Department of Health and Wellness, including food handling training.
Process for Authentic PEI Experience Certification
Complete the application below or download the form, complete and send by email. It will be reviewed by Tourism PEI. For more information, contact Eamon Dooley, Tourism Development Officer.
When approved, Authentic PEI Experiences are posted to TourismPEI.com. Note: if a proposed experience is not approved by Tourism PEI, that does not mean exemption from Public Health Act regulations.