Our Story

When you live on an Island made up of just 150,000 year-round locals and are used to welcoming an additional 1.5 million visitors each year, you don’t just see the impact of this pandemic–you feel it. Its effects are felt in every household, business, and city block. As entrepreneurs who work closely with these businesses, many in the tourism sector, we felt compelled to do something to help.

Back up to 2015 for a second. A tourism client here on Prince Edward Island calls us during peak season and asked us to help. Here’s why: “I just overheard a front line worker tell a traveller there was nothing to do around here. Imagine! Here we are trying to make hay, and give guests an experience they want to tell their friends about and here these locals are sending them away. We need to do something!”

There’s a lot to do around here!

Eager to help, we developed the Experience Specialist Program to both inspire and educate front-line workers and operators so they are prepared to offer up as many experiences as possible to our guests. When we developed the program, we planned to deliver a few sessions.

We have now trained thousands of Islanders! We couldn’t possibly have imagined its impact on our Island communities – and on ourselves. Connecting with locals, instilling pride in where they come from, putting faces to local businesses who depend on our support is so rewarding. A true passion project. 

This program is needed now more than ever.

We need to be prepared that travel will look different, everywhere. That the importance of encouraging someone to stay, stay longer, try something new has never been more significant. Locals need to excite and inspire other locals to spend. And when the guests start to return, and they will, everyone needs to be prepared to get out there and show them what they’ve got to offer. 

Spreading the Experience Specialist Impact

We’re excited to have packaged our Experience Specialist Program in a way that allows other regions to benefit. We hope it serves you and your community as well as it has ours. We hope you see renewed energy, optimisim, and a stronger sense of unity.

People working together to build and strengthen their homes is what it’s all about.

Wishing you good luck!

Kerry Anne MacDougall
Dawn Binns