The Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor is one of three corridors supported through Destination Canada’s Tourism Corridor Strategy Program. Learn more about the program through the following links:

• Tourism Corridor Strategy Program
• FAQs

Three of Canada’s Atlantic provinces—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador—are home to more than a dozen United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sites, which contribute to pride of place and form a network of unique landscapes, rich cultural history, and diverse offerings.

UNESCO’s prestigious global brand attracts visitors from around the world who are eager to experience Atlantic Canada’s heritage sites, characterized by critical ecosystems, pristine landscapes, and areas of cultural significance. Due to their popularity, some sites have reached or exceeded their seasonal carrying capacity while others remain under visited and overlooked.

Through the development of the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor, opportunities were identified to:

• Develop shoulder- and off-season offers.
• Redistribute and disperse summer travellers.
• Attract high-value guests that grow local economies while supporting community values and protecting ecological integrity.

The Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor brought together the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, Fundy Biosphere Region, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Parks Canada to:

• Convene diverse stakeholders.
• Foster innovation.
• Identify a common vision for the future, where humans and the environment connect and thrive.

The strategy for the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor is based on regenerative tourism principles, focused on generating wealth and wellbeing for the region. Several objectives guided the strategy development:

• Explore opportunities for collaboration across jurisdictions that exist for planning, prioritizing, and investment.
• Build a consistent visitor experience supported by local and rural communities.
• Support multi-day trip planning that features UNESCO sites and enables travel throughout Atlantic Canada.
• Foster innovation in regenerative, experiential, authentic approaches to tourism that aligns with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UNESCO priorities.

The following 13 sites form the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor:

• Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve
• Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark
• Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark
• Fundy Biosphere Region
• Gros Morne National Park
• Joggins Fossil Cliffs World Heritage Site
• L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site
• Landscape of Grand Pré World Heritage Site
• Mistaken Point World Heritage Site
• Old Town Lunenburg World Heritage Site
• Red Bay Basque Whaling Station World Heritage Site
• Southwest Nova Biosphere Region
• Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark

The Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor project, which started in June 2023 and was completed in December 2023, is now at its implementation stage. A dedicated corridor team is leading the implementation with Destination Canada’s support.

The development of the corridor project with Destination Canada, involves involved three co-created deliverables:

1. Corridor Strategy: Define vision, align resources, engage stakeholders.
2. Implementation Plan: Plan execution, identify timeline/priorities, inform or establish governance.
3. Investment Plan: Identify investment needed, suggest opportunities, identify potential funding sources.

The Corridor Strategy development process included several critical stages of engagement with corridor partners, stakeholders, and community members. These stakeholders were invited to review the opportunities and participate by sharing their knowledge, input, and ideas.

Activities to ensure outreach and engagement included:

• UNESCO site briefings and assessments.
• Online survey for corridor partners, stakeholders, and community members, etc.
• Workshops for corridor partners, UNESCO sites, and broader stakeholders to formulate, validate, and refine the strategy.

Governance for implementing the strategy was outlined in the Implementation Plan, while the Investment Plan outlined how the development of the corridor will be financially supported.

In partnership with Destination Canada, the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor project was co-led by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the Fundy Biosphere Region & Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark.

With the participation of the project leads, Destination Canada selected and engaged experts from tourism consultancy firm, Vardo Creative, to guide the project and co-create the key deliverables in collaboration with the corridor partners and stakeholders. Vardo’s team includes expertise in strategic corridor development, Indigenous engagement, regenerative tourism, international markets, and financial analysis.

Additional partners collaborating on the project included Parks Canada, the governments of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, and the UNESCO sites showcased through the Corridor.

If you have any questions about the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor, please reach out to Erica, Vanessa, or Jennifer for further details.