Destination Halifax Showcases Nova Scotia's Strengths

by Natalie Clifford

After her family moved to London, Ont., Pat Lyall yearned to return to her familiar home in Nova Scotia. When she was planning for university, her parents agreed the province was the best place for her to learn.

Lyall is a model of the balance and success that can come with living, learning and working in Nova Scotia. It is that lifestyle that convinced her parents to follow her home to continue three generations of Nova Scotia roots.

Today, as president and CEO of Destination Halifax, Lyall says she finds it easy to attract clients to the province she has no aspiration to leave.

Having met her life partner here, and gained an education that has brought her far in life, Lyall understands and endorses the value of learning, working and living in Nova Scotia. The balance Lyall and her husband have achieved is one of the many draws of the province. They have raised two children here and can't imagine living anywhere else.

"We are fairly rooted as true Maritimers and true Nova Scotians, and are very proud of it," Lyall says. "Nova Scotia is relatively small, but when you look at the infusion of diverse populations because of our academic core, our population explodes for eight months of the year.

"These people are able to associate relationship firsts and memorable moments with their time in Nova Scotia. Roots and threads are planted, and later in life, they will speak highly of Nova Scotia and, by and large, become ambassadors of what we are."

Early in her career, Lyall took summer jobs in the tourism and hospitality field. Her first was with Saint Mary's University. The growing university took the initiative to generate extra revenue through building rentals and hosting conferences. At the brink of a successful business trend, the initiative was a learning curve of invention and innovation for all involved. That drive to create has grown stronger since Lyall's early days in the field; today she is taking business and tourism in Nova Scotia to a new level.

When approached to assist with the Destination Halifax start-up in 2002, Lyall was confident in the potential of Halifax and Nova Scotia as a tourism and business destination.

"Among the unique characteristics of our city is the ability to position Halifax as an urban resort. Halifax is a model of how balance can be accomplished when you live in Nova Scotia. Halifax has the sophistication and offering of culinary experiences, live theatre, entertainment and shopping, that is comparable to anywhere in the world, yet still, within 15 to 20 minutes, you can literally be on the sea coast and dipping your toes into the Atlantic Ocean.

"The accessibility of our harbour is unique. Other cities have harbours, but rarely do you have such ease of access that you can walk along the waterfront, and feel that you are interacting with that feature. The harbour is busy and traffic inspires curiousity. A sense of adventure in the city -- now that is an unusual opportunity."

With the array of clients and services Destination Halifax deals with there is no such thing as a normal business day for Lyall, and that is how she likes it.

"We survive on working with customer groups, internal suppliers and products at the mercy of others, this is the truest test of flexibility. No matter who we are dealing with, we always portray a few key values; integrity, pride, honesty, and a real priority on delivering on the promise."

Lyall sees these key values as vital assets to Nova Scotia, and encourages businesses and residents alike to take part in the initiative.

"While the balance appeals to people from away, it is important that it is maintained by our residents and that they are proud of it. Show off and have a sense of pride for the people that choose Nova Scotia instead of going elsewhere."

During her career in tourism, Lyall has seen significant changes.

"Competition has grown dramatically. Technology has also grown, and so it is easier to attract a wide array of clients. Historically, Nova Scotia and the Maritimes have put a lot of emphasis on trading with the U.S. However, as new obstacles surface in the global economy such as cross-border security, Nova Scotia's proximity to Europe is very beneficial. Awareness in continental Europe markets is growing and direct air service has increased."

When it comes to business tourism, Lyall says access is key. And that is one of Nova Scotia's best assets.

As one of Lyall's clients put it, "Halifax, Nova Scotia is one of the few places in the world where you can still do business on a handshake."

Destination Halifax puts great emphasis on making sure potential clients know about Nova Scotia's lengthy list of attributes.

"We are as hip as the next guy, but we do it here in a way that will be memorable. The brand is the promise, and it needs to be integrated into the way the phone is answered, how quickly you respond to inquiries, the way you represent the organization, the people and the province.

"It is in the way you deal with people, it is ingrained, it is not a logo, not a tag-line. It is a culture, and you wear it on your sleeve."

And it is that authenticity that makes it a joy for Lyall to welcome people to Nova Scotia.

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/

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