Championing the Island’s Prosperity: CBU and Destination Cape Breton Renew MOU

Cape Breton University (CBU) and Destination Cape Breton Association (DCBA) have undertaken a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the spirit of progressing the Island’s development over the next five years. On October 28, both parties re-entered a non-binding agreement to work together, share strategies and undertake activities toward the aligned goals of tourism development and employment creation on the Island. The MOU originated in 2018 and both parties have worked together since.

Destination Cape Breton is an incorporated non-profit society that works toward the growth of Cape Breton’s tourism industry through destination marketing and tourism product innovation. Since 2011, DCBA has been fulfilling its mandate as the destination marketing organisation for Cape Breton Island. Within its role, DCBA actively markets the destination to potential visitors and takes strategic steps alongside its industry partners to develop the Island. 

In the spirit of cooperation and reciprocity, both parties will be undertaking the following deliverables in the first 90 days of the agreement:

• Explore mutually beneficial strategies that support Destination Cape Breton’s Rise Again 2030, Cape Breton Island’s Destination Development Strategy.
• Collaborate on strategies that will introduce and/or immerse Cape Breton University students to the tourism sector on the Island. 
• Identify opportunities to work with Indigenous partners to grow Indigenous tourism on Cape Breton Island.
• Cooperate to develop and implement training, education and professional development opportunities for the tourism industry on the Island.
• Share research that will be mutually beneficial to both parties as collaborative activities are being explored.
• Examine opportunities for joint efforts designed to recruit and retain students/alumni to work in the Cape Breton Island tourism industry.
• Work together to develop mutually beneficial activities such as, but not limited to, lectures, materials, research, conferences, scholarships or co-branding opportunities.

The MOU establishes a relationship between the two parties that is research-based and works toward implementing and developing opportunities for students in the Tourism sector, a vital contributor to the Island’s economy. Another key highlight of the relationship is the focus on the growth of Indigenous tourism. Further, working together on training, education and professional development for current workers provides an edge to the sector with regards to current industry standards leading to effective and efficient growth. The established relationship also strengthens the DCBA’s Rise Again 2030 campaign which aims at making Cape Breton Island a world-class, four-season tourism destination with dynamic tourism clusters and supporting businesses and institutions that leverage the destination for research, innovation and economic growth.

To find out more about Destination Cape Breton visit: https://destinationcapebreton.com/