Discover Halifax is currently working on updating its corporate strategies for Marketing and Group Sales. Our existing five-year strategies outline our target market for both leisure and business travel that remains relevant today.
As the non-profit destination marketing organization for the Halifax Regional Municipality, we pride ourselves on understanding our ideal visitor. We know what experiences they are looking for, where they are travelling from, and why they want to come here.
We work carefully with our partners to make informed and research-based marketing decisions to attract travellers from safe markets.
Leisure
As the largest city in the Maritimes, Halifax brings a fun, urban energy with unlimited things to do.
For visitors coming from Atlantic Canada, we offer the best shopping, most restaurants, and energetic events. For visitors coming from other parts of Canada and the Northeastern United States, Halifax offers authentic Maritime hospitality, fresh seafood and incredible coastal experience.
Our primary market segments by geography:
- Near Markets (overnight)
- Ontario
- Rest of Canada
- United States
- Europe
Our sub-segments and niche markets:
- Urban experiencers
- Cruise
- Visiting friends and relatives
- Shopping
- LBGTQ+, New Canadians, etc.
- Other opportunities (i.e. Motorcycle, etc.)
Business
Halifax is an attractive place to do business because of our top-notch universities and talent, leading sector expertise, as well as incredible venues that host world-class meetings, conventions and events. This can ultimately lead to important economic investment in addition to direct spending at local businesses.
On a whole, the meetings and conventions industry accounts for nine per cent of Halifax's tourism industry or roughly $115 million in economic spending. Delegates attending events spend money locally on transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, shopping, entertainment, and more.
What do delegates ❤ the most about Halifax?
The Halifax region ranks high with delegates who want to visit because of these competitive advantages:
- Safety and security
- Cleanliness and attractiveness of the city
- Air access
- Affordability of lodging costs
- Awareness of the destination is high in the domestic market
- The uniqueness of the destination
- Travel costs
- Number of accommodation offerings
More than 50% of visitors travelling to Halifax come here from other Maritime provinces. This is considered the "rubber-tire market" because most arrive here by car.