Posted by: travadmin on Aug 07, 2003 – 04:04 PM
shopping A campaign to erect signage to assist visitors in easily locating attractions, businesses and services will be launched today by the Nassau Tourism and Development Board and the Ministry of Tourism.
The NTDB plans to install 13 directory signs around town and in the Festival Place Welcome Center. It is currently inviting bids from local sign manufacturers and graphic design companies to design and install the directories.
Micheal Fowler, Chairman of the NTDB’s Directory Signage Committee, said that for years businesses and the Ministry of Tourism have recognized the need for signage to help visitors and locals to find attractions, services, public facilities, shops and restaurants.
The committee has also developed a model concept of the directory that NTDB members said should fit in well with the town’s historical features. Mr. Fowler said the concept of having signs with large maps and directories, such as those found in malls, is not only appealing, but also user-friendly.
“In the months we spent refining the concept, we tested it with over 50 tourists to make sure that it’s easy to use,” he said. “The directories offer the type of information that visitors and possibly locals are seeking.”
Caption: DIRECTORY SIGNS Nassau Tourism & Development Board’s new signage project consists of 13 signs, over nine feet tall in a column and frieze-style befitting Nassau’s colonial heritage. Planned to be constructed of durable all-weather aluminum the signs have slats to mark side street corners and highlight major sights and services. Three-foot by three-foot graphic arts sections each display a downtown map, a side street zoom map and a category listings directory, to enable visitors to easily locate shops, restaurants and services.
The directories will serve a number of purposes, he said, including: Guiding visitors to various businesses, attractions and services; providing an inexpensive way for businesses to promote themselves; and also enhance the appearance and environment of historic downtown Nassau by reducing the visual blight of inappropriate signs that has become a real “turn off” for visitors.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Vernice Walkine, said the project would fill a tremendous void, as feeling lost in a foreign destination is not a pleasant experience and is often frustrating.
“Many visitors remain unaware of the attrations, museums and historic sites within walking distance,” she said. “Besides, visitors are constatly asking where to find our public facilities, like restaurants, the post office and ATM’s. By making it easier for our visitors to get around, Nassau becomes a more enjoyable experience.”
Winning tenders from the bids submitted are expected be announced on August 18, and shortly thereafter, details will be circulated to the business community to indicate how they can join in to promote themselves.
The overall project, to be funded by business listing fees and some assistance from the Ministry of Tourism is scheduled for completion by December.
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian