The charity that operates a Newfoundland inn charging thousands of dollars per night received federal funding to develop a marketing campaign aimed at attracting visitors from outside Canada.
The $181,967 grant came from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), which says Shorefast Foundation will "undertake a targeted sales and marketing campaign to grow the international visitor market." The funding adds to the millions of federal dollars that Shorefast and its affiliates have received over two decades to build and operate the 29-room luxury inn and develop Fogo Island, located about 400 kilometers north of St. John's, as a tourist destination.
Federal grants and loans to Shorefast have totaled $11.4 million, including a $6.5 million infrastructure grant in 2008 and a pandemic-era, interest-free loan in 2021 of almost $2 million, which was among the 35 largest of 1,400 contributions extended by ACOA that year. Last year, the foundation received a $389,300 grant from Fisheries and Oceans Canada to "support the development and implementation of oceans conservation and management activities in Canada."
Shorefast was founded by Zita Cobb, a Fogo Island native who made a fortune during the 1990s technology boom. The inn has been ranked among the 50 best hotels in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, and Shorefast and Cobb have won praise for restoring artifacts and buildings from the island’s centuries-old fishing culture and bolstering the economic well-being of islanders. The building has garnered plaudits for its architecture, and Shorefast describes the inn as "a community-centred social business."
Room rates based on a three-night stay in early November range between $1,975 and $6,075 per night including meals but before taxes and fees. Including fees, the lower-priced room is priced at $2,271.25 per night. Shorefast valued its land and buildings at $50.7 million in a December 2023 tax filing and spent $3.5 million on charitable activities during the year.
--HBB
コメント