Écocentre Homarus
Planning for the expansion of the Homarus Ecocentre
Open to the public since 2013, the Homarus Ecocentre is aninterpretation centre that provides a unique and interactive experience whereyou can learn all about lobsters and the marine ecosystems of the Shediac Bayin New Brunswick. It is also a scientific research centre whose mission is toensure the sustainability of the resource and the lobster fishing in theMaritimes. Fundamentally, its main raison d'être is linked to sustainabledevelopment.
In 2020, the Centre and its key partners were ready to move forward withthe construction of a new building to turn the modest Centre into a majortourist attraction. However, solid planning was necessary to succeed in ahighly competitive environment.
An analysis of the Homarus Centre internal and external environment was first carried out to serve as a basis for the strategic reflection process. This analysis included the following:
- A comparative analysis of the main competitors as well as an inspiring establishments’ benchmark
- An analysis of trends in all forms of tourism such as museum, learning, cultural, experiential, sustainable, etc.
- Personas sheets presenting the different potential customers
- An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
Thereafter, a co-creation workshop involving the various organization stakeholders helped identify the strategic actions to be taken.
The process resulted in the development of a strategic plan to take advantage of the growing interest in learning (and cultural) tourism and other pinpointed promising trends. This plan included, amongst other things, three pillars of intervention: the objectives pursued, the strategic actions to prioritize and the assessment tools to be used. The strategy was supported by an evolving implementation plan, to be used as a tool for achieving the initiatives identified.
The new Centre opened during the summer of 2022 and incorporated multiple green options into its construction. It represents a fine example of what a sustainable tourism attraction can look like.
