Corporate Vision community-based projects to promote bilingual tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador by highlighting francophone cultures, and works to support a positive image of the province as a land of heritage and hospitality. With core values centred around human connections, sustainable tourism, authenticity, and diversity and inclusivity, the organisation has strongly positioned itself as a leader in its field. ExploreTNL excels in providing promotional material for the national and international French-speaking tourism markets in Newfoundland and Labrador/Terre Neuve et du Labrador (TNL), backed up with personalised interviews and advice for targeted content. The organisation also offers free tourism and business marketing support for individuals and French-speaking communities in TNL, as well as business coaching, tourism information on digital and social platforms, translation services, and news and press releases regarding the francophone community. Alongside its sister company, HorizonTNL, it offers joint services of bilingual/French online and one-on-one coaching to adapt to new trends, sustainable development, temporary and permanent immigration workshops to raise awareness of cultural and professional norms in Canada, support for new arrivals and job seekers (including CVs, cover letters, introductions to employers, individual coaching), and support for start-ups (such as face-to-face or online entrepreneurship services: consulting services and projects, business start-up workshops, thematic workshops: financial management, cooperatives, human resources, digital strategy etc). Valérie Saltel, Francophone Tourism Development Coordinator at ExploreTNL, specialises in researching projects, marketing and communication strategies in order to help the brand remain constantly connected to the provincial tourism industry, as well as to uncover new trends and to increase the French and bilingual tourism offerings and experiences throughout the province. With more than 10 years’ worth of experience under her belt, Valerie is highly-skilled in areas of promotion in international tourist markets and has been based in her current position for almost four years. She tells us more about how she has worked to evolve the brand since joining. “Firstly, I worked to reposition ExploreTNL to find the right place, and fit, within the provincial ecosystem,” Valerie states. “Now, we operate at the first level of the tourism ecosystem (local) just before provincial and national.” It wasn’t an easy task as Valerie was faced was many stereotypical prejudices and had a fight on her hands to establish connections within the community in order to assist and support bilingual businesses. She found that a human image helped create authenticity and build trust amongst the francophone community, obviously being Best Regional Tourism Promotion Initiative 2026 ExploreTNL, the dedicated tourism division of provincial non-profit HorizonTNL, aims to promote economic and cultural growth for the francophone community in the Newfoundland and Labrador region. Valerie Saltel tells us more about the region’s unique and diverse culture in the wake of the organisation gaining recognition in the Canadian Business Awards 2026. The francophone (French speaking) community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, known as FrancoTerreneuviens, is a minority group (approximately 0.5% of the population), mainly concentrated on the Port au Port Peninsula in St. John’s, and Labrador. Influenced by Acadian, Quebec, and French cultures, this diverse community maintains their language through specific educational and cultural institutions. The community speaks a distinct Newfoundland French, influenced by centuries of isolation, as well as connections to Acadia and St. Pierre and Miquelon. The history of French-speaking Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is rich and ancient, dating back to the time of the European exploration of North America in the 16th century, beginning in 1504 with Breton peasants seeking land and economic mobility through the lucrative cod trade, driven by Catholic dietary laws. Though France ceded the island to Britain in 1713, they retained fishing rights, eventually settling on the “French Shore” (west coast) following the 1783 Treaty of Versailles. These isolated communities - notably Cap-Saint-Georges, La Grand’Terre, and L’Anseà-Canards - maintained a self-sufficient lifestyle rooted in Catholic traditions and a rich oral heritage of Breton and Acadian songs. The mid-20th century brought rapid change. The establishment of a US military base during WWII introduced materialism and a “linguistic hierarchy” that favoured English for economic mobility. This sparked a period of intense anglicisation; families changed surnames (e.g., Leblanc to White) to avoid the stigma. By 1954, researchers feared the culture had vanished, as it survived only in private spheres to avoid social reprisal. Revitalisation began after Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949. Federal bilingualism policies and the 1982 Charter of Rights empowered the community. Key institutions like the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (1973) and the Conseil Scolaire Francophone (1997) were established to defend linguistic rights. Cultural icons like Emile Benoit helped shift public perception, while the 1986 adoption of the FrancoNewfoundland flag - featuring yellow sails and the pitcher plant - symbolised a reclaimed identity. Despite many challenges, the francophone community has evolved over the centuries and now consists of more than twenty thousand French speaking residents, with around 2,000-3,000 who claim French as their primary language. Operating under the HorizonTNL banner, ExploreTNL is a French tourism non-profit organisation geared to the francophone (French-speaking) community in St Johns – the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Working in conjunction with the provincial, national and international governments in tourism, ExploreTNL creates
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