Maybe I’m just a little slow at keeping up with the latest government sites. I was browsing the web, as usual, trying to think of some ideas – naturally, something related to Newfoundland. Instinct told me to type in “newfoundlandandlabrador.com“. I was redirected to NewfoundlandLabrador.com (without the “and”) and found the official tourism website of the province. Maybe I’m a little biased, being from the province and all, but my first impression of the site was “wow”. The government really got this one right.
I like how the header is dynamic and rotates beautiful scenic or cultural pictures of the province and how everything is so accessible, from information on the province to what to do with when you arrive in the province to planning a trip to the province – essentials like where to stay, where to tour, highlights of the province, and even specific pages on regions such as Twillingate, L’Anse aux Meadows and Bonavista. You can even order a free travellers’ guide, in English or French, by filling out a few forms and clicking submit.
My favorite part of the website would have to be Sights and Sounds. The small thumbnails on this page would be enough to make me homesick, let alone pictures like this one (I really need to go to Gros Morne some day). The interactive, flash-based maps are nice too.
Even though the overall look of the site is excellent, there still are a few things I would change. I’m all for social networking and Web 2.0 but is “Share on Facebook”, “Digg it” and a link to bookmark the site on Del.icio.us really necessary on a province tourism site? And I’m also baffled on why RSS feeds are needed on a page that will probably never be “updated” as such, in the form of new posts at least – this isn’t a dynamic blog or a news site that updates every day, it’s a static tourism site.
In conclusion: Minor faults aside, the website really showcases the atmosphere and culture of the province and I think whoever did it did a great job.
Until next time!
