News Release Archive
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/TOURISM--AN OASIS FOR EUROPEAN TRAVELLERS
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Motor home vacations are the holiday of choice for many European
travellers. More of these homes are travelling Nova Scotia
highways this summer, thanks to Shubenacadie businessman Bob
Jordan.
Mr. Jordan is the owner of Oasis Motor Home Rentals Ltd., which
recently added 27 new motor homes to its fleet, bringing the
total to 39. The new purchases were made with the help of a Nova
Scotia Economic Development and Tourism loan guarantee of about
$250,000.
"We use provincial guarantees to help successful businesses
grow," said Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development
and Tourism. "We're pleased to partner with a company that's
helping to grow the tourist industry and employing Nova Scotians
in the process."
Mr. Jordan started his company three years ago after he and his
wife, Bonnie, went looking for a motor home to rent. "We couldn't
find any quality motor homes to rent back then," he recalled.
"After talking with officials at Economic Development and
Tourism, we were told there was a great demand for motor home
rentals, especially from overseas travellers."
Since the beginning, the vast majority of the company's motor
homes have been booked solid during the summer and into the fall.
"There's a big demand from Europeans, particularly Germans and
Swiss, who want to visit Nova Scotia and rent motor homes.
They're looking for light wilderness adventures and to rough it a
little," Mr. Jordan said.
The company has grown from two to 15 employees who work in such
areas as reservations, accounting, maintenance and cleaning.
Oasis Motor Home Rentals also has a marketing division that works
directly with European wholesalers and an organization that
promotes motor home vacations across the country.
To keep up with demand, the company plans to add another 20 motor
homes to its fleet next year. That fleet includes high-end motor
homes and truck campers loaded with all the necessities and such
extras as dual air, linens, china, televisions and microwaves.
"In spite of all the motor home facilities at their disposal, our
customers are big spenders, and they like to eat in restaurants,"
said Mr. Jordan. "I drove one client to the airport recently and
he said he spent between $8,000 and $9,000 in one month alone.
That's above and beyond his flight and motor home rental
charges." Rental prices for the motor homes range between $170
and $215 a day in peak periods and drop to between $74 and $116
at other times. Truck campers go for $129 a day during the peak
to as low as $66 a day. The company offers 100 kilometres free
daily.
"European customers don't mind spending the money because they
consider motor-home travel in Canada a very good deal," said Mr.
Jordan. "Motor homes that go for $70,000 here could be as high as
$200,000 in European countries."
In addition to renting homes, the Jordans dispense advice to
customers on where to travel in Nova Scotia.
"We travel around ourselves, so we can provide firsthand tips on
where visitors can go to discover the province's many
attractions," said Mr. Jordan.
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Contact: Angela Poirier
Economic Development and Tourism
902-424-1593
E-mail: econ.poirieam@gov.ns.ca
Bob Jordan
Oasis Motor Home Rentals Ltd.
902-758-2242
ngr August 22, 1997 - 11:20 am
