This summer, as thousands of exasperated tourists wile away seemingly endless hours at Newfoundland and Labrador ferry terminals, many may regret heeding the call of the province’s slick advertising campaign.

Television ads feature craggy mountains, deep green fjords, windswept vistas (unblemished by car wrecks — that took some work) and cheerful dancers. One ad features a slinky woman, clad in an evening gown, prowling a storm-battered coastline while a male announcer intones: “On your journey through life, make sure your biography has at least one extraordinary chapter.”

Despite the cheesiness of such promotions, the campaign to lure tourists to the province has proven to be an unexpected success in this, the Year of the Great Recession. Many innkeepers, restaurant owners and tour operators on the island portion of the province report higher than expected business this summer.

The west coast is doing particularly well, with the recreated Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows and the spectacular Gros Morne National Park proving popular. The Avalon Peninsula, which includes St. John’s, is also a magnet, thanks to whale-watching tours, seabird sanctuaries and the amazing 17th-century Colony of Avalon archeological site in Ferryland.

Although such treasures have the potential to make this province a prime destination, many visitors are likely to be returning home with mixed feelings about their experiences. For starters, getting here — and then leaving — is frequently fraught with hazard. Ferries that ply the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are habitually delayed; this summer, Marine Atlantic’s newest ferry, the Atlantic Vision, fell behind schedule because bed linens could not be changed fast enough. After more workers were hired, the engine room caught fire; this was followed by further delays due to loading problems with the other two Gulf ferries. Stranded passengers passed precious holiday time wandering nearby parking lots.

For those who decide to tour the island by car, the attractions and amenities — despite the implications behind the advertising — can be disappointing. The central Newfoundland town of Gambo, home of Newfoundland’s first premier and the father of Confederation, Joseph Smallwood, is a prime example. Overlooking the community is “Joey’s Lookout,” a rest spot on the Trans-Canada Highway that provides travellers with a breathtaking panorama of the coastline and the picturesque community.

Signs direct the curious to a museum that supposedly features exhibits about Smallwood. At one time, students were hired to keep it open and to provide theatrical performances to visitors. Not anymore; the museum is closed this summer.

Even more startling is the town of Harbour Grace, 100 kilometres west of St. John’s. This was the headquarters of pirates such as Peter Easton, site of the first transatlantic airfield in Canada and from whence Amelia Earhart made history as the first woman to fly solo across the ocean. It’s also where the Kyle — the last great Newfoundland coastal steamship — rests majestically in the harbour, and is the location of several architecturally and historically significant buildings.

But there is little for visitors to do in Harbour Grace; the museum is cramped and ragged, the airfield is virtually inaccessible due to the washed-out road, the Kyle cannot be boarded and even souvenir stores are virtually non-existent.

Slick advertising may work, to a point, but reliable ferries and improvements to attractions are badly needed if tourism is to become a significant industry here. IE