Promotions and packages developed by tourism operators across the province highlighting the Island's quality tourism products contributed to the second straight record August, said Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Heath MacDonald.
“Our operators deserve a lot of credit for strong performance in August after identifying package deals and promotions targeting the last two weeks of the month, which are typically softer compared to the rest of the season,” said Minister MacDonald. “Industry’s hard work in that respect made a significant contribution to what turned out to be the second straight record August for overnight stays. Despite a terrible winter we are inching ever closer to parity with 2014’s record performance in the industry.”
Overnight stays were up 0.7 per cent compared to last year’s record August. Room nights sold were down 0.2 per cent but site nights sold at local campgrounds were up 2.1 percent, another record for August, and are once again tracking toward a record season.
Non-resident vehicle traffic at Confederation Bridge was up 9 per cent compared to last August. Traffic at Northumberland Ferries was up 8.4 per cent. The Charlottetown Airport saw passenger traffic drop slightly compared to August 2014, which was the busiest ever month for the airport. Traffic was down 5.4 per cent.
Both cruise ship and motor coach visitation saw decreases compared to last August.
Individual operators, Regional Tourism Associations, the Hotel and Motel Association and Tourism PEI worked together to promote packages specific to the last two weeks in August which typically see a slow-down in visitation.
A great example was the “Vacation the Kids took Over” promotion in Cavendish which saw over 350 packages sold over the last two weeks of August.
"After a strong start to the peak season we looked to carry this momentum through to the end of August,” said the President of Tourism Cavendish Beach Mike Forrest. “The last couple of weeks in August have traditionally seen a softening in demand, so the decision was made by the Family Committee at Tourism Cavendish Beach to extend the Vacation The Kids Took Over. We thank our operators who understand the value of this market and Tourism PEI in supporting these initiatives."
The statistics are provided to the province by individual tourism operators and are compiled by staff in the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
To see the full report visit http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/current_tourism.pdf
Tourism is a vital industry in Prince Edward Island that provides over 7,000 full time equivalent jobs for Islanders. It accounts for approximately $400 million in economic activity each year and seven per cent of GDP, the highest percentage of any Canadian province.