July 30, 1997 * Economic Development [to Jul 1998]The 1997 early shoulder season has showed an increase in the number of travellers to Prince Edward Island. Preliminary statistics gathered through the Enterprise PEI Tourism Exit Survey indicate that traffic to the Island is up. The number of visitors from May 15 to June 30 was up significantly, partly due to BridgeFest '97. The numbers gathered by the Enterprise PEI Research Division is only a small sample of the visitors they hope to interview over the entire season. Close to 3,000 people will be interviewed by this fall at all exit points from PEI. "Increasing the number of visitors to the Island during the shoulder season was one of the primary objectives of the 1997 Tourism Marketing Plan," said Wes MacAleer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. "We are pleased to see that a traditionally slow period in terms of tourist traffic is turning around." The final results of the Tourism Exit Survey will be released early this fall at the end of the tourism season. Media Contact: Ann Stanley