The latest tourism indicators show the province has rebounded after a soft start with a strong month of August, says Minister of Tourism and Culture Robert Henderson.
“During August we saw marked improvement in total room nights sold and total campsites sold compared to the same month last year, and compared to this past July,” said Minister Henderson. “Overall, the province is very close to where it was this time last year and we’re optimistic we’ll see further improvement in September.”
All key target markets, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, performed well and saw small to large increases in overnight stays compared to August last year. The year-to-date numbers show Nova Scotia up 3.5 per cent and New Brunswick up 2.5 per cent. Quebec is up 3 per cent and Ontario is down 1.8 per cent on the year.
Non-member golf rounds are up eight per cent on the year and provincial park camping is also up eight per cent.
And while bridge traffic was down slightly compared to August last year, it remains ahead on the year, as do air and ferry traffic.
“The increases in room nights sold and campground bookings in August are very positive news after a slow start to the season,” said John-Anthony Langdale, chair of the Tourism Advisory Council. “We look forward to even more good news for September after the success of the International Shellfish Festival and the Fall Flavours Festival.”
The full list of August tourism indicators can be viewed at www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/current_tourism.pdf