Tourism numbers up
Destination Cape Breton head paints rosy picture of industry future
A Cape Breton tourism report presented to Cape Breton Regional Municipality council on Tuesday was so positive, it moved one elected representative to ask if there was a catch.
In a 20-minute presentation to council’s general committee, Destination Cape Breton Association CEO Mary Tulle relied on an impressive array of charts and graphs to back her claim that tourism on the island is continuing to increase and will only get better in the future.
Following her time at the lectern, Tulle was praised for her fact-based and heart-felt report.
But, Glace Bay councillor George MacDonald could only wonder if the picture was as rosy as the tourism promoter painted it to be.
“Everything always appears upbeat when we hear from you, but are there any negative things or major obstacles? Is there ever a day that anything negative happens?” queried MacDonald.
While the councillor’s question drew some chuckles, Tulle admitted that tourism is known as the ‘happy industry.’
“There are hurdles to everything, but I believe very strongly in the potential of Cape Breton - people come here the first time and they want to come back and they do come back and they come back over and over and over,” she said.
“We’re probably at between a twoand-a-half or a three on where we are going to go, but what’s become so obvious to me is the positive we’re all surrounded with now, we’re a community that is just so ready to move forward.”
During her talk, Tulle unveiled recent compiled statistics that indicated the positive trend in terms of visits to Cape Breton.
The latest Tourism Nova Scotia numbers show that over the past five years, room night sales in Cape Breton increased by more than 22 per cent, while mainland Nova Scotia experienced just a 4.5 per cent growth in the same category.
According to the DCBA report, the top reasons visitors list for coming to Cape Breton are the coastal experience, sightseeing and tours, outdoor activities, and culture, entertainment and heritage.
Tulle said that while Cape Breton has some of the country’s most iconic attractions, including the world-renowned Cabot Trail, word of mouth isn’t always enough when it comes to enticing new visitors to come to the island.
“There are a lot of niche markets,” said Tulle, citing the growing, but lucrative market, of super-yachts, a number of which have been recently docked at various Cape Breton wharves.
“Now, for example, we’re not necessarily looking for travelers who golf, but rather golfers who travel.”
Tulle concluded her presentation with some advice to council and every other Cape Breton resident with an interest in tourism and economic development.
“Tourism is everybody’s business, every single one of us, we get to live here and we get to love to live here,” she said.
“So, everywhere we go, whether it is personal or on business, we have the opportunity to influence those around us and we always know that with a little bit extra maybe you can bring that business back here.”