Positive tourism indicators emerging
Surviving a pandemic presented numerous challenges
With Covid-19 challenges still percolating, the Yarmouth and Acadian Shore Tourism Association is seeing some signs that the challenged industry is turning a corner.
“We were surprised that there was actually demand for travel last summer,” said the association’s executive director Neil MacKenzie.
“From about June to November we did quite well and we actually exceeded 2019 room nights sold for the region. We were already down a bit for 2019 because that was the first year that the international ferry didn’t operate,” he noted.
In 2019, the province had halted the Bar Harbour, Maine to Yarmouth ferry which has delivered American visitors for about 100 years.
“We were down by about 22 per cent in 2019 already, but we certainly beat 2020, which you would expect.”
The anticipated ferry returning this spring brings hope.
“We’re always very much trying to access the northeast U.S. market because it’s so big and we always want to see those export dollars come into our Canada,” MacKenzie added. “U.S. travellers often spend more in the province and they stay longer as well. Our data tells us that ferry passengers are more likely than a Nova Scotian to stay in an accommodation and more likely to eat in our restaurants and use all our other related businesses.”
The pandemic has taught a lesson in focused marketing and netted some good results, according to the executive director, largely due to a hyper-local focus on marketing initially and broadening the messaging to the province and eventually, the Atlantic region.
“In a small market like Yarmouth and the Acadian shores, if we can get people to travel here from Halifax and other parts of Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada that’s all tourism dollars that are coming into our market,” MacKenzie stated.
Last February (and again in 2022) there was a focus on “Foodies” to drive revenue.
“It’s just a way to motivate and get people out to try local restaurants,” MacKenzie explained. “We have a lot of local restaurants and great accommodations and people should get out there and support these businesses and enjoy some good food at the same time.
“Restaurants and accommodations, all these other types of businesses, are the foundation of our industry so we need to keep them afloat so that when the industry does return, and we do feel there is a lot of demand and Nova Scotia is well positioned with regards to our brand, that there will be businesses there,” he said.
“It’s some positive on the horizon that our marketing is reaching some people, it’s motivating some people to travel ….”
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
“We did anything we could do to support the industry in training and other supports,” MacKenzie said, including leveraging events to drive visitation.
The region hosted the Nova Scotia 55-Plus Games in September, welcoming more than 700 participants.
“Lots of the people who were here for it had never been here before and they’re more apt to return if they had a good experience,” said MacKenzie.
The eyes of the world will be on the region’s tourism offerings later this year.
In June, the region plays host to more than 100 travel media specialists, online influencers, photographers and industry employees for a Travel Media Association of Canada conference.
“There will be a marketplace, pre-tours, post tours and evening events, so it’s really great and going to bring a lot of media attention to the area for years to come,” said MacKenzie.
“The conference itself is a big investment but if we were to pay to work with every single one of these online journalists and photographers we’d never have money enough to do it, certainly not in one year.”
Working partnerships is key, added MacKenzie.
“We’re a small destination so we partner with our municipalities,” he explained. “There are challenges in working with municipalities because they all have different priorities but … they really do a great job working together and we’re able to leverage their investment with the private sector and other levels of government to extend our marketing reach and have more impact.”