Sigh of relief for tourism industry
Restaurant, bed and breakfast, tour boat operators cautiously optimistic about reopening plan
Mike Gatherall is tired of the doom and gloom that has engulfed Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism sector for the last 15 months.
That’s why the co-owner of Gatherall’s Puffin & Whale Watch in Bay Bulls is so thrilled about the planned reopening of the province to non-residents for recreational travel starting July 1.
“This is Year No. 37 (of operation). And there’s nothing in the playbook that details how you survive without two years of revenue,” Gatherall said.
“We’ve got partner organizations, clients that we deal with, some of these companies have not had revenue … for 18 months and some even longer. It’s a huge sigh of relief for a lot of them.”
In recent summers, before the COVID-19 pandemic began, tourists from all over the planet could be found in Petty Harbour, laying eyes on the charming and picturesque fishing village a mere 15 minutes from the capital city.
“Last year, it looked like a ghost town at times,” said Angela Chafe, owner of Chafe’s Landing.
The restaurant focuses on local seafood and game meat, and has been open for 13 years. Last year, it saw an 80 per cent reduction in sales, Chafe said.
Manager Christine Gillespie said they were tickled pink at the announcement of the reopening.
“We’ve been waiting all year for that, and hoping and praying they were going to open up,” Gillespie said. “We’re hoping we’re going to see a lot more tourists around and we’re still hoping locals are going to come as well. Right now, we’re busy on the weekends, but our weekdays aren’t as busy as we’re used to. We’re hoping this is going to make every day like a weekend. Hopefully.”
Chafe says it’s too early to tell how the reopening will affect them, but they’re cautiously optimistic and will continue adapting as quickly as they can to whatever happens.
A LITTLE SPARK
On the west coast of the island, right beneath the Tablelands of Gros Morne National Park is Sheppard’s Bed and Breakfast. In operation since 2009, the B&B sits on more than five acres of land and is owned by Tom and Doris Sheppard.
At 76, Tom says he knows he won’t be capable of maintaining the property by himself forever. And if things were to continue the way they have been, he’s not sure how they would keep the lights on.
None of their business comes from locals, he said, and the majority of guests book in January or February.
“We have absolutely no reservations up to this point. So, unless the airlines put on flights and are allowed to bring people in, we will have another dead summer,” he said. “We’re expecting a few people to come in, but we’re not anticipating a big rush or anything like that.”
They’ve considered shutting down or selling, but would miss meeting, speaking with, feeding and entertaining people from all over the world, so they’re not giving up yet.
“The news certainly did light a little spark. … We’ve just got to wait for those people outside the province to make their plans,” he said.
NO FLIP OF THE SWITCH
Back in Bay Bulls, as Gatherall got ready for the upcoming season, he said the announcement sends a strong, positive signal to folks within the tourism industry.
But you can’t just magically flip a switch and expect throngs at the gate, he said, because the industry simply doesn’t work that way.
“What we’re expecting to see is visiting friends and relatives, the folks who have not been able to come home,” he said. “The grandparents who want to come home and see the grandkids, or the sisters and the brothers and the family who may have been away and unable to visit.”
As for leisure tourists, that will depend on the airlines, he says.
“From the time Air Canada or Westjet decides they’re going to reinstate a route to the time they can get a plane in the air is typically about eight weeks and counting,” Gatherall said. “Realistically, we expect to see some traffic increase probably towards the middle of August.”