A new study finds that one of Canada’s most attractive destinations still faces a bit of an uphill struggle when it comes to tourism. And, quite frankly, I don’t get it.
A survey of Canadian travel habits and desires by Tourism Nova Scotia found that 37% of Canadian travellers who aim to take a holiday in the next 12 months will be heading to Ontario. The next choices were Quebec (24%), British Columbia (23%), the U.S.A. (18), International (17) and Alberta (15, which is a lower percentage than I would’ve expected given the grandeur of the Rockies).
Atlantic Canada, which is one of my favourite parts of the country, didn’t fare as well. Eight per cent of respondents said they’d be heading to Nova Scotia, followed by New Brunswick (6), PEI (5) and Newfoundland and Labrador (4).
Just three per cent listed Saskatchewan (which I love), while another three per cent mentioned Manitoba and two per cent Canada’s north.
Asked why they might not visit Atlantic Canada, 34% of respondents cited high travel costs. Okay. I get that. Another 25% said it’s too far. That, too, is understandable, and connected to the issue of travel costs. Flying is VERY expensive in Canada in summer, when Atlantic Canada is at its best. Driving from Toronto to Halifax is manageable, but it’s a day and-a-half in the car (17 hours).
Blue Rocks is a lovely village just outside of Lunenburg. Nova Scotia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The price and distance issue I understand, but here’s the part of the survey that slayed me – 20% of Canadian travellers said they’re not familiar with Atlantic Canada.
Wait. What? Not familiar with little red-haired girls in pig tails? Not familiar with lighthouses perched on majestic coastlines? Not familiar with lobster rolls or Halifax Harbour or the amazing Bay of Fundy or whale-watching or fiddlers in pubs or the truly spectacular people of Newfoundland and Labrador?
Really?
To me, this study screams out for some kind of alliance between the Atlantic Canadian provinces. Maybe they’ve done it before, but I think perhaps they need to band together somehow and launch some kind of campaign, because 20% of Canadians don’t seem to know what you have to offer.
I’ve always thought Atlantic Canada is one of the most under-appreciated parts of this country. People from Ontario and Alberta (and abroad) know about Banff and the Rockies. They know about Vancouver and afternoon tea in Victoria. They know about the CN Tower and Niagara Falls. And they know about Montreal and the charms of Quebec City. But somehow they don’t seem to know, or to fully appreciate, the joys of Atlantic Canada. They don’t know about the music, they don’t know about the quiet, lonely beaches. They don’t know about the great food and the warm, welcoming locals who slow down to let jaywalkers cross a busy street in Halifax.
The Skerwink Trail is an awesome hiking spot in Newfoundland.
And that’s a shame. Because there’s really nothing like Atlantic Canada in the United States. Oh, sure, the coast of Maine has lighthouses and lobster. Cape Cod has great beaches and quaint inns. But neither has the joie de vivre of Atlantic Canada. They don’t light up late-night kitchen parties with fiddles and Irish/Scottish dancing.
To me, the only places in the U.S. that offer anything like Atlantic Canada in terms of music are Austin, Nashville and New Orleans. But nobody goes to New Orleans or Nashville for the beach or the beautiful coastlines.
If you visit Atlantic Canada, you can have amazing urban experiences in Halifax and, to some degree, St. John’s. You can also visit stunning hotels such as Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn and the new, five-star Muir in Halifax. You can play one of the top ten golf courses IN THE WORLD at Cabot Cliffs, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. You can take in the fabulous art of the Beaverbrook Gallery in Fredericton, or indulge in world-beating cuisine at the Inn at Bay Fortune on Prince Edward Island.
You can check out Anne of Green Gables or the two PEI villages made out of old wine bottles. You can admire two potato museums (PEI and New Brunswick each have one) and stroll or drive across covered, wooden bridges. You can take long bike rides on the Confederation Trail in PEI, hike along the amazing Skerwink Trail in Newfoundland, take a boat ride to admire whales, puffins and icebergs, or drive along the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, one of the world’s great driving trips. Not to mention visiting a Viking settlement in Newfoundland, admiring the world’s highest tides on the Bay of Fundy and sipping award-winning wines in Nova Scotia.
If one-in-five Canadians aren’t aware of what Atlantic Canada has to offer, they’re missing something special.
Comments on this entry are closed.
A tourism marketing alliance among the 4 Atlantic Provinces is a great idea. Every province would benefit and it may inspire the airlines to get on board. There is no better place in Canada to visit in the summer for the reasons Jim has detailed. Every Canadian should experience the natural wonder of the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton at least once in their lifetime!