There were increases across the board for tourism this summer season, according to the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick.
CEO Ginette Doiron says numbers were up this year, according to members, “Everybody is pretty satisfied with their tourism season. Numbers are really up, four per cent, nine per cent and in some cases, 14 per cent. Everyone we’ve been talking to is seeing an increase. These are the highest numbers that we’ve had since 2019.”
She adds that the provincial parks and trails were popular destinations, even despite the wildfires, along with the beaches, and outdoor events.
Members found that many of the visitors to our province this summer came from Quebec and Ontario, but we also saw some from just across the border from Maine, the United States.
“Quebec has always been a prime market for New Brunswick. It’s been like that for a while. We do marketing, but we’re also close to Quebec. We do some trade shows, and when we did our trade show in early spring, people were saying that they had reserved time to come visit New Brunswick, and some of them even said they extended their stay to make sure that they could stay a bit longer in New Brunswick. So it’s been a long, lasting relationship,” Doiron stated.
The association also heard from members that visitors stayed on average between four and seven days in New Brunswick.
“People like to discover New Brunswick because we have a diversity of products. I think more and more, it’s because of the different cultures that are being established in New Brunswick. Whether it’s outdoor adventures, trails, beaches, culinary or culture. We have a lot of Indigenous businesses that are offering tourism products right now. I think the diversity of things that you can do brings people to New Brunswick because we have something that will satisfy every member of their family, or what they’re looking for,” Doiron expressed.
