Canadian sightseeing Minister predicts turbulent economic times ahead but says industry Will make a strong comeback despite tough pandemic years.
Randy Boissonault joined hundreds of business leaders from across the province on Wednesday for the 2022 Tourism Summit in Halifax.
Boissonnault says Canada is headed into choppy waters when it comes to the economy, but the tourism industry will help offset the effects.
He cites the war in Ukraine, ongoing supply chain issues and an increase in inflation As some of the factors pointing towards the slowing down of the economy.
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He says Halifax’s tourism is already in a good place to help weather the storm.
According to Boissonault, “Nova Scotia is doing really well when it comes to hotel occupancy rates.” “Nova Scotia hotels are occupied at about 71 per cent, which is higher than the Canadian average, which is about 65 per cent. So that tells you that there is something special in Nova Scotia. People want to see the province. They want to come to Halifax. It is a regional powerhouse city.
John Simon is the President of CanadVac Travel Services. He is not sure that the industry has completely recovered from the pandemic.
“I wouldn’t say I’m 100 percent convinced yet,” says Simon.
“A lot of tour operators are facing significant challenges in terms of debt load, making it two years and above income. Of course, federal programs helped make it matter, but they also put them in a lot of debt. So a recession on top of that debt – even if the tourism industry is rebounding – is making it challenging for those tourism operators to survive in the long run.
Another problem, says the president of Tourism HR Canada, is that the industry has lost a significant portion of its workforce since the pandemic.
“It’s a real significant challenge for the industry, for sure,” says Philippe Mondor. “Although there is great demand for growth and recovery, we are constrained by the fact that we do not have enough staff to fill all roles.”
According to Mondor, there were 2.1 million workers pre-pandemic. This number has now come down to 1.67 million workers.
Scott Macaulay with Inverrey Resort in Cape Breton says his business has had a great year and he is optimistic about the future.
“There’s a pent-up demand for travel,” he says. “It seems like people have been able to find a way with the product that we have in Nova Scotia, which has a lot of open space and a lot of open space. People feel comfortable and safe. ,
He recommends that if a business is struggling to try and adapt to what people are looking for in the post-pandemic years, including offering more outdoor activities throughout the season.
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