Investments in new and existing tourism destinations are critical to improving the experiences of those who visit Saint John, according to panelists from the recent Port Days conference hosted by Port Saint John.
Beth Hatt, Yennah Hurley and Jayne Halcomb debated the next big thing for cruise tourism.
Hurley, New Brunswick’s deputy minister of tourism, heritage and culture, said adventure tourism has been gaining traction locally, especially for destinations like the Fundy Footpath.
She said discussions are ongoing about more lookouts over the coast and nature-based accommodations.
“People that are doing the Fundy Footpath want to have a place to stay before they start off early in the morning, or when they are arriving back into the Fundy Trail Parkway,” said Hurley.
“It’s an epic entity and we need to make sure that in the next 10 years, we’re focused on making it everything that it can possibly be.”
Hatt, board member of Fort La Tour and the owner of Aquila Tours, said further development to the trail will make a big difference for the cruise ships that come to call, adding that new products make a big difference for cruise lines that come to call.
“As we were coming into the pandemic, we were starting to see trends around people wanting more intimate experiences … and what we found with the pandemic is that it has gotten stronger,” said Hatt.
“Adventure and the outdoors is something that is needed, and a little bit of a gap here because we lost the zipline and a few others that would really help to make the experience so much better.”
Halcomb, the director of destination development for the Caribbean and the Americas with Royal Caribbean Group, said popular tourism locations focus on the guest experience from a holistic perspective.
She said having a master plan for that experience from the moment tourists step off of a cruise ship can really impact their desire to return, noting that on average, Royal Caribbean sees only around 30 per cent of its guests take a shore excursion.
“I was really impressed to hear that 2,200 people on Oasis of The Seas went on tour because that’s more than I would have expected,” said Halcomb.
“We hope that destinations are working with the tourism boards, the chamber of commerce and port authorities to ensure that there’s synergy between all the departments that are making that guest experience an unforgettable one.”