After two years of struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism operators in New Brunswick have reason to believe a recovery could finally be in the cards.
In its recently revealed 2022-23 budget, the Higgs government announced a $6.9 million increase for the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture. This represents a 26% increase in the tourism budget when nonrecurring COVID-related spending is excluded.
The news was phenomenal and necessary, according to Carol Alderdice, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick (TIANB).
Alderdice remains unaware of where the additional funds will be allocated outside the main estimates.
“The majority of it will be going to destination marketing which means that they’ll be able to promote the province a lot more than they’ve been able to and have programs to support our operators and our destination market locations across the province,” says Alderdice.
It’s her hope that New Brunswick is promoted to residents across Canada and that destinations be given more money to put on festivals.
Easing restrictions
Tuesday’s budget reveal is just one of the many announcements fuelling excitement in the tourism industry. Earlier this month, New Brunswick lifted pandemic measures such as masking and capacity limits, which paves the way for a busy summer.
“Everyone that I’ve spoken with [says] the phones are ringing off the hook with reservations. I’m being told cottages and campgrounds are more and more difficult to get because they’re being booked,” she says.
Operators could also see the return of visitors from the south as the federal government lifts the pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers at land, air, and marine borders.
“The reservations that are being made are mainly from Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces and some from the U.S., but we’re hoping to get more and more Canadians visiting our beautiful province,” Alderdice says.
Alderdice acknowledged the pandemic pushed more New Brunswickers to plan trips inside the province, and as residents search for a sense of normalcy, she expects travel to remain local.
Help wanted
It’s no secret sectors across Canada have been hard-pressed to find an adequate amount of workers, and Alderdice says tourism is no different.
From hotel managers to restaurant servers, operators have job openings across the board.
To aid with the recruitment process and incentivize workers, the TIANB began offering free training on customer service.
Alderdice notes two years of inconsistency in the labour market pushed New Brunswickers to find jobs they can rely on to pay the bills.
“For the last two years it’s been ‘am I going to have a job next week’ you come in for a month, and you’re laid off and it’s back and forth,” she says.
Now focused on recruitment, Alderdice and the TIANB look to emphasize that tourism holds the opportunities for careers to be made.
