Nova Scotia welcomed record number of tourists last year

Nova Scotia welcomed 2.43 million tourists in 2017, a record number that's up nine per cent over the year before.

"It really has been perfect conditions for tourism growth in Nova Scotia," said Anna Moran, manager of research, planning and decision support for Tourism Nova Scotia.

The provincial government estimates those visitors spent a total of $2.7 billion in the province.

Moran said Canada 150 celebrations helped draw visitors to the province, along with favourable economic conditions.

"We saw the price of gas to be nice and low, we saw the exchange rate being quite low, which makes us attractive from countries outside of Canada, and then also makes travelling within Canada attractive to Canadians."

But Moran also believes marketing efforts by Tourism Nova Scotia and partners in the tourism industry were key.

Tourism Nova Scotia will spend $10.6 million on print, broadcast and online marketing in 2017-18.

Fewer rooms rented only in Halifax

The province tracks the number of rooms rented in licensed tourist facilities in all parts of Nova Scotia. There were increases in nearly every region, especially in the Annapolis Valley and the Eastern Shore.

But the number of rooms rented in the Halifax area, the province's largest market, declined by one per cent.

Moran said it's a trend that first appeared in 2016, likely because of the rising popularity of websites such as Airbnb, which connects tourists with both licensed and unlicensed accommodations.

"In the Halifax area, growth of room-nights sold through Airbnb was over 100 per cent. So there was a large number of room-nights sold that were channelled through Airbnb, of which a significant proportion would be unlicensed," Moran said.

Tourism to Nova Scotia peaked in 2004, and only regained the two-million visit mark in 2016.

Moran maintains high hopes for the coming season.

"The favourable conditions that we saw last year, they are continuing," she said.