Cape Breton still experiencing 'Trump bump' in tourism interest

The phenomenal interest in Cape Breton from thousands of Americans following the launch of the website "Cape Breton if Trump Wins" has diminished in recent weeks, but hasn't stopped entirely.

The website, which pitches Cape Breton as a refuge for Americans who fear a Donald Trump presidency, was the focus of a panel discussion called the Trump Bump at a tourism industry conference in St. Anns on Thursday.

Sydney radio personality, Rob Calabrese, who founded the website, said he's still getting online inquires and phone calls.

"I was on the radio in Chicago Wednesday night at 11 p.m.," he said. 

A film crew from New York City is in Cape Breton to follow up on the story and a Japanese journalist is coming next week, he said.

Mary Tulle, CEO of Destination Cape Breton, credits Calabrese with gaining attention for the island that it wouldn't have had otherwise. Without the website, she said, "there's no way Cape Breton Island could be a household name the way it is."

Still drawing tourism interest

She gave an example from the manager of Ingonish's Keltic Lodge.

"A gentleman who had never heard of Cape Breton did a search on the website, called Keltic Lodge, booked a week, a $5,000 ticket to bring his parents. Again, had never heard of us until Rob's great website caught his attention," she said.

There's now a new website that is a "hub" for information about Cape Breton, Calabrese noted. It contains four different sections: immigration, employment, housing and education. It's linked to Cape Breton if Trump Wins.

As for his own site, Calabrese is giving it a rest for a while.

He says traffic on the site is relatively quiet right now, maybe because Donald Trump was — in his words — "creamed" in the Wisconsin Republican primary.

But, Calabrese is not discounting the possibility that interest could ramp up again.

"Who knows? The convention is still months away. We'll see how it develops," he said.