Extending P.E.I.'s shoulder season will be 'priority' of new 5-year tourism strategy
'September and October are still beautiful months in Prince Edward Island'
A new tourism strategy for P.E.I. will make extending the season "a priority" says the group that represents P.E.I.'s tourism industry.
The Tourism Industry Association on the Island is in the final stages of developing a new tourism strategy to see it through the next five years. The final product will be announced at the industry's AGM in November in Charlottetown.
Now's your last chance. We don't want to hear from people that they didn't know.— Kevin Mouflier, TIAPEI CEO
"September and October are still beautiful months in Prince Edward Island," said TIAPEI CEO Kevin Mouflier, while noting that retaining employees — who are mostly students — through those months is a huge problem.
"Looking at seniors to employ to fill some of the gaps that we need," is an option, noted Mouflier.
The association has been consulting its members — which include accommodations, restaurants and theatres — about the new strategy since the spring, holding seven focus groups and four public forums across the Island.
'Look at every opportunity'
"Tourism Matters Vision 2021 is a focus on the next five years in the tourism industry and where we're going, what we're doing to ensure that we look at every opportunity to grow visitation," explained Mouflier.
TIAPEI hired a Ireland-based company called Tourism Development International to carry out the consultations and compile the feedback.
The final public consultation will be held this Thursday at the Kinkora Community Centre at 7 p.m..
"Now's your last chance. We don't want to hear from people that they didn't know," said Mouflier.
The next stage of the process will be finalizing goals and timelines for reaching them before announcing the 2021 strategy in November.
2016 was the third consecutive year P.E.I. has seen growth in tourism numbers, Mouflier said.
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With files from Stephanie Kelly