Some P.E.I. tourism operators seeing a 'bit softer' season

Traffic is up across Prince Edward Island but some tourism operators say spending is down as the summer season hits the midway mark.

Even before the 2024 season began, tourism operators expressed concern about whether fewer people would have the money to go on vacation, given the rising costs of just about everything. 

Corryn Clemence, CEO with the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, says she's hearing mixed reviews so far from operators. 

"In some areas, it's been strong — cruise has been strong, we've seen some larger ships in. Some other pockets and other sectors within the industry are feeling that maybe it's a little bit softer, " Clemence said.

"We can't really pinpoint that to a region or even a reason why. It just seems to be the trend this year. It's a little bit softer in areas." 

Clemence said some in the industry think the high cost of living is biting into the amount of money people have to spend once they arrive on the Island.

"I've talked to some cottage operators where those kitchen facilities really weren't used in the past, and now they're seeing them used more by those families.

"We're starting to see shorter stays. So, instead of that weeklong booking, we might be getting three or four nights out of those guests coming. Regionally, we're probably seeing cancellations more so than we used to." 

North Shore association optimistic

The P.E.I. government says its latest data from June 2024 shows year-over-year increases in traffic from all sources: air, bridge and ferry. 

Ben Jelley, vice-president of attraction operations at Maritime Fun Group and president of Tourism Cavendish Beach, said operators on the North Shore are optimistic about the season.

There's some mixed messaging there — there'd be some operators who are a little down from last year — but overall we're hearing pretty positive things.— Ben Jelley

"There's some mixed messaging there — there'd be some operators who are a little down from last year — but overall we're hearing pretty positive things," said Jelley, interviewed at the Shining Waters Family Fun Park.  

"We were concerned at the beginning of the season about the economic climate, but the reality is we have top-tier operators here who put on really quality products so visitors do choose to continue to come here year after year." 

Lori MacGregor, executive director with Points East Coastal Drive, said the financial strain families are feeling is having an impact on tourism in eastern P.E.I.

She said traffic at attractions seems to be up, while accommodation bookings are down. Members are also seeing a lot of last-minute bookings. 

"I'm not sure if that has something to do with people's pocketbooks or not," said MacGregor.

"We're also seeing a lot of campers just being parked randomly throughout Points East Coastal Drive, so even some of them are not opening their wallets to a campground." 

'Golf is working hard to fill in September'

For its part, Tourism P.E.I. is about to roll out changes that will provide more real-time data to tourism operators. 

Next week, the province says it plans to launch its new accommodations occupancy dashboard, which will also show visitor value and estimates, so those in the industry will have more current data on how the tourism season is unfolding.

Clemence said operators are still optimistic about the summer overall and the August numbers do look strong. She said early numbers for September are showing a slowing in visitation, but she hopes that will change over the next month or so.

"Meetings and conventions, we particularly rely on them heavily in those softer months and this year we know that's going to be a little bit lighter, just based on the cycle of those bookings," she said.

"Golf is working hard to fill in September and a lot of our other operators."