Kevin Yarr

While it was nothing like pre-pandemic days, August and September were relatively strong months for the P.E.I. tourism industry.

Both months showed huge improvements over 2020, the industry's first pandemic summer, with increases of overnight stays of more than 50 per cent.

Total overnight stays

September was down less than 10 per cent from the record year of 2019. In recent years, September has challenged June as the third biggest month of the year.

For the year to the end of October, the industry saw a recovery of close to 50 per cent, but it was still 35 per cent off the mark set in 2019.

'Hassle' for tourists: Letter from June 2021 shows P.E.I. business group seeking relaxed COVID controls

A group of prominent business leaders on P.E.I. lobbied Premier Dennis King to ease pandemic restrictions heading into the peak of the 2021 tourism season, according to a letter obtained by CBC News through freedom of information legislation.

A face mask notice on door at the Credit Union Centre in Kensington, PEI on 13 Apr 2021, close up.

Credit Union Centre

P.E.I.'s tourism industry took a major dip in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world. Industry leaders who wrote to the premier in June 2021 were hoping for a much better season. 

Confederation Bridge - Drone

Absent New Brunswickers slow P.E.I. tourism recovery

The P.E.I. tourism industry saw significant improvement in August versus July, but New Brunswickers did not return to holiday at the same rate Nova Scotians did.

Tourists - tourism - tourist - sightseeing - PEI - Prince Edward Island - P.E.I. - Beach - Beaches - Summer - Sunset - Kids running 

P.E.I. has strong finish to tourism season

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