The restoration of parts of the Atlantic bubble next month, as long as COVID-19 cases remain low in the region, is good news for tourism operators, those in the industry say.
David Hovell, of the Wolfville-based Magic Winery Bus wine-tour operation, said being able to have visitors from other East Coast provinces is good news after several months of increasing cases elsewhere that led to the shutting down of the bubble last year.
“(Thursday) certainly was welcome news for Atlantic Canada's tourism industry in general and specifically for us,” Hovell said. “Guests being able to have access to us from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland is certainly welcomed.”
He said Nova Scotians filled up the reduced-capacity tours last year once restrictions were eased in the summer, “this gives us access to a market we otherwise wouldn't have in a full-restricted environment.”
The other Atlantic provinces are a big part of the company's business, he said.
“If we didn't have access to them, we would not be as optimistic as we are about 2021.”
At this time last year, the company was worried about how it would have any kind of sustainable season. When the bubble came into being in July of last year it was helpful, Hovell said.
A bubble that potentially will open mid-April, “enables (us) to look at opening our season earlier in 2021... it means we'll get on the road earlier.”
Tourism Association of Nova Scotia president Darlene Grant Fiander said the announcement of the bubble's potential return and the roll-out of a vaccination program has meant a lot of optimism for the province's tourism operators.
“For many of them, their revenues were decimated last year,” she said. “It's all positive signs in terms or recovery for the tourism industry.”
Fiander said there was certainly concern over the past few months as the bubble burst and Newfoundland and New Brunswick saw jumps in case numbers.
“I think it's a constant. Who would have thought we'd be going into year two when this happened last March,” she said. “It's a constant reminder that we have to be vigilant and diligent. It's precarious. Even though the vaccinations are rolling out we're seeing spikes in other parts of Canada.”
The tourism industry lost $1.6 billion in revenue last year.
“To have access to this market, which is a significant part of our usual business, is pretty terrific.”
Gordon Stewart, the executive director of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, agreed that the return of the bubble is a reason for optimism, but said he doesn't expect the surge right away.
“We expect that it will help a little bit (at first) in Halifax as people look for weekends away for a change, but probably not so much for urban and suburban areas,” he said. “It will be a positive impact but minor.”
By mid-June, he said, that will shift and there will be an increase in business for restaurants outside Halifax as more people take vacations and tour the province rather than having weekend getaways.
“It's a positive sign. It's a really good start for the industry. I think the more encouraging one would be, can we move this bubble to other provinces when they have their vaccinations and case numbers in order.”
