Booming business: Cape Breton Island tourism making up for lost time
With the summer season sailing by, tourism operators in Cape Breton are cashing in.
After the COVID-19 pandemic plagued the past few years, people are travelling again and businesses on the island are busier than ever.
“It really started picking up for us this month. We really started to see a large amount of tourists coming through the gates,” said Martin Kejval, project manager for Cape Smokey Holding Ltd.
This is the first summer in business for the revamped Cape Smokey grounds. The newest attraction is a gondola, which allows visitors to experience breathtaking views.
“This month, we really started to see a big shift in the clientele. We see much more people from Ontario, Quebec, and we do see a fair bit of Americans as well,” said Kejval.
The Celtic Colours International Music Festival, which attracts thousands to the island, is also seeing a rapid response.
Tickets went on sale last week and some shows are already sold out.
“We're really excited to see lots of interest locally, but we've been getting tons of calls internationally,” said Leanne Birmingham-Beddow, Celtic Colours CEO.
The October event will return with in-person shows for the first time in two years.
Birmingham-Beddow says if the summer season is any indication, they're in for a successful festival.
“I've been out to see our hotel partners and they are all having a very busy summer. I heard from a couple in Baddeck and they're over sold for October. We actually sold out several of our concerts in the first day,” she said.
Destination Cape Breton CEO Terry Smith says numbers show a return to pre-pandemic sales.
“A lot of the experts were predicting that there was a lot of pent up demand and pent up savings, so even higher gas prices weren't keeping people from travelling, so that's really good to see,” said Smith.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.