Cries for clarity: Tourism groups want firm dates for reopening plan
Nova Scotia’s tourism industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, losing $1.6 billion in revenue last year.
“We employ 50,000 Nova Scotians, we're back up to about 30,000 so we're still down about 20,000 jobs," says Darlene Grant Fiander with the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia.
"We generate about $450 million in tax revenue for the provincial government, so that pays for health care, education, infrastructure, so it's incredibly important to the economy."
Nova Scotia is currently in the first of a five-phase reopening plan. The province is expected to move into phase two next Wednesday.
Some notable changes in the second phase include indoor gathering limits increasing to 10 people and outdoor gathering limits to 25. Restaurants will also be able to offer indoor dining with physical distancing.
Officials have said the province’s reopening plan is based on data and not specific dates. However, it’s expected phase three of the reopening plan will start at the end of the month, phase four in mid-July and phase five in September.
"I think folks can be comfortable to book trips in Atlantic Canada for June 30 and the rest of Canada for June for July 14," Premier Iain Rankin said Wednesday.
"But we continue to look at that and how we could provide more accommodations for those that are … vaccinated because they have more protection."
The Hotel Association of Nova Scotia would like to see more clarity surrounding the reopening dates and the vaccine requirements needed.
"If you were to go on the COVID-19 website now under phase three and phase four it says that you may need to self-isolate. While we know that the government is trying to work on potential solutions, for example, if you are fully vaccinated you won't have to isolate, it's really important that the government treats these things very urgently, as people from within the Bubble and Canada are planning their trips to Nova Scotia now,” says Megan Delaney with the hotel association.
Delaney is noticing people are booking accommodations later this year.
"People are booking a bit further out into the tourism season in regards to maybe August or September when things seem like they will more concretely be open and they're more confident in booking,” says Delaney.
Grant Fiander is optimistic about the upcoming tourism season.
"We did an incredible job here in the region and now it's time to help all Nova Scotian communities rebuild. If the tourism economy comes back, Nova Scotia comes back,” says Grant Fiander.
But Grant Fiander would like to see a bit better coordination of guidelines in the Maritimes.
"If travel trade operators are selling packages in the Maritimes or the Atlantic Region if there's differences in group numbers or numbers in restaurants, it's going to be really important that the government now moves to coordination on guidelines,' says Grant Fiander.
"The three Maritime provinces have submitted guidelines. We're hoping that they get approved so that group travel can sell packages that are consistent because, from a customer perspective, they just want to travel and we can't have differences between the provinces."
Correction
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the Tourism Association of Nova Scotia generates $450,000 in tax revenue for the province, it's actually $450 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson Airport: police
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year, Peel Regional Police said Wednesday.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
'Enormous sum of money': Actor Hugh Grant settles privacy lawsuit against tabloid
British actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit against the publisher of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspaper, The Sun, over claims journalists used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house, he said on Wednesday.
O.J. Simpson was chilling with a beer on a couch before Easter, lawyer says. 2 weeks later he was dead
O.J. Simpson's last robust discussion with his longtime lawyer was just before Easter, at the country club home Simpson leased southwest of the Las Vegas Strip. About a week later, on April 5, a doctor said Simpson was 'transitioning.'
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
U.K. plan to phase out smoking for good passes first hurdle
The British government's plan for a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking cleared its first hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday despite vocal opposition from within Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party.