Halifax tourists and tourism operators grapple with extremely rainy June

It’s another wet and chilly afternoon on the Halifax waterfront Thursday and umbrellas are a common accessory for those who have ventured out.

The rain is dampening plans for German tourists Ute and Michael Tischler’s long awaited vacation to the east coast.

“We were really disappointed, of course, because in our luggage we had summer clothes,” says Ute Tischler.

The couple from Berlin have had to adjust their plans to include as many indoor activities as possible.

“We’ve been visiting museums and have learned a lot about coffee culture and Halifax. Visiting some coffee bars,” Michael Tischler says.

Mitchell Russell, who owns one of the five BBQ trailers setting up for Ribfest, says he has his fingers crossed that the weather turns. The food festival will happen rain or shine this weekend in Dartmouth.

“Out here, the Maritimers have showed up in some pretty outrageous stuff, but it is very weather dependent,” Russell says.

“We watch the weather, hour by hour,” says local tour operator Dennis Campbell.

Watching the skies is a must with so many excursions relying on fine weather.

“Numbers were generally very, very strong in May,” Campbell says.

This month, however, has been a different story.

“The weather has been not great in June so that has affected things,” Campbell says.

There is optimism that if weather cooperates, the weeks ahead will be great for tourism operators.

“If everything stays the way it looks, the advance bookings are the best we’ve ever seen. It’s really exciting,” Campbell says.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport, has recorded this as the rainiest June since 2006.

Seventeen days this month have been rainy, and thundershowers are in the forecast again tomorrow, and precipitation is in the forecast until the middle of next week.