N.S. tourism operators hopeful COVID-19 restrictions will soon ease as summer visitors begin arriving
Tourism operators in Nova Scotia are feeling encouraged, as more visitors continue to arrive.
However, those in the industry are calling on the province to move up their reopening plan to meet the tourism demand.
Terri Gaglardi was one of hundreds visiting the Halifax waterfront on Tuesday. Gaglardi travelled from Calgary to Prince Edward Island, and eventually made his way to the city.
"Right now, we're just looking for a nice waterfront patio to go to," said Gaglardi, an Alberta resident.
Low COVID-19 numbers and fresh Maritime air are playing a large role in the increase in tourists.
“It’s so great, we’re just loving it," said Gaglardi. "It’s been really great to be able to come to the east coast and have a little more freedom."
Tourism operators say they are happy with the number of visitors they are seeing right now.
“We’re actually sold out now for most tours, for a week in advance,” says Denis Campbell, a tour operator in Halifax.
But Campbell says things could be even better if Nova Scotia's COVID-19 restrictions were in line with the other Maritime provinces.
He points out that the Harbour Queen – a Mississippi-style sternwheeler used for tours in the Halifax harbour – has a capacity of about 200, however restrictions limit their passenger numbers to 50.
“It’s very frustrating when our neighbouring provinces around us have eased those restrictions and they are seemingly doing fine and we’re just a little frustrated that we can’t do that here in Nova Scotia,” he says
For some visitors, just being back home is enough. Jenny Gritke is from Nova Scotia. She’s visiting home for the first time in almost two years.
“For anyone who grew up in the Maritimes and moved away, I think they know how much it means to come back, how special this place is. It’s just a different feeling when you’re here,” said Gritke.
As thousands of others come to Nova Scotia, some in the tourism industry say the current restrictions mean those visitors are taking millions in unspent dollars with them when they go back home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.