New Brunswick tourism numbers bounce back post-pandemic

The Province of New Brunswick has shared tourism statistics for 2022 and the numbers are up from a year ago -- way up.

According to the province's department of tourism, total room sales from January to September jumped from just over 707,386 in 2021 to 1,105,674 last year.

Annick Robichaud Butland, the owner of ABConnect Travel and the president of the Albert County Chamber of Commerce, has a simple reason for that.

"For 2022, it was the first year that was fully open to all markets for the entirety of the year. So it gave us a chance to have more of a normal year and getting back to regular numbers," said Robichaud Butland.

But the rise in overnight visitors post-pandemic is significant.

Visitors from the United States saw an increase of 414 per cent. Ontario visitors saw an increase of 144 per cent. It was 85 per cent for Quebec and 115 per cent for the rest of Canada.

Encouraging news, but the numbers couldn't help but go up with the borders open again.

The CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick said the numbers can be taken with a grain of salt, but it's still good news.

"Honestly, you need to take the positives where the positives are rather than looking backwards," said Andrew McNair. "You know, it's good to see people travelling again and things returning to where they should be."

McNair said overall numbers are not quite what they were pre-pandemic, but people are seeking new adventures in New Brunswick and the province is trying to capitalize on that.

"They've done a really good job at focusing on what tourism is looking like and what tourists are looking for. They’ve shifted somewhat to outdoor adventure tourism and a lot of that type of product," said McNair.

Visits to provincial parks increased from 695,100 in 2019 to 810,510 in 2022. Campsite bookings were up to what the province says is likely a record 86,678 bookings.

McNair said after being in lockdown, people living in nearby states and provinces are looking for new places to travel.

"Tourism is evolving and what tourists are looking for and what they're wanting is evolving a bit too," said McNair. "Post-pandemic, people are doing a little more outdoor activities."

So what's the appeal to an American traveller or a Canadian who's never been to New Brunswick before?

"We're really nice," laughed Robichaud Butland. "Actually, our Maritime friendliness. I know it's been said time and time again, but it's true. People like the laid-back lifestyle, the open space. It's not crowded, it's safe. So those are definitely draws that we have."

And there's more positive news.

The AREA 506 Waterfront Container Village in Saint John recently won a Canadian Tourism Award in the innovation category and the Heritage Path Tour in the Elsipogtog First Nation won in the Indigenous category.