Rough road to recovery for N.B. duty-free shop – still holding out hope border traffic will increase
John Slipp says it’s like the perfect storm. Just as the pandemic is shifting and restrictions easing, the high price of fuel, supply chain issues and lingering requirements at the U.S.-Canada border are all adding pressure to his already beat-up bottom line.
The owner of the Woodstock duty-free shop and Atlantic Travel Centre says the month of May normally sees more campers and road trippers taking advantage of the warmer weather. He had built up his inventory in anticipation.
Instead, he says, traffic has been slow.
“I was talking to a supplier yesterday who said everybody is experiencing the same thing. We can only assume it’s the price of fuel but it’s hard to be sure,” Slipp said. “And the supply chain challenges affect us just like they’re affecting everyone else… Could the business environment be more difficult? It’s hard to imagine.”
He also wonders if the federal government’s “ArriveCan” app is holding travellers back. The app is used for any travellers entering Canada to upload their proof of vaccination documentation. The Canadian Border Services Agency has repeated that – no matter their vaccine status – travellers must use the app to return to Canada.
“We believe this is a factor in our challenges with slow traffic,” he said. “What is the benefit? …How is having people registering on ArriveCan actually benefiting Canadians? And nobody’s been able to answer that question.”
Visitors from central Canada and the eastern U.S. make up a sizeable portion of the tourism market in N.B.
But while there’s concern gas prices may hold some back – the Tourism Industry Association of N.B. also believes it will encourage more to explore closer to home.
“Talking to some different operators, they're starting to see visitors from away. Maybe not to the degree they have in the past, the gas prices may be limiting that a little bit, but people are still looking to travel,” said Andrew McNair, association CEO.
“If they're losing some of that it's being picked up by people closer. Bookings are full, operators are telling us that bookings are filled up and that people are ready to move and do things, so if we lose a little bit of business from further away it's going to get picked up by those closer.”
Many tourism operators are counting on the upcoming summer to help with recovery after the last two years.
According to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, almost 85 per cent of businesses in the tourism sector experienced a decrease in revenue the first year of the pandemic – and for almost half, that decrease was 40 per cent of more.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
Cherry blossoms blooming in Canada: Here's what to know
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.