Nova Scotia sees double-digit drop in July tourist numbers
28.08.2008 22:01
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- Source: cbc.ca
Nova Scotia had 40,000 fewer visitors in July compared with the same month last year, a drop of 13 per cent. The provincial government released the latest tourism statistics on Wednesday. "It's really depressing isn't it, to have July numbers down as opposed to up," said Danny Morton, chairman of the board of directors for the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia. There were about 273,000 visitors last month, down 13 per cent from July 2007, according to the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. The number of American tourists was down 26 per cent and there were also fewer visitors from Europe, which tourism officials say is consistent with trends reported across the country. Visits by road dropped 13 per cent while the number of people who flew into Nova Scotia declined by 12 per cent. "We want to see the fall turning around," said Morton, who's also general manager of the White Point Beach resort. "We want to be working on access into the province. We want to make it easier for people to come into the province." The number of people renting hotel rooms or other accommodations remained about the same, which leads Morton to believe that more Nova Scotians are travelling within the province. There was also a small increase in the number of visitors from Western Canada, though the number from the rest of Canada was down. "Obviously, I'm not excited by these numbers," said Tourism Minister Bill Dooks. "I had expected some decline in visitors to Nova Scotia. But we've got to look at the positive side of it." On the brighter side, cruise ship activity was up 35 per cent in Halifax and 55 per cent in Sydney. Cruise ship visitors aren't included in the overall numbers because they don't stay overnight. Dooks said the province is working on ways to lure tourists to Nova Scotia. "What we're doing is focusing on the some of the hurdles that we have to jump over," he said. "We're promoting. We're doing a lot of work via the internet. We're working with tourism people to make sure that they don't take anything for granted, that they have to work harder than usual." Tourism revenue injected $2.3 billion into the provincial economy last year. Nova Scotia collects tourism statistics by counting overnight visitors at entry points to the province and the number of room nights sold by licensed operators. Consumer HeadlinesZoom suspends operations, strands passengersZoom Airlines Inc. sought court protection from creditors in Canada and the United States and suspended all operations Thursday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at airports.Product recall list grows over listeria concernsSix more items were added Wednesday evening to the long list of meat products recalled in the wake of a nationwide listeria outbreak that has claimed 15 lives so far.Mac and cheese study reveals Canada's social inequalitySimple meals like Kraft Dinner can be unsatisfying for Canadians who live in a state of food insecurity, found a new study released by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.Telus draws fire for cancelling 'unlimited' data planTelus has drawn the ire of wireless customers by cancelling one of its unlimited data plans and dropping some subscribers for "abusing" its network.Quebec retailer apologizes for too-thin modelsThe president of La Maison Simons, a small Quebec retail chain, has apologized for using skinny models in a back-to-school catalogue. Consumer Life FeaturesIN DEPTHFood safetyFrequently asked questions about listeriaYOUR INTERVIEWBack to school tipsAn expert takes your questionsSAFETYRecalls and Advisories- Water dispensers
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