From pandemic decimation to rebound: N.L. tourism operators reflect on surviving the last 2 years – CBC

The COVID-19 pandemic decimated the tourism industry but 2022 helped rebuild

Sep 01, 2022

Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism industry is one of the province’s economic work horses, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy every year.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit N.L. in March 2020, tourism operators faced a bleak future, as lockdowns, restrictions and a halt to international and interprovincial travel cut off their most important source of revenue essentially overnight.

Now, with almost all restrictions lifted, operators who spoke to CBC two years ago about their fears amid a pandemic-decimated season are finding themselves in much different circumstances.

Colin Shears, owner and operator of Out East Adventures in Rocky Harbour, told CBC News in July 2020 that Newfoundlanders generally make up about just five per cent of his business, with the rest coming from tourists.

On Wednesday, Shears said a provincial government focus on “staycations” helped boost his Newfoundland customer base in 2020 and 2021 — but the biggest portion of his business was gone.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-tourism-2022-update-1.6568086