2016 Good Year for Tourism in Saint John
SAINT JOHN – Discover Saint John says the port city is on track for a record-setting tourism year.
According to the latest data from STR, an independent authority on hotel industry performance, occupancy in Saint John’s hotels is up 5.8 per cent at the end of September, compared to this point last year. Hotel occupancy is a key measure of tourism success.
“Tourism represents $240,000,000 to Saint John’s economy so increased tourism generates important economic spinoff throughout the city and the province,” said Glenda MacLean, chair of Discover Saint John’s board of directors and general manager of Hilton Saint John and the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre in a release. “Tourism creates jobs and opportunities, and our community is seeing more visitors and more events.”
Big events like the Area 506 festival, the Buskers on the Bay festival and the Telus Cup are some of the drivers of the strong results.
Discover Saint John’s latest tourism numbers also show an increase in visitors. In 2015, there were 1.5 million visitors to Saint John and visits by other New Brunswick residents increased by 4.2 per cent. Visits by other Canadian residents increased by 3.5 per cent and U.S. and other international visits were also up by 1 per cent in 2015. In total, the tourism industry brings in around $240,000,000 into the local economy.
“Looking ahead, Discover Saint John is anticipating more strong years to come,” said Victoria Clarke, executive director of Discover Saint John. “We have already secured a number of major events for the next few years including the East Coast Music Awards, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft and the Canada 55+ Games. We also look forward to welcoming more American visitors and more Canadian visitors to Saint John.”