Accommodation Statistics

Tourism Nova Scotia gathers and reports tourism statistics on behalf of the tourism industry. These statistics help inform our decision-making, help describe visitors to Nova Scotia, and can be used by tourism businesses and organizations for planning and business development. As tourism indicators are compiled from several sources, data becomes available at different times. Tourism Nova Scotia reports the most up-to-date statistics available so reporting timelines for each indicator may differ.

See Accommodation Statistics January to September 2024

Accommodations

Nova Scotia accommodations operators report 2.4 million room nights sold between January and September 2024, a 1% increase (17,000 more room nights sold) compared with the first nine months of 2023.

Compared with 2023, four tourism regions reported growth in room nights sold in 2024:
•   South Shore, up 2% (4,000 more room nights sold)
•   Halifax Metro, up 3% (35,000 more room nights sold)
•   Cape Breton, up 2% (9,000 more room nights sold)
•   Yarmouth and Acadian Shores, up 4% (2,000 more room nights sold)

Two regions, meanwhile, experienced declines in room nights sold compared with 2023:
• Eastern Shore, down 2% (400 fewer room nights sold)
• Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley, down 10% (32,000 fewer room nights sold) – note, this region has seen a decline in available supply in 2024, which has contributed to the decline in room nights sold

The Northumberland Shore region saw minimal change in room sales to date in 2024, with 500 fewer room nights sold compared with the same period of 2023 (down less than 1%).

Room Nights Sold (Tourism Nova Scotia Database):

According to AirDNA data, there were 494,000 room nights booked through sharing economy platforms in the first 9 months of 2024, an increase of 7% compared with 2023.

Room Nights Booked Through Sharing Economy Platforms:

Graph indicating room nights sold using sharing economy for January to September 2024.

According to the latest data from the CBRE Hotels National Market Report, the average room rate for Nova Scotia accommodations was $196 in the first nine months of 2024, which is on par with the average room rate for the same period of 2023.

The average room rate from January to September 2024 in the Halifax Regional Municipality was $209 (down 1% versus 2023). For the same period, the average room rate of $162 in the rest of Nova Scotia was up 6% compared with 2023.

Average Room Rates:

Graph indicating average room rates for Nova Scotia for January to September 2024.

See Full-Year Accommodation Statistics 2023

See 2023 Tourism Performance Report

See 2022 Accommodation Statistics (PDF)

Tourism statistics are compiled from a variety of sources, including:

Operator accommodation occupancy reports
Room rate data from CBRE Limited
Data collected by AirDNA regarding room night bookings through sharing economy platforms
In-person surveys administered to passengers at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Motor vehicle enumeration at the Nova Scotia – New Brunswick border
Passenger information from ferry operators
The Nova Scotia Visitor Exit Survey
Data from Halifax International Airport Authority

These statistics reflect the combined efforts of tourism businesses, organizations, communities, and governments, and include activities by both Nova Scotians and non-resident visitors. There are many factors that contribute to tourism industry performance including events, weather, gas prices, air capacity, currency fluctuations, geo-political circumstances, and industry initiatives such as marketing. Tourism Nova Scotia is just one organization among many contributing to tourism growth. We support tourism growth through marketing in key national and international markets, support for experience and business development, and visitor servicing. For more information about Tourism Nova Scotia's strategy and performance, please see Plans & Reports.

Accommodation Statistics