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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 2022 Year-to-date Accommodation Statistics (PDF)

See the 2021 Tourism Performance Report (PDF)

See 2021 Key Tourism Performance Indicators Data (PDF)

 

Accommodations Activity in Nova Scotia, January-March 2022

Across the province, operators reported 369,000 room nights sold between January and March 2022. That is a 45% increase over the same period in 2021 (115,000 more room nights sold) and a decrease of 11% over the same period in 2019 (45,000 fewer room nights sold).

While all regions showed improvement compared with last year, three regions had more room nights sold year-to-date than in the same pre-pandemic period in 2019. Sales in Yarmouth and Acadian Shores are up 16% compared with the first three months of 2019, sales in Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley are up 10%, and in South Shore sales are up 6%. 

Although the pace of accommodations recovery slowed in January and February relative to December, sales in March were the first monthly growth over 2019 levels since the pandemic began.


Nova Scotia Room Nights Sold (TNS Accommodations Database):


Bar graph comparing room nights sold in Nova Scotia from January to March 2022 with the same period in 2021. A line represents 2019 data as a benchmark.

 

Sharing Economy Activity in Nova Scotia January - March 2022

According to AirDNA data, from January through March 2022 there were 65,000 room nights booked through sharing economy platforms, an increase of 21% compared with the same months in 2021.

While accommodations in Tourism Nova Scotia’s database reported lower sales compared with 2019, bookings through sharing economy platforms were up 49% in January - March 2022 compared with same period in 2019.


Room Nights Booked Through Sharing Economy Platforms:
Bar graph comparing room nights booked through sharing economy platforms from January to March 2022 with the same period in 2021.

Average Room Rate in Nova Scotia January - March 2022

According to the latest data from the CBRE Hotels National Market Report, the average room rate for Nova Scotia accommodations was $120 in the first three months of 2022, an increase of 26% over 2021 and a decline of 4% compared with 2019.

Average Room Rates Per Night in Nova Scotia:

Bar graph comparing average room rates from January to March 2022 with the same period in 2021.

Falling average room rates resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic had been most pronounced in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). In the first three months of 2022, the average room rate in HRM was $122, down 6% from the same pre-pandemic months in 2019, as compared with the average room rate of $116 in the rest of Nova Scotia, which is unchanged from the same period in 2019.

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.

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