Tourism Nova Scotia conducted research in the spring of 2023 to better understand Atlantic Canadians’ interest and plans to visit Nova Scotia. Use these research insights to help attract travellers from the region to your business.

Nova Scotia saw strong recovery in visitation in 2022, welcoming 1.9 million visitors. However, visitation was still 18% below 2019 levels, largely related to slower recovery in visitation from Atlantic Canada. 

Historically, Atlantic Canadians have represented the largest share of visitors to Nova Scotia. While this was true for 2022, visitation from Atlantic Canada did not recover at the same rate as visitation from other markets and was down 31% compared with 2019. In contrast, visitation from Ontario recovered to 2019 levels, and visitation from Western Canada was up 12% compared with 2019.

To better understand why visitation recovery from Atlantic Canada did not keep pace with other markets, and identify opportunities to encourage visitation, Tourism Nova Scotia commissioned research in the spring of 2023 with residents of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador to better understand their travel intentions. 

Here are key findings from this research, and some suggested tactics for consideration.

Key Research Takeaways:

1. Visitation Recovery: Atlantic Canadians told us they did not resume leisure travel to Nova Scotia at the same pace as they resumed leisure travel to other domestic and international destinations in 2022. 
2. Changed Travel Habits: The pandemic altered travel patterns and disrupted Atlantic Canadian residents’ traditional reasons for visiting Nova Scotia. These have not yet fully reset and the full return of Atlantic Canadian travellers to Nova Scotia will be gradual. This means that, over the next few years, Atlantic Canadians may need to be reminded of Nova Scotia’s traditional appeal as a nearby destination.
3. Nova Scotia’s Ongoing Appeal: Atlantic travellers call Nova Scotia a favoured destination and intend to visit Nova Scotia in 2023 and 2024. Despite the appeal, less active planning is taking place for travel to Nova Scotia compared with other destinations. Atlantic Canadian residents need to know what is open, and which activities and events have returned.
4. Visiting Friends & Relatives (VFR): Visiting friends and family was the most common reason for travel in 2022 and this is expected to continue for 2023. Pre-pandemic, leisure travel to Nova Scotia was equally split between visiting friends and family, and pleasure trips.
5. Affordability: Atlantic Canadian travellers are acutely sensitive to inflation and costs. Gas, hotel and restaurant prices may deter travel to and within Nova Scotia for this audience. 
6. Aspirational Travel: Amid cost-sensitivity, Atlantic Canadian travellers are still willing to spend on longer, further away trips (e.g., international trips), for the perceived value of out-of-region travel.

Key Opportunities for Businesses

Here are some suggestions for how you might use these research findings to help attract Atlantic Canadian travellers to your business. Some of these items may already be implemented however if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out directly to the contacts listed below.

Increase Awareness & Appeal Through Packages:

• Offer packages that showcase the unique elements of your business, partners, and locations, while helping to increase awareness of what you offer.  
• Create a friends & family package and use high quality photography and video that reflect package components.
• Create packages that offer multiple products or services.  This encourages customers to purchase more and extend their stay, while feeling they are getting a better deal overall.
• Highlight the key differentiators and most compelling tourism products for your business and area in your marketing and packages. What can’t they get closer to home?
• Help close the sale by making added value elements very clear. This will help visitors see a ‘return on investment’ when booking your package.

Any questions on this topic can be direct to Erin Hume, Tourism Development Advisor, at erin.hume@novascotia.ca. Check out the Nova Scotia Experience Toolkit for more information on how to create and promote packages and experiences.

How to use Digital Advertising to Attract Atlantic Canadian Visitors:

• Maximize Your Presence on NovaScotia.com. Tourism Nova Scotia offers free promotional opportunities for your business through our official trip planning website, NovaScotia.com. The website is the primary call to action in all TNS marketing activities and received more than 14.5 million visitors last year.
• Use paid media to find new customers and reach target markets. Platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Google Ads and YouTube allow you to target your ads and reach a specific audience.
• Advertise a friends & family package and use photos and videos that reflect the experience. Use ad copy that encourages trip planning ideas inclusive of groups and families. E.g., Ad text could say "Discover Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore: Share its stunning beauty with your friends and family!” 
• Advertise package deals with simple messaging so people know what’s included. Use a call to action for a special offer for early bookings. E.g., “Book early and receive a discount” or “limited offer” or “last minute deals”.
• Advertise easy vacation escapes. Use wording to help express the ease of proximity and travel to your location. E.g., “Book your weekend relaxation package at the Coastal Nature Spa, only one hour from Halifax”.

Any additional questions on this topic can be directed to Sarah Hennebury, Marketing Advisor, at sarah.hennebury@novascotia.ca. 

Tourism Nova Scotia Webinar Series

If you are looking for additional training on any of the topics, please check out the Tourism Nova Scotia Webinar Series to get training, advice and practical information from a range of expert panellists: https://tourismns.ca/tourism-business-tools-resources/tourism-nova-scotia-webinar-series