Five-year tourism industry strategy released

Unprecedented consultation and feedback has led to a proposed five-year tourism strategy for Prince Edward Island.

Released by the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI), Vision 2021 explores new opportunities and product offerings like expanding the tourism season, an enhanced coastal drive offering, improved aboriginal tourism, and further developing the Confederation Trail. It also suggests how the industry’s administration and funding could be improved, and it sets goals for performance over the life of the strategy.

“Vision 2021 is a very powerful document that we can act on since the industry was so involved in its creation,” Economic Development and Tourism Minister Heath MacDonald said. “I congratulate TIAPEI on its efforts to put industry at the forefront and for its recommendations on how we can build on our reputation as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.”

Over the coming weeks and months, the province will meet with operators and organizations to determine how to act on the strategy from marketing and product development perspectives, and how the industry might be changed.

“This process could not happen without industry stakeholders taking the lead in developing this strategy,” TIAPEI CEO Kevin Mouflier said.  “This is industry’s strategy to implement, and strong industry representation will ensure all actions are inclusive as we move forward with the development and implementation plan.”

Early projections for 2016 show a 6.9 per cent increase in total visitation to 1.5 million, and a 6 per cent increase in total revenue to $430 million. This year has also seen a significant increase in overnight stays; through October there were already more overnight stays than in all of 2015.

Tourism is incredibly important to the provincial economy. The industry provides over 7,700 full time equivalent jobs for Islanders and contributes 6.4 per cent of total GDP, the highest percentage of any province in Canada. The industry also generates over $60 million a year in provincial taxes.

Media contact:

Andrew Sprague
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
902-368-5535
asgsprague@gov.pe.ca