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A major Atlantic Canadian sightseeing tour operator is gearing up for another busy tourism season.
Ambassatours Gray Line says bookings are up 30 per cent from this time last year.
Sean Buckland, the owner, said the company is watching expenses amid rising fuel and grocery costs.
In an interview with the CBC’s Amy Smith about Tall Ship Silva, Buckland explains how the season is going so far, who is visiting, what they’re coming to see and what the company is doing to respond to rising costs.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
So early days yet of course, but how are you seeing things unfold so far?
Things are unfolding really well so far. Last year was our best year on record and we’ve seen that trend continue. We’re seeing Americans coming on board the cruise ships [and] taking advantage of the exchange and the higher dollar. We’re seeing international visitors come and stay longer and have a propensity to spend more when they’re here. And we’re seeing Canadians stay home. So the three are aligned and they’re creating for a really terrific season to start.
What are they coming here to see?
For us, a trip on the Halifax waterfront. We have a world-class waterfront here that’s visited by over three million people a year. We always say no trip to Halifax is complete without a trip on the water. They’re [also] coming to see picturesque Peggys Cove, over 800,000 visitors a year. We’ll visit Peggys Cove. And they’re generally taking in the sights of the incredible city we have here. The Tall Ship Silva goes out on a regular basis and you can go out and experience a two-hour cruise visiting the Northwest Arm, which gives you a really great perspective of the yacht clubs and homes on the arm. And you can take an amazing sunset cruise as well.
These are tough times for a lot of people. Groceries are up, everything’s up, including fuel. How has that impacted how you operate?
One of the first things that’s impacted when costs go up is people’s discretionary income. And so travel is discretionary. We’re seeing that our guests are continuing to travel and we’ve always believed — and I think it’s continuous here — that Atlantic Canada is a strong, resilient market.
We’re watching our costs. We’ve chosen not to pass on a fuel surcharge. So we have chosen to eat the cost of fuel at the moment and keep a close eye on it. But we have done things like introduce walking tours this year for more budget-conscious guests. Perhaps we will go slower on the water. I think we all know the faster you go, the more fuel you burn.
We’re taking a good look inward to say what can we do to eventually electrify our fleet and our vessels.
That would be quite expensive, I assume.
It wouldn’t be a cheap undertaking by any means, but certainly the right thing to do and certainly it will take some time to do. But we are working with industry partners now to look at ways that we can electrify our Harbour Hoppers in particular.
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Ambassatours Gray Line says bookings are up 30 per cent compared with this time last year. In an interview with the CBC’s Amy Smith, owner Sean Buckland said the season will start to ramp up over the May long weekend.
When does the season really pick up for you?
The first cruise ship was April 5 this year, which was really early.… But the season will really start to ramp up [over the] May long weekend.
Well, if last year was record-breaking, do you think this year will break some records as well?
I do. I think this year will set a new record. I think anybody in the industry will tell you they’re chasing pre-pandemic numbers and 2019 was the best year for the province. We have yet to exceed 2019. I do believe this will be the year to exceed 2019 visitation and all signs are pointing in that direction [with] increased direct flights into the Halifax international airport, increased conventions and conferences here in the city and increased cruise ship arrivals.
What’s your advice to people who are thinking about coming to Nova Scotia?
My advice to them would be to book, book early. [It’s] always better to book in advance. You hold your spot that way and you guarantee your seat. Come and stay as long as you can and explore as much as you can.
The weather is key. There’s no question. I mean, our business and many of our industry partners along the waterfront do much better when the weather co-operates. And we certainly are hoping for the same type of year we had last year, which was a year of consistent sunshine for most of the season.
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