Following two difficult years, 2022 is considered a rebuilding year for the tourism industry in the Southeast region of New Brunswick.
Jillian Somers, CEO of Destination Moncton-Dieppe, the new tourism marketing organization serving the area, says she’s had positive conversations recently with her counterparts across the country.
“Consumer confidence is higher than it has been throughout the pandemic and it continues to grow. So public optimism about travelling and the comfort level and so forth is improving.”
While Somers believes things are getting better for the industry, she realizes after the last two years the unexpected can happen.
“For the more corporate-focused side of the tourism portfolio, such as meetings and conventions and group travel, we understand that those will be slower to come back online. So we’re looking for more traditional numbers in 2023 and 2024.”
Somers says the focus this year will be trying to understand some of the trends of travel following the pandemic and targeting the right people.
She adds the new marketing organization will be working with various partners and the cities of Moncton and Dieppe to bring events and festivals back after a quiet couple of years.
