New tourism numbers show Nova Scotia saw hike in July visitors

Nova Scotia saw an increased number of visitors to the province this July compared to the same time last year.

Statistics from Tourism Nova Scotia show visitation was up by nine per cent, or 32,000 people, compared to July 2016.

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Of those additional tourists, 23,000 arrived by plane, which is an increase of 27 per cent.

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“We are pleased to see this exceptional growth in air travel,” Tourism Nova Scotia CEO Michele Saran in a news release.

“Visitors who arrive by air are higher spenders and are key to achieving economic growth in Nova Scotia’s tourism industry. Improving air access to the province will continue to be a priority for us as we work toward reaching $4 billion in tourism revenues for Nova Scotia by 2024.”

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A majority of the new visitors were from Ontario, followed by Western Canada. Meanwhile, visitation from the U.S. and overseas also grew modestly.

According to Tourism Nova Scotia, the projected tourism revenue in the province for January to July of this year is $1.4 billion, compared to $1.3 billion in 2016.