Busy summer for Atlantic Canadian seasonal attractions
- Judith Mendiolea Lelo de Larrea
- Aug 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Canadian tourists were up significantly this season, although American visitors were down, for three Atlantic Canadian attractions
(Story originally published by PNI Atlantic News on Aug 19, 2025)
Across Atlantic Canada, tourism operators are soon to close their doors for the season after months of unpredictable weather, shifting visitor patterns and the challenges of running businesses that depend on just a few months of public access each year.
At the Dunes Studio Gallery in Brackley Beach, P.E.I., manager Ashley Foster said the pace picked up early.
“Personally, I found it busier than previous years… it’s felt like we’ve been going nonstop since the first of June for sure,” she said.
Sunny weather brought more people through the gardens and into the gallery.
“It does affect us a great deal, so having these sunny days is a definite bonus,” Foster said.
The mix of visitors stretched from Islanders and seasonal cottage owners to Canadians, Americans and Europeans.
“We have a lot of local visitors… people with cottages here that come seasonally. I get to see them every season and so they’re all back. But you know, there’s a lot from the States, a lot across Canada, and then yeah, quite a bit from Europe as well.”
The increase meant restocking shelves sooner than expected.
“Because it’s been so much busier, we’ve been running out of things quicker than normal and putting in extra orders to craftspeople from the island and Canada who wouldn’t normally see another order from us,” Foster said.
Though the site is only open seasonally, production continues year-round.
“It’s honestly almost a full year production for everything that we make here,” she said.
About 50 to 60 employees are hired each summer, many of whom return annually.
“We have a lot of associates that come back every season, so we have people here that have been with me since I’ve been here, so and even longer.”
Foster said visitor loyalty is a defining feature.
“We have so many people that come back every season… you get visitors that worked here, say 20 years ago, and they’ve come back for the first time in 20 years. They remember this place from back then. They share their stories.”
In Glace Bay, N.S., the Cape Breton Miners Museum also reported strong numbers, though still below pre-pandemic levels.
Executive director Mary Pat Mombourquette said, “Pre-COVID, we were seeing 15 [thousand]. So… we’ll probably at the end of the year have seen about 12,000–13,000 visitors this summer. So that’s not too bad.”
Canadian tourists made up more of the crowd than usual.
“We have noticed that we’re getting more visitors from Canada… especially Ontario. We are seeing a lot of people from Atlantic Canada too, which we don’t normally see,” she said.
But American numbers dropped. “The trend for American tourists is down… which is strange because I expected with the low dollar that we would see more Americans, but no, that’s not the trend this summer.”
Tourism Nova Scotia reported a similar shift earlier in the year: by April 2025, visits from Ontario were down 11 per cent compared with 2024, while travel from Atlantic Canada was up slightly.
At the national level, Statistics Canada found that American road trips into Canada fell 7.4 per cent in July 2025, confirming a dip many attractions across the region have noticed.
The weather was another factor.
“Normally I’m up in my office doing a rain dance… when it rains, they will look for indoor activities like us. Of course this summer, as you know, there has been no rain,” Mombourquette said.
Funding remains the biggest obstacle.
“The biggest challenge that we face is operational funding… 70% of our operations are funded by earned revenue. Not earning the revenue, we can’t spend for expenses,” she said.
The museum runs with only one salaried position.
“There is only one full-time staff, me. I’m the only salaried position. Now, we get a lot of summer students… and my mine guys, they get hired on in the summer and do the tours,” Mombourquette said.
She described the museum as central to the community. “Basically we are the only tourist attraction in Glace Bay… we are the reason to come to Glace Bay, but once you’re here you can discover all kinds of little treasures.”
A $3-million renovation was completed this summer, designed to make exhibits more immersive.
“This summer we finally finished a $3,000,000 build… we’ve tried to modernize the museum so that when they come in here, they get an experience… it’s a really authentic experience when you come in here, you really feel like you know what it’s like to be a miner,” she said.
In Reidville, N.L., the Newfoundland Insectarium marked another strong season.
Owner Lloyd Hollett said, “We’re pretty much on par with last year, which was our best year ever… I think we’ll end up the season about the same as last year, which was 30,000 visitors.”
Rainy days boosted numbers.
“Rainy days are always better for us… if we get a rainy day, instead of getting 300 people, you’ll get 400, 450 people,” Hollett said. But hot, sunny weather drew tourists to beaches instead.
Like other attractions, Canadian visitors dominated. “We’re seeing a lot of Canadians this year… Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec… there’s still some Americans here, but probably not quite as many as other years,” he said.
The butterfly garden, the facility’s main draw, also presents its biggest challenge.
“The biggest challenge we have is butterflies for our butterfly garden… we try to keep a thousand butterflies in the garden at any one time, and that’s our biggest draw,” Hollett said.
Shipping delays once meant major losses.
“We lost 60% and 70% [of shipments]… so since then we switched from UPS to Air Canada. Now we don’t have to worry about delays, but it costs us an extra $500 a shipment,” he said.
The insectarium has been operating for 27 years and is run by Hollett, his wife, and nine employees, including seasonal student interpreters. It is open from May to October, with the off-season dedicated to care for live insects.
Together, the three operators describe a season marked by steady visitor demand, changing weather patterns and the need to adapt.
Whether it was replenishing shelves early on P.E.I., finishing renovations in Nova Scotia or keeping butterflies alive in Newfoundland, each attraction faced challenges shaped by the realities of seasonal business in Atlantic Canada.
Statistics Canada reported that total tourism revenue in Canada reached $26.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025, 132 per cent of 2019 levels. Domestic tourism spending accounted for most of the increase at $20.2 billion, up 38 per cent compared with pre-pandemic, while non-resident spending slipped slightly to $6.2 billion.
The growth in domestic travel reflects what many operators in Atlantic Canada are seeing on the ground: more Canadians are exploring the region, even as American road traffic has declined.
Tourism HR Canada noted that by March 2025, tourism made up nearly 10 per cent of Canada’s labour force, a recovery to just above pre-pandemic levels. But in smaller seasonal businesses, staffing remains fragile, with operators like Mombourquette running with just one salaried position and Foster depending on seasonal returnees.
Looking ahead, federal investments of $6 million announced in March to improve regional air service among Atlantic provinces may help boost accessibility.
According to the federal government, while overall passenger traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels, smaller airports in the region are still operating at 45 to 65 per cent of previous capacity. For operators like Hollett, Mombourquette and Foster, expanded connections could bring new visitors through their doors in seasons to come.
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