P.E.I.'s new $5 million tourism campaign aimed at COVID-weary travellers

P.E.I. launched a new tourism strategy and $5 million marketing campaign Friday that it hopes will cash in ona pent-up demand for travelafter two tough years due to COVID-19.

Brenda Gallant, the marketing director for Tourism P.E.I., said there's more hope this year that the pandemic won't get in the way of a good season.

In fact, one of the aims of this year's campaign, with the slogan "feel lighter," is convincing people that P.E.I. is safe without actually saying anything about COVID.

"People are very tired of hearing about COVID, so we're not specifically using it that way," Gallant said.

People are very tired of hearing about COVID. Brenda Gallant of Tourism P.E.I.

"It's really going to be through visual images, to see that wide open space, to see the beauty around you, and to picture yourself there."

The new strategy comes as the province deals with a record number of new COVID-19 cases.

On Friday, P.E.I. reported a total of 4,159 active cases with 1,029 new cases since the last update on Wednesday. The average daily case count for the last seven days is 416.

The number of hospitalizations, however, remains low with two peoplein hospital due to COVID-19, and four othersadmitted for other reasons and later testing positive.

Bob Boyle, owner of the Brackley Drive-in and Brackley Country Inn and Suites, said he believes people have learned to accept and live with COVID.

"People have a pent-up demand to travel, to enjoy life."

Shortage of workers, rental cars

There are other issues the industry will have to address, however. For example, there's a shortage of workers, since many have moved onto other jobs.

There's also a shortage of rental cars, the result of supply chain issues in the auto industry.

"They can't land here and not rent a car," said Greg Klassen of Twenty 31 Consulting.

"It's part of the experience here in P.E.I. Those are the kinds of heavy issues we need to think about if we want to welcome visitors back this summer."

The province is spending $5 million on tourism marketing this year about $1 million more than usual to attract as many of those visitorsas possible.