Tourism minister to visit sites province wants New Brunswickers to visit

With Friday's launch of the Atlantic bubble and tourism season officially underway, New Brunswick Tourism Minister Bruce Fitch is making his own travel plans.

He intends to visit as many of the province's attractions as possible that the government hopes will entice New Brunswickers to "staycation" this summer, he said.

"Just to encourage people to get out and explore their province."

Fitch took a trip to Mount Carleton on Thursday.

He said provincial parks and other "venues" are on his list.

Fitch doesn't have a fixed itinerary, said Department of Tourism spokesperson Johanne LeBlanc.

He previously visited Mactaquac and Parlee Beach provincial parks and also toured Kings Landing, the historical settlement near Fredericton, she said.

Next week, he plans to visit the Fundy Trail Parkway and the Hopewell Rocks.

LeBlanc could not immediately provide an estimated cost for Fitch's sightseeing tour.

Fitch said he thinks the Atlantic bubble decision, allowing travellers from within the four provinces to cross borders without having to self-isolate for 14 days, was a good one.

"I know there was a significant amount of people looking for that."

But he also expects to see some people deciding to stay closer to home.

"That's the sense that I'm getting in the discussions that I'm having with the department and some of the tourist visitors," he said.

"I think there's a little bit of reluctance [to travel outside the province] because of COVID and that uncertainty, but I would also like to hope our marketing campaign has instilled a desire for New Brunswickers to explore their own province."

'Significant' campaign

In May, the province launched a $1.2 million tourism campaign designed to encourage New Brunswickers to discover their province over the coming months and to support the tourism industry.

The first two phases were: NB Always and Where will you go first?

The third one is welcoming visitors back to Explore NB.

This campaign is also airing in Nova Scotia and P.E.I., said LeBlanc.

Fitch described the campaign as "significant."

"I think some of these results will show," he said.

And "now there's a bigger market, with the population from all four Atlantic provinces" available to explore New Brunswick.

Department officials could not immediately say whether the province has advertised elsewhere in Canada yet or whether it plans to.