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

"Just toencourage people toget 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,saidDepartment of Tourism spokesperson Johanne LeBlanc.

He previously visited Mactaquacand 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 thinksthe Atlantic bubble decision,allowing travellers from within the four provinces to crossborders 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 thetourist visitors," he said.

"Ithink there's a little bit of reluctance [to travel outside the province] because of COVID and that uncertainty, but Iwould 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 milliontourism 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.