Figures released today by the province show continued strength in several key areas including overnight stays and air traffic, says Minister of Tourism and Culture Robert Henderson.

“We continue to be very encouraged by the numbers we’re seeing so far for the 2014 tourism season,” said Minister Henderson. “They give us reason to be optimistic about our ability to meet our goals for growth this year. But these are still early numbers, and the picture will become much clearer once we see the statistics from July.”

June was the fifth consecutive month where room nights sold increased over the same month last year. That figure was up 5.4 percent, which contributed to a 5.9 percent increase year-to-date. The Charlottetown Airport had a record June and reported an 11.1 percent increase in traffic compared to last year. The Confederation Bridge saw off-Island traffic increase by 0.6 percent and Northumberland Ferries reported a four percent increase.

There was also a remarkable 347 percent increase in the number of visitors from Japan.

Site nights sold at local campgrounds dropped by 1.0 percent in June after a record month in 2013. Non-member golf rounds were down 9.7 percent compared to last June, and cruise ship traffic was down by 16.6 percent.

“The results from first half of 2014 are an encouraging sign that the tourism season is headed in the right direction,” said Tourism Advisory Council Chair John Anthony Langdale. “The Tourism Advisory Council has set a goal of five percent growth in the industry this year. That goal is supported by increased marketing activities and product investment in the form of the 2014 celebrations. With each passing month we inch closer to meeting that target.”

The statistics are provided to the province by individual tourism operators and are compiled by staff in the Department of Tourism and Culture.

To see the full report visit www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/current_tourism.pdf.

Tourism is a vital industry in Prince Edward Island that provides over 7,000 full time equivalent jobs for Islanders. It accounts for approximately $380 million in economic activity each year and seven percent of GDP, the highest percentage of any Canadian province.