June may have been cool, but visitors from around the world are already arriving on P.E.I. and operators are looking forward to another strong season.
"We've had a lot of traffic in from different parts of the world — Australia, England, Austria, United States and all over Canada," said Marlene Grant of Island Traditions in Richmond, P.E.I., during a panel discussion on Island Morning.
"Things are looking good up west."
P.E.I. marked its fourth record tourism season in a row in 2017, and growth in the number of visitors from outside Canada has played a significant role in that.
- American visitors: +6.9% in 2017.
- Other international visitors: +19.1% in 2017.
Rick Renaud at Rick's Fish & Chips in St. Peters, P.E.I., thinks he is already seeing more American customers this year.
"I just noticed in the past couple of days in the till we're seeing a bit more American currency," said Renaud.
"There's going to be more Americans, I think, this year."
Corryn Clemence from the Port of Charlottetown, who also sits on the board of the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, said there is a sense of optimism in the industry as the high tourism season begins.