April 5^th, 2021
For Immediate Release

St. John’s – Hospitality NL is pleased to see the announcement from Marine Atlantic today regarding the reversal of the 2021 rate increase to help enable a strong return for the economy.

Marine Atlantic stated today online that customers who have or will travel after April 1, 2021, will receive a refund for the cost difference.

“When it was announced in February that Marine Atlantic would implement a rate increase, we knew it would be an extra barrier to access and would have a negative impact for tourism operators across the province – especially considering the added effects and financial strain produced by the pandemic,” says Brenda O’Reilly, Chair of Hospitality NL. “Access to the province has long been a key point of advocacy for our members, and we are encouraged to see that the Federal Government and the Board of Marine Atlantic have reversed those fees in an effort to aid economic recovery for the province.”

Hospitality NL has long advocated the need to keep fares competitive and reduce the cost of recovery for Marine Atlantic. Efficient and effective transportation to and around the province is essential for a vibrant economy and is critical to tourism in particular.

“While this is a win for our industry, we understand that there is still much to be done in the longer term. Our organization will continue to advocate to ensure funding is set at appropriate levels over an extended period to produce longer-term planning and pricing schemes that do not erode the level of service or deter travellers and is sufficient to drive continuous improvement in the service.” concludes O’Reilly.

There are over 2,700 tourism-related businesses in this province, 78% of these are small businesses creating upwards of 20,000 jobs for residents of NL. COVID-19 has impacted the province, its communities and the way people do business. Tourism has been one of the hardest hit sectors and will be one of the last to recover. 

Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial tourism industry association for over 37 years, is dedicated to advancing growth in tourism through advocacy efforts, skills and knowledge development and membership opportunities.

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Media Contact:
Shanelle Clowe
Manager, Advocacy and Communications
P: 709-722-2000 ext. 231
M: 709-325-1040
E: sclowe@hnl.ca