Hospitality NL is the province-wide voice of the tourism industry. We advocate for the policies, partnerships, and investments needed to support a strong, competitive, and sustainable tourism sector in every region of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Tourism generates approximately $1.4 billion in annual spending, supports more than 20,000 jobs, and is driven largely by 2800  businesses rooted in communities across the province. Our advocacy work focuses on the issues that matter most to operators: access, workforce, business viability, infrastructure, investment, and long-term tourism growth.

Access to Newfoundland and Labrador

The issue:
Reliable, affordable, and predictable access is the foundation of tourism growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. Air, marine, road, and intra-provincial transportation affect visitation, workforce mobility, business costs, rural sustainability, and regional equity. If people cannot get here, or move around the province,  tourism businesses cannot reach their full potential.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL has made access our number one advocacy priority for 2026. We are bringing this message into government meetings, media commentary, member communications, conference messaging, and budget-related advocacy. Our position is clear: access is essential economic infrastructure, not simply a tourism convenience.

Marine Atlantic and Ferry Capacity

The issue:
Marine access is mission-critical for drive tourism, RV travel, group travel, motorcycle travel, family travel, and visitors exploring rural and coastal regions. Ferry capacity, affordability, and reliability directly affect bookings, visitor confidence, operator planning, and tourism revenue.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL welcomed progress on additional Marine Atlantic capacity while continuing to stress that peak-season capacity gaps remain a concern. We are advocating for a long-term, multi-year ferry capacity strategy, clear transition planning between vessels, and assurance that existing capacity remains in place until gaps are resolved.

Air Access and Transportation Affordability

The issue:
Air access is essential for leisure travel, business travel, meetings, conferences, workforce mobility, and resident travel. Limited routes, high costs, and capacity constraints affect both visitor demand and business competitiveness.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL continues to advocate for competitive, year-round air access and for transportation decisions that recognize tourism’s economic and workforce impact. Federally, we have advanced recommendations to strengthen air and marine access, improve multi-modal transportation, support airport infrastructure, and treat access to Newfoundland and Labrador as a national infrastructure and equity issue.

Workforce, Immigration, and Skills Development

The issue:
Tourism is a people-first industry. Operators need a stable, skilled workforce to meet visitor demand, extend the season, and grow sustainably. Workforce shortages, seasonal realities, housing and transportation barriers, and immigration policy gaps continue to affect business viability.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL is advocating for workforce development strategies, tourism-specific immigration pathways, EI modernization that reflects seasonal realities, and continued training and professional development. We have also highlighted practical workforce leadership through inclusive hiring initiatives and employer partnerships. A March 2026 media scan noted that Hospitality NL’s inclusive tourism hiring event demonstrated direct employer engagement, community partnership, accessibility, and workforce inclusion.

Tourism’s Economic Value

The issue:
Tourism is a pillar of Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy, but its full value is not always reflected in public policy, investment decisions, or public understanding. Tourism supports jobs, businesses, culture, community services, and regional development across the province.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL has strengthened its economic impact messaging to show that tourism welcomes more than 500,000 visitors annually, generates nearly $1.4 billion in annual spending, and supports more than 20,000 jobs and 2800 businesses. We are using this evidence to reinforce tourism’s role as renewable economic infrastructure and to support government, media, and member-facing advocacy.

Business Viability and Competitiveness

The issue:
Tourism operators continue to manage rising costs, workforce pressures, access constraints, regulatory changes, and uncertainty around future demand. These pressures are especially challenging for small businesses and rural operators.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL is advocating for policy frameworks that remove barriers, support competitiveness, and reflect tourism’s true economic contribution. We are positioning business viability as a system-wide issue connected to access, workforce, infrastructure, investment, and regional sustainability.

Tourist Accommodation Tax

The issue:
Any tourist accommodation tax must be implemented carefully, with meaningful industry input. Many operators work with group tours, motorcoach companies, and travel trade partners using rates negotiated well in advance. Poorly planned implementation could disrupt business relationships, affect competitiveness, and create confusion for operators and visitors.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL has developed clear messaging that supports coordinated, industry-informed implementation. Our position emphasizes provincial guidance, regional collaboration, alignment with Destination Management Organizations, and ensuring funds collected through tourism are reinvested in tourism priorities. Recent provincial guidance also emphasizes local tourism engagement, regional collaboration, tourism-sector representation, and use of funds for tourism purposes.

Broadband and Cellular Connectivity

The issue:
Reliable broadband and cellular service are foundational for tourism businesses, public safety, visitor experience, workforce attraction, and rural competitiveness. Connectivity gaps limit the ability of operators and communities to participate fully in the digital economy.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL has included broadband and cellular connectivity in our federal advocacy recommendations, positioning dependable connectivity as essential infrastructure for tourism, small businesses, rural communities, emergency communications, and equitable access to opportunity.

Business Events and Conference Growth

The issue:
Meetings, conventions, and business events create high-value visitation, support year-round tourism, and bring economic benefits to accommodations, restaurants, transportation providers, venues, and local suppliers.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL has advocated for continued federal support for the business events sector, including extension of the International Convention Attraction Fund. We continue to position conferences and events as important tools for visitation, economic impact, and season extension.

Growing Newfoundland and Labrador as a Leading Tourism Destination

The issue:
Newfoundland and Labrador has the assets, culture, people, and experiences to become one of Canada’s leading tourism destinations. Achieving that goal requires deliberate investment, alignment, access, workforce stability, exceptional experiences, and strong government partnership.

What we have done recently:
Hospitality NL has publicly supported growth ambitions for the province’s tourism sector while keeping attention on the fundamentals needed to achieve them: better access, shoulder-season development, labour force support, investment, and policy alignment. Recent coverage positioned Hospitality NL as the industry voice on access, season extension, labour, and economic growth.

Our Ongoing Commitment

Hospitality NL will continue to advocate with a province-wide perspective, grounded in evidence and the lived realities of tourism operators. Across 2026, we are communicating advocacy issues and progress, maintaining government and media relationships, monitoring emerging issues, and keeping members informed through regular “Advocacy in Action” updates.