May 30, 2022

For Immediate Release

St. John’s, NL: Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador kicked off Tourism Week 2022 today in the province. Tourism Week runs from Sunday, May 29th to Saturday, June 4th. 

Tourism Week is an annual recognition of Newfoundland and Labrador’s and Canada’s tourism industry and the impacts it makes in the community, province and country. With two years of lock downs, travel restrictions and unprecedented hardships caused by the pandemic, this year’s Tourism Week is important for the industry. 

“It’s time to rebuild the industry and recover,” stated Brenda O’Reilly, Chair of Hospitality NL. “Tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador plays a huge role in our daily lives and is a driver of our provincial economy. Our province is unique, has so much to offer for visitors, and we must keep our competitive position on the global stage as people start to travel again.”

Tourism Week kicked-off with Hospitality NL Chair Brenda O’Reilly and the Honourable Minister Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation signing a proclamation officially recognizing Tourism Week. 

“Tourism Week 2022 is an opportunity for us to collectively celebrate this industry and our local operators as they prepare for their peak season,” stated the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation. “Our local operators play a major part in creating unforgettable tourism experiences and showcasing the beauty of our communities. Their hard work has put Newfoundland and Labrador on the map as a travel destination where exceptional experiences happen. Thank you. You are the brand of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the reason why tourism is such a strong growth sector.”

To highlight the depth of the industry and its impact on our economy, culture and history, a social media campaign featuring local tourism operators and the hashtag #WeAreTourism will go out over various social media channels. The Confederation Building will also be lit in the campaign’s official green (#GreenMeansGo) on the night of June 3rd. 

Pre-pandemic, tourism was a $1.14 billion industry in Newfoundland and Labrador and directly supports over 2,700 businesses and 20,000 jobs. Nine per cent of all jobs in the province were related to the tourism sectors (more than agriculture, fishery, forest and aquaculture combined). Prior to COVID-19, tourism was one of the fastest growing industries in the world. As one of Canada’s largest industries, tourism was responsible for $105 billion in GDP, provided 1 in 10 Canadian jobs, and was made up of 225,000 small- and medium-sized businesses across Canada.

Hospitality NL is working alongside our many national and provincial partners such as the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation and our regional partners, Destination St. John’s; Destination Labrador, Go Western NL, Adventure Central Newfoundland and the Legendary Coasts of Eastern NL to spread the messages of Tourism Week 2022.

-30-

Media Contacts:

Greg Howard Adrienne Luther
Director, Advocacy, Research & Communications Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador 709-729-4819, 730-2953
E: ghoward@hnl.ca adrienneluther@gov.nl.ca
P: 709-722-2000 ext. 231
C: 519-860-9476