St. John's will be 'on wheels' this summer, mayor says of tourism, Canada Games boost
St. John's is expected to be busier than usual this summer as the city prepares to host the Canada Games for the first time in nearly 50 years, according to Mayor Danny Breen.
"This place is going to be on wheels," Breen told CBC News. "This is going to be a big year for tourism."
In August, St. John's is opening the doors to thousands of athletes, coaches and fans. That's on top of the regular influx of tourists who travel to Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city from around the world each summer.
"We're expecting about 4,500 athletes and 10,000 or 15,000 visitors here," Breen said.
The St. John's Port Authority also expects to be kept busy. Breen said 39 cruise ships have scheduled stops in St. John's between May and September.
The Celebrity Silhouette, one of the largest cruise ships scheduled to stop in St. John's, will arrive on July 10 alongside its 2,886 passengers.
"You add 2,800 people to the downtown area and throughout the city, it's noticeable," Breen said.
Six more ships will arrive during the Canada Games. Four of the six ships have more than 1,000 passengers.
"One thing about Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is we love to host people," Breen said. "That's going to add again to the excitement."
With more Canadians choosing to travel within Canada this year, the province will be a popular destination all summer.
Marine Atlantic corporate communications officer Darrell Mercer told CBC News that summer ferry bookings have increased by 7,000 compared to last year.
Mercer said more passengers are coming from every province and territory, and even the United States.
"Within Canada, our biggest increases are from Ontario and Quebec, with the smallest increases coming from the territories," Mercer said. "We've seen over 350 additional bookings from the United States this year versus last year."
Hotels in St. John's are also booking fast. Shawn Basha helps manage the Jag Hotel in downtown St. John's and the Capitol Hotel on Kenmount Road.
Basha said finding a hotel room in August will be challenging for those who haven't already booked.
"It's pretty much full on … capacity every night," he said, adding that a lot is happening in addition to the Canada Games in August.
"August is always a very popular time for people to come to St. John's because of the George Street Festival, and it seems like everybody gets married in August."
As the city prepares for the summer and the Canada Games, Basha said he's not sure St. John's area residents realize how busy the next few months will be.
"I think people know … but I don't think they fully realize yet, how many people are actually going to be in this city this summer," he said.
"If anybody has family coming in, they're going to find it hard to get flights. You're not going to be able to rent a car. You won't be able to get a room at certain times."
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