The increase in international tourists cited by the embattled NB minister was seen in all provinces

New Brunswick Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace cites growth in visitors from Britain, France and Germany in 2023 as evidence that department activities, such as a trip she and others took last year to London and Paris companies pay out for the taxpayer.

However, numbers suggest that the number of European visitors to New Brunswick grew more slowly in 2023 than the rest of Canada and that the increases that actually occurred were exaggerated by COVID-related travel restrictions that suppressed visits in 2022.

“The results have actually increased,” Scott-Wallace said of international tourism during an hour-long discussion Monday about why the minister, her deputy and two others traveled to London and Paris on a taxpayer-funded trip last September.

The minister said the visit to London and Paris was part of a series of initiatives that were successful in attracting more visitors to the province.

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“In the United Kingdom, for example, visitor numbers to New Brunswick increased by 23 percent in 2022,” she told Liberal tourism critic Isabelle Theriault.

“The number of visitors from France increased by 12 percent compared to 2022 and from Germany by 32 percent. I think we can see very clearly that the work is being done by people who work in the Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Culture.”

However, data compiled by Statistics Canada shows international visits increased in all provinces in 2023.

With COVID travel restrictions on international travelers suppressing visits to Canada in mid-2022, these numbers were easily exceeded in all jurisdictions in 2023.

Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace spent two days this week answering questions about a trip to Britain and France that she, Deputy Tourism Minister Yennah Hurley and two other officials took last September. (Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick)

In late April 2022, Canada lifted a number of COVID travel rules that had restricted visits by international travelers.

The requirement for fully vaccinated travelers to present a quarantine plan upon entry was eliminated, and unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged five to 11 accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian were not required to have COVID-19 upon entry into Canada -19 test more.

The requirement that fully vaccinated travelers wear a mask in public spaces for 14 days after arrival has also been removed, as has the requirement for visitors to keep a list of close contacts and places visited.

The changes had a big impact on the numbers.

In March 2023, visits to Canada from the UK, France and Germany were 65 per cent higher than in March 2022, the last full month restrictions were fully in place.

New Brunswick tourism officials spent four of their eight days in Europe at the $800-a-night Trafalgar Hotel in London. A rooftop bar offers views of the London Eye. Taxpayers in New Brunswick were charged a ticket to ride the Eye, among other excursions. (Trafalgar St James Hotel)

Overall, Canada recorded 786,845 arrivals from France, Germany and the United Kingdom between January and December in 2023, an increase of 23.6 percent compared to 2022.

During Tuesday's legislative session, Scott-Wallace cited figures showing a combined 21.1 percent increase in visits from those three countries to New Brunswick, slightly below the national increase.

On Wednesday, Scott-Wallace faced questions about the European trip and its value to taxpayers for the second straight year as she considered her budget proposal.

For his part, Green Party leader David Coon elaborated on the details of the excursion and asked about planned future trips.

The minister acknowledged that the part of her departmental budget that funds travel for the coming year had been increased by 10 percent ($56,000), but said there were no concrete plans for international travel.

“There are no plans to travel abroad at this time,” Scott-Wallace said.

“It is very rare that I travel abroad as tourism minister. However, I believe New Brunswickers expect their tourism minister to travel outside the province to bring new business to the province.”

Scott-Wallace incurred more than $10,000 in expenses during the eight-day visit, although she said her trip only lasted seven days because there was flooding on her riding grounds, requiring an early return.

The department's deputy secretary, Yennah Hurley, billed more than $12,000.