A tourism association in Nova Scotia says there’s an optimistic outlook this year.

Darlene Grant Fiander, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS) tells our newsroom it’s still early, but numbers look good so far and flights have increased coming into our province, especially from Europe.

“A lot of operators indicated the U.S. customers was positive. They had a lot of bookings from the U.S….so you know, tourism…we’re hoping that the kind of discourse that’s underway at a political level doesn’t impact people that want to travel,” says Grant Fiander.

Tensions have been at an all-time high between Canada and the United States as President Donald Trump continues to threaten tariffs on Canadian imports.

However, Grant Fiander says Nova Scotia is “incredibly welcoming” and we will show the hospitality that we’re “infamous” for.

“That’s our message. We’re a unifying industry. We’re welcoming to whoever wants to come here,” says Grant Fiander.

She adds, the U.S. market is incredibly important to our province including a “significant investment” in the Yarmouth to Maine ferry.

Staying at home

Canadians also play a big role in Nova Scotia’s tourism industry.

Tourism Nova Scotia tells us 87 per cent of all visitors to the province come from within our own country.

Rob Maguire, Director of Communications says they have launched a new campaign to encourage more from our country to choose Nova Scotia for their next trip.

“The campaign taps into the growing interest in vacationing closer to home,” says Maguire.

Interest in Halifax climbing

As for Halifax, it appears there is a hike in interest in our city.

According to Discover Halifax, there has been an increase in website traffic from not only those who live here, but a rise of 32 per cent from Americans, compared to 2024.

Spokesperson Sarah Reeves tell us, tourism has been a positive force in Halifax for a long time and our warm welcome of visitors is something we take pride in.

“There is a deep relationship between our two countries and visitors from the U.S. pay a key role in the tourism economy of our region, supporting local businesses and communities.”