Cobourg Beach Sandcastle Festival is an annual event drawing tourism from all over Canada and the United States. Photo Cobourg tourism
The Show:
The full interview with bonus material:
When the town decided to close Cobourg Beach last summer due to the pandemic, it was cause for some serious reflection. In fact, it drew attention to a lot of issues lying just below the surface. Who uses the beach? Is it a public place? And who has jurisdiction over it? Beyond all that is another feature of the beach. It is one of many attractions and events that draw tourists. And while there were tourism reports done in the past, the report presented a unique opportunity this past year with the pandemic.
Cobourg council will receive a tourism study on March 8. It looks at the economics of tourism. Specifically, it examines small and medium-sized businesses. This has never been done before. And since the pandemic killed the tourism trade with the lockdowns and restrictions, there was a chance to compare the differences in a stark way.
By looking at 2019 – which was one of the best years – and put it beside 2020 – which is without question one of the worst – the town could get a clear idea of tourism’s impact.
This interview with Consider This Northumberland Marketing and Events Manager for the town Kara Euale will walk us through the details. She will tell us some things we already know. But she is also going to shatter some myths and misconceptions about tourism. (oh, and just a quick fact, tourism is the second-largest contributor to the economy in Northumberland County. The first is agriculture.)
Originally aired: March 5, 2021
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