A representative from Tourism Nova Scotia says even in a best case scenario, the province is looking at a $1 billion drop in tourism dollars compared to last year.
With the number of cancelled summer events and festivals continuing to grow, tourism 
numbers for this year are obviously going to be different when compared to years past. Anna Moran, director of research and policy with Tourism Nova Scotia, said there are a lot of unknown factors, such as when the virus will be contained or when residents will be allowed to travel again. The province developed a tourism revenue impact model and Moran said they are estimating a decline of around $1 billion in tourism revenue in 2020, a 38 per cent decline compared with 2019.
However, Moran said that is the best case current scenario, noting there are national estimates that put the impact anywhere between a 40 and 80 per cent decline.
Moran said the message right now is focusing on staying home and staying safe. She also said we need to be ready for when markets reopen. Tourism Nova Scotia launched a free webinar series aimed at helping businesses prepare for reopening or opening in a different way, which can be found on their web site. When the time is right, she said, Tourism Nova Scotia will launch a Nova Scotia marketing campaign aimed at encouraging Nova Scotians to rediscover what the province has to offer.