Events, pent-up demand pushing hotel bookings past pre-COVID levels
Global News
“We are outpacing 2019 occupancy levels and pre-pandemic, and we anticipated that would not happen until 2024,” said Paulette Hicks, the CEO of Envision Saint John.
In one week’s time, one of the largest music festivals in New Brunswick will descend upon Saint John.
The Area 506 Festival is making its long-awaited debut at the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village, which opened in June.
“I think we’re all very, very excited, you know, it’s been a long time coming. It’s been three years since we had our proper Area 506 Festival the way that we originally designed it,” said Ray Gracewood, the founder of Area 506.
“I think compounded with the waterfront container village opening last month and how exciting and how well received that’s been, this just feels like an amazing extension of what we’ve been doing since early June.”
Typically, Gracewood said, the last week ahead of the festival is the busiest period for ticket sales. However, sales are already trending to levels never seen before for the multi-day event.
This is just the latest of lively events to hit the Saint John Region after hosting the 2022 Memorial Cup and welcoming the return of cruise ships.
Increasing foot traffic is at the center of booming hotel bookings reaching levels not expected for many years.
“We are outpacing 2019 occupancy levels and pre-pandemic, and we anticipated that would not happen until 2024,” said Paulette Hicks, the CEO of Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency.