Key takeaways:
- Campsite and beach access sales are way up.
- I hope the beaches in P.E.I. National Park is to be busy this year.
Suppose you are thinking about camping in P.E.I. National Park this summer, you’d better make a booking.
Joel McKinnon, visitor services crew lead for P.E.I. National Park hopes campgrounds will be booked entirely this summer.
“We’re well beyond what we would have seen pre-pandemic,” said McKinnon.
“It shows individuals are still looking to get out for this season and enjoy some outdoor areas.”
The park enjoyed rising popularity during the pandemic, said McKinnon, with people concentrating more on outdoor actions.
With all travel limitations to the Island now falling and flights returning to Charlottetown Airport, market reach for the park has grown, but interest in camping does not seem to have waned.
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“Now that folks can cross a little bit further, we’re still seeing the folks that had a curiosity in camping locally, but also folks that haven’t been able to get here for the previous two years,” said McKinnon.
On the launch day for reservations, traffic was up 95 percent over 2021, and sites are 75 percent reserved already.
Beaches are also possible to be busy this year, said McKinnon.
Early bird pass sales are up 31 percent over 2019.
If you’re preparing to spend a day at the beach, McKinnon advises you to arrive early and that you review the P.E.I. National Park website, where staff post information regarding which parking lots are total.
While he is hoping campsites to be reserved entirely, McKinnon said revocations happen, and it is always likely that there will be some space for last-minute campers.
Source – cbc.ca
