What Travel Professionals Must Know

Recent analysis means that U.S. vacationers wish to keep near dwelling this summer season. There are a number of components at play: geopolitical tensions, a weakening U.S. greenback, and affordability issues. Increasingly, tour operators are embracing North American locations to serve this rising demand.

Nova Scotia is a wonderful different to a European trip, significantly for Ireland and different Celtic locations. The location is good for many who wish to journey internationally however are involved about lengthy flights, security, and even simply overtourism. The U.S. greenback stretches additional in Canada than in Europe as effectively.

“I always say we’re on sale,” mentioned Richard Arnold, President, Atlantic Tours & Travel. “Because our pricing would be similar to New England… so if you’re going to New England you might as well come here and save 35%.”

In phrases of experiences, Nova Scotia presents comparable pure and cultural sights as Ireland and Scotland, corresponding to craggy cliffs overlooking the ocean, lush, rolling golf programs, and a vibrant Celtic music scene. The province’s identify is “New Scotland” in Latin, and the province is thought for its dedication to preserving Gaelic historical past and tradition. While it’s not a substitution by any means—and Nova Scotia has greater than sufficient to face alone as a bucket checklist vacation spot—the similarities are plain.

“What I love about Nova Scotia in our region is that many of our experiences authentic. You know, they’re not created just for tourism,” defined Arnold.

Tourism Nova Scotia invited Travel Market Report to expertise the province firsthand. Over every week, TMR loved a self-drive tour of the province, from Lunenburg to the Cabot Trail.

Are Americans Welcome In Nova Scotia Right Now?

The ongoing stress between Canada and the U.S. is apparent. Ever since Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the nation as a negotiation technique, there have been headlines after headlines about Canadians boycotting U.S. items and avoiding journey south of the border.

Given the media protection, it will be pure for a U.S. traveler to fret that they may not be welcomed in Canada. However, Nova Scotians aren’t holding politics in opposition to guests. TMR encountered many American vacationers throughout out journey, and never as soon as did we detect a touch of animosity.

Peter Johnson, supervisor of market growth at Tourism Nova Scotia, instructed TMR that the province has, and can proceed to, market itself as a world tourism vacation spot for the U.S..

“Nova Scotia is known for our friendliness, our welcomingness, and although there’s hesitation on
some part for Canadians to visit the U.S. at this time, I don’t think that’s going to impact our welcoming nature, just because someone’s coming from the U.S.,” mentioned Johnson.

Self-Drive, Coach Tour, or Private Driver?

Many of the worldwide tour operators provide guided land excursions in Nova Scotia: Intrepid Travel has Eastern Canada packages, together with a seven-day small group tour specializing in Nova Scotia; Globus has a nine-day tour that explores many of the province’s highlights (together with Cape Breton); and Collette presents an 11-day Maritimes journey that begins and ends in Halifax.

Travel advisors can work with extra regionally targeted tour operators too, like Atlantic Tours, Cabot Discovery Tours, or—for extra high-end shoppers—Entrée Destinations. These Nova Scotia itineraries vary from conventional guided land coach excursions to elevated private-driver experiences.

Nova Scotia is finest explored with some mode of transportation. Misty MacDonald, president of Cabot Discovery Tours, instructed TMR that worldwide vacationers typically mistakenly assume they will see every part whereas utilizing Halifax as a hub. The actuality is, Cape Breton Island is greater than a four-hour drive from Halifax, and driving the Cabot Trail loop itself is a full-day expertise.

“If they’re not doing a package tour… they [need to] either rent a car or know what they need for transportation,” defined MacDonald. “A lot of people land in Halifax and feel like they can do everything. They don’t have a sense of the distance.”

Ultimately, the shoppers’ expectations and preferences will decide if self-drive, traditional coach, or personal driver is the only option to discover Nova Scotia. TMR drove in a rented automobile, which allowed us to tempo the journey to our liking and afforded further privateness. Nova Scotia may be very nice to drive: there are a lot of scenic views and little picturesque communities, and the roads are simple to navigate.

Most shoppers will seemingly need a personal driver or coach tour, nevertheless, so that they don’t have the accountability of driving and navigating. This is particularly true of the Cabot Trail, which is finest considered as a passenger, not a driver.

When working with journey advisors, MacDonald mentioned Cabot Discovery Tours typically creates customized itineraries for as few as three to 4 people, offering a driver who acts as a personal information. The firm has a number of autos to accommodate a variety of group sizes, together with a shuttle to seat 10 to 12. Larger teams might be cut up throughout two autos.

Arnold instructed TMR that Atlantic Tours’ traditional itineraries are additionally accessible as self-drive, however with added flexibility.

“If you’re doing a self-drive, you should be doing it exactly the same as you would an escort. It will just take out things that don’t make sense in an independent program, so we’ve removed dinners. We don’t want to force you to be at a hotel at a certain time,” defined Arnold.

Hotels & Resorts in Nova Scotia

While there are many resorts in main city heart like Halifax and Sydney, the province has restricted luxurious lodging.

“We don’t have a lot of 5-star accommodations. With that said, even my most picky clients still love the experience because that’s part of the charm,” mentioned Arnold. “I’m proud to say we’re a 5-star destination as far as the attractions and what you’re going to see in experience.”

Halifax

For extra budget-conscious vacationers who wish to keep someplace somewhat bit totally different, The Moxy in Halifax presents glorious worth. Moxy Downtown Halifax is a playful resort geared in the direction of Gen-Z and Millennials; with a bar for a check-in desk, a hidden room to find, and common dwell music, it is a distinctive property that guarantees enjoyable and whimsy.

For extra conservative vacationers wanting a waterfront property, the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel and Prince George Hotel are each extremely regarded and are inside strolling distance of the principle harbor sights.

Marc Telio, a Travel + Leisure A-List advisor and the founding father of boutique tour operator Entrée Destinations, advisable Halifax’s The Muir for luxurious resort stays.

“Built by a local developer, it is simply one of the nicest properties in the country,” mentioned Telio. “Exceptional location in downtown Halifax in the Queen’s Marque District, it welcomes the community through a sequence of shared spaces, outdoor art, local shops, and it was very intentionally developed to create this open space. Also, the details in design are evident everywhere… As one who loves hotels, this is a must-see and a big hit with our guests.”

Sydney

TMR stayed at The Simon Hotel in Sydney. This recent reputation is a neighborhood favourite for good purpose: the waterfront property balances a recent resort expertise with a distinctly East Coast vibe, and presents quite a lot of room classes, from the usual two double-bed room to a deluxe harborview suite.

Another standard resort on this space is the Hampton Inn by Hilton Sydney. Although it’s not positioned as near the harbor as The Simon Hotel, friends staying in northwest-facing rooms should still have a view. This resort has extra of a ski resort vibe than The Simon’s modern coastal decor, and is a superb possibility for households with younger children due to its standard pool (which The Simon Hotel doesn’t have).

Resorts and Wilderness Lodges

TMR stayed at and visited a number of resorts throughout our journey to Nova Scotia. Our favourite was Glenora Inn & Distillery, which is close to Cape Breton Island. We toured all of the buildings and located the rooms in every have been comfy, clear, and in good restore. The grounds have been spectacular, and with a mild river operating by way of the property and a beaver sighting, the entire expertise felt proper out of a storybook. As an added bonus, the distillery tour is included with in a single day bookings, and since Glenora avoids working with coach excursions, the tour group sizes are at all times small. Be warned: this property operates seasonally, so it will possibly’t be booked within the winter months.

Inverary Resort can also be positioned close to the Cabot Trail (in Baddeck) and presents a barely extra upscale expertise. Try to e book your consumer in the principle constructing: these rooms are essentially the most just lately renovated, and the situation is best for these within the dwell music performances.

For friends focused on seeing the historic sights south of Halifax, Oak Island Resort & Conference heart is a wonderful alternative. The property was just lately renovated, and is conveniently positioned an hour away from Peggy’s Cove, about half-hour away from Lunenburg, and roughly quarter-hour from charming villages like Mahone Bay and Chester.

Marc Telio advisable Trout Point Lodge for an immersive, nature-filled expertise. Describing the property as a “beautiful wilderness lodge,” he confused the distinctive allure discovered at this property:

“It is in the heart of the Tobeatic Wilderness Area in the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. The spacious rooms and suites are beautiful, many of them with wood-burning fireplaces and generously appointed with handmade furniture, cozy rugs and antique pieces. The activities are different than those found in traditional wilderness lodges, and they truly cause one to slow down to enjoy the surroundings. Outdoor picnics, kayaking on the local rivers, yoga, stargazing and forest bathing are part of the experience.”

When to Travel: Nova Scotia’s Peak Season

The primary journey season in Nova Scotia runs from May to October, with many vacationer choices outdoors of Halifax solely working seasonally. Predictably, the summer season is a busy time for tourism, beginning in late June and peaking in July.

Cabot Discovery Tour’s peak season is the autumn, significantly September and October. MacDonald attributes this to the Celtic Colours International Music Festival, vacationers coming to see the bushes’ autumn foliage, and the elevated cruise site visitors.

MacDonald mentioned her hottest itinerary amongst journey advisors is the four-day Celtic Colours bundle. The firm presents two units of four-day excursions, splitting the fest into two halves. The Celtic Colours pageant typically sells out; nevertheless, Cabot Discovery Tours will get allotted a set variety of tickets every year, permitting its friends to safe their attendance earlier than tickets go on sale to most people. MacDonald instructed TMR that she’s already had inquiries for the 2026 pageant, and sometimes sells out by March.

Nova Scotia’s tourism season is technically year-round in accordance with Johnson, who highlighted “non-traditional winter experiences” within the province. This contains occasions just like the Lobster Crawl Festival, which occurs yearly in February on the South Shore, and the Evergreen Festival, held in December.

“It’s sort of a European-style Christmas market,” he defined. “It’s a really nice atmosphere in December.”

Because Nova Scotia’s winters are comparatively delicate, it’s additionally an incredible location for a winter beachside getaway, mentioned Johnson: “A secluded escape for the winter, you know… a nice cabin or a resort by the water. And those hot tubs are always popular options in the wintertime.”

“We’re doing more and more to promote offseason travel [to Nova Scotia], particularly from a domestic perspective in the local regional market—particularly in Halifax and regions of the province where there’s product available throughout the winter,” defined Johnson.

“It’s finding those products to promote that aren’t necessarily what people think of as a traditional winter experience: sometimes it’s just, you know, those lovely secluded beachside accommodations that have the hot tub outside… or celebrating things like our lobster fishery in Nova Scotia with the Lobster Crawl Festival, which happens every year in February on the South Shore—things like that.”