Strength of Tourism Operators
Winter seems to be flying by. Every September when we close up at Joey’s for the season it seems like there is so much time before we hit the water again. Yet, every fall and winter pass by much faster than I expect them to.
In the time between deep sea fishing wrapping up in September and lobster starting in April, I have many things on my plate which helps that time go by so quickly. And while I love lobster fishing and running a tourism business, the truth is that those two things alone aren’t enough to sustain me financially for the entire year.
So I find myself filling that space with different things to make it all work. And how I fill this space has evolved a lot over the past 6 years.
In my first few years of running Joey’s I was hustling hard from the time it wrapped for the season until it was time to open up again.
I was growing as a leadership coach both through certifications and in working with clients. I had the opportunity to coach some really great people and I really enjoyed it. It didn’t take long to see that the effort it took to build and maintain a coaching business required year round effort. So when I would take a break each year for fishing, it was like taking 1 step forward to 2 steps back again and again.
Though difficult, I made the brave decision to step away from coaching. And honestly, some things had changed right around that time that made it seem like a natural transition so I took that ease as sign that it was the right thing.
Now I think every year is going to look a little different when it comes to my in-between season.
I’m really proud of the balance I’ve struck this year.
I’ve been working part time retail, doing some contract work both locally and for a national company. I have done some (and will do more) travelling. And I’ve been able to attend tourism meetings and address fishing items as they come up because there is never not a to-do list when you own a business.
It’s exciting to think that spring is just around the corner (especially when we’ve been hit with so much snow lately!) . The time starts to go so much faster once we’re into February like we are now. And even though fishing is always on my mind, it’s time to really dig in and really get things ready for the season.
I’ve been in some very inspiring meetings lately with other tourism operators. I am always so impressed to hear what others are up to and how they are overcoming the obstacles and barriers they are facing in operating their businesses.
Owning a tourism business isn’t for the faint of heart.
I don’t think any operators are naive enough to think it wouldn’t be challenging. We know this is what we are meant to be doing and we’re going to make it happen. Tourism operators really do love sharing their story and their experiences with others - it’s what keeps us in it.
But here in PEI after back to back years of hurricane and pandemic impacts it’s been hard for many operators to get their footing again.
The added stress of trying to catch up to where we were before is taking a toll. There is always a lot on the minds of operators.
Will we cover expenses this month?
Do I have enough work to keep my staff employed?
How will the weather impact my bookings this week?
I could make a list many pages long but I think you get the point…
The mental load we carry is heavy. Our fight or flight response is strong.
And then it’s especially disappointing to see our governing bodies boasting about record tourism numbers when many of the operators are not seeing that reflected in their own numbers.
There seems to be a disconnect here.
It adds to the mental load of running a business when there are false statements about your industry creating narratives that aren’t reflective of the reality we’re facing.
My worry is that painting the picture that tourism is breaking records year over year will take away the commitment required to keep building and growing our tourism assets.
I wonder if what support is left will dwindle away because tourism is seen to be holding its own and not needing any funding or support.
There is not one tourism operator who isn’t working year round on their business even when it’s not actually open. And, like me, many are likely also working for others in their off seasons in order to meet their financial needs.
I appreciate that there is a campaign out there highlighting the importance of tourism to our island and I hope that it doesn’t get overshadowed with the message that tourism is knocking it out of the park.
Tourism is a vital part of PEI and I hope that it always will be.
Our operators are strong willed and determined. We know what it takes to work hard and to put your heart and soul into what we do. And if our governing bodies want to keep boasting numbers that don’t actually amount to what we feel is true success then perhaps there isn’t a lot we can do about it.
What we can do is advocate for what we believe is right.
When decisions are being made that we don’t understand and when there is no explanation that makes sense, it’s frustrating. And believe me, we ask many questions and often get no answers but it’s never going to stop us.
The landscape is always changing - competitors pop up unexpectedly, the weather doesn’t cooperate - there are so many things outside our control that will continue to impact how we run our businesses. I hope that the organizations who exist to support us will become more aligned over time so that we can all work together and show the world what PEI is really capable of in the tourism sector.
Until then, I will keep running our family business because it provides so much pride and fulfillment for me. And I will continue being involved with other operators so that we can build support systems among ourselves. United, we are much stronger and capable of so much!
By focusing on what we can control we are empowering ourselves to succeed.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Julie Ann
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