The winding 100-kilometer road from the Trans-Canadian Highway to Twillingate, the Netherlands, is not a road that is usually passed by casual tourists. Visitors to the colorful 2,000-strong historic city, dubbed the “Iceberg World Capital,” are what the tourism industry calls destination tourists.
And that’s exactly what Deborah Bourdon, owner of the Anchor Inn, is worried about as she watches her business spending rise along with record fuel prices in recent months.
“Newfoundland is a very expensive destination,” she said. “But Twillingate in Newfoundland is an even more expensive destination because, as we say, we are at the bottom of the line.
Bourdain relies on tourists who make day trips or several nights near home during the tourist season to offset half of their income.
The capital, St. John, is a six-hour drive away, and people who stopped by in a day or two can now think about it, Bourdain said.
“So if people now … say, ‘I can only walk half the distance,’ we’ll always be off the table.”
Twillingate, NL, is known for its rustic charm and connection to the sea. Visitors from all over the globe are a boon to the local economy since the collapse of the cod fishery 30 years ago. (Chris O’Neill-Yates / CBC)
With deficits over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many tour operators in rural Newfoundland hoped to recoup their losses this summer. Last November, the provincial government declared 2022 the “Year of the Home” in a bid to boost the tourism sector, which runs from May to September or October.
High fuel prices and surcharges have also raised the cost of food supplies, which means Bourdain has to make difficult decisions about how much to increase menu prices.
Rapeseed oil, for example, has tripled, lettuce has risen 30 to 35 percent and mussels 25 percent, she said. But passing on the full cost increase is not viable in such a price-sensitive market.
“You can’t have a plate of fries costing $ 12. You can’t do that. And sometimes you have to decide what goes into this salad. “Maybe you need to take out some of the first-class products so you can keep the price where it’s at least acceptable,” she said.
“You still have to understand that you have to give value to this person who pays, so it is not forbidden to eat in our restaurant.”
In the end, Bourdain increased menu prices by 10 to 15 percent.
“I think there is a role that the visitor has to play in being patient with us, trying to understand that there is no grabbing money here.”
Deborah Bourdon owns several tour operations in Twillingate, NL, including Georgie’s Restaurant at the Anchor Inn. The escalation of fuel costs for transporting food to Twillingate, plus additional fees, means that menu costs must also increase. (Gareth Barry / CBC)
Barry Rodgers employs 40 to 50 people at Iceberg Quest Tours in Twillingate and St. John’s.
Rodgers relies on the lure of icebergs and whales to fill his tourist boats from May to September, a seismic change from the days of his ancestors, who saw both as a threat to their livelihoods by destroying fishing nets and lobster traps. .
“This piece of ice – and others like it – represents 50 percent of the business,” Rodgers said.
But this year, he will have to take on board more iceberg and whale-seeking tourists to offset the cost of filling the tank in his boat.
“The fuel went through the roof,” Rodgers said.
When he considers the jump in the price of diesel fuel, fuel taxes and taxes, it costs Rodgers $ 12,000 to fill the tank in his cruise ship, a threefold increase from the time before the pandemic.
Barry Rodgers runs Iceberg Quest Tours in Twillingate and St. John’s. He increased marketing during the post-pandemic stay and said reservations were ready for this tourist season. (Gareth Barry / CBC)
Like Bourdain, Rodgers said he was not ready to pass on the real cost to his clients.
“Many people have been saving for years, coming here to our beautiful countryside and enjoying what we see here this morning and we don’t want to be appreciated.”
To reduce costs, Rodgers is making a number of adjustments to the way he runs his tourism business, most notably reducing the number of daily voyages when the boat is not booked to full capacity.
“If we have, say, low numbers at 4 o’clock [sailing]we ask our guests to come back at 1 o’clock … instead of walking in small numbers. “
Once despised by local fishermen for tearing nets and lobster traps, icebergs have become a major part of the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism industry. (Chris O’Neill-Yates / CBC)
Rodgers will also reduce the speed of his boat from about eight knots to six to save fuel. Using a combination of cost-cutting measures, Rodgers said he was able to limit the increase in ticket prices to $ 5.
The chance to see the iceberg up close was a dream for Australians Jane Darbyshire and Matt Linfoot.
“We are very lucky to see this iceberg,” Darbyshire said, adding that they had come from as far around the world as geographically possible, if there was a chance to see one.
But Darbyshire and Lynfout were not so lucky with the price of petrol to refuel their car after rising in the months since leaving home on their travels.
“The only way you can really do it here is by car,” said Linfoot, who is trying to keep up the price of gasoline without thinking too much about it.
“I’m trying to keep the tank full when it hits about half. So I’m kind of lulled to sleep by a false sense of security that it doesn’t cost that much, and I actually think that if we go for a full tank, it would be shocking. “
Australians Jane Darbyshire and Matt Lynnout traveled to Newfoundland from Australia, hoping to see an iceberg. They are impressed that they should see one, but not from the high price of petrol for driving to Twillingate. Ever since their travels began months ago, the price of gas has skyrocketed. (Gareth Barry / CBC)
An additional concern for both Rodgers and Bourdain in times of labor shortages is the high price of gas for their employees, many of whom travel daily from nearby towns to Twillingate.
Bourdon feels responsible for paying them above the minimum wage, which is standard in much of the hospitality industry.
“They come from … 20, 30, 40 kilometers. It’s expensive, so we have to make sure they can afford to come to work,” Borden said.
Rodgers agreed.
“The more volume we have … this allows the company and me to be able to hire our people, to pay them well,” he said, adding that reservations for the season are higher than normal.
Bourdain hotel reservations are also increasing, but she is looking beyond this year to ensure her long-term survival as a tourism business in remote Twillingate. The road back to profitability will require even more creativity to stay afloat financially if fuel prices remain high.
Retained demand after two summers of very few trips should increase profit margins somewhat, Bourdain said.
“But next year won’t be the same … so that worries me.”
“I’ve been in business for over 40 years and Newfoundland, Labrador, always has some challenges,” Rodgers said.
“There are a lot of people, families who rely on me, so we do what we can.”
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