Business May Be Rebounding from Ferry Service’s Revival

Midway through the summer, South Western Nova Scotia businesses, including many along the South Shore, are feeling the effects of the renewed ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine. Those with a stake in the tourism market are particularly happy. White Point Beach Resort Marketing Manager Donna Hatt says business is up significantly over last summer and she credits the ferry and an aggressive marketing campaign, aimed at New England. “Where it really gets interesting for us and where we start to see that impact more positively is into August”, says Hatt. “Right now, folks from the Massachusetts area for example have tripled in volume that are coming into White Point, with reservations on the books.” And Hatt says many will be using the ferry as part of their travel agenda. She says earlier predictions of failure of the service to bring back lost business may have been premature. She says it will require several seasons to get business back to where it was prior to 2009 when the ferry service was cut.