Culture + Nature = Tourism

New Brunswickers have fallen in love – again – with our province. Amid the pandemic’s upheaval we have rediscovered our province. Southerners went north, northerners went south. And we are amazed. Tourism in our province is built on two pillars – nature and culture. Yet forests are clear-cut around parks, people have a hard time getting to beaches because of private development, and rivers are under assault. During the pandemic, local tourism operators have suffered greatly — many have given up. 

In a Green economy, the arts, culture and tourism are not an economic afterthought.  

A Green government would:

• Make sure artists and cultural entrepreneurs have the income support they need to survive and thrive through the pandemic. This constituency would benefit greatly from a guaranteed annual income.
• Enact legislation to create a professional designation of artist.
• Establish a provincial poet laureate resident at the Legislative Assembly
• Develop a network of nature and cultural interpretation throughout the province.
• Keep provincial parks in public hands.
• Invest in tourism infrastructure such as bike trails, hiking trails, public access to beaches and waterways, culture discovery, and gastronomy.
• End the private leases on segments of the Restigouche and Miramichi rivers, as Quebec has done, allowing tourism outfitters to expand their offerings into these areas.