A local ferry and hotel operator in Fortune is hoping to see movement to allow St Pierre et Miquelon to join the Atlantic Bubble once it reopens next Wednesday.
Brian Rose says the vaccination rates in St Pierre et Miquelon are high—80 per cent of the population has one dose and 75 per cent are fully vaccinated—and bringing travel back to the region would be a safe bet.
Rose says it would be another push to restart the tourism industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic, and the economic benefits would bode well for both sides.
Rose says his small business would immediately hire 10 people to meet the demand if St. Pierre et Miquelon entered the bubble, while other businesses on the Burin Peninsula say opening to St. Pierre et Miquelon would increase their business by 20 or 40 per cent.
Rose says it will draw for tourists from the other Atlantic provinces, as his inbox is flooded with emails from those eager to travel to the islands.
Rose says the residents of St. Pierre et Miquelon are friends, family, and neighbours, and he is sure they would like to stretch their legs.