The Legendary Coasts tourism association – which is focused on attracting visitors to the Burin Peninsula – is busy getting ready for what they hope will be an influx of French visitors in the upcoming season.
A brand new seasonal direct air link to Paris, France, from St. John’s is being established this spring on WestJet.
Executive Director Chris Sheppard says the news came as a pleasant surprise, and he anticipates it will be very good news for local tourism.
Many residents of the French islands of St. Pierre et Miquelon travel to mainland France regularly, and Sheppard says Air St. Pierre kept hopping, flying back and forth to Montreal to accommodate residents travelling abroad.
He says there is a lot of extra capacity that will allow residents to fly to France via St. John’s without disrupting Air St. Pierre’s operations, and that will prove positive for the Burin Peninsula.
“We know there is a huge demand for people from France who want to come to St. Pierre and Miquelon, and then as well, come to Newfoundland and Labrador because of the close connection.”
