A local tourism operator says marketing is the key to helping the local sector rebound from the devastation wrought by the COVID pandemic.

The tourism and hospitality sectors have been particularly hard-hit by COVID restrictions limiting travel and capacity.

The Hew and Draw Hotel and Microbrewery in Corner Brook had only opened for a few weeks when the pandemic struck last March.

Manager Autumn Gale says it’s been a challenging year but she believes the industry will rebound.

She says the provincial government has an important role to play in marketing the region to the rest of the country and the world.

“We really need the province’s help in making sure that our name stays at the forefront for the Atlantic provinces when we open up and then beyond once the borders open,” says Gale.

She stresses that without that support, operators don’t have the power to “create that reach.”