Uptick in domestic travel, dry summer helped draw more tourists to Cape Breton

A mild spring, dry summer and comfortable fall helped contribute to a banner year for tourism operators in Cape Breton.

Destination Cape Breton CEO Terry Smith says an increase in domestic travellers and free museum admission were also factors that made 2025 one of the most profitable years on record for the island's tourism industry.

That success was reflected in the numbers at Highland Village Museum in Iona, N.S., which saw an increase in visitors of about 10 per cent compared to 2024, representing its best season since pandemic restrictions halted the industry.

“We welcomed over 30,000 visitors through our doors, which is a fairly decent increase from last year,” said Melissa Blunden, executive director of the outdoor living history museum that celebrates Scottish Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.

Blunden said the museum saw a large uptick in visitors from the Atlantic provinces and from across Canada, with the hot summer weather providing tourists with more opportunity to experience Highland Village.

Americans visiting despite tensions

Roughly 1,500 people visited the museum during the 64th annual Highland Village day concert on Aug. 2, which Blunden said was also the busiest day across the province for museums in Nova Scotia.

With ongoing diplomatic tensions between Canada and the United States, many Canadians decided to stay close to home this year, but Smith said island tourism operators reported that Americans were still eager to visit the Maritimes, and specifically Cape Breton.

Highland Village had a healthy number of visitors from the U.S., Blunden said, and also saw large numbers from across Europe, especially during the fall.

Statistics Canada indicated that U.S. visitors to Canada slid by 10 per cent in June. While region-wide data won't be released to the public until early next year, Smith said early signs from Cape Breton operators point to strong numbers.

“What we're hearing from operators is that we wouldn't say there was an increase in American visitors, but it seems that it was holding its own,” he said. "So Americans were definitely still considering Cape Breton Island as a destination to visit.”

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