One visit to any area of the province will leave folks saying; why did we stay where we’re to? We should have come where you’re at long ago.

 “It’s been overwhelming, overwhelmingly positive,” says Premier Andrew Furey of Come Home 2022. Furey himself has been touring the province as much as possible himself too, he shared.  

Exactly what NL needed

“It’s just been an incredibly joyous, happy occasion for communities throughout our province. Coming out of the pandemic, this is exactly what people needed. People celebrating life … all rallying around this call to come home. And I couldn’t be more proud with the results from this campaign,” he said.

From Regatta and Churchill Park Music Festival to Monster Trucks, George Street Festival, Tell Tale Harbor and Come From Away, Furey and team have been proudly supporting events held throughout the province.  “This was exactly what the province needed right now. For decades, centuries even, we’ve had a history of festivals in towns and communities. Of concerts, arts festivals and more, but because of the pandemic these things mostly stopped. We needed an injection of enthusiasm to reinvigorate them and I think that Come Home Year 2022 did exactly that.”

Whether it was a large concert or a smaller gathering on an outport wharf, it’s been quite a summer to celebrate. The numbers speak for themselves, he said. 

In auto traffic, the province is up 166 per cent from 2019 and growing. Travellers in general are up almost 300 per cent compared to 2021. “It’s special, it’s emotional and it’s economically beneficial at the end of the day as well,” Furey  said.  

Furey shared he figures he spent one weekend in his own bed this entire summer. “It was really nice to see the hope and optimism and the spirit of Newfoundland and Labrador on full display in many communities – all communities, frankly – around the province,” he said. 

This has always been an incredible place to visit, he added. “It’s really more than just about one year. It’s about reinjecting  enthusiasm and optimism … that will live beyond 2022.” 

The premier says he has been so proud as he’s travelled around. “I’d like to thank everybody for being involved and for embracing (Come Home 2022). We were in communities that normally only have 100 people in it and to see it grow to 300 or 400 people in an afternoon to  celebrate the culture of Newfoundland and Labrador … was just fantastic.  

Glamping is a new fad sweeping the globe for outdoor enthusiasts that want a little bit extra, one that is taking over the province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Travel restrictions in Newfoundland have prevented people from vacationing. Some have looked to vacation from home in the form of “glamping.”

Glamping is a new trend that mixes glamour with camping. Generally, glamp sites are set up as an above-ground platform with a tent over the top of it. These sites include necessities like a bed and a stove with cookware. There are several glamping sites set up around the province, such as at Humber River or Gros Morne National Park. 

Ashley Hann is the owner and operator of the Humber River Off Grid Tours. Hann was one of the first to set up glamping tents for the public over five years ago.

“When I went camping as a kid, you had a little tent that you stuck in the ground and slept there,” said Hann. “With glamping, you can go camping without the hassle, without the packing, and just come in and go camping. All you have to bring is yourself and your food.”

Hann was first encouraged to open a glamping site by friends that she had met in the tourism industry, who shared she was living in a great location for tourism. “At the time, glamping was very new to the province, so I wanted to try that,” Hann said. “When I started, there were only one or two sites on the island. Now, they are popping up everywhere.”

With such a level of comfort added, is it possible that glamping takes away from the traditional camping experience? The traditional experience of camping is having to work with what you have. With such luxuries at the camper’s disposal, the experience no longer feels like “roughing it.”

TA Loeffler is a professor of outdoor recreation and education at Memorial University and a well experienced adventurer. “I spend as much time outside as possible,” said Loeffler. “Some years I probably camp about 150 nights!”

Loeffler is no stranger to the concept of glamping, and she thinks it is a completely authentic experience.

‘Eye of the beholder’

“I would say that camping is in the eye of the beholder,” Loeffler said. “You can still hear nature and see nature. If glamping helps to get someone outside in nature and enjoying a time away from home, I’m all for it.”

Don Clarke, a director of sales and communications at Outfitters, has noticed a rise is business in his store. “Business has been very steady. With the start of COVID, it just made the opportunity for new people to get outdoors and camp increase. Outdoor activities are social distancing and isolation at their finest,” shared Clarke, adding, “At its core, you’re getting outside and disconnecting from your everyday life. You’re still reconnecting with nature and your environment.”

With two glamping tents set up and a rise in popularity, Hann is excited for the future. “It’s the exact same thing as camping, you just have more comfort,” Hann said. “You’re still roasting s’mores, you’re still in the wilderness, and you’re still getting all the scenery of the outdoors. It’s just in a more comfortable space.”