Impact of the pandemic on the outdoor activities of residents of the Maritimes

During the summer and fall of 2020, more than one in three Maritime residents (37%) enjoyed more outdoor leisure activities than before the pandemic, within a radius of less than 5 km from home. This winter, on the other hand, half of Maritimes residents say they have enjoyed fewer outdoor activities.

Note: At the time the survey was conducted, the winter season was not yet over.

This is what an online survey conducted from January 25 to February 15 of last year among 242 residents of Nova Scotia (47%), New Brunswick (46%) and Prince Edward Island (7%) reveals.

What activities did they prefer and, above all, how do they see the evolution of their practice this year?

Habit of practicing outdoor activities during the pandemic

There is a lower number of outdoor activities this winter than in summer/fall 2020 (36% say they do not practice any of the activities offered). Hiking remains the flagship activity in all seasons combined, practiced at least once by more than one in two respondents during summer/fall 2020 and by nearly half of respondents this winter (including winter walking and snowshoeing). Unsurprisingly, the beach and swimming were also used by more than 50% of the respondents during the summer season.

Overall, the graphs show us that in summer and winter, the most popular activities are so-called soft activities. Outdoor cultural activities were also popular this summer with nearly a quarter of respondents reporting that they participated at least once during the summer season.

Nature observation and hiking were the activities that saw the greatest increase in practice, with 28% and 20% of respondents respectively saying that they practice these activities more often than before the pandemic. Conversely, 29% of respondents said they had reduced the practice of outdoor cultural activities and 28% their visits to national or regional parks. The trend to enjoy the outdoors close to home may explain this decrease in number.

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In terms of frequency of practice, one respondent out of five engages in their favorite activity once a week. The frequency of practice is higher during the summer season, winter temperatures undoubtedly being an obstacle to more assiduous practice.

The results of the survey show that the pandemic has prompted people to favor places near their homes for their outdoor habits. Indeed, the majority of respondents practiced their outdoor activities very close to their homes. However, we note that the favorite activity in winter is practiced more often (71%) very close to home than in summer/autumn (49%).

Teleworking, an opportunity for outdoor activities? Opinions are mixed among the remote workers surveyed: More than half (52%) say that this professional situation did not give them the opportunity to do outdoor activities more frequently. But on the other hand, this situation was favorable for this chapter for 48% of them. Nevertheless, more than a quarter of respondents who work from home say that they practice outdoor activities much more frequently.

The forecasts for the post-Covid period

The second part of the survey looked at post-pandemic forecasts concerning the practice of activities and preferred destinations in the case of potential future travel.

The craze for the outdoors is not about to run out of steam with a majority planning to do more outdoor activities: 36% plan to keep the same habits acquired during the pandemic and therefore practice more outdoor activities than before. 26% plan to go back to their old habits and do more activities than they are doing right now.

Beyond outdoor activities, Maritimes residents were also questioned about their interest in engaging in other types of activities during a possible trip. 22% expect to participate in festivals and events as a priority, an activity that Maritime residents seem to miss. On the other hand, 40% of respondents cannot yet decide on this question, as the horizon of a future trip is probably still too far away.

The travel outlook for 2021, while optimistic, is strongly linked to the evolution of the pandemic. A majority (68%) of Maritimers expect to travel in 2021, but only 19% are ready to do so regardless of how the pandemic evolves. Only 15% of people have no intention of traveling this year.

The domestic travel trend is continuing as 77% of respondents who plan to travel will prefer to stay in a Maritime province. Overall, two out of three travelers will prioritize local tourism, even when there are no longer any constraints linked to the pandemic.

To conclude

The pandemic has had mixed impacts on the practice of outdoor activities. Overall, Maritimes residents enjoyed fewer outdoor activities than before the pandemic, but for a significant number of them, the pandemic was an opportunity to do more outdoor activities.

Outdoor experiences are considered safer and have the advantage of being practiced without much proximity to other users and of thus adapting more easily to health measures. The enthusiasm for these activities is therefore here to stay with a large proportion of Maritime residents who plan to increase their practices after the pandemic.

Tourism businesses can prepare now to adapt their offer by offering outdoor activities, regardless of their sector of activity (cultural, adventure, catering, etc.). Local customers are still likely to form the heart of customers in the Maritimes during the next tourist season, so it is important to adapt the offer, communication and marketing of activities to this clientele.

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.