Accommodation Statistics

Tourism Nova Scotia gathers and reports tourism statistics on behalf of the tourism industry. These statistics help inform our decision-making, help describe visitors to Nova Scotia, and can be used by tourism businesses and organizations for planning and business development. As tourism indicators are compiled from several sources, data becomes available at different times. Tourism Nova Scotia reports the most up-to-date statistics available so reporting timelines for each indicator may differ.

See Full-Year Accommodation Statistics 2023

See 2023 Tourism Performance Report

Full-Year 2023

Accommodation sales in Nova Scotia continued to increase during 2023 with room nights sold surpassing 2022 and 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Nova Scotia accommodations operators reported 3 million room nights sold in 2023, a 3% increase (80,000 more room nights sold) compared with 2022 and a 9% increase (235,000 more room nights sold) over 2019.

All tourism regions experienced growth in 2023 compared with 2019. Compared with 2022, which was an exceptional year for recovery in room nights sold, four tourism regions reported continued growth in room nights sold in 2023:

Halifax Metro, up 4% (61,000 more room nights sold)
Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley up 7% (26,000 more room nights sold)
Northumberland Shore up 3% (6,000 more room nights sold)
Eastern Shore, up 6% (1,000 more room nights sold)

The other three regions, meanwhile, experienced declines in room nights sold compared with 2022:

South Shore, down 3% (6,000 fewer room nights sold)
Yarmouth & Acadian Shores, down 5% (4,000 fewer room nights sold)
Cape Breton, down 1% (3,000 fewer room nights sold)

Room Nights Sold (Tourism Nova Scotia Database):

According to AirDNA data, there were 589,000 room nights booked through sharing economy platforms in 2023, an increase of 5% compared with 2022, and up 21% compared with 2019.

Room Nights Booked Through Sharing Economy Platforms:

Bar graph comparing monthly room nights booked in 2023 with 2022 and 2019.

According to the latest data from the CBRE Hotels National Market Report, the average room rate for Nova Scotia accommodations was $191 for 2023, an increase of 13% over 2022 and an increase of 31% compared with 2019.

The average room rate in the Halifax Regional Municipality was $206, up 14% over 2022 and up 34% over 2019, while the average room rate of $151 in the rest of Nova Scotia was up 9% compared with 2022 and up 24% compared with 2019.

Average Room Rates:

Bar graph comparing monthly average room rates in 2023 with 2022 and 2019.

See 2022 Accommodation Statistics (PDF)

See 2022 Tourism Performance Report (PDF)

See 2022 Tourism Accommodations Report (PDF)

Tourism statistics are compiled from a variety of sources, including:

Operator accommodation occupancy reports
Room rate data from CBRE Limited
Data collected by AirDNA regarding room night bookings through sharing economy platforms
In-person surveys administered to passengers at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Motor vehicle enumeration at the Nova Scotia – New Brunswick border
Passenger information from ferry operators
The Nova Scotia Visitor Exit Survey
Data from Halifax International Airport Authority

These statistics reflect the combined efforts of tourism businesses, organizations, communities, and governments, and include activities by both Nova Scotians and non-resident visitors. There are many factors that contribute to tourism industry performance including events, weather, gas prices, air capacity, currency fluctuations, geo-political circumstances, and industry initiatives such as marketing. Tourism Nova Scotia is just one organization among many contributing to tourism growth. We support tourism growth through marketing in key national and international markets, support for experience and business development, and visitor servicing. For more information about Tourism Nova Scotia's strategy and performance, please see Plans & Reports.

Accommodation Statistics