Tax, fee hikes already scaring away tourists, says motel owner

​A motel owner says the latest Newfoundland and Labrador budget is already starting to hurt her bottom line.

Velma Rideout, who owns the Junction Inn on the Trans-Canada Highway near Baie Verte Junction, told CBC's Corner Brook Morning Show that tourists are telling her it's just too expensive to travel to Newfoundland with the new fees introduced in the 2016 budget.

"Gas prices, the ferry prices, everything has gone outrageous, and it's because of this budget," she said.

"Some of the people that did cancel said they were going to come as far as North Sydney and would not be coming across to Newfoundland."

The motel owner said that so far 12 of her bookings have cancelled their plans to visit the province.

Not hiring usual staff

Rideout, who's been in business since 1999, hired five full-time staff last summer, and one part-time. This year, she plans on operating the motel on her own.

"I can't hire staff if there are no customers," she said. "I opened in March last year and the rooms were booming. I've been here now since the 7th of April and I have had no rooms."

"Yesterday I made $18, and today is not much better. So how can you stay open like this?"

Rideout said she feels helpless when it comes to influencing tourists to come to the province, and wants the government to realize the damage it is doing by raising the cost of traveling here.

"I can't do anything, but the government can put the prices down," she said. "If they want tourists to come into this province then put the prices down and have some people come here so we can get revenue from our tourists"

"I can lower my chicken dinner down to $8.99 instead of $11.99, but what is the point when nobody is going to come."