CROFT, Steven – 2003

A Geographical Analysis of Tourism in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

This study examines why tourists visit Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the relationships and phenomena arising out of the visit, and how geography is related to tourism in this community. A survey questionnaire format was used in the summer of 2002, on a random sample to portray the parent population.

It was found that the majority of tourists visiting Lunenburg travel in groups of two. It is also shown that the majority of all tourists in this study were visiting from Ontario and the United States, which suggests that distance is not a major factor in restraining tourists from visiting Nova Scotia. It can also be seen that tourists traveling from shorter distances (0-1000 kilometers), are not staying in Nova Scotia for extended periods of time, but as distance from Lunenburg increases, so does the length of visit. Another important conclusion in this thesis, is that Halifax does not really act as a supply area for tourists to Lunenburg, but as a major tourist destination, which greatly increases tourist numbers in Lunenburg due to the close proximity between the communities.

It is hoped that the findings and results in this thesis will be useful, mainly for the Town of Lunenburg and residents living in the area, to help improve the tourism industry in the community, and to maintain the heritage and uniqueness of what makes Lunenburg special.