Government Takes Over PEI Tourism Inspections

The provincial government in Prince Edward Island is taking over inspections of tourist accommodations from Quality Tourism Services (QTS) starting this summer. QTS took over responsibility of the inspections from the province more than 30 years ago. It operates as a non-profit partnership between tourism operators and the Tourism Industry Association of PEI, funded through licensing fees paid by the operators. 

Ron MacNeil, who served as director of tourism development for PEI told Island Morning, a local radio show, that he was concerned that some of the problems that prompted the creation of QTS in the first place would rear their heads again, saying at the time, "It wasn't very professional. Inspectors were hired on a seasonal basis to inspect thousands of rooms, which they struggled to do. If the government changed, unfortunately, some of the inspectors changed, and that created problems and issues."

Tourism Minister Zack Bell told CBC News last week that the province is trying to "professionalize the industry," explaining, “I don't want to say there were concerns [about QTS's work] by any stretch of the imagination, but it's just one of those things, that we wanted to make sure that it was being done." 

None of the 10 people who worked for QTS have applied for the two full-time or five seasonal inspector jobs that will take over for them.

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