Tourism P.E.I.’s deal with the NHL already paying off, provincial officials say [Video]

Tourism P.E.I. says its multimillion-dollar partnership with the National Hockey League is already paying off, but some MLAs are skeptical. 

The province’s deal with the NHL, which saw the Island branded as the league’s official travel destination beginning in February 2024, came under scrutiny during a legislative standing committee meeting Thursday. 

Tourism officials told the committee that the partnership has generated nearly $32 million in combined marketing value and tourism spending, although an actual return on the investment seemed a bit more difficult to pinpoint. 

“Unless you see bums in the seats — or you actually see tax revenue generated, that’s really your return on investment — you have to come up with a little better justification of how we can measure this as a return on investment,” said Liberal MLA Robert Henderson.