P.E.I. tourism operators uneasy about province taking over inspections, says Opposition

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 6:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

The state is readying to bring the inspection of tourer accommodations connected Prince Edward Island in-house, a alteration the Official Opposition warns could pb to governmental interference.

The determination came to airy done an speech successful question play astatine the P.E.I. Legislature Thursday, erstwhile interim Liberal Leader Hal Perry asked astir autarkic oversight of the inspection process. 

The Central Bedeque-based non-profit enactment Quality Tourism Services, oregon QTS, has been liable for inspecting tourism properties connected the Island for the past 30 years. 

Tourism Minister Zack Bell confirmed successful the legislature that his section is present bringing that work nether the government's roof. 

"We person been internally looking from the ineligible constituent of view, from the risk-management constituent of view, astir bringing that work in-house," Bell said.

"One of the main things that has travel to our attraction is that astir of the authorities inspection services — for illustration occurrence oregon wellness inspections — are done in-house."

According to Quality Tourism Services' website, the enactment acts arsenic an cause of the P.E.I. authorities "to behaviour inspections of tourism establishments successful accordance with the Tourism Industry Act and Regulations. QTS provides inspection services to each existing establishments and assists caller oregon imaginable operators to go licensed."

The inspections guarantee the accommodations are cleanable and harmless for the visitors who enactment there. 

Perry said the province's determination to instrumentality implicit the work volition undermine a proven system, and puts the Island's tourism estimation astatine risk.

"We've heard from astir a twelve tourism operators who are truly disquieted astir this government's plan… and they've raised immoderate precise superior concerns astir trust, transparency and quality," helium said. 

"Inspections person remained extracurricular authorities for a reason. Bringing them successful [house] risks governmental influence. If an inspection doesn't spell well, an relation could consciousness unit to telephone their MLA expecting a antithetic outcome."

Bell said the inspections prioritize the information of the guests, and that he's assured governmental interference won't undermine the process. 

"I would highly suggest that that would not beryllium the case," the tourism curate said.

"I bash consciousness that anyone who's doing the inspection work would bash it to the champion of their quality and keeping successful the backmost of their caput that the extremity idiosyncratic is the visitant who is going to beryllium affected by the inspection."  

QTS caught by surprise

QTS enforcement manager Colin MacIntyre told CBC News that the province's termination of the declaration came arsenic a surprise, and that astir tourism operators aren't alert of the change.

The enactment was told inspectors volition support moving until June 30. MacIntyre said the determination volition permission 10 radical retired of work.

He added that QTS's work costs the state thing due to the fact that the enactment is funded done licensing fees paid by tourism operators. Now, each inspectors volition person to beryllium hired arsenic authorities employees.

Bell encouraged the existent QTS employees to use for the provincial jobs erstwhile they're posted. 

The tourism curate said he's assured the section tin person inspectors hired to instrumentality implicit by July 1, but added that inspections usually instrumentality spot extracurricular the highest summertime season these days. 

"We're trying to turn the season… extracurricular of June, July and August, which would typically beryllium a busier time, truthful we are seeing a batch much of the inspections being dispersed out throughout the year."