That doesn’t mean Cape Smokey is not consistently growing though. In three winters, they’ve gone from two thousand to six thousand, to twenty thousand skier visits. And while it may not reach the numbers from larger resorts just yet, it shows excellent progression and that they’re on the right track. It’s clear that people appreciate the uniqueness of this Cape Breton gem. Between 8%-10% of the people who visit are from Toronto, Montreal, or Ottawa. While there are much more accessible options for them, they clearly view Cape Smokey as special enough to make the effort to visit. The biggest goal of Cape Smokey Holdings is to encourage visitors to experience the towns they’re driving through on the Cabot Trail, including Ingonish. Martin ended our conversation with a statement that stuck with me, “To pass through without appreciating the nature, the people, and everything the communities have to offer, visitors are doing themselves a true disservice.” Cape Smokey is giving would-be drive-through visitors a place to land; a home base to explore from. And Martin is sure that when people take the time to appreciate it, they’ll love Ingonish as much as he does.
“To pass through without appreciating the nature, the people, and everything the communities have to offer, visitors are doing themselves a true disservice.”
SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 24 ISSUE 5 69
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