Destination Cape Breton

09/11/2026

📣 Cabot Trail businesses, this one's for you.

The Cabot Trail Food Truck Rally is October 24 and 25, and the passport lives in the Visit Cape Breton app. Every participant will be holding it all weekend. 📱

An Exclusive Offer puts you in front of them between stamps, right when they're deciding where to stop next. A discount, a freebie, a late-season rate. Small is fine. Visible is the point. ✨

Free to list, quick to set up. Email [email protected] to get your Exclusive Offer live before rally weekend. 🍂

09/08/2026

Cape Breton Island is (mostly) open and ready to welcome you!

A local state of emergency has been lifted for Inverness and Victoria counties following this past weekend's heavy rain, and remains in place only in Richmond County while crews finish assessing roads and infrastructure. The main highways and roads for tourism traffic are all open and you will be able to get around the Island normally during your visit. We recommend checking 511.novascotia.ca before choosing your route to plan around any local road work.

Come explore the Island, we can't wait to see you, and you won't be disappointed!

09/06/2026

Some good news to share this morning! The Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park is back open, and Fortress of Louisbourg reopened today at 9:30 a.m. (a few connecting trails remain closed).

At the same time, the State of Local Emergency remains in effect in Richmond, Inverness and Victoria Counties and the Town of Port Hawkesbury. Numerous roads remain closed across these areas due to flooding and washouts.

If you're in or travelling toward the affected counties, please avoid all non-essential travel, never drive through flooded roads or around barricades, and follow the direction of local emergency officials.
For the full list of closures, visit our Travel Update page at cbisland.com/en/blog/travel-update, or check 511 Nova Scotia before you travel.

Thank you to everyone working through this, and please stay safe!

09/05/2026

Alert Ready: Local State of Emergency - Alert.

https://nsalert.alertable.ca/ #/incidents/8599A943-103C-45C0-B510-79581CA3161E

State of Local Emergency declared in Inverness, Richmond and Victoria Counties due to severe flooding and widespread damage.

Multiple roads are closed and conditions remain dangerous.

Stay off the roads unless travel is essential for health, safety, or emergency purposes.
Do not drive through floodwaters or around barricades.
Limiting travel will help protect public safety, support emergency response efforts, and allow damage assessments to proceed.
Monitor local media, 5-1-1 for road closures, and official government channels for updates.

09/05/2026

Please use caution today and follow local authorities' advisories for travel. If your operation is affected by the weather conditions, please let us know and we will post it on our website. Thanks and stay safe!

Destination Cape Breton is aware of heavy rainfall, high winds and resulting flooding and power outages affecting Cape Breton Island.

The safety of visitors and residents is our top priority. We are closely monitoring the situation and will follow the lead of the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office and municipal emergency management officials across the Island.

For more information: https://www.cbisland.com/en/blog/travel-update

We will provide updates as confirmed information becomes available.

Visitors currently in the affected areas are asked to follow the instructions of local emergency officials, avoid driving through flooded roadways and stay away from low-lying areas.

09/01/2026

🚚 Last Call for Food Trucks! 🍁

The 2026 Cabot Trail Food Truck Rally is back October 24-25 and we're making this our biggest year yet. Don't miss your chance to be part of it!

📧 Contact Stacey at [email protected] for more information
⏰ Deadline: September 12

06/30/2026

Port Hastings Visitor Information Centre Update
June 30, 2026

As you may have heard in local media over the past few weeks, Destination Cape Breton has submitted a formal proposal to the Provincial Government and to the Island’s five municipalities to approve a collaborative approach to operate the Port Hastings Visitor Information Centre for the 2026 season. We want to give you a direct update on where things stand.

When the Province announced it would close the Port Hastings VIC this year, Destination Cape Breton expressed serious concern and advocated to have the decision reversed. The centre counselled 72,862 visitors in 2025 — a 15.5% year-over-year increase in demand, even as overall Island visitation grew by roughly 2%. Closing the "front door" of Cape Breton Island–Unama'ki at a moment of growing demand is, in our assessment, a risk the Island's tourism economy cannot afford.

Our proposal is a collaborative pilot project for 2026. Under this model, the total operating budget is approximately $150,000 — roughly half of what the Province spent last year on Port Hastings but for a shorter operating period. These costs would be shared among the Province of Nova Scotia, the five municipalities and Destination Cape Breton.

We are pleased to report that all five Cape Breton municipalities have committed to the proposal and our Board has approved Destination Cape Breton’s participation. We are still waiting for a response from the Province. Given that the Department of Public Works owns the Port Hastings VIC property, we cannot proceed with the proposal without their approval to use the building.

We have been told that a response is expected soon — but time is critical. The summer season is already underway and every day confused visitors are stopping at the site only to be disappointed at the lack of service.

We are asking you to help. Please contact your MLA directly to express your support for this proposal and to request a timely response from the Province.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Sincerely,
Terry Smith, CEO

06/18/2026

Yesterday marked a milestone for Unama'ki – Cape Breton Island.

Destination Cape Breton and the Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network (NSITEN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding — a shared commitment to growing authentic Mi'kmaw L'Nu tourism experiences across the Island, grounded in the principles of Two-Eyed Seeing / Etuaptmumk.

More support for Mi'kmaw L'Nu tourism businesses. Deeper collaboration across our industry. A more authentic destination for everyone who visits.

Photo L-R: Terry Smith, CEO of Destination Cape Breton; Warden Bonny MacIsaac, Municipality of the County of Inverness and Vice-Chair of Destination Cape Breton; Andrea Stevens, Chairperson of the Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network; Robert Bernard, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network.

https://destinationcapebreton.com/destination-cape-breton-and-nova-scotia-indigenous-tourism-enterprise-network-sign-historic-partnership-agreement/

06/15/2026

📣 Free training for Cape Breton Island tourism operators!

Through our partnership with TIANS and the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council, eligible Island businesses can access e-learning, certifications and HR tools at no cost.

🗓️ Plus, join us June 24 for an in-person Belong: Accessible Tourism Workplaces session at Inverary Resort — space is limited!

Learn more and register 👇

🔗

Building a stronger tourism workforce starts with effective HR practices supported by practical training. Destination Cape Breton is pleased to share that online courses and in-person workshops are available again this year through our partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia...

06/05/2026

Help visitors and locals find you this season. 🔍

Whether someone is planning a trip to Cape Breton Island–Unama'ki or just looking for something to do this weekend, VisitCapeBreton.com and the Visit Cape Breton App are where they're searching.

Our Island-wide event calendar currently features more than 150 events, and both platforms continue to be key resources for visitors and locals alike — from staycation ideas to weekend activities and upcoming events. 🗓️

So far in 2026, we've seen:

📊 1 million+ views on VisitCapeBreton.com
📱 100,000+ views on the Visit Cape Breton App since launching last month
Every view is a potential visitor, customer or attendee — and listing your business or event is free.

Getting listed is quick and easy. Whether you're a tourism operator, business owner or event organiser, make sure people can find you. 🌟

👉 Add or update your listing today: destinationcapebreton.com/forms