Tourism Minister defends expensive trip to UK and France

New Brunswick’s tourism minister, Tammy Scott-Wallace, is under scrutiny for a trip she and her top officials took to the United Kingdom and France, which resulted in her deputy minister racking up a $77,000 travel bill last year. Defending the trip, Scott-Wallace emphasized the importance of meeting with tour operators and public relations firms in London and Paris, who have contracts to promote the province to potential visitors from these countries.

During a meeting of the legislature committee studying budget estimates, Scott-Wallace faced questions from Liberal MLA and tourism critic Isabelle Thériault about the necessity of the trip. The deputy minister, Yennah Hurley, incurred expenses totaling $12,328 as part of the overall $77,710 claimed for the trip.

Despite the absence of travel conferences or tourism trade shows in the itinerary, Scott-Wallace justified the trip as crucial for rebuilding connections with key markets for the province, especially after COVID-19 travel restrictions. The visit included cultural landmarks like Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, the British Museum, and the Palace of Versailles, all expensed to taxpayers.

While Thériault expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clear answers, Scott-Wallace highlighted the positive impact of French and British tourists on the province’s economy, with increased visits recorded in recent years. She also emphasized that such trips are normal and budgeted for within the department’s work.

The controversy surrounding the expensive European trip underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in government spending, especially in the tourism sector.