Tourism is a transaction, but also, a complicated set of relationships that subtly shapes both guest and host. By its nature, tourism also holds up a mirror to the host society in which it can see a version of itself. Over the long arc of tourism’s history on Prince Edward Island, stretching from the early Victorian period to today’s economic juggernaut, the summer trade has consistently promoted the restorative effects of the province’s healthy climate, pastoral landscape, and rural culture, and continually refined the tools it uses to reach, attract, and satisfy visitors. Using images and artifacts, The Summer Trade will trace change and continuity in the story of tourism in the Garden of the Gulf over a period of 150 years through a series of thematic modules spanning promotion, transportation (to and within the province), accommodations, attractions, souvenirs, and host-visitor relations. It is a tale of boosters and knockers, promoters and providers, and, of course, tourists in search of what travel brings: entertainment, experience, and the recovery of innocence.
Curated by Ed MacDonald and Alan MacEachern