Opposition politicians on P.E.I. are questioning the value of a new deal between the National Hockey League and Tourism Prince Edward Island, while the provincial tourism minister is defending it.
The province announced Tuesday that it had entered into a three-year marketing partnership with the league that will see the Island branded as the NHL’s official travel destination.
The provincial government is paying the NHL $2.5 million for the first year of the agreement, with an option to back out or renew after that.
“I don’t oppose the fact that we need to promote Prince Edward Island,” said Liberal MLA Robert Henderson, who was the province’s tourism minister from 2011 to 2015. “I guess I’d like to know what the return on investment on that [deal] is.”