Kippens -
The struggling economy doesn't seem to be having negative effects on parks in the Kippens area.
Two parks are reporting improved numbers, while the other is holding ground with last year.
It seems out-of-province tourists are being replaced by the local variety.
Zenzville RV Park, Campground and Water Park in Kippens says numbers are comparable to last year, while Piccadilly Head Park numbers have shown improvement since last year.
Zenzville, a family owned and operated facility, is running at about 75 per cent capacity, according to Michael Zenz, park manager.
The facility has 85 camping sites along with six cabins with another 50 sites under construction.
Zenz said while tourist traffic is a little down, locals visiting the park make up the difference.
Adeline Anderson, a tourist from QuÉbec, had high praise for what they've seen of Newfoundland so far, but didn't like the fact there was no tenting available at Zenzville Park, and that fact was not pointed out in their promotional materials.
However, the family was able to secure a cabin for the night, and was looking forward to doing some more touring in the area and around the province.
Donald Strickland, who is from ChÉvery, Que., said he likes the province and finds it beautiful, and his grandson Rico Anderson from Sept Îles commented the parks here are clean and there's no littering.
"Newfoundland is a must-see. I'd recommend it to everybody," Strickland said.
Piccadilly Head Park is also experiencing a good summer, and while park manager Robert Young couldn't give all the figures, he said they have 21 seasonal campers who secure sites for the entire summer.
The park has 49 campsites and have seen visitors from many different places. The weekends have been good despite some poor weather in recent weekends, Young reported.
He said people seem to be especially taking advantage of the large, sandy beach and the "Bird Blind Hiking Trail," which continues to receive improvements.
Margaret Gaudon serves on the committee overseeing a park under the direction of the Port au Port Economic Development Association. She said numbers are up from last year and feels there are a number of contributing factors, including the Come Home Year celebration on the Port au Port Peninsula, some good weather and the fact people know of the improvements to the park, including having water this year.
She said the park is a not-for-profit facility and any money made goes back into improvements in the park.
