By sea and by air, Nova Scotia’s capital is the entry point for millions of visitors each year. Here’s the breakdown of those numbers.

Airport Passengers
The number of enplaned and deplaned passengers at Halifax Stanfield International Airport has risen by nearly 18 per cent over the past decade, to a near-record high exceeding 3.5 million. The Halifax airport is a key regional transportation hub, with an average of 170 flights a day and an estimated 18,461 people in the terminal. According to the airport authority, Stanfield contributes $1.25 billion annually to Nova Scotia’s economy, with 12,365 jobs attributable to the airport community.

Cruise Ships
The number of cruise ships visiting the port of Halifax is up a robust 43 per cent over the past five years. The 2011 season saw the Port of Halifax welcome Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, along with six other inaugural calls by cruise vessels.

Cruise Ship Passengers
It’s a jump that’s worth noting. In 2010, some 261,216 cruise ship passengers visited Halifax, an increase of 54 per cent compared to just five years earlier. According to Cruisehalifax.ca, a 2003 cruise passenger survey found that 98 per cent of passengers expressed a high level of satisfaction with regard to their visit to Halifax. Destination Halifax has estimated that eight per cent of tourists to Nova Scotia are cruise passengers. They contribute an estimated economic impact of $50 million to the region.