84 Prince Edward Island provided Lucy Maud Montgomery with inspiration for her 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables NORTH AMERICA: COMMENTARY Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province, has inspired more than a century of well-loved stories, from Anne of Green Gables to Netflix’s forthcoming adaptation of Carley Fortune’s This Summer Will Be Different. For cruise lines calling at Port Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, that storytelling heritage is becoming a meaningful driver of guest interest, shore excursion demand and itinerary differentiation. For many visitors, the island feels curiously familiar, as if they’ve been there before, even if it’s their first visit. They know it from the page – following a red-haired orphan down a lane of blossoming apple trees – or from the screen – where red sandstone cliffs have framed more than one summer romance. From Port Charlottetown, cruise guests have the opportunity to step directly into the story. From the moment a ship arrives, Prince Edward Island invites visitors to slow down and embrace a gentler rhythm. Quiet country roads wind past white farmhouses and fields that run down to the sea. Historic lighthouses stand watch over fishing harbours where colourful boats return with the day’s catch. Celtic music drifts from village halls and waterfront stages, while the scent of saltwater and freshly cut hay lingers on the breeze. Lucy Maud Montgomery published Anne of Green Gables in 1908, and the novel has since sold more than 50 million copies and been translated into more than 36 languages. Japanese children fell in love with the story decades ago when the book was part of their curriculum. To this day, the connection remains strong with many Japanese visitors realising their dream of visiting ‘Anne’s Land’. Montgomery’s work has been adapted repeatedly for television, film and stage. Road to Avonlea, Emily of New Moon, Anne with an E and Anne of Green Gables: The Musical have introduced generations of audiences to Prince Edward Island. In March 2014, the musical achieved a Guinness World Record as the longest-running musical theatre production in the world. The production has run consecutively every summer for more than 50 years. Today, cruise guests can visit the authentic places that inspired the stories, including Green Gables Heritage Place, Lovers’ Lane and the Haunted Wood, all located within Prince Edward Island National Park. Unlike many literary destinations, these sites are not recreations; they are the genuine landscapes that shaped one of the world’s most beloved fictional worlds. A new generation is discovering Prince Edward Island through another story. Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel This Summer Will Be The next chapter starts onshore From Anne of Green Gables to This Summer Will Be Different, Prince Edward Island’s storybook landscapes, fresh seafood and maritime warmth capture the hearts of cruise guests the world over CRAIG SULIS Craig Sulis is manager of trade and media at Tourism Prince Edward Island Photo: Tourism PEI/Stephen DesRoches. Inset image: George Gibbs/Wikimedia Commons
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