Yahoo! Canada News reported:
Ticket sales for a revamped stage production of the Montgomery's story spiked by 85 per cent this summer, with an estimated 75 per cent theatre-goers coming from out of province.
In fact, it's believed that one in four visitors to P.E.I. will take in at least one Anne attraction during their stay, visiting sites such as the recreated town of Avonlea (a fictional town based on the site of Montgomery's childhood) or the Anne of Green Gables gift shop on main street Charlottetown.
Tourism in PEI is the second largest revenue generator, just behind the province’s fishing and farming industries.
Some fans may be surprised to learn that many tourists actually think Anne is a real person. The character has become so popular that staff at the Cavendish National Historic Site have a tough time convincing tourists that she's a fictional character.
Chantelle Macdonald, who has played Anne several times on stage, says it’s difficult to tell people that Anne did not really exist. “They sometimes confuse Anne with the author,” she says.
