Despite three fewer ships arriving in Victoria this year compared with 2022, cruise visitor records were once again broken and the local economy benefitted.
Cruise season, running April to October, saw 26-per-cent more cruise visitors due to higher ship occupancy B次元官网网址� that translates to 970,000 cruise visitors.
B次元官网网址淲e definitely found it busier than last year. We had a lot more customers and our sales were a lot higher,B次元官网网址� said Chantal Chau, retail operations manager of MurchieB次元官网网址檚 Fine Tea & Coffee, an establishment that has been in Victoria since 1894.
B次元官网网址淏ecause MurchieB次元官网网址檚 as a brand itself is quite well known in the tourist community and I believe most cruise ships actually do recommend people stop in B次元官网网址� in that sense, it is quite essential to us,B次元官网网址� she added.
Alexya Skrlac, operational manager at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Ice Cream Shoppe on Government Street also found it busier this year compared to last year, but did notice some other changes.
B次元官网网址淚t was definitely a much busier year. I did notice people were more cautious with their money,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淣ot saying it wasnB次元官网网址檛 a good year B次元官网网址� but we werenB次元官网网址檛 selling [per customer] what we would normally sell.B次元官网网址�
Skrlac also found that cruise ship passengers were coming in at later times than in previous years, partly due to ships slowing down in Strait of Juan de Fuca for southern resident killer whales and ships offering shorter times off the boat.
B次元官网网址淭he cruise ships were coming in a lot later at night,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淣ot a lot of day cruises, which did affect [our numbers]. Normally theyB次元官网网址檇 come in at five p.m. but they were coming in at 8:30/9 p.m. B次元官网网址� we did stay open til 11 and our last hour was probably the busiest it would be for the whole day. Not a lot of other shops were open (at that time).B次元官网网址�
A 2019 Economic Impact Study found the Victoria Cruise Terminal at the Breakwater District the busiest cruise ship port in all of Canada, generating approximately $143.5 million into VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 economy. Each passenger spends an average of $86 in Victoria, contributing to approximately $23.7 million on tours and local transportation, $14.6 million on retail goods and $6.7 million on food and beverages.
Lindsay Gaunt, GVHAB次元官网网址檚 director of cruise development said that strong demand for cruising to Alaska makes Victoria a popular port of choice.
Jonathan Brenneman, a pedicab driver in Victoria, said cruise ship passengers typically liked to go to the Inner Harbour, the Empress, the Royal Gardens, Beacon Hill Park and Chinatown. But there were some other what he found surprising requests.
B次元官网网址淢ore occasionally they wanted to hear ghost stories and visit haunted houses. You had Americans with really random requests like B次元官网网址業 hear you have black squirrels, take me to the black squirrels!B次元官网网址� And then, of course, there is a small subset of the population who, for some reason, feel like any trip to Canada must contain an obligatory pilgrimage to Tim Hortons,B次元官网网址� he said.
The 2023 cruise season wraps up on Oct. 29.
