The chill in the air and the leaves on the ground are all signs that autumn is upon us, but for Victorians this time of the year signifies more than the end of summer beach days; it also means itB次元官网网址檚 almost the end of the tourism season.
ItB次元官网网址檚 been a busy year for the tourism industry and everyone from hotels to cruise ships saw a jump in business.
For the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) this meant welcoming their largest-ever cruise ship to the city, the Norwegian Bliss, which brought nearly 6,000 passengers and crew members to our shores every Friday.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had more than 600,000 passengers this year and 245 ship calls,B次元官网网址� said GVHA chief operating officer, Sonterra Ross. B次元官网网址淭his is our record year, looking ahead into 2019 those numbers will grow.B次元官网网址�
A $7 million renovation to Pier B at Ogden Point will allow an even larger cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas to come in next spring and bring in over 7,000 passengers and crew members.
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The GVHA is also planning ahead for the next 30 years, aiming to restructure Ogden Point with their Ogden Point Master Plan, which aims to offer more parking space, restaurants, 63,000 square feet of office space, a brewpub and a First Nations Cultural Centre for tourists and locals alike to enjoy.
The GVHA submitted their most recent application to the City of Victoria in 2016, and at this point have released a public Request for Information looking for a development partner so that by 2019 they can put in their final application to the City.
The last cruise ship for 2018 arrives on Oct. 14.
For the Victoria International Marina, their soft launch summer has seen nearly 40 luxurious yachts moor at the new private docks, something that CEO Craig Norris said taught them a lot of lessons.
B次元官网网址淲e definitely saw some surprises in numbersB次元官网网址� Some guests will spend $30,000-$100,000 on groceries,and could be quadruple that on drinks, so weB次元官网网址檝e got to expand our line,B次元官网网址� Norris said.
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He added that tweaking concierge services and tourism destination options are also on the roster for the companyB次元官网网址檚 official launch in 2019.
B次元官网网址淧ier to pier; we had a great season,B次元官网网址� Norris said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l make a number of changes and adjustments. Next year will be our grand opening in the spring, so weB次元官网网址檙e ready for that.B次元官网网址�
The Victoria International Marina will also host a new 7,000 sq. ft. restaurant, the Boom and Batten, scheduled to open in February 2019.
Overall, Destination Greater Victoria B次元官网网址� formerly Tourism VictoriaB次元官网网址� said the year was a hit.
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B次元官网网址淚t was another very strong year,B次元官网网址� said CEO Paul Nursey. B次元官网网址淲e saw significant growth in conferences, and a growth in hotel room rates.B次元官网网址�
While final numbers still need to be determined, Nursey estimates that over four million tourists visited Victoria this year, including professionals visiting the cityB次元官网网址檚 blossoming conference hub.
B次元官网网址淚t goes to show our collaborative work to have one integrative conference program for the past couple of years is starting to pay off,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐onferences are booking multiple years in advance.B次元官网网址�
While data for tourism dollars needs to be compiled by Statistics Canada, in 2016, when 3.9 million visitors came to town the industry earned $2.3 billion, so a slight increase in earnings can be expected.
