A strong economy, a relatively weak Canadian dollar and renewed awareness of what B.C. has to offer has meant a surge in international visitors in 2017, a Victoria tourism consultant says.
Frank Bourree, principal of Chemistry Consulting, said it’s been “a damn good year” for the industry, building on a strong 2016.
Bourree was reacting Thursday to numbers released by Destination B.C. showing a 6.1 per cent increase in international overnight custom entries to the province in October, compared with the same month last year. So far this year compared with 2016, B.C. has seen a 3.2 per cent increase in visits to more than 5.05 million people.
Bourree said Destination B.C.’s numbers are lower than the real figures.
“Regardless, the economy is rocking in Canada and the U.S., the dollar is in the right place for tourism. And I think as a market, we are being viewed as edgy and progressive — we are definitely on the map,” he said.
Greater Victoria is benefiting from the changing vibe of Vancouver, Bourree said.
“There is some spill-over from Vancouver. Vancouver is not Vancouver anymore,” he said, bringing more tourists to Vancouver Island along with mainland residents who sell and move across the water. “It may apply to some visitors who are looking for something more intimate, and Victoria has a great reputation.”
Through to the end of October, Victoria hotels reported slightly lower average occupancy than in 2016, but revenue per available room was up $6.35 to $133.12.
Bourree said the decline is due to the region losing more than 800 hotel rooms in the last decade, as hotels have either closed or been reinvented as rental accommodation.
He said potential hotel developers are looking around for real estate, but the cost of land and price of construction might have them shy about taking the plunge.
“Right now, developers can make more money building and selling condos,” Bourree said. “The metrics still say [hotels] are a long-term play. The [return on investment] is not to be paid back in five years.”
Other local tourism indicators were also impressive through to the end of October, with B.C. Ferries reporting a 2.52 per cent increase in vehicle traffic compared with last year — including a 2.89 per cent increase in passenger numbers on its busiest route between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen.
Victoria International Airport continued its record pace with a 4.42 per cent increase in passenger numbers through the first 10 months of the year, with 1.63 million people walking through its gates.
In terms of where the international growth is coming from, there has been a 2.6 per cent increase from the U.S., by far Canada’s largest international market. Asia-Pacific visitation was up 6.1 per cent to 1.13 million and European numbers increased 3.3 per cent to 510,000.
