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Greater Victoria’s tourism, hotels see slight decline

The tourism industry remained flat in October with hotels seeing a two per cent drop in occupancy compared with last year. According to data released Friday by Chemistry Consulting, hotel occupancy is 2.
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Tourists fill the Inner Harbour causeway on a sunny July day in 2019.

The tourism industry remained flat in October with hotels seeing a two per cent drop in occupancy compared with last year.

According to data released Friday by Chemistry Consulting, hotel occupancy is 2.05 per cent down in the region through the first 10 months of this year due to a global travel slowdown that has resulted in fewer Chinese visitors to B.C. and reduced visitation from Alberta and the mainland to Vancouver Island.

Hotels have managed to hold onto strong rates in the city, however, as revenue per available room was steady at $149 per night through to the end of October.

B.C. Ferries reported vehicle traffic has been flat year-to-date at 1.74 millions cars and trucks, though passenger numbers dipped one per cent to 5.5 million.

Victoria International Airport has seen a six per cent drop in passengers through its gates so far this year, owing mainly to the grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max fleet and the loss of United Airlines, which stopped its United Express service between Victoria and San Francisco in January.