Tourism Vancouver touts strong 2017, expects bigger things in the New Year
Posted December 30, 2017 10:03 am.
Last Updated January 21, 2018 9:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It looks like more people are not only spending the night somewhere on the South Coast, but they’re also spending their money here. A local tourism agency says 2017 was great and 2018 should be even better.
Another record-setting year is how Stephen Pearce with Tourism Vancouver describes it. He says next year should be strong with a lot of conventions booked and events like the Juno Awards, National Skating Championships, Just for Laughs and not to mention consistent cruise ship dockings that bring tens of thousands here.
“I think we’re becoming more known as a global contender. We’ve got our natural beauty, we’re also a very intimate experience. We’ve had people describe us as a really interesting juxtaposition of mountains, ocean, forests and a very ethnically diverse community. And they find that very appealing. Health and wellness also resonate. People come here expressing the fact that this is a place where they feel vital, they come alive, and they get passionate about.”
Pearce points out often when visitors do come to the Lower Mainland for work or pleasure, they end up taking an extra couple of days to visit other parts of BC, including Vancouver Island and spending their money. He estimates tourism brings in about $5.1 billion for BC’s economy annually, adding even though we’re popular with countries overseas — the US is still are number one consumer.
“I think it’s critical. I think when you actually start looking at the impact that tourism has, it surprises a lot of people. When they start to understand just what this does as far as rippling through the economy. We take advantage of the things that visitors come to see, but more importantly, they’re taking advantage of the stuff we enjoy doing as well. So it’s a win-win, but it’s really important as we move forward that we’re paying attention to the quality of the experience and the quality of life here.”
He says the tourism industry is not only helping the economy but it employs roughly 72,000 people directly or indirectly in BC.
Overall in 2017, Pearce says demand and statistics were up from Australia, China, Germany, Mexico and the UK.
