PAUL NURSEY
VICTORIA – One of Destination Greater Victoria’s (DGV) key roles is to closely monitor the performance of the visitor economy and identify opportunities and challenges that may affect its growth and sustainability. This summer, while other destinations in B.C. and on Vancouver Island are experiencing a decline in visitor numbers, Greater Victoria is bucking that trend with summer visitors to the region up nine percent over last year. The growth is the result of a combination of factors including the welcome return of international travellers, more reliable service from BC Ferries, and a very strong conference market.
One driver of our success is the impressive business pace for the Victoria Conference Centre (VCC). Through Business Events Victoria (BEV), DGV works year-round to secure meetings and conferences in collaboration with our hotel partners and the City of Victoria, which owns the facility. Together, we have been highly effective at popularizing Greater Victoria as one of the most desirable mid-size meetings destinations in Canada.
We recently secured the week-long Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention for next September, bringing 1,000 delegates to Victoria, and we will soon announce two more major events which will showcase Victoria as a meetings destination to key Canadian and International conference planners.
The success our BEV team is having attracting meetings to Victoria is setting a strong foundation for 2025 and beyond. In fact, the VCC is on track to reach 100,000 delegate days or more next year, which is close to our record 121,430 in 2018. We’re also setting a tremendous pace for 2026, with several conferences already confirmed.
The importance of business events cannot be overstated. Conference delegates typically stay longer and spend more than leisure travellers. They use a wider array of services and are more likely to extend their stay for leisure purposes. Events are also critical for local hotels. For a conference like the UBCM convention, we have seven hotel partners, and 3,500 room nights have already been contracted.
The success of the VCC and our BEV team benefits everyone in Greater Victoria. In addition to generating tax revenue which funds the municipal and regional services on which we all rely, business events generate revenue year-round for hotels, attractions, restaurants and small businesses, which in turn supports the thousands of residents they employ. As we look to 2025, be sure to support our BEV team by extending Victoria’s world-famous friendliness to every delegate and visitor you meet.
Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
