– Sonja Nagel is Executive Director of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at manager@duncancc.bc.ca or 250.748.1111.
COWICHAN VALLEY – The Duncan Cowichan Chamber operates the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre servicing over 25,000 visitors annually from our facility at the BC Forest Discovery Centre and via mobile visitor servicing at community events throughout the region.
Visitor Centres across the province that are affiliated with Destination BC’s Visitor Centre Network are obligated to track visitor statistics including visitor origins, number of nights in the community and community interests. As a result, Destination BC is able to collect substantial data on who is travelling to BC and to our communities. This is combined with airport arrival stats as well as border and ferry numbers.
The Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre is experiencing another great tourist season. This is a similar trend across BC with a significant increase in visitors from Germany, Europe and Australia. Destination BC indicates that international visitor numbers were up 5.3 per cent in June compared to June 2016 and a 4.1 per cent year to date.
Visitors from the US continue to be strong as well as visitors from BC, many choosing to do a staycation this year. We did note many visitors from the wildfire areas who chose to spend their evacuation time on the island visiting friends and family.
This summer the Visitor Centre also embraced Destination BC’s Social Media Program to connect with potential visitors to the Cowichan Valley via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TripAdvisor. We are amazed at how we can connect with visitors via social media convincing them to explore the island and spend more time in our region.
We are expecting another busy September and excited about the return of the Savour Cowichan Festival from September 29 to October 8. Over the ten-day festival span, two lavish marquee events will be held on a floating barge in Mill Bay, while the Cowichan Valley artisan food and beverage producers host a myriad of other community based and epicurean events. Come join us in the Cowichan!
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On the Chamber side, we are gearing up for a busy season of events and programs to continue to deliver value to our 500 plus members and businesses in the Cowichan. We look forward to kicking off the event season with our Monthly Speaker Luncheon at the Villa Eyrie on September 28. It’s already sold out as it’s a great opportunity to experience one of Vancouver Island’s premiere resorts.
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Welcome new members to the Duncan Cowichan Chamber: Warmland Garage Doors, LoyalT Vancouver Island and BNI Valley Voices.