PAUL NURSEY
VICTORIA – According to the global data and market research firm Nielsen, 92 per cent of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. That’s especially important for tourism, where word of mouth is helping Greater Victoria garner international accolades and helping us compete against thousands of destinations worldwide for the attention of domestic and international travellers.
The importance of word-of-mouth recommendations is also why Destination Greater Victoria (DGV), our members and our sector partners work so hard to ensure every visitor’s experience here is a memorable one they can’t wait to repeat. I’m pleased to say that hard work is paying off, with local hotels playing a key role.
Last week, Greater Victoria’s tourism sector scored a significant victory as Tripadvisor announced its Travellers’ Choice Awards “Best of the Best 2026” winners. Our region was honoured with Abigail’s Hotel being named the # 1 Top Hotel in Canada and the # 7 Top Hotel in the World. Additionally, The Magnolia Hotel & Spa, already named the #1 Best Hotel in Canada by Condé Nast Traveller, was named the # 8 Top Hotel in Canada.
In the Destination Category, Tripadvisor named Victoria the # 6 Best Destination in Canada while praising us for our cool shops, authentic coffee bars, unique restaurants, nature and wildlife tours, city tours, piers and boardwalks, and day trips.
Other recent accolades include: Victoria being named Canada’s #1 Best Boating Town by BoatBooker for our marine wildlife access, bustling inner harbour, and on-shore tourism opportunities; and the Fairmont Empress being named #1 Hotel in Canada and Best Historic Hotel in the Americas by Travel + Leisure, and its gardens being recognized among the Top 25 Most Magnificent by Historic Hotels Worldwide. A few months before, the Parkside Hotel & Spa also won the BC Hotel Association’s award for Accommodation of the Year.
As with any destination, hotels play a critical role in our visitor economy by enhancing our ability to attract overnight visitors and keep them coming back. That’s why DGV and the Greater Victoria Hotel Working Group is so committed to expanding our hotel capacity and investment.
If you’d like to support Greater Victoria’s tourism sector, be sure to take part in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards Survey. Every vote counts and each of these accolades matters because for us, the best advertising is done by satisfied customers.
Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
