Paul Nursey, President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
VICTORIA – In my columns over the past number of months I have noted how difficult it has been for our members. Necessary public health restrictions have meant discouragement of non-essential travel and limits on indoor gatherings. The American market – so vital to the viability of many tourism businesses in Greater Victoria – cannot be accessed. We continue to advocate for a re-opening plan. Jurisdictions such as the UK, Nevada and Saskatchewan now have re-opening plans. We feel BC should follow a similar model to provide certainty to our business community. In response to the public health restrictions, Destination Greater Victoria has focused on the local market. Prior to the latest round of restrictions, initiatives such as Dine Around & Stay In Town were highly successful and generated much-needed revenue for many of our members.
Despite the difficulty operating now, there is reason for optimism. Shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine have increased. As more and more British Columbians become vaccinated and COVID-19 case counts decrease, the likelihood of a summer tourism season increases. We know travel will remain limited this year – likely to domestic travelers within BC or Canada. However, this is better than the current situation. Many of our members generate most of their revenue in the summer months. Capitalizing on good weather when many traditionally take their holidays will be vital for many businesses to remain solvent through the fall and winter months later this year.
Destination Greater Victoria is not only focused on the short term, but the medium and long terms as well. As Canadian and international markets reopen our marketing, sales and meetings teams are poised to attract business back to Greater Victoria. Like any destination, Greater Victoria is in competition with other destinations. We cannot waste a minute attracting leisure and business travelers back to our community. Therefore, our organization already has a plan in place – one that will be executed once public health restrictions are lifted and it is appropriate to travel again.
Hope springs eternal. In the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic it was hard see to the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Our industry had experienced setbacks related to events such as 9/11 and SARS but had never experienced a downturn this prolonged and severe. The small businesses and entrepreneurs that comprise the Greater Victoria visitor economy persevered through these very difficult times. It will be devastating if there is a truncated or highly restricted summer season. But in the meantime, we look forward to the summer months and welcoming visitors back to Greater Victoria.
Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
