PAUL NURSEY
VICTORIA – Since the threat of tariffs began, many people have been wondering what that will mean for our vital visitor economy and what the year ahead looks like for tourism in Greater Victoria.
Personally, I have worked through several crises which drastically affected travel, including 9/11, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Research shows that families who take four vacations per year during periods of economic prosperity will still take two during times of economic uncertainty. People will always want to travel, but how often they do will vary.
So, unlike the pandemic, which shut down global travel, US tariffs and a trade dispute with the United States will likely result in a jolt rather than a halt to travel to Greater Victoria. Over the short term, we may have to rely on regional markets, but we have several prosperous major city source markets nearby that can sustain us.
As a destination, Greater Victoria is well-positioned with a renowned brand and a strong business base. On the meetings and conferences side, 2025 is off to a good start. To date, more than 100 events have already been scheduled, including nearly 30 city-wide conferences, signalling a return to pre-pandemic levels for this area of core business. That said, it’s still critical that we plan for the future of conferences in Greater Victoria.
We also need to focus on marketing to leisure travellers. Over the short term we’re adjusting our source market deployment slightly to favour domestic travel and compete to be the destination of choice as Canadians look to “Buy Canadian” in response to the tariffs and a weakened dollar.
We’ll continue to work hard in key states like Washington and California and important markets like Seattle and San Francisco to ensure consumers there continue to visit Greater Victoria. American travellers are a vital part of our visitor economy making up 31 per cent of our visitor base. It’s important for us to maintain our reputation as one of the world’s friendliest cities by continuing to welcome every traveller as warmly as we always have.
During the pandemic, our team transitioned to a leaner, scalable model, which gives us the flexibility to quickly adapt and thrive in the face of any challenge. While we may face some uncertainty this year, Greater Victoria can rest assured Destination Greater Victoria is experienced, capable and ready to tackle the challenges ahead.
Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
