New business licences issues in Victoria in Q2. @victoria.ca
VICTORIA – The City of Victoria’s second quarter data shows many key business indicators are well above 2021 and some are on par or above pre-pandemic levels.
The data shows that actions set out in Victoria 3.0 Recovery, Reinvention and Resilience are working to support a vibrant urban core, including a 37.9 per cent increase in downtown pedestrian counts compared to the same period in 2021 and nearly a doubling in Government Street pedestrians. Hotel occupancy climbed 43.5 per cent in the period to levels on par with pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The second quarter also saw the return of community events, with permits up 875 per cent over the same period in 2021.
Other signs of recovery include a 22.7 per cent jump in on-street parking transactions and a 16.2 per cent increase in business licences which is well above pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Building permit applications were just shy of last year’s figure and construction values were up 26.8 per cent.
The City issued fewer film permits in the second quarter during the typically slower spring filming season. 2021 was one of the busiest film years ever in Victoria as the industry caught up on production. Film permits are picking up again for fall and 2022 is on track to be a typical filming year.
The City continues to release data on key indicators quarterly to track Victoria’s economic recovery.
@victoria.ca