PAUL NURSEY
VICTORIA – Happy New Year from all of us at Destination Greater Victoria (DGV). We’re excited to kick off 2026 with a clear plan, strong partnerships, and the confidence that comes from a highly successful 2025 that was filled with incredible successes in terms of conference business, industry accolades, traveller awards, air route development, media coverage, and especially, hotel business.
In 2025, the Capital Region achieved impressive growth across the three most important hospitality performance measures. Commercial accommodation occupancy rates increased by 5.5 per cent to 78.2 per cent for the year, with the summer months reaching historic highs. Average Daily Rate (ADR) rose by 6.5 per cent and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) saw the most significant growth, increasing 12.4 per cent for the year.
Those impressive numbers underscore the vital importance of the Greater Victoria Hotel Development Working Group. As our popularity as an overnight destination grows, so too does our need for more hotel rooms. In fact, our current 10-year Destination Plan indicates an immediate need for 800-1,200 new full-service hotel rooms, as well as 800 more over the next decade.
That’s where the Working Group made up of community leaders, municipalities, developers, lenders, and other experts comes in. By assessing current planning policies, development trends, barriers to hotel development, and partnership opportunities between First Nations and hotel developers, the Group is identifying potential government policy changes and process improvements that can help us take advantage of a rare generational window of opportunity for new hotel projects. By adding the hotel rooms we need in several star categories, we’ll ensure the long-term accessibility of Greater Victoria for the conferences, families, sports teams, and the many other visitors that support our local businesses with steady, year-round visitation.
As 2026 gets underway, we’re already operating at full speed, putting resources where they’ll create the greatest benefits for the visitor economy. Our ambitious 2026 Business Plan includes several high-impact initiatives to drive visitation and support businesses during this slower part of the year, such as our Intention wellness getaway program, the annual IMPACT sustainability conference, Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria, and more.
In the year ahead, we’ll continue to champion the visitor economy with purpose, transparency, and in alignment with the values and priorities of the community we serve. We look forward to sharing our success with you as we raise the bar even higher for our visitor economy in 2026.
Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
