Long weekend tourism returns to Victoria in a big way
Hotels and ferries have been fully booked this long weekend, and tourism operators in Greater Victoria have been scrambling to keep up with demand.
Ash Lee is visiting the Island with his family. He told CTV News Vancouver Island he booked his trip two months ago, and even then the resort he wanted to stay at struggled to find room for him.
"Even two months ago, they had to try and find a room for us," Lee said. "And then I decided to bring my mom, but there was no chance of getting an adjacent suite, so we just all had to cram in."
The boost in business is a welcome sight for the Hotel Association of Greater Victoria, but overall occupancy rates have been inconsistent, according to Bill Lewis, the association's chair.
"The city ran 52 per cent (occupancy) last week," Lewis said. "That's overall numbers, so it's still certainly not in the range of the 80 or 90 that you'd expect Victoria to be running in peak season."
As hotels and restaurants struggle to rehire staff laid off during the pandemic, some are scrambling to serve guests, while others have scaled back their hours due to the labour shortage.
Several pub managers in Victoria said they were too busy, and too short-staffed, to speak to CTV News on Saturday.
With Canada scheduled to open its border to fully vaccinated travellers from the United States on Aug. 9, Victoria's tourist season may continue ramping up, whether the hospitality industry is ready or not.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.