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
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
Ukraine marks its third Easter at war as it comes under fire from Russian drones and troops
As Ukraine marked its third Easter at war, Russia on Sunday launched a barrage of drones concentrated in Ukraine's east, wounding more than a dozen people, and claimed its troops took control of a village they had been targeting.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.