Victoria tourism industry struggles as travel spending drops
Staff at Victoria Carriage Tours, a horse-drawn carriage company stationed beside the B.C. legislature, say business hasn’t been as brisk as past summers.
“It’s been less busy this summer, compared to past,” said Lucy, an employee signing up customers Thursday. “A lot of business we get is from cruise ship passengers.”
Michael Hill is a jewelry merchant in the Inner Harbour, another traditional hotbed for visitors. He says sales are slower than usual this summer.
“I’ve noticed people spending a little bit less money,” said Hill “I've just started seeing the families out, so the families weren't travelling much in June.”
A new poll released Thursday by Nanos Research shows that more Canadians are planning to spend less on summer travel this year, or are putting vacation plans on hold altogether.
The poll indicates 38 per cent of those surveyed are more likely to spend less this summer on travel. That figure is up from the 31 per cent of Canadians surveyed in 2015 who said they planned to spend less on travel.
Paul Nursey is the head of Destination Greater Victoria. He says the tourism industry in the capital is still likely on pace to match its strong performance in 2022, but it won't exceed that.
“The first half of this year was very strong, but we are seeing some softening,” said Nursey Thursday. “Households are starting to see higher mortgage rates, those types of things.”
Trips abroad are also taking a hit. Fifty-seven per cent of those surveyed aren’t interested in travelling internationally this summer, meaning the tourism industry now hopes locals will make up the difference through staycations or local domestic travel as all Canadians contend with inflation and interest rate hikes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.