Full scale returns of several key events on the mid-Island helped a banner tourism season in Nanaimo and around Vancouver Island. (NanaimoNewsNOW Photos)

By Alex Rawnsley

economic boom

Packed hotels & return of marquee events highlighted tourism season 2022

Nov 3, 2022 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — Some major challenges still remain, but by all accounts the tourism sector on central Vancouver Island is back in full swing.

This past summer saw returns of the hallmark events like the Parksville Beach Festival and both Silly Boats and the Great International World Championship Bathtub Race in Nanaimo, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the region and millions in economic spinoff.

Brian Cant, vice president of business impact and engagement at 4VI (formerly Tourism Vancouver Island) said the return wasn’t without challenges, namely figuring out just how to make it all work post-pandemic.

“No-one really knows how to move out of this process, there’s not really a playbook so all we can do is support each other and while we can be sympathic to the challenges, the reward was the high level of interest in a lot of people…had for these types of events, festivals and attractions coming back.”

Cant and his colleagues across the Island study a variety of data to determine the success of tourism campaigns and the season overall.

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Statistics such as accommodation occupancy, daily rates of area hotel rooms and visitor stats such as BC Ferries traffic and airport arrivals paint a good picture at the number of visitors arriving on any given week.

According to data from Symphony Tourism Services, between early August and early September occupancy in hotels across Vancouver Island ranged between 86.8 and 89.1 per cent, with an average daily rate of $314.

Cant said one of the bigger hurdles this year was the pace at which some communities and some operators welcomed guests back.

He said messaging was key to ensure visitors came with realistic expectations and proper plans.

“People were excited…and I think understood it wasn’t back to the way it was, it’s still a period of transition and there were a lot of happy people and people who weren’t as frustrated because they were just okay with it, collectively as a society we were doing our best.”

Cant points to communities like Tofino and Ucluelet who actively told people not to visit at the height of the pandemic, but largely survive based on booming tourist seasons.

“Shifting their messaging to planning before you visit in the summer months, making sure you have a reservation before you choose to visit…which likely wasn’t necessary as much during the pandemic. That’s a kind of an indicator for us that things are back.”

Another challenge, like many industries, was a lack of available labour.

Many left the tourism industry when the pandemic first hit and everything shuttered, and elected not to return due to jobs elsewhere.

It’s something the industry continues to struggle with.

“The conversations are robust but the solutions aren’t easy and they’re not quick, there’s no magic bullet to solve the issue,” Cant told NanaimoNewsNOW. “It’s a problem in B.C., but also across Canada and much of the world right now there’s a labour crunch in most places.”

Cant said music festivals were perhaps the most notable return to the events calendar this past summer, with significant events in the Cowichan, Tofino and Victoria areas drawing huge crowds from around the world.

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