3426 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

Hearing that hotel occupancy is way off YTD (ie 10%) yet Island visits are up. Hotel industry is going to play this as needing immediate action against the STR market. I wonder if the real reason is that tourists are bypassing Victoria because of crime and the homeless problem.. 

[jonny]

Crappy weather and insane gas prices are not helping.

[Mike K.]

VHF and I ran into a couple from Tennessee the other day. They were grabbing a beer and heading for the Clipper to get back to Seattle. They said they had no idea there was so much “City” to explore and had they known they would have actually made an effort to spend several days here instead of just a day trip (although I “think” they may have spent a night; VHF might have that answer).

How can we be so incredibly bad at conveying this basic reality that we’re a major destination worth checking out? Why does the majority of our tourist traffic spend one or two (maybe three) nights here but they’ll spend a full week if not two visiting Vancouver or Seattle? After all these years and we’re still selling ourselves short.

Maybe it has more to do with Tourism Vic expensing the resources, but the mid and central Island seeing the benefits when folks spend two or three nights here then head up-Island? Maybe it’s acrually more beneficial from TV’s perspective to have folks drop by with only time to go on little jaunts from Victoria and return to home base by night? I dunno.

[VicHockeyFan]

I think we need better coordination between TV and TV VI.

They had stayed one night at the Laurel Point as arranged by Clipper Vacatuons. Clipper also arranged their CVS tour to Butchart. They actually said that was good as the driver also narrated along the way and they found the info very interesting.

I told them the same as I tell so many visitors, next time plan an extra day or two and rent a car. Go up Island.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 30 March 2018 - 06:41 AM.

[jonny]

We do market ourselves very poorly.

It's funny because whenever I see a magazine or paper write up about Victoria it's always about the food and drink scene, micro breweries, festivals, that sort of thing. Whenever I see an advertisement for Victoria or VI it's always about relaxing or getting away. There's a disconnect for sure.

[spanky123]

Crappy weather and insane gas prices are not helping.

 

Would agree if that meant visits were down. Visits are up, just not to hotels in Victoria.

[jonny]

Would agree if that meant visits were down. Visits are up, just not to hotels in Victoria.

Ahh gotcha. Misread your post.

[Mike K.]

If tourism numbers are up but hotel stays aren’t, that means cruise ship passengers are pushing up our totals and day trippers are opting to return from where they came on the same day.

People need places to stay if they overnight (obviously) and I don’t think Victoria’s AirBNB market is large enough to erode hotel stays by 10% if tourism volumes are indeed rising while occupancy is falling. So what does that leave us with? The fact that fewer people are staying the night and our tourism “growth” is fueled by cruise ship passengers who spend several hours in the city and then disappear.

[Benezet]

I’m skeptical about what’s being indicated here about hotel occupancy rates, because a concierge told me this morning that the hotels are extraordinarily busy these days.

[Mike K.]

So the AirBnB threat was a farce?

[Benezet]

So the AirBnB threat was a farce?

Who knows? But it’s pretty basic politics to exaggerate problems in order to get what you want.

[spanky123]

If tourism numbers are up but hotel stays aren’t, that means cruise ship passengers are pushing up our totals and day trippers are opting to return from where they came on the same day.

 

No cruise ships in Jan/Feb! Could be day trippers but could also be people deciding to visit other parts of the Island instead of Victoria.

 

You could blame Airbnb but there are yoy numbers so the question would have to be asked as to whether Airbnb visits were up that much in one year

[Mike K.]

Oh, so this is just for Jan and Feb?

[spanky123]

Oh, so this is just for Jan and Feb?

 

Yep. 10% drop in hotel occupancy YTD while visitors to the Island are up.

[On the Level]

Hmmm....we are down 1,000 hotel rooms and up 1,700 Airbnb hosts according to these articles.  I am assuming that would account for the drop.....?

 

Victoria lost about 1,000 hotel rooms over last 4 years, realtor says

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...rooms-1.3928590

 

 

Airbnb director of public policy Canada Alex Dagg said there are 1,700 active hosts in Victoria, which saw a combined 101,000 inbound guest arrivals in the past year. 

 

http://www.timescolo...ncil-1.20844686

[Mike K.]

Official stats say hotel occupancy is down 9.33% over the first two months of 2018 compared to the first two months of 2017.

[Rob Randall]

Keep in mind whole families are coming here for vacations that would be economically impossible at a traditional hotel. Never mind the cost of an AirBnB house with a full kitchen vs. several hotel rooms can you imagine the cost of feeding a family three restaurant meals a day in Victoria?

 

I would really like to see a survey question that asks "did AirBnB make your trip possible?"

 

[Mike K.]

Right, or encouraged you to visit in the first place. You’d Ben surprised how many people venture to the Island solely because they can rent an entire home at an affordable rate, or experience the city/Island from the location/setting of an AirBnB.

[Nparker]

Keep in mind whole families are coming here for vacations that would be economically impossible at a traditional hotel. Never mind the cost of an AirBnB house with a full kitchen vs. several hotel rooms can you imagine the cost of feeding a family three restaurant meals a day in Victoria?...

I am rarely as glad to be childless as I am when I see how others essentially move all the chores of their daily life (buying groceries, cooking meals, doing laundry etc.) to a new location in order to take a holiday. If I am not being pampered and taken care of on vacation in a manner and style that exceeds my everyday existence I feel like I might as well have stayed home. This is also why I will never own an RV.

 

Nevertheless, if renting a local condo or house gets tourists to spend their money in the CRD, who am I to question their choice?

[Rob Randall]

You’d Ben surprised

 

You haven't just been surprised...

 

 

YOU'VE BEEN BEN SURPRISED!