168 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Greater Victoria has a $2.3 billion tourism industry (in term of total economic output), contributes $1.2 billion to GDP, contributes $376 million in taxes, and supports 22,300 jobs.

 

https://www.tourismv..._ahead-2020.pdf

[mbjj]

And honestly, what is the attraction left in Victoria? No more garden city, it’s dirty and grimy, stores are mostly boarded up. It’s not a pleasant experience with people screaming at you or shooting up in broad day light. Other larger cities may get away with it but our city core is too small to carry this and maintain a healthy tourist attraction.
I can see people coming to the island for the natural beauty but totally avoid Victoria.

I've only just gotten around to reading this, but I agree. Yes, the natural beauty is an attraction, but what else is there? For all the folks who didn't like our "colonial quantness", well that's what Americans came here for. Mayor Help can slam it all she wants, but people weren't coming here to see modern condos.  We've known an American family for years and the daughter, now in her sixties, loved to bring her daughters and now granddaughters here. The lady herself was actually born in Canada. But now, regardless of pandemic, not sure we'll see her again. Even tea at the Empress lost its appeal with its new decor (not even a tablecloth on the table...for $75 or whatever it is now).

[Victoria Watcher]

Make improvements to attract local tourists

 

Out of crisis, comes opportunities. Our tourism industry is taking a body blow this year with an uncertain future to follow.

 

The time for change is upon us, time to focus on local tourists in our own town. No, not just during the annual February event, but year round.

 

We are an untapped market with lots of potential. People tell me they only come downtown when friends and relatives are in town. That’s a shame, we need to fix that. People need parking, not in the core, but near the core. We need more pedestrian-friendly streets into and around that downtown core.

 

We need more outdoor spaces for restaurants, coffee shops and pubs, which the pandemic is teaching us. Government Street is a good place to start with delivery trucks in the early hours and a pedestrian mall by day and night.

 

There are many other ideas to make our beautiful city more attractive to the people who live here and who live nearby. We have some of the brightest minds in the tourism and hospitality business right here on the South Island. Let’s not waste this crisis.

 

Bill Currie
Victoria

 

 

https://www.timescol...eath-1.24147168

while i agree with some of that, some is just what it is.  when people settle in to suburban homes and have kids and pets and hobbies, they just go downtown less often.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 June 2020 - 05:47 AM.

[Nparker]

I live adjacent to downtown and yet I find fewer and fewer reasons to spend time in the heart of the city. Wider sidewalks are not going to make the slightest bit of difference.

[spanky123]

I think that it is natural that as more and more people take up residence downtown they wish to have fewer and fewer people from surrounding areas visiting. Eliminating parking and restricting travel is a simple way of doing that.

 

In larger cities that works as you gain a critical mass of services and many people could quite easily live their lives without ever leaving the downtown core. I don't see that happening any time soon here. I wonder if folks will feel differently when they have to start hoofing their Costco groceries a block because that is as close as they can get to their apartment. 

[m3m]

I don’t think that’s the case. The people that live downtown, like myself, want downtown to be as vibrant as possible with bars, restaurants, shops, etc. You need people from outside of downtown to ensure this.

[spanky123]

I don’t think that’s the case. The people that live downtown, like myself, want downtown to be as vibrant as possible with bars, restaurants, shops, etc. You need people from outside of downtown to ensure this.

 

You just want everyone to take the bus or ride their bike to get there!

[m3m]

You just want everyone to take the bus or ride their bike to get there!

He said to the man with a car as his profile picture...

[aastra]

This flyby would be a great bit for a tourism commercial.