Victoria Tourism Bulletin – November 2009
Victoria tourism industry took a beating during 2009 from a variety of pressures, including: the US and Canadian economy, continued decline in the US market due to the border crossing issues, and price erosion due to severe competition regionally and internationally. Best wishes for a successful 2010!
Frank Bourree, Christine Stoneman, Charles Shier – Chemistry Consulting Group Inc.
{advertisement}
Industry Points of Interest
- The government of China granted Canada Approved Destination Status (ADS), a decision that will make it simpler for future Chinese travellers to obtain tourist visas and visit this country. The agreement also allows Chinese travel agencies to market and promote tour trips to Canada. A recent Conference Board of Canada survey estimates that number of travellers to Canada from China can increase by as much as 50% by 2015.
- WestJet reported load factor of 75.9% in November, a year-over-year decline from 76.1% in November last year. Revenue passenger miles (RPM) increased 3.1% over year, and capacity grew 3.4% over the same period. Air Canada reported a system load factor of 74.7% on a consolidated basis with Jazz, versus 77.6% in November 2008, a decrease of 2.9 percentage points. System traffic decreased 1.2% on a capacity increase of 2.7% system wide.
- According to the latest International Travel Report by the Canadian Tourism Commission, Canada’s third-quarter travel deficit topped $1.3 billion, a 33% increase on 2008. A drop in visitor numbers from overseas drove the decreases:
Europe (-11%), South America (-12%), Asia (-15%), Oceania (-17%) and Mexico (-48%). American spending in Canada fell 8% to $2.9 billion, while Canadians spent 7% less in the States compared with Q3 2008. Overall, Canada’s travel deficit with the US rose by 0.4% on the same period of 2008, reaching $662 million.
• Nov Sunshine 52.4 hours (norm: 75.2 hours) • Nov Precipitation 273.8 mm (norm: 147.2 mm)
