BC Escapes Press Trip
Victoria
(March 2005)

Meetings & Travel Trade Update

There is a reason why Victoria has been named one of the Top 10 Best Foreign Cities in the World by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. In fact, there is an island full of reasons and all of them point to this seaside, resort-style destination as the perfect location for meeting, conference or incentive trips.

To assist you with stories ideas for the business and travel trade market, we have compiled the lastest information about new and featured products in Victoria and on Vancouver Island for the Meeting & Incentive Travel, Cruise and Travel Trade customers.

Meeting & Incentive Travel

VICTORIA CONFERENCE CENTRE HAS BEST YEAR IN HISTORY
In 2006, the Victoria Conference Centre in Victoria, BC recorded its best year since opening in 1989. Delegate days totaling 117,621 and $43-million CDN in direct spending in Victoria eclipsed the previous record of 110,986 delegate days set in 2004. Delegate days are the combined number of days that delegates attend events at the conference centre and a delegate spends an average of $330.00 CDN/$282.00 US a day compared to a leisure visitor who spends $120.00 CDN/$102.00 US a day. The addition of 8,000 square feet of space by erecting a pavilion on the courtyard south of the conference centre and a new international marketing campaign are being credited with the increase in business. To date, the Victoria Conference Centre has already booked 29 conferences for 2007, three of which are large enough to be using the courtyard pavilion. The Victoria Conference Centre’s 2007 marketing budget will be $1.2-million CDN and will continue to target international and U.S. business as well as increase efforts in Toronto. For more information visit www.victoriaconferencecentre.com.
 
POETS COVE RESORT OFFERS WINTER CORPORATE MEETINGS PACKAGE
Poets Cove Resort & Spa, located just east of Victoria, BC overlooking Bedwell Harbour on Pender Island, brings a different view to meetings. In only 20 minutes a floatplane can transport the stuffiest of executives to the relaxed, but upscale resort. Ties come off, jeans replace Armanis and the stress and busy-ness of the city and corporate grind is left a world away. Poets Cove Resort & Spa's Winter Corporate Meetings Package makes a retreat easy to plan. For $185.00 CDN/$161.00 US per person, per day, plus tax and gratuities, the package includes single overnight accommodation in a Lodge room with fireplace, high speed internet and balcony with ocean view, meeting room rental, a continental breakfast, morning and afternoon coffee break, and lunch. Offered until April 15, 2007, the package is ideal for groups of eight to 22 and can be booked by calling Poets Cove Sales Office at 250-655-9388. For more information visit www.poetscove.com.
 
THE OSWEGO HOTEL
Scheduled to open in April 2007, the Oswego Hotel will be Victoria, BC’s first contemporary boutique hotel. Located on Oswego Street in Victoria’s residential neighbourhood of James Bay, the 80-room hotel is only two blocks from the Inner Harbour. It will consist of 16 studio, 49 one bedroom and 15 two bedroom suites, all with fully equipped kitchens, luxurious bathrooms and comfortable living areas; making it perfect for long-stay guests. The hotel will also feature the “O” Bistro, Pacific Great Room with a stunning, two-sided natural stone fireplace, garden terrace, 20-seat boardroom, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, evening wine tastings and continental breakfast. The hotel design is contemporary with just enough west coast influence to remind guests of their location. The airy colours of sea and sky are grounded by rich earthy tones underfoot, large windows allow plenty of natural light and west coast artwork will adorn the walls. Until May 31, 2007, The Oswego Hotel is offering a special rate starting at $129.00 CDN/$110.00 US per night for a Studio Suite including a deluxe continental breakfast for two. For more information visit www.oswegovictoria.com.

THE SIDNEY PIER HOTEL & SPA
Scheduled to open May 1, 2007, The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa is located in Sidney, BC, 25 minutes north of Victoria, BC and five minutes from the Victoria International Airport and BC Ferries terminal. The upscale boutique hotel will offer 55 guestrooms all with ocean and mountain views, including nine suites with full kitchens. The Pier will also feature a waterfront restaurant and lounge, European-style café, in-house bakery, 2,050 sq. ft. full-service spa and salon, 1,200 sq. ft. fitness centre and a business centre. A 1,000 sq. ft. meeting and banquet space will accommodate groups up to 60 guests and an additional 300 sq. ft. boardroom will seat up to ten people. The oceanfront hotel is situated at the foot of Beacon Avenue, the Town of Sidney’s main shopping street, and is adjacent to the Sidney pier, waterfront walkway and park. Sidney is the gateway to the Gulf Islands and the hotel is only steps from a variety of activities including kayaking, whale watching, sailing, diving and cycling. It is also minutes from The Butchart Gardens and the wineries and farms of the Saanich Peninsula. For more information visit www.sidneypier.com.

Travel Trade

VICTORIA CRUISE SEASON SAILS HIGH WITH RECORD YEAR
Victoria, BC is reaping the benefits of a sustained campaign to lure large cruise ships and their passengers to British Columbia's capital city. The 2006 cruise season was another record year with 182 cruise ship calls and 334,570 passengers – the highest number of port calls yet and an eight per cent increase in passengers over 2005. Victoria is a port of call for Alaska bound cruises offered by Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Approximately seven ships arrive each week from May to October. Recent cruise industry growth in Victoria has been nothing short of phenomenal. Since 1999, the number of cruise ship calls has gone up over 400 per cent and the passenger count nearly 700 per cent. Cruise passengers spend approximately $175.00 CDN/$150.00 US per person and crew members $58.00 CDN/$50.00 US per person for an overall $30-million CDN spent in Victoria each season. For more information visit www.victoriaharbour.org.
 
BC FERRIES EXPANDS VICTORIA TERMINAL
As part of BC Ferries five-year master concept plan for its Swartz Bay terminal in Victoria, BC, the corporation is continuing renovations and improvements to improve the flow of traffic to and from the terminal. Beginning in January 2007, BC Ferries will expand the terminal holding area to provide space for 320 vehicles, re-configuring the loading area for vehicles bound for the Southern Gulf Islands and installing new ticket booths. The ticket booths are scheduled to be in place by Autumn 2007 and will be moved 55 m (180 ft.) south on Highway 17 in order to provide the additional room required. Recent improvements already complete at the BC Ferries Swartz Bay terminal include the $25-million CDN rebuilding of a ferry berth, the first floating berth at Swartz Bay and the largest in BC Ferries’ system at 180 m (590 ft.) long and 7,000 tonnes, and construction of a two-lane exit road for vehicles leaving the passenger terminal. For more information visit www.bcferries.com.
 
SEAPLANE SERVICE FROM VICTORIA TO WHISTLER
Beginning in February 2007, Howe Sound Seaplanes will start scheduled service from Victoria to the Whistler area. Passengers will fly from Victoria’s Inner Harbour via the Vancouver Airport to Squamish, located just 30 minutes south of Whistler. A courtesy shuttle will then transfer passengers to their destination in Whistler. Howe Sound Seaplanes will offer two flights daily. The flight from Victoria to Vancouver is 35 minutes and Vancouver to Squamish is 30 minutes. Fares begin at $149.00 CDN/$127.00 US. Howe Sound Seaplanes has two de Havilland Beaver aircraft with seating for five passengers each. Flights to the Whistler area will allow Howe Sound Seaplanes to service this market leading up to and during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. For more information visit www.howesoundseaplanes.com.
 
INCREASED AIRLIFT TO VICTORIA ON THE HORIZON
Beginning April 8, 2007, Horizon Air will use larger aircraft on its flights between Seattle, WA and Victoria, BC. The larger aircraft will boost the overall number of seats on the route by 43 per cent. The current schedule of seven daily flights using 37-seat Q200 turboprop aircraft will be replaced with four flights operated with 74-seat Q400 turboprops and two with Q200 aircraft. From Seattle, passengers can connect to Horizon’s new non-stop routes to Los Angeles and Sonoma County-Santa Rosa as well as all routes throughout North America served by its sister carrier Alaska Airlines. The Q400 flies at nearly jet aircraft speed yet is a relatively quiet aircraft. Horizon operates 20 Q400 aircraft and will be adding an additional 12. For reservations or more information visit www.horizonair.com.