Destination Greater Victoria

Today, we join communities globally in acknowledging Pink Shirt Day, also known as Anti-Bullying Day. This movement began in 2007 in Nova Scotia, when two high school students took a stand against bullying by encouraging their peers to wear pink as a symbol of support for a classmate who had been bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Their act of kindness and solidarity has inspired a worldwide movement aimed at raising awareness about bullying. At Destination Greater Victoria, we are committed to fostering a positive, safe, and respectful work environment. We value diversity in abilities, life experiences, and cultural perspectives. As we strive to build a space where every individual feels welcome and respected, we work to cultivate a visitor economy that represents a wide variety of individuals at all levels. We continue to celebrate the broad range of human differences among us and embrace the commonalities we share. Business Events – Victoria Conference Centre #PinkShirtDay

Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) has been honoured for PR/communications excellence by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI)! The accolades were presented at the annual Adrian Awards Celebration in New York.   The Adrian Awards, now in their 68th year, are the largest and most prestigious competition in global travel marketing. For 2024, Adrian Awards were presented in advertising, digital, PR/communications, and integrated campaign categories. These include awards for digital creators, reputation management, affiliate marketing and broadcast integration.   A special thank you to MMGY Global for their collaboration in public relations, which has been instrumental in achieving our success. DGV received a Silver Adrian Award for its entry “Victoria for Vogue: Spreading the Word on Sustainable Tourism” in the Feature Placement Online or Print Consumer Media Category, and a Bronze Adrian Award for its entry “Making an Impact: Victoria’s IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference” In the Special Event Category.   This year’s theme, Wish You Were Here, highlighted the stories of the memorable and successful travel marketing and public relations campaigns, ads, earned media programs, and experiential and digital experiences that inspired the notion that travel is about more than just the destination, cultivating a passion for the journey and memories collected along the way.   Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide. Visit www.adrianawards.hsmai.org for more information on the competition. 

Destination Greater Victoria is proud to celebrate Destination Professionals Day today, February 19, to honour the people and organizations that drive tourism, economic growth, and community vitality worldwide. The date holds historical significance – it marks the anniversary of when the first destination organization was founded. On February 19, 1896, leaders from the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and the Detroit Manufacturers Club gathered to form the world’s first destination organization. This moment sparked a movement that has transformed communities around the globe, including Greater Victoria, into exceptional places to visit, live, work, play, and invest. Destination organizations today, including over 10,000 globally, are instrumental in driving economic progress and social vitality. According to our latest economic impact study, released in October 2024, in Greater Victoria alone, one in four households is directly or indirectly supported by the visitor economy. Our industry employs approximately 25,000 people in Greater Victoria, contributes $3.5 billion in business sales, and $2 billion in GDP to our regional economy. Join us in celebrating the dedication and achievements of professionals across our sector. Share your stories, recognize your teams and shine a spotlight on the incredible work being done to ensure Greater Victoria is a leading destination and vibrant community. #DestinationProfessionalsDay

This week marked the official launch of our first cohort in the Biosphere Certification Accelerator Program. Our program kick-off event took place on Tuesday at the DGV Corporate Office. During this session, participants and mentors from cohort 1 came together to connect, learn, and plan for the weeks ahead. A special thanks to our knowledgeable and dedicated mentors who continue to lead the way in sustainable tourism and who will be helping guide our participants on their Biosphere journey throughout this program: Julia Gaëlle Canton, Director of Sales and Marketing at Huntingdon Hotel & Suites and Pendray Inn & Tea House. Brett Soberg, Captain and Co-Owner of Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours. Lindsay Simpson, Big Wheel Foundation Coordinator at Big Wheel Burger. We look forward to supporting and following the progress of participating member businesses as they move towards Biosphere Certification: Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour Truffles Catering - Victoria WHISTLE BUOY BREWING Victoria Butterfly Gardens Off The Eaten Track Alset Tours Highland Pacific Golf #SustainableSaturday #Biosphere #Sustainability

Destination Greater Victoria presented its 2025 business plan to members today at the Hotel Grand Pacific. We were proud to share this video to highlight some noteworthy accomplishments from 2024, and key initiatives for 2025: https://lnkd.in/gSjGzDjK Thank you to our business partners, community partners, members, and Board of Directors for attending and participating in the DGV 2025 Business Plan Launch. A special thank you to Stephen Tapp, PhD, Chief Economist and SVP, Research, Data and Analytics at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for being our guest speaker and providing insightful comments. If you weren’t able to attend, you can read DGV's 2025 Business Plan here: https://lnkd.in/gKq27tcp

Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals with in-depth experience in Indigenous cultural and community advisory services and with deep experience in economic reconciliation. The selected partner will play an important role in providing advisory services that align with DGV’s initiatives to support the uplifting of authentic Indigenous tourism businesses. DGV has in-house capacity and has partnerships with a variety of Indigenous tourism associations. We invite experts who are committed to Indigenous inclusion and sustainable tourism to join us in this endeavor. Interested in this opportunity? Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gJAcnCgK . Deadline for submission is March 7, 2025. 

Destination Greater Victoria was proud to host the 2025 IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference last week. As we reflect on an incredible few days of learning, collaboration, and meaningful conversations this week, we want to extend our gratitude for our delegates’ participation. The insights and energy of our delegates towards sustainable tourism are what make the IMPACT Conference so special. Congratulations to IMPACT 2025 Award recipients, Celes Davar, President of Earth Rhythms and Wade Davis, Professor Emeritus – Anthropology of the University of British Columbia. Celes Davar, an experiential tourism operator, is recognized for his outstanding contributions to sustainable tourism, offering creative, immersive experiences in remote locations along the Bay of Fundy and in the Annapolis Valley region. Wade Davis is celebrated for his dedication to the revitalization of wildlife, culture, and natural spaces through education and empowerment towards climate action. To learn more about our esteemed recipients, read our media release:  https://lnkd.in/gnAr4gKv Additionally, thank you to the IMPACT 2025 sponsors. Their commitment to responsible destination management aligns with IMPACT’s mission, and their ongoing contributions enable us to hold and improve upon our conference year-after-year, inspiring positive action towards regenerative travel. View our 2025 Sponsors here: https://lnkd.in/g26fn_5p Stay tuned for more information on IMPACT 2026, scheduled for January 25-28. #IMPACTConference #SustainableSaturday

Earlier today, Porter Airlines announced it will begin a new service between Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and Victoria International Airport (YYJ) starting May 15, 2025. Destination Greater Victoria is pleased to share the new route will operate for the summer season with up to four weekly roundtrip flights. Service will be provided on Porter’s Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. DGV is proud to partner as an investment partner on airline route development business partnerships. DGV’s comprehensive investment includes both financial marketing partnership support and in-kind marketing services, demonstrating our commitment to enhancing Greater Victoria’s accessibility for business, conference, and leisure travellers. The introduction of the Ottawa-Victoria service comes at an opportune moment. This year, Victoria will host the Canadian Society of Association Executives, welcoming over 400 executives from Ottawa’s association market. Each attendee represents potential conference opportunities for Greater Victoria, making this new flight route an important asset in securing future events. The business events sector is the foundation of a strong visitor economy. Conferences and meetings generate valuable revenue during off-peak seasons. Delegates tend to stay longer, spend more than leisure travellers, use more services, and are more likely to extend their stay or return for leisure purposes. In addition, attendees book in advance, which adds certainty. Our region’s ability to attract high-yield, off-peak season conferences not only sustains local businesses, but also ensures a sustainable tourism model. This new service, complemented by Porter’s Toronto-Victoria route, enhances our connectivity and capability to host business events. Read our news release here: https://lnkd.in/gnAr4gKv

As we progress into the new year, we note that recovery and growth in our industry remains mixed. One area of focus is our relationship with the Victoria Airport Authority, a key partner in our efforts to boost air travel connections. We are thrilled to share that Porter Airlines Inc. is increasing its service to the region, moving from a frequency of 7 to 11 weekly flights from Toronto to Victoria starting May 15. Porter Airlines began offering service to Victoria in September 2023. Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) was proud to be an investment partner in this airline route development. Our contributions to co-marketing efforts were instrumental in securing this service, highlighting DGV's role in facilitating business partnerships. DGV’s comprehensive investment included both financial marketing partnership support and in-kind marketing services. Such commitments underscore our belief that destination organization support is crucial to stimulate airline route recovery in the post-pandemic world. Porter’s increased service is expected to benefit travellers visiting Greater Victoria for conferences, business engagements, and business-leisure purposes. Greater Victoria’s meetings and conferences sector provides high-yield, off-peak season business opportunities that are vital to the local economy. YYJ Victoria International Airport operated by Victoria Airport Authority #yyj

Great news: Greater Victoria’s largest conference facility, the Victoria Conference Centre (VCC), is beginning 2025 with a near-record number of city-wide conferences booked for the year, following strong performance in 2024. In 2024, the VCC hosted 147 events, including 65 large-scale conferences, of which 20 were city-wide conferences. According to Business Events Victoria, the division of Destination Greater Victoria on contract to manage the sales and marketing of the VCC, the venue helped generate: • 94,200 delegate days - an increase of 12% over 2023. • 25,300 room nights - up 10% from the year prior. • $31.1 million in business sales, while supporting more than 10,000 jobs “The accomplishments in 2024 are more than numbers, they represent a thriving network of influence that benefits small and medium-sized businesses across Greater Victoria,” says Destination Greater Victoria’s CEO, Paul Nursey. “Meetings and conferences serve as a vital economic engine, driving vibrancy within our community.” Read the full news release here: https://lnkd.in/gfiS5ZxW