Tuesday May 16, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated May 31, 2023]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) is inviting residents to participate in a series of engagement sessions and an online survey to provide input and feedback on the future development and direction of tourism in the region.
Feedback collected from residents will help inform the development of a multi-stakeholder 10-year Tourism Master Plan for Greater Victoria, says DGV. “This comprehensive plan will guide strategic planning, development, and initiatives for the region’s visitor economy over the next decade.”
“In the wake of the pandemic, there is a newfound appreciation for tourism,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria. “Right now, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of tourism in a meaningful way that reflects community values. By working together, the Greater Victoria community can ensure the region remains a sustainable, vibrant, and world-class destination for years to come,” he said in a news release today.
DGV says that despite “an impressive comeback” in 2022 — which saw Greater Victoria lead British Columbia and Canada in several key performance metrics and secure high rankings from the world’s most influential travel publications — the region continues to face intense competition from many destinations.
The DGV goal for development of a comprehensive, integrated 10-year Tourism Master Plan is aimed at helping to ensure that the Greater Victoria region remains one of the top destinations in the world.
Public input sessions:
Residents can have their say at upcoming public town hall style engagement sessions:
- Wed May 31, 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Royal Roads University Boat House, 2005 Sooke Rd., Colwood
- Thurs June 1, 10am to noon at Saanich Fairgrounds, The Gallery, 1528 Stellys Cross Rd., Saanichton
- Thurs June 1, 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Victoria Conference Centre, Salon A, 720 Douglas St., Victoria
Online survey to June 30:
To participate in the online survey, visit www.tourismvictoria.com/destination-master-planning. The survey is open to Friday June 30, 2023 (was previously open to June 15 but then extended).
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Participants can complete the survey once per IP address.
Sustainable tourism:
Destination Greater Victoria says it is committed to achieving positive economic, environmental, and social outcomes through sustainable tourism in the region, and the development of the Master Plan will be carried out in collaboration with MMGY NextFactor and FLOOR13, two industry-leading and globally recognized consulting firms specializing in travel and tourism.
In addition to seeking input and feedback from Greater Victoria residents, DGV says that the development of the Tourism Master Plan will include a comprehensive data collection and community engagement process that distills input from local businesses, associations, accommodations, experience providers, Indigenous partners, social and civic organizations, and government.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends is professional regional journalism at islandsocialtrends.ca. Fully online as a daily news portal since mid-2020, Island Social Trends emerged from the path of previous print publications in the west shore: MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), and West Shore Voice News (2014-2020).
Since 2008, journalist and editor Mary P Brooke has taken a socioeconomic lens to reporting and analyzing the news of the west shore and south Vancouver Island region, including BC and national news impacts. [See Island Social Trends Politics Archive]. She has covered the details of local, provincial and federal elections since 2008. As of 2023 Mary P Brooke reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.
Mary P Brooke has also focused on news of School District 62 (Langford, Colwood and Sooke) at the board level since 2014 [see Island Social Trends Education archive] and has covered West Shore Parks & Recreation over the years (particularly the transitional years of 2014-2020). During 2020 and 2021 she reported daily on BC’s COVID pandemic news to build the ongoing COVID pandemic archive. Since 2021 she has been building a Food Security news archive.
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