What are Destination Victoria’s main priorities this year?
One of our biggest priorities is health and wellness, which has become a rapidly growing area for the destination.
Victoria is unique because it offers the best of both worlds: it’s a vibrant urban city that’s also surrounded by nature.
Visitors can enjoy everything from forest bathing and whale watching to newer experiences like floating saunas in the Inner Harbour and boutique sauna experiences in historic alleyways. Alongside these are more traditional wellness activities, including meditation sessions such as the Parkside Hotel’s Drift.
Can you tell us more about your wellness initiative?
At the beginning of January, we launched Intention Wellness, an initiative that brings together tourism partners across the city to create wellness-focused itineraries.
Visitors can mix and match experiences to build a trip that suits their own interests: whether they’re looking to relax, recharge or reconnect with nature.
How does that personalised approach appeal to different types of travellers?
It works well because today’s travellers increasingly want flexibility.
Families can combine attractions for children with experiences for adults, while solo travellers benefit from Victoria’s compact, walkable layout, which makes it easy to explore independently.
There are also plenty of opportunities to meet people naturally through local tours, restaurants with bar seating and community experiences, allowing visitors to enjoy the destination at their own pace.
How are you supporting travel agents?
Building and maintaining strong relationships with the trade remains an important part of our strategy.
Our travel trade team continues to work closely with agents through training programmes and industry events. We’re happy to share our calendar of upcoming activity, including familiarisation trips and educational opportunities.
What are your top selling tips for travel agents?
One of the best recommendations is to encourage clients to consider travelling during the shoulder seasons. Spring and autumn are beautiful times to visit, offering fewer crowds, more competitive hotel rates and a more relaxed atmosphere than the busy summer months, when cruise traffic increases visitor numbers.
Victoria itself is very easy to explore on foot, while attractions just beyond the city include the Malahat SkyWalk, forest walks through Arbutus woodland and spectacular viewpoints, including a recently added glass viewing platform that extends from the top of the SkyWalk.
Accessibility is becoming increasingly important for travellers. How is Victoria responding?
Accessibility is a key priority. The Malahat SkyWalk has been designed with gentle gradients, making it accessible to wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility, while Victoria International Airport has introduced initiatives to better support travellers with sensory sensitivities.
The city also has a long-term accessibility plan in place. As a historic destination, improvements take time and investment, but accessibility remains an ongoing focus.
What Indigenous tourism experiences are available in Victoria?
A great example is Songhees Tours, an Indigenous-owned operator offering authentic walking tours and canoe experiences.
More broadly, Indigenous tourism continues to grow across the region, with First Nations communities leading tourism development on their own terms while Destination Victoria supports those efforts.
How is tourism performing at the moment?
Overall visitation continues to grow, with hotels reporting healthy occupancy levels that support further investment in tourism infrastructure and staffing.
The main periods we’re working to strengthen are November and early January, so current marketing efforts are focused on driving demand during those quieter months.
Why should travellers consider visiting during the shoulder season?
Alongside the quieter atmosphere and better value, shoulder season offers some fantastic natural experiences. One highlight is the annual salmon run at Goldstream Provincial Park, where visitors can watch salmon making their journey upstream – an unforgettable wildlife spectacle that’s completely free to experience.
How does Victoria offer good value for money?
Travelling outside the peak summer season is one of the easiest ways to enjoy better hotel rates, but Victoria also offers plenty of excellent value experiences throughout the year.
Visitors can spend time in parks and on beaches, stroll around the Inner Harbour, tour the Legislative Assembly or visit the Royal BC Museum: all of which help stretch holiday budgets while still providing memorable experiences.
The destination also gives travellers the flexibility to prioritise spending on the experiences that matter most to them, whether that’s dining, wellness or outdoor activities.
What travel trends are you seeing among younger visitors?
Younger travellers are increasingly looking for authentic local experiences. They’re particularly interested in food, supporting local businesses and travelling more sustainably, while many prefer to build their own itineraries rather than follow traditional sightseeing routes.
Wellness also continues to resonate with this audience, as does the growing popularity of low- and no-alcohol drinks, with many restaurants expanding their mocktail offerings to meet demand.
What opportunities does the FIFA World Cup present for Victoria?
While hosting such a major event inevitably brings some disruption, we’re focused on the long-term legacy it will leave.
One example is Harbour Air‘s new seaplane route between Seattle and Victoria, which improves access to the destination and is expected to remain in place beyond the tournament.
Victoria also hopes to benefit from visitors combining trips to Vancouver, Seattle and Vancouver Island, creating attractive multi-centre itineraries.
Are there any notable new hotel openings?
One of the most exciting recent additions is Rosemead House, a restored luxury boutique hotel with just 27 rooms. Located outside the traditional downtown core, it offers visitors a different perspective on Victoria and provides an appealing option for repeat guests looking to explore another side of the destination.
What developments are planned?
Several major projects are being considered to support Victoria‘s long-term growth. These include plans for a larger conference centre, facilities for small cruise ships, an extension of the airport runway to accommodate larger aircraft and additional hotel development.
The aim is to grow sustainably while ensuring new infrastructure remains appropriate for the scale of the destination.
