Tourism Week in Canada is an opportunity to celebrate British Columbia as a world-class destination for the cruise ship industry and the economic benefits of this sector for B.C.

From June 1 to 6, Vancouver is host city to more than 1,350 travel agents and cruise line representatives from around the globe for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Cruise360 conference, taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Attendees have travelled from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Taiwan.

The fjords of Canada’s 40,000-kilometre Inside Passage provide cruise guests with scenery and access to spectacular coastal rainforests, beaches, waterfalls and mountains. The rugged Inside Passage coastline, joining Alaska’s 24,000 kilometres of inside waters, links the port cities of Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Prince Rupert.

Cruiseship visitors boost local economies and inject dollars into restaurants, small businesses, as well as transportation companies, and give communities a chance to showcase their region to visitors so that they return for a longer visit.

In 2014, 1.3 million cruise passengers passed through B.C. – that’s enough people to fill BC Place Stadium more than 21 times. This generated $1.79 billion in total economic impacts and 12,758 jobs paying $569 million in wage income.

British Columbia is the largest cruise region in Canada, accounting for over 50% of all Canadian cruise traffic, with Vancouver and Victoria leading as the largest and second-largest cruise ports in Canada. Cruise ship terminal locations include:

• Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal is the largest homeport in Canada serving the Vancouver-Alaska cruise industry. The Vancouver cruise industry stimulates more than $2 million in economic activity for each vessel that calls. This activity generates some 6,000 direct and indirect jobs and $220 million in wages. Vancouver expects to welcome approximately 830,000 passengers on 228 calls, and expects a 3% increase in passenger volume over 2015.

• Victoria's Ogden Point terminal is the busiest cruiseship port-of-call in Canada. Under Greater Victoria Harbour Authority's stewardship, cruise tourism at Ogden Point had a record number of 227 cruise ships and 533,000 passengers welcomed during the 2015 season. Overall passenger count was up 15% over 2014. It supports 880 direct and indirect jobs in the region and the overall economic impact to Greater Victoria is close to $100 million annually.

• Port Nanaimo, the gateway to central Vancouver Island, has a $24-million, state-of-the-art Welcome Centre, which has greeted visitors from Princess, Norwegian and Celebrity cruise lines as well as several  smaller pocket cruisers. The Nanaimo terminal is the newest in the Pacific Northwest and built to accommodate large vessels. Each cruise visit in Nanaimo has an immediate impact of over $250,000 to the region.

• Prince Rupert, located about 800 kilometres (500 miles) north of Vancouver and 64 kilometres (40 miles) south of the Alaska border, is a popular stop on many Alaskan cruise itineraries. The Northland cruise terminal is located in scenic Cow Bay, right downtown, close to shops and restaurants, with easy access to shore excursions. The terminal has seen a steady growth since 2013 and is expecting strong 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour –

“B.C. tourism is thriving and the cruiseship sector adds to the sector’s overall diversity and growth. Cruise visitors bring customers to our province’s restaurants, attractions and small businesses as well as showcasing our regions. We’re happy to have a number of ports that can welcome new and potential repeat visitors.”

Karin Plettner, chair, Cruise BC Association –

"The sustained growth in the number of cruise passengers travelling through British Columbia ports demonstrates the strength of our cruise product and the popularity of Alaska cruises. B.C. continues to be the largest cruise region in Canada, accounting for more than half of the Canadian cruise traffic and welcoming nearly 1.35 million cruise passengers in 2015. This translates into a significant economic boost for the entire region, including additional activity for local restaurants, hotels, shops and tours."

Quick Facts:

• The Province invests more than $90 million annually in the tourism sector across every region to grow and market the sector.
• Tourism is one of eight priority sectors in the BC Jobs Plan and a key economic driver in the province.
• In 2015, 4.9 million international visitors came to B.C. – a 7.9% increase compared to 2014.
• Tourism provides a job for roughly one out of every 15 people employed in British Columbia.

Learn More:

Greater Victoria Harbour Authority's Ogden Point Cruise Terminal: http://www.gvha.ca/ogden-point-terminal/cruise

Port of Nanaimo’s Cruise Terminal: http://cruise.npa.ca/en/

Prince Rupert Port Authority’s Northland Cruise Terminal: http://www.rupertport.com/shipping/cruise

Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place Cruise Terminal: www.portvancouver.com/cruise/

For trip or activity ideas in British Columbia, visit Destination BC’s site: http://www.hellobc.com/