By Cheryl Jahn

Tourism Prince George looking positive

Jan 27, 2025 | 3:45 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The new Visitor Information Centre adjacent to the Conference and Civic Centre is in the move-in stage, gearing up for the busy tourism season. But even with an abbreviated summer season with operations handled from a sea can in Canada Games Plaza, they saw a 15 per cent increase in visitation over the summer before.

“And that was also in 13 per cent less hours. So just that increase of seeing those people,” says Colin Carson, CEO of Tourism Prince George. “That was great to see. Obviously the key here in this location now inside is tied to the Conference and Civic Center and really making sure this space is welcoming to the delegates that are here for conferences and encouraging them to come over and hopefully increasing that number of interactions as well.”

In fact Tourism Prince George’s total projected revenue has increased by three per cent, largely as a result increased retail-related revenue.

Another source of revenue for Tourism is something called the MRDT, or hotel tax. That’s a percentage of every hotel stay. About $1.75 million annually. Recent legislation around short-term rentals has impacted the tourism industry in many BC locations. Here, not so much.

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“We rely a lot less on that for the traditional tourist. There were about 300 listings before the legislation came into place last May. That decreased a little bit, not significantly.”

2023 was the best year ever for hotel stays with lots of sporting events and conferences coming back in what Carson calls the “post-COVID revenge travel.” Last year was a little quieter.

“A lot of these fun campaigns highlight different things to do in Prince George, really trying to attract those visitors and kind of balancing that act between being that big hub, that big city for the regional travellers that are coming here for the weekend, but also being that international destination where people can escape into the wilderness.”

He says tourism is launching some summer campaigns in the too distant and … quote, unquote … stay tuned.

by Cheryl Jahn

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Tourism Prince George looking positive

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