It looks like fall is upon us, but the last stretch of summer helped boost North Shore tourism in a big way.
While June and July were less than ideal, a sunny August and a very warm start to September resulted in stellar attendance for some of the communitys most popular destinations.
North Vancouvers Capilano Suspension Bridge is up 27 per cent from last year a result of the opening of Cliffwalk, according to Stacy Chala, communications director. The attraction takes guests along a series of suspended walkways high above Capilano River.
Were seeing lots of locals that are coming to check us out again and were seeing increases in all of our markets. We think thats because of the added publicity and advertising and everybody wants to see whats new, said Chala.
Even the more dismal months saw an increase in traffic, she said.
While U.S. visitors increased by 11 per cent, Canadians still made up the majority a switch from last year, said Chala. Other big markets included California, Alberta, Ontario and the U.K.
More international traffic via 50-plus tour groups is expected during September, added Chala.
Over on Grouse Mountain, post-Olympics euphoria is partially responsible for an extremely busy couple of months, said Sarah Lusk, public relations manager for the resort. Grouse was thrust into the spotlight after being selected as the location to film NBCs Today during the 2010 Winter Games.
The overall feeling of how things have gone this summer is great, said Lusk.
Our audiences for things like the Lumberjack Show and Birds in Motion have been massive.
Although Lusk wouldnt share numbers, she said the mountain had a record-breaking August and Labour Day weekend. Bookings for zip-lining and Eye of the Wind tours also doubled, she added.
Accessibility to Grouse improved this year as it debuted a shuttle bus running to and from downtown Vancouver, which more than 20,000 people jumped aboard, noted Lusk.
The majority of traffic on the mountain came from Alberta and Eastern Canada as well as Washington, Oregon and California. But Mexico and Brazil are also emerging markets, according to Lusk.
Theres a large middle class in Brazil who like to travel and are thinking of Canada, which is great, she said.
The next big day for Grouse will likely be next Sunday, Sept. 25, when five cruise ships dock in Vancouver. Twenty-two thousand people are expected in the city.
Accommodations on the North Shore also fared well this summer, according to Kathleen Campbell, executive director of Vancouvers North Shore Tourism Association.
The association represents nine different properties, including Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier, which were running at an 84 per cent average occupancy level in August. Vancouver was running at 75 per cent.
Its very hard for us to actually know if were measuring apples to apples because we dont get all the information and all the specifics, but having said that we know weve had a great August and a great start to September, said Campbell.
The more people stay on the North Shore, the more of their tourism dollars they spend here, she added.
Its good for all businesses on the North Shore.
mkrishnan@nsnews.com
