Despite service cuts to BC Ferries, visitors are still flowing into Powell River for the excellent hiking, biking and heritage attractions. Tourism is going strong this year and visitor statistics are up.
Summer is the high season for tourism and local residents are also looking forward to upcoming events.
With a reported 790 tourists at the Visitor Centre from January 2014 to March 2014, average monthly visitors in the first quarter increased 45.2 per cent. Going into the spring, there was also a 23.8 per cent increase in April with 378 visitors and a 21.2 per cent increase in May with 525 visitors.
Hiking remains the most popular activity for visitors based on the number of requests for trail information, followed close by biking. Nearby islands (including Savary and Texada) also continue to be a draw for many tourists. Interest in heritage attractions is on the rise, coinciding with the implementation of a self-guided walking tour through Historic Townsite.
Tourism Powell River is seeing many visitors from Europe, Asia and Australia, which have always been popular tourist markets. Visitors from the United States are also returning in numbers as the Canadian dollar remains low. One trend that the Visitor Centre has noticed is that international visitors are tending to spend more than one night in Powell River.
“Last week a man from Germany came into the Visitor Centre for hiking information,” said Morgan Gamborski, visitor information counsellor. “He told me that he only planned to come to Powell River for a day or two, but three weeks later he was still enjoying the city too much to leave.”
It is now the high season for tourism, which spans from May long weekend to Labour Day weekend. The tourism office is keeping busy with many events and community projects.
They kicked off the season by organizing Chowder Challenge at the Lund Shellfish Festival in May and hosted the annual photography contest at the Spot Prawn Festival in June.
“We’re really excited about the events that are lined up for the summer” said Joanna Ferrier, visitor information counsellor and event coordinator at Tourism Powell River. “Canada Day is going to be a busy weekend, [International Choral] Kathaumixw and BC Bike Race happening at the same time.”
Roaming Ambassadors from Tourism Powell River will be present at many events this summer (including the Canada Day celebrations), and are now available to visitors throughout the week. “We were able to serve 18 visitors with the roaming ambassadors during the Lund Shellfish Festival,” said Tracey Ellis, visitor services manager at Tourism Powell River. “We can expect to extend our reach by sending out them out on a daily basis.” The ambassadors are a valuable resource for visitor information, she added. They can be recognized by their yellow and orange Ask Me—I’m a Local buttons and their blue backpacks full of maps and brochures.
Heading into July and August, local residents can look forward to a variety of services from Tourism Powell River including a free pancake breakfast at the Open Air Market on Canada Day (10:30 am to 2:30 pm on McLeod Road), Toonie Tours at several locations around town, a Powell River “Happy” video starring local residents, and a summer Geo-cache Treasure Hunt, designed for beginners. The best way to stay up to date with Tourism Powell River’s activities is to follow their Facebook page. They also welcome people to stop by the Visitor Centre at 4760 Joyce Avenue.
