Vancouver hospitality industry gets long-awaited, long weekend boost
A full slate of cruise ships docked in the Vancouver Harbour this May long weekend, giving a much- needed boost to the hospitality industry.
A total of seven ships came through, with each one bringing in an estimated $3.17 million, according to the Port of Vancouver.
Passengers filled up local tourist attractions that had seen an underwhelming start to the season.
“May has been super slow especially because it’s been so rainy,” Lucy Caldwell of Prince of Whales Whale Watching told CTV News.
"With the sunny weather we've had four tours a day going on, it's pretty busy, full tours, we have lots of tourists I think from the UK,” Caldwell said.
After an unseasonably wet and cold beginning to the spring, the sunny weather also helped fill up restaurant patios with both locals and tourists.
"I'd say it's been a normal May long weekend, which is something I haven't been able to say for a couple years,” said Steamworks' president of operations, Carl McCreath.
McCreath says business has been slowly ramping up since the beginning of April.
“The flow of people, the energy of people, the flow in the room, it’s been a lot like it used to be,” he said.
However, McCreath says while sales have returned to normal levels, there’s still a staffing crunch to contend with.
"There's definitely been some times where we've been stretched a bit with the sales versus how much staff we have on. We're climbing out of it but there's been some challenging shifts for sure," he said.
McCreath added that job postings only yield about 20 per cent of the responses they used to but he remains confident they’ll make it through the summer.
"Were pretty optimistic that this summer's going to be an excellent summer -- for us, for downtown, for tourism, for Vancouver. We expect it to be a very good summer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.