Greater Victoria cruise ship season concludes today
Today marks the end of cruise ship season as the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority welcomed the 316th ship to call at the Breakwater District at Ogden Point this year.
More than 700,000 passengers of about 930,000 that arrived here disembarked their ship and explored Victoria’s attractions, landmarks and restaurants.
“The industry remains a strong economic driver for Victoria. The Alaska itinerary is an important growth market,” GVHA CEO Robert Lewis-Manning said in a media release. “The GVHA team is already looking towards the future, with a similar number of cruise ship calls anticipated for 2025. We will continue listening to our communities and improving the cruise experience for passengers, local businesses and residents to ensure everyone benefits from this growing sector.”
Our cruise ship industry contributes $130 million annually to Greater Victoria’s economy and helps create 800 jobs. The Breakwater District at Ogden Point is Canada’s busiest port for ship calls.
“The Chamber has supported the development of our region’s cruise industry since ships began calling at Ogden Point. Every cruise ship season now provides a substantial contribution to our regional economy and its workforce,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “Of course, as with every industry, there are always challenges, especially around the environment. I think all of us take pride in our region’s well-deserved reputation for climate action leadership, and in the work being done locally by the cruise ship industry to reduce its carbon footprint. The Chamber will continue to support our community partners, and I expect we’ll see more innovations led by business brought in before the start of next year’s cruise season.”
