Latest news with #ChanceMcKee
Global News
15 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
Cruise ship passengers flood Vancouver during busiest weekend of season
Thousands of cruise ship passengers are making their way through Vancouver this weekend during the busiest weekend of the industry's season. Two ships arrived at Canada Place on Saturday, including Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess and Holland America Line's Koningsdam. They are some of the 11 ships the Port of Vancouver is welcoming over the last four days of June, with a projected 47,000 visitors on board. The cruise ship terminal was bustling with tourists Saturday, disembarking the vessels and boarding tour buses. Avery Mahony at Mahony's Tavern says her workplace was anticipating a rush from the cruise ship crowd, as it has seen on previous weekends. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Especially since we're in the peak season that we just get so many customers especially internationally, and it's really good for business,' she said. Story continues below advertisement 4:52 Cruise season ramps up in downtown Vancouver Chance McKee with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority calls the economic impact provided by cruise lines and their passengers 'truly phenomenal.' 'Cruise lines themselves spend around $660 million every cruise season on things like reprovisioning their ships, conducting any sort of maintenance of repairs while in port,' said McKee. 'Passengers spend on average around $450 each on things like local shopping, attractions, restaurants and tours.' Even after this weekend's peak, the Port of Vancouver anticipates 35,000 to 40,000 passengers to pass through Canada Place every weekend through the end of the season. More than 300 ship calls are scheduled at the port during this cruise season, with 1.2 million passengers projected to visit the city.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
47,000 cruise ship tourists expected this weekend in Vancouver
The cruise ship Norwegian Sun is seen in Vancouver on Friday, June 27, 2025. (CTV News) Vancouver residents can expect some extra foot traffic in the city this weekend, which is expected to be the busiest of the 2025 cruise season. Roughly 47,000 passengers will be coming through the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal this weekend, arriving on 11 ships. Chance McKee, with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, says that this will impact the local economy. 'Cruise passengers spend, on average, $450 each on things like local tours, attractions, restaurants, hotels,' McKee says. The Port of Vancouver says that every cruise ship stopping here injects about $3 million into the local economy, and that's not just from the tourists. 'Cruise lines spend an average of $660 million every year locally. That's using local businesses and suppliers to conduct maintenance on their ships, repairs in between trips,' says McKee. This comes at a time when the country is experiencing a decline in visitors. According to Statistics Canada data released earlier this week, the country saw nine per cent fewer American tourists this April than it did last year. The busy cruise weekend also means busy days for the restaurant industry. Chris Di Tomaso, general manager of Tap and Barrel Coal Harbour, says his restaurant sees double the usual volume of diners when cruise ships are in town. The tourists are not only looking to grab a bite, but also looking to take in the Coal Harbour scenery. 'When you have a business that includes a very large waterfront patio, the cruise ships provide a significant amount of energy and a lot of foot traffic,' says Di Tomaso. McKee suggests that locals offer up assistance to tourists who may need help with directions or have questions. 'Offer up a local recommendation, your favourite restaurant or local attraction,' he says. The port expects to see elevated visitor levels every weekend through the end of peak cruise season in late September.
