SUNSHINE COAST DESTINATION MANAGEMENT COUNCIL UPDATE

Enabling tourism business success and viability and increasing the awareness of the value of tourism are key strategies in this planning area’s Destination Development Strategy. Sunshine Coast Tourism is halfway through a 12-month visitor intercept study, surveying visitors at key transportation hubs—Langdale and Westview ferry terminals and the Powell River airport. As the final data from this study becomes available, the findings will be incorporated into the economic impact study that is also underway highlighting visitor spending, GDP, tourism jobs, and government tax revenues.

In 2023, with the support of Vancouver, Coast & Mountains, Sunshine Coast Tourism completed the work of conducting a thorough accommodation inventory, highlighting the adequate number of short-term rentals (Airbnb, etc.) but confirming the lack of larger accommodation and meeting venues. This data provided essential information for the next phase—a feasibility study. Sunshine Coast Tourism has partnered with the Sunshine Coast Economic Development Organization to apply for a federal Tourism Growth Program fund for partnered dollars to conduct a study.