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Olympics boosted tourism, hotel room revenue and public transit usage: BC Stats

An Olympic tourism report released by BC Stats Wednesday morning has revealed that hotel room revenue basically doubled in Vancouver and Whistler during the 2010 Games.

An Olympic tourism report released by BC Stats Wednesday morning has revealed that hotel room revenue basically doubled in Vancouver and Whistler during the 2010 Games.

According to the report: “Even though occupancy rates in both these cities were above 85% in February 2010, it was the average daily room rate that reached new heights.”

Room rates in Whistler during the Games were $459 per night, double the average in February 2009.

In downtown Vancouver, room rates during the Games were an average of $255 per night compared to $131 per night in February 2009.

The number of visitors entering Canada via B.C. during the Olympics jumped a seasonally adjusted 23% in February, thanks to a 27% increase in visitors from the U.S. A 38% increase in European travellers boosted the number of international visitors. Interestingly, 9.1% fewer Asians travelled to B.C. during the Games.

Greater Vancouver had an estimated 22% more visitors in February 2010 versus February 2009. That increase translated into about 20,000 visitors per day in the region.

During the 17-day Olympics, TransLink shuttled about 1.6 million riders a day around Vancouver. That translated into a total of roughly 26 million riders during the Games – traffic that is typically experienced over six weeks of regular usage. The Canada Line handled more than 10,000 rides per hour during the Olympics, carrying around 15% of the total passenger transportation volume.

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