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.