Fears of how the coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact Vancouver Island continues. However, it could have a positive impact on the tourism industry.
Celebrity Cruises decided to cancel some of its Asian routes and instead to come to Victoria BC twice - in April and May. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority said the additional sailings meant 8000-9000 more tourists than usual during the summer.
According to GVHA CEO Ian Robertson, "Ships are deploying earlier than normal from Asia over to the west coast to begin their Alaska cruise season. As a result of that, Victoria is going to see 4 additional calls.”
Robertson shared the added stops would bring a big boom to the retail, food and beverage industries in Victoria. The harbour authority is predicting that 2020 will be successful for cruise tourism.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.