B.C. Tourism on the Road to Recovery: B.C. Pavilion Corporation Estimates $255 M Economic Impact
December 15th, 2022
Over the past 12 months, B.C. Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) has welcomed an estimated total of over 1.6 million visitors and hosted more than 428 events across its two venues.
VANCOUVER, BC – Today, B.C. Pavilion Corporation shared that its two venues, BC Place Stadium and the Vancouver Convention Centre, generated an estimated $255 million in economic impact in 2022, a positive signal of a strong recovery year for B.C.’s tourism industry.
“PavCo and its facilities are key economic and community drivers for the Province of B.C.,” says Ken Cretney, President and CEO of PavCo. “When we host a major event, it attracts local visitors and international attendees that generate significant sales activity for local businesses, hotels, restaurants, taxis, rideshare and tourism operators. This spending also supports the direct and indirect creation of meaningful jobs, ensuring the success of the tourism and events industry.”
At the Vancouver Convention Centre, international meetings and conferences such as SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) and Skills Canada brought in more than 10,000 attendees each, the majority of which were out-of-province visitors who capitalized on the travel opportunity to stay and explore B.C. – injecting additional dollars into the local economy. In total, the Convention Centre hosted 340 events with an estimated combined 890,000 attendees.
“The pace in which we’ve been able to recover is a credit to the continued collaboration we’ve had with our clients throughout the pandemic, as well as our swift response to the resumption of in-person events that has been made possible through the incredible work of our teams,” says Craig Lehto, General Manager of the Vancouver Convention Centre. “But by far, we are most proud of how we have been able to give back and support the community as part of our province's pandemic response strategy through critical initiatives such as hosting a mass immunization clinic, an Alternate Care Site and other health activations. Now, we are looking forward to another big year for events in 2023 and welcoming an exciting array of clients and new guests through our doors."
Recovery at BC Place has similarly ramped up. Beginning in April, British Columbians could once again enjoy large-scale sporting events with the full return of Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the BC Lions, as well as the long-awaited return of stadium concerts with artists including The Weeknd, Def Leppard, Mötley Crϋe and Elton John performing here throughout the year. In 2022, over 715,000 visitors attended 88 events at BC Place.
"All of us at BC Place were ecstatic to welcome guests back in 2022. It's been an unforgettable year with the return of our regular teams, a busy concert calendar, and a number of community events that we were honoured to host and be a part of," said Chris May, General Manager of BC Place. "I'm incredibly proud of our team, who worked tirelessly to make the return of events a safe and rewarding experience and can't wait to see what we accomplish across the organization in 2023."
About PavCo
B.C. Pavilion Corporation is a Provincial Crown Corporation of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Committed to excellence from our values to our execution, PavCo owns and operates two world-class public facilities located in downtown Vancouver: BC Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre. From hosting global summit meetings to world class sporting and entertainment events, PavCo performs on its mandate of generating economic and community benefit for the people of B.C. through the prudent management of its public facilities.
About the Vancouver Convention Centre
Located on Vancouver’s downtown waterfront with a dramatic mountain backdrop, the world’s first double LEED® Platinum certified convention centre offers one of the most beautiful settings in the world. The award-winning Vancouver Convention Centre features two connected buildings with a combined total of 466,500 ft2 (43,340 m2) of flexible meeting, exhibition, ballroom and plenary space. The facility is committed to environmental sustainability as well as unparalleled service, technology offerings and culinary excellence.
The Vancouver Convention Centre is a part of BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a Provincial Crown Corporation of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport.
About BC Place
As the largest multipurpose venue of its kind in Western Canada, BC Place provides a spectacular home for international, professional and amateur sport, entertainment, commerce, cultural experiences and community gatherings for the benefit of all British Columbians.
BC Place is a part of BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a Provincial Crown Corporation of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport.