The sunniest and driest July on record has helped Vancouver's tourist attractions boom –despite the highest gas prices in five years eating into transport operators' profits and putting tourists off travelling.
The region logged 411 hours of sun and no rain at all during July – its driest month since recordkeeping began in 1937.
"We're busting at the seams," said Tim Bourassa, who is operations manager at Big Bus, which operates 10 double-decker buses that operate on a hop-on-hop-off basis.
Much of their business comes from cruise ships, which are also having a stellar year, with Port Metro Vancouver expecting 820,000 passengers this year up 23% from 2012. June cruise traffic alone was up more than 31% from last year.
This means Big Bus revenue is soaring, with Bourassa estimating 40% year-over-year sales growth this summer for his buses, which carry a total of about 600 passengers per day. But higher gas prices – which passed $1.50 per litre for the first time in five years in July – will cut into profit.
Capilano Suspension Bridge owner Nancy Stibbard told Business in Vancouver that her attraction is also having a banner year with visits up about 20% in July compared with the same month last year.
"So the weather is definitely having an effect," Stibbard said.
The price of gas isn't affecting customers, since Stibbard provides a free shuttle service from downtown to the attraction.
"Weather is a more important factor than gas prices," said Stephen Pearce, who is vice-president of leisure travel and digital marketing at Tourism Vancouver.
"The sunny July was great for tourism – as was the fact that the Canadian dollar has dropped. Those things together likely counteract any impact of gas prices."
The U.S. dollar hit a high of more than $1.05 in July compared with a high of $1.02 in July last year.
"High gas prices have the greatest impact on domestic, spontaneous trips," Pearce added.
But BC Fish & Ski Boat Rentals Ltd. owner Gord Travis says he's having good year, despite how expensive it is to fuel a boat.
"The economy is still uncertain enough that people aren't committing to buy a boat," Travis said. "[So] they're renting.
"And when they find out that there are boats available, they're calling."
He said business is up substantially from past years, though he is not sure whether his success stems from the good luck of sunny weather or his business strategy to be listed high on Google and other web searches. •
