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VICTORIANEWS Friday, December 5, 2014
Andrea Peacock Reporting
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Seaplanes give flight to city’s economic engine
“The seaplane passengers that are staying overnight, they’re pumping a lot of money into the economy in terms of hotels and restaurants.”
Industry has business travellers, tourists to thank for high economic impact, says new study Seaplanes coming into Victoria, the Black Ball Coho Ferry and the Clipper combined have a higher economic impact than the entire arts and culture sector in Greater Victoria, according to a local expert. Brock Smith, a business professor at the University of Victoria, conducted a study on the economic impact of Harbour Air Seaplanes, West Coast Air and Kenmore Air in Victoria. Smith has previously done studies on the Clipper and the Coho. “The study looks at the spending of the seaplane operation themselves and then the spending of visitors to Victoria or to Greater Victoria that the seaplanes bring in, then uses a multiplier to demonstrate what impact that direct spending would have as it multiplies through the economy,” said Smith. Direct spending of seaplane operations, such as fuel and employee expenses, and the multipliers accounts for $8 million. Spending in the city by seaplane passengers generates almost $63 million in net income. In total, the economic impact is $70.1 million, said Smith. Smith said about half of the seaplane pas-
Don Denton/Victoria News
A smaller Kenmore Air seaplane taxis past an outgoing Harbour Air plane in the Inner Harbour heading towards the docks below the downtown core. sengers coming into Victoria are business travellers coming over for meetings, and the other half are tourists. On average, seaplane passengers spend $272 per visit when they come to Victoria. “But about half of them are spending very
little because they’re not staying overnight, and the other half are spending quite a lot, on average close to $500 per stay,” said Smith. “So the seaplane passengers that are staying overnight, they’re pumping a lot of
money into the economy in terms of hotels and restaurants.” PlEASE SEE: Transportation hub a money generator, Page A4