With the summer tourism season winding down, it looks like many Canadians chose the Parksville area for their summer vacation destination instead of a trip south of the border. The Parksville Visitor Centre estimated approximately 30 per cent more people passed through its doors compared to normal. "We have definitely been busy," said Liette Masse, executive director of the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce, which operates the visitor centre. "It is my first year as the ED [executive director] for the chamber and the visitor centre, but I would have to say, based on what others are telling me, it has been busier for sure, and our statistics are showing it.” Lots of the visitors came from B.C. or Alberta, but there have been plenty from across Canada and the U.S. as well. Masse also noted visitors from various countries in Europe. Based on the conversations she has had with visitors, it seems people are interested in sticking local for their vacation, with some admitting they previously would have travelled to the U.S. "They’re wanting to keep their tourism money in the local area," she added. “It’s a bonus for all of us. The hotels and the restaurants, all of the attractions they can come to see and do here in Parksville and district as well." The chamber's weekly Summer by the Sea Street Market also saw more traffic, Masse added, before it wrapped up for the summer on Aug. 26. Visitors to the city's downtown core were numerous, as well as early, according to the Parksville Downtown Business Association. "By late May I was noticing more people in the downtown core and merchants were confirming that they were getting busy earlier than usual," said Teresa Cooper, executive director. "It will be interesting to see if that trend continues into the fall." Numbers from the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association have a two month delay, said executive director Blain Sepos, who added that stakeholders have reported "a strong season, to be sure".
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