Consider Victoria, BC
Last fall we were in Victoria, British Columbia as part of a FAM (familiarization) trip hosted by Destination Greater Victoria. We are always interested in exploring unique destinations that our clients would be interested in, especially ones not far from our home base of Portland. Destination Greater Victoria did a splendid job of showing us what makes The City of Gardens special.
The natural beauty, amount of amenities, and level of service available in Victoria are typically the big selling points. Yet the thing that really impressed us was how easy it was to get around without hopping in a car. As an organization that specializes in conference planning, we are always looking for locations with plenty to do for conference-goers within a short walking distance, and Victoria delivers on that front. Not only that, but as climate change becomes an ever-growing concern, we like to minimize the use of single-occupancy motor vehicles wherever possible.
Victoria reflects one of our key commitments: People and Planet First. The city is sustainable, accessible, walkable, and set up well for meetings of any scale. It’s a destination that makes it easy for planners to keep their events in step with these values.
Ferries and Water Transport: Arriving in Victoria Without a Car
Victoria, British Columbia lies on a peninsula on the southeastern corner of Vancouver Island. Water is one of Victoria’s biggest assets, as hotels and restaurants crowd the Inner Harbour and anywhere else a water view can be obtained. Water is also an important part of getting to, from, and around the Greater Victoria area. Three different ferry services currently connect Victoria to the mainland: two from the Inner Harbour to Washington State (Black Ball and Victoria Clipper) and one from Swartz Bay to the Lower Mainland of BC (BC Ferries). These ferries make it possible to visit Victoria without a car, and all three services allow passengers to bring a bicycle along.
Ferries also provide service around Victoria. The Victoria Harbour Ferry runs a fleet that connects many destinations on the Inner Harbour and offers regular tours, a great activity option for conference guests. These small boats are electric battery powered, lessening the environmental impact of getting around the waterfront.
One great way to incorporate water transport into your event is to hire a boat for sightseeing, whale watching, or transporting guests to a more distant destination. For our FAM Destination Greater Victoria chartered a boat from Eagle Wing Tours to bring us 30 miles (48 km) across the water to a hosted dinner at Bilston Creek Farm. Bilston Creek Farm is a Biosphere Committed lavender farm in Metchosin, with roots on the property dating back to the 1840s, that crafts natural body, home, and kitchen products from its own lavender, apples, and honey. The boat ride gave us perspective on the region’s relationship to the ocean, one that was exploitative for far too long. Eagle Wing Tours is Canada’s first carbon-neutral whale watching company, and they keep their Net-Zero, Nature-Positive Commitment by reducing emissions and working toward carbon neutrality.
Seaplane Service: A Fast, Carbon-Neutral Way To and From the Inner Harbour
For a quicker alternative to the ferry, seaplane service connects Victoria’s Inner Harbour directly to downtown Vancouver and a handful of other nearby coastal communities, with no rental car or long airport transfer required. Harbour Air, North America’s largest airline and the first in the world to become fully carbon neutral, flies the roughly 60-mile (97 km) route between Victoria’s Inner Harbour and downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, plus seasonal routes further up the coast. Because both terminals sit within walking distance of hotels, conference venues, and transit connections, a seaplane can turn a half-day of driving and ferry lines into a scenic, low-carbon hop, an easy add-on for conference guests arriving from the Lower Mainland or the Pacific Northwest.
Victoria’s Public Transit System: Buses Without the Hassle
Using public transit is one of the best ways to reduce our environmental footprint. Thankfully Victoria has an extensive public bus network provided by the Victoria Regional Transit System (part of BC Transit) that enables people to move easily around the area without a car. Their network of buses criss-crosses Greater Victoria, connecting destinations like Victoria International Airport, the University of Victoria, and Butchart Gardens. The Route 95 Blink RapidBus, launched in 2023, uses dedicated bus lanes to link the West Shore with downtown, carrying nearly 10,000 riders on a typical weekday and arriving as often as every 7.5 minutes at peak times.
One of the biggest hang-ups for visitors who want to use transit is what and how to pay. This hassle is enough to scare people off and send them straight to a car share instead. But the days of needing exact change ready for a bus ride are gone. BC Transit uses Umo, a reloadable electronic fare payment system introduced in 2023. Riders can also tap to pay directly with a debit card, credit card, or mobile wallet, no cash or fare card required, with a daily fare cap that keeps costs predictable.
Possibly the coolest thing about Victoria’s bus system is its use of double-decker buses, like one would see in London. Riders gain a greater appreciation of Vancouver Island’s scenery from the upper deck.
Accessible Transit in Victoria: Low-Floor Buses and the FAB
Victoria’s car-free ethos extends to accessible travel. Every Victoria Regional Transit System bus is low-floor, able to kneel at the curb and deploy a ramp, and BC Transit’s handyDART program provides registered, door-to-door shared rides for those who can’t use fixed-route service, with attendants riding free alongside registered passengers.
For groups, Freedom Adventure Bus (FAB) fills a niche few other operators do: a family-owned, wheelchair-accessible charter and tour service based in Victoria. Its 16-plus-2 passenger bus accommodates wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, and other mobility aids, and FAB runs both custom charters and guided tours to Sidney, the Gulf Islands, and the Cowichan Valley, departing from the Ogden Point Cruise Ship Terminal. It’s a strong option for conference groups that want every attendee, regardless of mobility, included in an offsite excursion.
Cycling in Victoria: Protected Lanes and a Long-Distance Trail Network
Riding a bicycle is another great way to reduce our environmental footprint. Victoria has put in considerable effort to improve the situation for cycling by actively building a network of bike routes that are comfortable for All Ages and Abilities (AAA). One of the key ways it has done this is by increasing the number of protected bike lanes, facilities physically separated from traffic. Over the past decade, Victoria has expanded its protected bike lane network from essentially nothing to more than 20.5 miles (33 km), and these lanes cut through downtown and connect to the places people want or need to go.
The crown jewel of cycling in Victoria is its system of long-distance bicycle paths. The three primary trails, the Galloping Goose, the Lochside, and the E&N, form a network of mostly off-road paths that total roughly 60 miles (100 km). These trails connect the BC Ferries terminal, Victoria International Airport, suburban areas, and rural destinations to downtown, and they intersect bus service at several points, so there’s no need to ride all the way back if you get tired.
The City of Victoria has selected Lime as its e-bike share provider, with a program expected to launch later in the summer of 2026. In the meantime, several bike hire services are available, many of them near the downtown waterfront, and you can also bring your own bicycle aboard the many ferries that connect to Vancouver Island. If you do, bring a good lock: Victoria has historically had one of the highest per-capita bike theft rates in Canada, though the city reported its lowest number of stolen bikes since 2011 in 2024, thanks in part to a downtown bike valet and expanded secure parking.
Bicycling around Victoria is a great way to see the sights and learn more about the city. It’s easy to book a group tour for conference guests, and these tours take care of everything, including providing bicycles. For example, Destination Greater Victoria arranged a tour for us from Pedego e-Bikes, giving us a unique perspective of the city. E-bikes give those who may be older or have mobility issues an easy way to get around, and we’re glad Victoria has these options.
Exploring Victoria by Walking or Rolling
In other cities we’ve experienced many conference facilities that are far from things to do, where attendees become stranded at the venue. When attendees want to “see the sights” outside a resort or facility, they might risk walking on inhospitable roads or end up hiring expensive rideshare or taxis to reach their destinations.
Thankfully, Victoria is a compact city, and most major attractions are located on or within a few blocks of the Inner Harbour. Restaurants, museums, shops, and beautiful parks like Beacon Hill Park are easily accessible by foot or wheels. Many downtown streets have curb cuts and ramps at intersections, and the city is actively working to make all intersections accessible. Getting around by walking or rolling is a great option.
The Malahat SkyWalk: A Free, Car-Free Day Trip from Victoria
About 19 miles (32 km) north of downtown along the Trans-Canada Highway, the Malahat SkyWalk offers sweeping views of the Salish Sea and Gulf Islands from an elevated forest walkway, with wide, accessible pathways suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. The attraction sits on the traditional and ancestral territory of the Malahat Nation, a Coast Salish community and one of the five W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) Nations on Vancouver Island, and is owned and operated by Malahat SkyWalk Corp in partnership with the Nation, with Indigenous stories and design woven throughout the visitor experience. It’s also Biosphere Committed, built with low-impact materials like glulam timber and galvanized steel, and has won the EcoStar Award for Experiential Tourism.
From May through October, it runs a free, walk-on shuttle from downtown Victoria, with stops at the Steamship Terminal and Capital City Station, letting conference guests add a scenic offsite excursion without renting a car or booking a private tour bus.
What Victoria Hotels Have Great Meeting Space and Sustainability Credentials?
Victoria’s meeting hotels back up the destination’s sustainability story with real credentials. Here’s what planners should know about five of the city’s top properties for meetings and events.
Fairmont Empress: This 1908 landmark sits directly on the Inner Harbour, adjacent to the Victoria Conference Centre, and offers roughly 23,000 square feet of meeting space across 22 rooms, including Victoria’s two largest ballrooms. It’s a double Green Key certified property (with its meeting space independently Green Key certified), has eliminated single-use plastics across guest rooms, meeting areas, and restaurants, and recently cut natural gas usage by 21 percent through a heating plant modernization.
Hotel Grand Pacific: Two blocks from the Victoria Conference Centre, this Inner Harbour hotel offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space across 13 rooms, plus a 3,000-square-foot waterfront ballroom. It was the first full-service hotel in Victoria to earn Four Green Keys, is Biosphere Committed, and was the first hotel in the city to install solar panels for water heating; it also runs an organic landscaping program and recycles leftover guest soap into laundry detergent.
Inn at Laurel Point: Set on six acres at the edge of the Inner Harbour, the Inn offers over 10,000 square feet of event space with rooms ranging from 10 to 200 guests. It holds 5 Green Keys, the highest rating in the Eco-Rating Program, and has been carbon neutral since 2009, the first hotel in BC to reach that mark. It’s also independently owned as a social enterprise that reinvests profits into staff, community partners, and environmental initiatives.
Oak Bay Beach Hotel: A boutique oceanfront property in Oak Bay, a short distance from downtown, with about 8,000 square feet of recently refreshed meeting space and sweeping Salish Sea views. It became just the third BC hotel to earn Biosphere Certification in 2023, partners with veritree to plant kelp forests for every declined housekeeping service, and holds Gold-level BC Green Business certification for its spa and restaurant.
Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort: Located on the Inner Harbour across from the Royal BC Museum, this Marriott property offers 13,500 square feet of function space for groups of 10 to 400, much of it with harbour views, plus a private dock for chartering Victoria Harbour Ferries directly from the hotel. It holds a 4 Green Key certification and has added EV charging stations to support sustainable travel.
What Makes Victoria a Good Destination for Attendee Experience?
Victoria’s biggest advantage for attendee experience is that it doesn’t feel like a hermetically-sealed conference bubble. Because the Victoria Conference Centre and most hotels sit right on the Inner Harbour, attendees are immediately in the middle of the city, not a suburban office park or closed-off resort. That compactness, paired with a plethora of car-free options (double-decker buses, protected bike lanes, e-bike tours, water taxis), means people can explore the city between sessions instead of heading to their room.
Possibly the biggest perk is how attendees can arrive in town with little to no agenda and have a rewarding experience without pre-planning. Whale watching, Butchart Gardens, the Royal BC Museum, and a strong farm-to-table food scene are close enough that attendees can experience them in their free time without thinking too hard about how to get to them. While Victoria is relatively small, it boasts several big city amenities, such as Michelin-adjacent dining and quality hotel stock, so even sophisticated urbanites will not go wanting.
For clients concerned about their footprint, Victoria’s sustainability record is a big selling point. Ranked as the most sustainable destination in North America (GDS-Index), Victoria stands out to planners and organizations who value keeping their footprint low.
Summary for Planners
• Access: Victoria International Airport (YYJ) offers non-stop flights to about 15 destinations across Canada and the US, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle; BC Ferries connects to Metro Vancouver, and the Black Ball Line and Victoria Clipper connect to Washington State.
• Venues: The Victoria Conference Centre offers 77,000 square feet of space, 21 meeting rooms, and a 400-seat theatre, alongside historic properties like the Fairmont Empress and LEED-built exhibit space at the adjoining Crystal Garden.
• Sustainability: The Victoria Conference Centre is Biosphere Certified and carbon neutral, and Victoria ranked the most sustainable destination in North America (22nd globally) on the 2024 Global Destination Sustainability Index, placing 3rd among small cities worldwide in 2025.
• Regional Support: Business Events Victoria, a partnership between Destination Greater Victoria and the Victoria Conference Centre, offers one-stop planning assistance, vendor connections, and site visit coordination for meeting planners.
• Walkability/Rollability: A compact, navigable downtown core means delegates can easily explore independently, with most major attractions within a few blocks of the Inner Harbour.
• Culture: World-class arts, dining, and experiences, including the Royal BC Museum‘s First Peoples Gallery and Thunderbird Park totem poles on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, Canada’s oldest Chinatown and its famed Fan Tan Alley, Butchart Gardens, and a strong farm-to-table food scene.
• Values: Victoria’s sustainability commitments, from its Biosphere Certified conference centre to its expanding protected bike network, align naturally with People and Planet First principles at every level.
Emee Pumarega, CMP, is the founder of EJP Events, a Portland-based event planning company and Good Market Global member specializing in corporate meetings, conferences, and association events. Shawn Granton is a member of the EJP Events team. With over two decades of experience and a commitment to cultural competency and sustainability, EJP Events operates under the philosophy that True Hospitality Welcomes Everyone. For venue sourcing, site visits, welcome receptions, offsite breaks, team-building activities, or event planning support in domestic and international destinations, visit ejpevents.com.