Tourism Industry
Squamish’s location between Whistler and Vancouver allows it to capture significant visitor traffic. According to the 2006 census, Tourism is one of the leading employment industries in Squamish with approximately 15 percent of the workforce employed in the Accommodation and Food Services sector. In 2008 Squamish attracted almost 10 percent more visitors over 2007 with an estimated 157,700 visitors of various types. The table below details the types of visitors.
| Types of Visitors | Visitors 2007 |
Visitors 2008 |
| Fixed Roof (Hotels, Motels, B&B) | ||
| Leisure | 30,600 | 34,400 |
| Business | 16,700 | 16,000 |
| RV & Campground | 28,600 | 34,500 |
| Total Visitors in Commercial Accommodations |
75,900 | 84,900 |
| Visiting Friends & Relatives (VFR) | 19,300 | 19,300 |
| Day Visitors | 48,700 | 53,500 |
| Overall Visitation | 143,900 | 157,700 |
Source: Tourism BC Value of Tourism Program
Note: These numbers do not include the 2.1 million annual visitors to Whistler that may stop in Squamish for gas, food, beverages, etc. on their way to or from Whistler.
Tourism Expenditures
Estimated annual direct visitor expenditures from 157,700 visitors in 2008 equate to $25,270,000. The following table breaks down the expenditures by market segment.
| Type of Visitor | # Visitors | Average Stay (days) | Average Spend Per Trip |
Total ($) |
| Leisure (Commercial Accommodation) | 68,900 | 2.3 | $170 | $11,590,00 |
| Business | 16,000 | 2.6 | $500 | $7,970,000 |
| Visiting Friends & Relatives (VFR) | 19,300 | 3.7 | $180 | $3,410,000 |
| Day Visitors | 53,500 | $40 | $2,300,000 | |
| Annual Direct Visitor Expenditure | $25,270,000 |
Accommodation
Squamish hosts many different types of accommodation to support visitors to the community. The table below describes the amount of accommodation by type.
| Accommodation Type | Total # of Rooms |
| Hotel | 476 |
| Motel | 73 |
| B&B | 30 |
| RV/Camping | 548 |
| Total Accommodation | 1,127 |
Source: Tourism Squamish June 2010
Destination Marketing Organization
If you are considering a new tourism business in Squamish it will help you to know that Squamish has a destination marketing organization named Tourism Squamish. This group is an organized industry effort to champion the marketing of tourism in Squamish. A hotel tax coupled with grants and other funding sustains an ongoing annual budget. The group is run by a board of local tourism business owners who lead the development of the industry.
Check out www.tourismsquamish.com
What they're saying...
"An amazing community, full of amazing people made me choose Squamish as a home. A beautiful mountain town located on a major highway nestled in between a world-class resort and an international city made me choose Squamish as a place to do business. Whether something is going on North or South in Squamish you always have your thumb on the pulse of the corridor."