If 2025 taught BC’s hospitality sector anything, it’s that momentum doesn’t just happen -it’s earned through smart preparation, strategic thinking, and a willingness to evolve. With Victoria posting 94.3% occupancy in August and average daily rates topping $396, while Kelowna sees consistent year-over-year growth in hotel bookings, the message is crystal clear: the BC market is hot, and 2026 promises even more opportunity.  But here’s the catch -opportunity alone won’t fill your rooms or boost your bottom line.  You need a game plan that blends old-school relationship building with cutting-edge tools, all while keeping your finger firmly on the pulse of what travellers actually want.​

Let’s talk about how you can position your property for better sales results in the year ahead, starting with the fundamentals and building toward strategies that’ll separate you from the pack.

Understand Your Market Momentum – and Protect It

British Columbia’s tourism landscape is shifting fast.  Victoria enjoyed its strongest summer in a decade with year-to-date occupancy hitting 79.9%, and August smashing records at 94.3%.  Revenue per available room climbed above $374, while average daily room rates topped $396.  Meanwhile, Kelowna reported steady hotel occupancy growth, with airport passenger volumes jumping 10% in Q1 2025. These aren’t just feel-good numbers, they’re proof that demand is real, diverse, and accelerating.​

But here’s where it gets interesting: Victoria has lost approximately 2,000 hotel rooms over the past decade, predominantly economy-branded properties. This capacity constraint means if you’ve got beds to sell, you’re sitting on gold—but only if you maximize every booking opportunity.​

The lesson here is simple: protect your peak nights like they’re made of platinum.  Use minimum stay requirements strategically during high-demand periods, but stay flexible when occupancy softens.  The goal isn’t just filling rooms, it’s shaping booking patterns that optimize revenue across shoulder days.

Leverage Technology Without Losing the Human Touch

Let’s be honest: independent and mid-sized properties can’t compete with chains on brand recognition alone.  But here’s your secret weapon, you can absolutely compete on agility, personalization, and smart use of technology.

Dynamic pricing is no longer optional.  If you’re manually updating rates once a month, you’re leaving serious money on the table. Automated revenue management tools now allow even small properties to adjust prices in real time based on demand fluctuations, competitor rates, and booking windows.  Properties using these systems are seeing substantial improvements in both average daily rate and occupancy because they’re reacting to market conditions 24/7, not just during quarterly reviews.

On the booking side, your direct channel needs to be bulletproof.  Make sure your website is mobile-responsive (a huge chunk of bookings happen on smartphones), loads quickly, and offers a seamless reservation process.  Integrate a robust booking engine that syncs with your property management system and channel manager to eliminate double bookings and keep availability accurate across all platforms.

But here’s where the magic happens: layer in personalization.  Use your PMS integrated with customer relationship management software to track guest preferences, booking histories, and special requests.  When a returning guest books, surprise them with their favorite room or a personalized welcome amenity. These touches don’t cost much, but they create loyalty that no OTA can match.

Double Down on Direct Bookings

Speaking of OTAs, they’re spending billions annually on marketing.  You can’t outspend them—but you can outsmart them.

Start by offering exclusive perks for direct bookers: early check-in, late checkout, complimentary breakfast, a free drink at your bar, or local welcome gifts.  Package your rooms with experiences, think wine tastings in Kelowna or whale-watching tours in Victoria- that OTAs can’t easily replicate.  Nearly half of travellers say they’d book direct for a free room upgrade, and 55% would do it for free meals and drinks.

Promote these offers aggressively on your website, social media channels, and through email campaigns.  If you’re not building and nurturing a guest email database, you’re missing one of your most valuable marketing assets.  Capture emails at check-in and check-out, then use them to send targeted promotions, loyalty program updates, and seasonal specials.

Social media deserves special attention here.  Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have evolved from inspiration channels to actual booking drivers, especially for younger travellers.  Post consistently about what makes your property special, behind-the-scenes videos, guest testimonials, local attractions, sustainable practices, employee spotlights.  Encourage guests to tag your property and location in their posts, turning them into authentic brand ambassadors who expand your reach organically.

Prepare for the FIFA Effect

If your property is anywhere near Vancouver or even within a few hours’ drive -2026 is going to be extraordinary!  The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring seven matches (maybe more!) to BC Place between June 11 and July 17, with an estimated surge of 350,000 visitors descending on a city with just 13,000 hotel rooms. Properties that haven’t already capitalized on this are running out of time. Hotels near the stadium are already commanding premium rates, with some properties significantly exceeding standard nightly rates during match periods.

But here’s the opportunity: savvy operators in Richmond, Burnaby, North Vancouver, and even White Rock are positioning themselves as affordable alternatives with easy transit access to downtown.  If you’re outside the immediate Vancouver area, don’t assume FIFA won’t impact you.  Many visitors will combine their World Cup experience with broader BC travel, exploring Victoria, Kelowna, Whistler, and beyond.  Market your property as part of a larger BC adventure.  Create FIFA-themed packages that bundle accommodation with local experiences, and promote them now while travelers are still in planning mode.

Embrace Sustainability as a Sales Tool

Here’s something that might surprise you: sustainability isn’t just good PR, it’s increasingly a booking driver. Travellers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, actively seek out eco-friendly properties. And in BC, where natural beauty is your biggest asset, demonstrating environmental stewardship resonates deeply.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire operation overnight.  Start with visible, guest-facing initiatives: refillable dispensers instead of single-use toiletries, towel and linen reuse programs, composting and recycling in rooms, energy-efficient lighting, low-flow fixtures.  Several BC properties have elevated this further, creating meaningful sustainability practices that guests genuinely appreciate and talk about.

Get certified if you can.  Programs like Biosphere Certification, GreenStep Certified and Green Key Global add third-party credibility to your sustainability claims and often appear in traveller searches. More importantly, they give you concrete talking points to include in your marketing materials and sales pitches.

Master the Art of Group and Corporate Sales

While leisure travel gets most of the headlines, group and corporate bookings remain revenue workhorses.  Group demand has shown significant lift across Canada in 2025, benefiting average daily rates more than the national average.  Vancouver and Victoria are hosting massive conferences, conventions, and sporting events that drive substantial group business.

For sales teams, this means getting aggressive with outreach.  Build relationships with corporate travel planners, meeting planners, and sports team coordinators.  When crafting group contracts, think carefully about room type allocation, length-of-stay impact, and booking windows.  Don’t let group blocks cut off opportunities for higher-rated transient bookings during peak periods.

Remember: in leaner operations where the sales manager often doubles as the revenue manager, alignment across your entire team is critical.  Everyone from front desk to housekeeping needs to understand how group bookings impact overall property performance and revenue goals.

Stay Ahead of Traveller Trends

The 2026 traveller looks different from years past.  Work-from-anywhere culture continues to blur the line between business and leisure travel, driving demand for properties with high-speed Wi-Fi, co-working spaces, and extended-stay options.  If your property can accommodate this “bleisure” segment with work-friendly amenities and flexible booking terms, you’re tapping into a growing market.

Experience-driven travel is another massive trend.  Guests don’t just want a place to sleep, they want immersive, meaningful experiences rooted in local culture.  This plays perfectly to independent and boutique properties that can offer authenticity over cookie-cutter chains. Highlight what makes your location special: local food partnerships, cultural connections, regional architecture, and proximity to unique attractions.

Personalization matters more than ever.  Guests expect hotels to cater to individual preferences, and this is where smaller properties have a huge advantage over large chains.  Use your guest data thoughtfully to deliver services that resonate with each visitor’s unique needs—room preferences, dietary restrictions, and activity interests. That personal touch builds loyalty and drives repeat business.

Think Like a Business, Act Like a Host

At the end of the day, better sales results in 2026 will come from striking the right balance between strategic thinking and genuine hospitality. Invest in the tools that level the playing field—revenue management systems, direct booking engines, and integrated PMS platforms.  But never let technology replace the human connections that make hospitality special.

Study your booking patterns religiously.  Know which nights are your peaks and which are your valleys.  Adjust your pricing, stay restrictions, and promotional strategies accordingly. Build partnerships with local businesses, tourism organizations, and event planners who can send business your way.

Most importantly, stay curious and adaptable.  The properties thriving in BC right now—like Summerland Waterfront Resort, which landed in the top 1% of hotels worldwide on Tripadvisor and received the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Award—aren’t just lucky.  They’re executing consistently, innovating constantly, and putting guest experience at the center of every decision.​

British Columbia’s hospitality sector is riding a wave of momentum that’s rare and precious.  The question isn’t whether 2026 will bring opportunity, it absolutely will. The question is whether you’ll be ready to seize it.  Start preparing now, execute with confidence, and watch your sales results soar.

For more sales advice, contact Brent O’Connor – brent.o@telus.net