On a sunny Saturday morning in Victoria’s James Bay neighbourhood, traffic creeps along Dallas Road as tour buses shuttle cruise ship passengers into the city’s core. With four vessels docked at nearby Ogden Point, the neighbourhood hums with activity — a familiar scene that’s expected to intensify in 2025, when Victoria is projected to welcome a record-breaking 1.2-million cruise visitors.

For local businesses, the surge represents economic optimism. But for many residents and environmental advocates, it also signals a growing strain on infrastructure, air quality, and quality of life — raising questions about whether the city can manage another season of rapid cruise tourism growth without deeper consequences.

Nearly one million cruise passengers arrived in Victoria in 2024, bringing in more than $214 million in direct spending and supporting over 1,300 jobs, according to the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA). This marked the strongest cruise season since before the pandemic, reaffirming the city’s position as a key stop on the Alaska cruise circuit.

Each ship visit contributes an estimated $600,000 to the local economy, benefiting restaurants, tour operators, retailers, and transportation services. At Ogden Point, one of Canada’s busiest cruise terminals, the sector contributes about $109 million annually to Victoria’s GDP.

“The cruise industry plays a significant role in our visitor economy,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria. “Its return is supporting businesses and seasonal employment across the region.”

The broader tourism industry supports roughly 22,000 jobs in the capital region, according to the destination marketing organization.

Calls to diversify and share the benefits

Business leaders like Jeff Bray, CEO of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, say efforts to bring cruise shuttles deeper into the city have helped spread economic activity throughout the core.

“We’re managing the capacity well for now,” Bray said. “But we’d love to see ships stay longer. That gives passengers more time to explore beyond downtown, benefiting the wider region.”

Bray and others are also advocating for more culturally meaningful tourism opportunities — particularly those involving First Nations partners — to better reflect the Island’s history and identity.

Moira McDonald, an associate professor and head of the master’s program in tourism management at Royal Roads University, agrees. She says now is the time to think about how other Island communities can share in the benefits.

“We need to ask: What do you have that could be marketed to cruise passengers?” McDonald said. “This isn’t just about Victoria — it’s about the broader Island experience.”

But McDonald also cautions that growth must come with planning.

“If we want sustainable tourism and a sustainable community, we need infrastructure in place and a clear strategy. It can’t be an afterthought.”

James Bay residents feel the pressure

While businesses celebrate the cruise rebound, many James Bay residents say they’re bearing the brunt of its impacts.

The neighbourhood, adjacent to Ogden Point, has seen a surge in traffic, noise, and air pollution during cruise season. On some days, as many as four ships dock — bringing thousands of visitors and dozens of transport vehicles into a compact, residential area.

A 2018 City of Victoria survey found that 54 per cent of James Bay residents believed cruise tourism negatively affected their quality of life — a sentiment echoed in recent community meetings and traffic studies.

For some, the pandemic-related pause in cruise traffic brought a sense of peace. Now, they say, it feels like that peace is gone.

The city has since reduced speed limits in the area and is working with senior levels of government to bring shore power to Ogden Point. But many residents are calling for cruise-free days and limits on the number of ships that can dock per week.

Environmental concerns rising

Environmental advocates have also raised alarms about the carbon emissions and water pollution associated with cruise ships — widely considered one of the most energy-intensive forms of travel per passenger.

According to advocacy group Stand.earth, cruise ships visiting Victoria in 2023 emitted thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide. They also discharge wastewater, including sewage, greywater, and heavy metals, into the ocean — activities regulated by Transport Canada but criticized for inconsistent enforcement.

“Cruise travel is incredibly polluting,” said Anna Barford, Canada shipping campaigner for Stand.earth. “Canada has some of the weakest enforcement on marine emissions. The industry often uses some of the dirtiest fuels available.”

A 2019 report from Friends of the Earth gave failing environmental grades to several major cruise lines operating on the West Coast, citing violations of air and water pollution standards.

Victoria’s cruise terminal currently lacks shore power — a system that allows ships to plug into the city’s electricity grid and shut down their engines while docked. As a result, many ships idle for hours, releasing exhaust into surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Shore power can’t come soon enough,” Barford said. “Other ports like Vancouver and Seattle already have it. We’re lagging behind.”

The GVHA plans to install shore power by 2028, in partnership with the federal government and private investors. Once operational, the system is expected to eliminate approximately 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually — the equivalent of taking more than 10,000 cars off the road.

But for many environmental advocates, that timeline is too slow given the urgency of the climate crisis.

What’s being done

Destination Greater Victoria has introduced a visitor dispersal strategy aimed at reducing congestion downtown and encouraging exploration of less-visited areas such as Fernwood, Cook Street Village, Sidney, and Saanich. Some cruise lines are also staggering their schedules to prevent traffic bottlenecks.

Community groups like the James Bay Neighbourhood Association have called for a temporary cap on cruise ship visits until shore power is installed and better transportation systems are in place.

McDonald believes broader partnerships are essential moving forward.

“Destination Greater Victoria needs to work with municipalities across the Island to develop sustainable, culturally rich tourism experiences,” she said. “That will help spread the footprint and reduce the pressure on downtown Victoria.”

Finding a middle ground

Despite growing tension, few stakeholders are calling for an outright ban on cruise tourism. Most agree the goal is not to end it — but to make it cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable.

“Cruise tourism is important to Victoria’s economy, but it can’t be business as usual,” said Barford. “We need to consider all the costs — environmental, social, and economic — in how we move forward.”

McDonald remains cautiously optimistic that a balance can be struck.

“I do believe in responsible tourism,” she said. “Cruise tourism brings vibrancy and economic activity. But it also requires boundaries — checks and balances — if we’re going to build a future that works for everyone.”