2 Vancouver Island tourism operators honoured with global travel award

Two Vancouver Island tourism providers have been named among the top 10 per cent in the world for their wildlife experiences.

Tide Rip Grizzly Adventures Tours in Telegraph Cove and Prince of Whales, offering tours from Victoria, Telegraph Cove and Vancouver, have earned Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2024.

“Traveller’s Choice honours businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence. This means you have made such a memorable impact on your visitors that many of them took the time to go online and leave a great review about their experience,” Tripadvisor’s John Boris announced in a press release.

The Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period.

v“It felt great. Every year, we get an award of excellence. It’s a great trip. This year, we got down in the top 10 worldwide, so that was special,” says Gordie Graham, owner of Telegraph Cove Resort and Tide Rip Grizzly Tours.

It was the first time the business had been in the top 10 worldwide.

“That just means we’re doing things right. We have a fantastic area we take people to. It’s absolutely beautiful. Our whole operation has to be doing it right, so we will continue on in that mode of operation.”

The Prince of Whales team hopes to use the award to continue promoting its education and conservation programs to travellers worldwide.

“We are honoured to be included in TripAdvisor travellers’ favourites,” said Nik Coutinho, Prince of Whales Sales and Marketing Manager. “Being the Top Experience in Canada reinforces our dedication to excellent whale-watching. We thank our communities, and most of all, our incredible team and guests from all over the world who have made this possible.”

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