The Martlet

You’ve seen their looks of distress as they squint at street signs. They’re holding maps as far from their faces as their arms will allow; they turn the flimsy paper clockwise, then turn it again.

The directional instructions don’t seem to be helping. They look up in desperation as you pass, their face crying: “please tell me you live here!”

Yes, they are our friends the tourists and they are here to stay, at least for the summer.

As locals, we might cope with the over-crowding of our streets and the busyness of our favourite hangouts with a deep bitterness to those invading our peace, but we can’t forget they are also the ones supplying us with summer jobs.

Here are seven tips to get you through the season we call tourism, er, summer.

1. Have a better attitude

Stop swearing under your breath as you stomp purposefully behind someone who clearly is doing the opposite.

Remember that you represent our city. It will be better for your own sanity to just relax.

1. Give yourself more time

Yes, it’s annoying when your alarm is buzzing a whole 10 minutes earlier, but travel times will just be longer. If you give yourself the right amount of time to get somewhere, you’ll be less stressed and less irritated with seasonal visitors.

1. Learn about the city

Know where popular destinations are, or at least how to get to the bus depot (Douglas and Belleville) and the visitor centre (Warf and Government). Be the helpful local they talk about to their friends back home.

1. Avoid Government Street

You will have reasons to visit this little centre of congestion, but whatever it is, it isn’t worth it. There are other restaurants and other stores, which are probably much cheaper, even if they’re only a couple of blocks away.

1. Do touristy things

You’ll probably have a visitor this summer who will want you to take them around and show them your city. Whether friends or family, your visitors will want to see more than your house. While we all think that they will want to go to our hidden gems (which may be true), there is a real possibility that they will want to visit our landmarks and famous sights. It helps to know which are worth seeing and which are best avoided.  Skip the overpriced high tea at the Empress, but take the time to go whale watching. 

1. Explore your neighbourhood

There are days when you won’t be able to face downtown, so make sure that you know of other restaurants to eat at and beaches where you can swim. You may even discover that your new favourite place is only a short walk from your doorstep.

1. Embrace the tourist season

Brave the crowds and go down to the Inner Harbour in front of the Empress to listen to the live entertainment on sunny days.  Take a ride on the double decker buses and learn something about your city. Go to the outdoor festivals, like Jazz Fest (June 20-29). Victoria is a fun place to be in the summer, so get rid of that negative attitude and enjoy your city.