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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Prince William and Catherine Middleton have come and gone, but Yk businesses are hoping the royal tour stop will have lingering impacts.

The front window of Rebecca's Flowers on Borden Drive, was decorated with the Union Jack for Prince William and Catherine Middleton's visit to Yellowknife last week. Several Yk businesses enjoyed the royal spotlight on the city. - photo courtesy of Richard Birch

Transforming their flower shop into a royal shrine for Prince William and Catherine Middleton, flower shop owners Rebecca and Richard Birch were among the many businesses that took marketing advantage of the visit.

The front window of Rebecca's Flowers was painted with the Union Jack, and posters and photo collages of the Duke and Duchess were erected outside and inside the shop, accompanied by British and Canadian flags.

"We wanted to be a part of it not just for advertising but to help make the experience of the royal couple coming good for other people," Richard Birch said. "People remember those kinds of things."

Many fans of the royal couple came in to buy them flowers throughout the visit, Birch said, and royal couple-themed arrangements made for the occasion were especially popular. The special bouquets included the sweet William posy, made from purple-pink sweet William flowers, carnations, and baby's breaths, and the purple princess, which included purple roses, mums, and alstroemeria.

The Dancing Moose Cafe was among the old town businesses that also offered royal-themed promotions during the visit, with their high tea sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

The cafe also had union jack napkins to go with the English tradition and their tables were booked, especially on Tuesday, when fans gathered to see the royal couple depart for Blachford Lake Lodge, from Air Tindy.

"It was all very exciting and it was really a treat to have them come all the way here -- especially since they didn't go to that many big cities," co-owner Debbie Doody said.

Along with the visitors who came to the cafe to scope out the royals, were Yellowknifers who do not always come down to Old Town, Doody added.

"As far as impact on business, I think it drew people down here and gave us a lot of exposure."

The Explorer Hotel, where the royal couple stayed during their visit, also benefitted from a piece of the royal spotlight, as throngs of fans descended on the site throughout their stay.

"It was very good for business," Explorer Hotel front desk manager Naresh Panchalingam said. "Our restaurant was full, people were hanging out here to get a chance of seeing (the royal couple)."

Panchalingam said the royal couple stopped at the front desk to thank the staff as they left on Wednesday morning.

In terms of bookings, Panchalingam said there was not a great difference during the stay, with about a dozen rooms reserved for reporters and tourists who came to see the royals.

Yellowknife Inn, which served as the media headquarters for the royal visit, booked about 60 rooms for media personnel alone, director of sales Nathan Kilroe said.

All 129 rooms were booked, with the majority of the media from the United Kingdom, Kilroe said.

"Any time we can grab the attention of potential tourists in other countries is a bonus," Kilroe said, noting having media from the UK was a great opportunity to tap into that market for tourists.

"The visitors I talked to had a good time and mentioned they would come back."

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