As you fly into Vancouver, it’s easy to see why so many visitors fall in love with this glittering metropolis surrounded by water on three sides with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. You have easy access to astonishing natural beauty in the heart of a world-class capital enriched by numerous ethnic groups, mainly Japanese, Chinese, Indian and First Nations people.

Vancouver lies on the mainland of North America tucked in the southwest corner of British Columbia, one of Canada’s 10 provinces. According to the 2014 World Population Review, the city boasts an estimated population of 610,000, making it the eighth-largest urban center in Canada. Greater Vancouver consists of 21 municipalities, one of which is the City of Vancouver, reportedly founded in the late 1860s when an enterprising former riverboat captain nicknamed “Gassy Jack” told local mill workers that if they helped him build a saloon, they could drink for free. The bar went up in 24 hours, and families began to settle in and around the tavern in what is now the neighborhood of Gastown. If you walk around the area today, you’ll still see the original cobblestone streets and Victorian buildings.

Today the city enjoys a highly diversified economy, with key industry sectors including digital media, fishing, forestry, information and communications technology, life sciences and mining. Some of the corporations based in Vancouver include EA Sports, Goldcorp Inc., Hootsuite, Lionsgate Entertainment, lululemon athletica, Nature’s Path, Stemcell Technologies and Teekay Shipping. In fact, Vancouver harbors Canada’s largest and busiest port and in 2014 traded $187 billion in goods with more than 160 trading economies.

Most business travelers prefer to stay in the downtown area, a compact hub about a mile across overlooking the harbor and within easy walking distance of thousands of hotels, restaurants, shops and the Vancouver Convention Centre, a stunning structure built over the water with floor-to-ceiling windows. Some excellent places to stay include The Fairmont Waterfront and Asian-style Fairmont Pacific Rim, along with the sleek Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver and stylish boutique Loden Hotel. All offer sweeping waterfront views along with beautiful bars and eateries where you can entertain clients.

Outside of your hotel, Miku provides an elegant, quiet setting for a business lunch or dinner. Specializing in East-West Japanese cuisine, you’ll find such options as lobster tail with roasted vegetables and miso-herb sauce. Another upscale bet is Kirin Restaurant which, in addition to boasting several locations, including one downtown, offers impeccable service and Chinese specialties like stuffed boneless duck and sizzling beef tenderloin. A local favorite for superb Vancouver seafood, Coast Restaurant serves up platters of fresh-shucked oysters, craft cocktails and a buzzing night scene yet with tables spaced far enough apart so you can easily converse with your guests. Should a nightcap with a client be in order, retreat behind the heavy wooden door of Prohibition in the recently renovated Rosewood Hotel Georgia only a few blocks from the waterfront. Even local clients will delight in the meticulously made cocktails organized on the menu by a patron’s personality and mood (creative, adventurous, sophisticated). There is also an elegant, multitap absinthe fountain.

The city’s rich cultural mix comes alive in its dozen-plus neighborhoods, like Punjabi Market, filled with Indian boutiques and foodstuffs, and Commercial Drive, formerly known as Little Italy and now a magnet for artists, students and writers. You can reach many of these neighborhoods by foot, since most of Vancouver’s streets have been laid out in a grid with the streets running north-south and the avenues running east-west. TransLink runs and regulates the city’s transit system, which includes the local bus system (including SeaBus, a wheelchair-accessible electric trolley bus fleet) and the automated light rapid transit system SkyTrain, which you can take from Vancouver International Airport to the downtown area. TransLink’s convenient fare system enables you to purchase tickets and transfer across the entire network.

One of the chicest Vancouver neighborhoods is Yaletown which, filled with forlorn warehouses and empty rail yards back in the mid-1980s, now shines as the residential hot spot of choice for the high-tech and fashion-forward set. It abounds with upscale boutiques, cutting-edge hotels and swanky restaurants like Blue Water Café, known for exquisitely prepared, sustainably harvested seafood. With four stylish private dining rooms outfitted with complimentary state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, it’s a perfect place to host a business dinner that involves a presentation. Nearby, you’ll find the more casual Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar, where you can sample some of British Columbia’s best wines (they offer 60-plus by the glass) along with regional specialties like Vancouver Island lingcod and wild British Columbia salmon.

Granville Island Public Market © Deymos | Dreamstime.com

A must-visit spot is Granville Island, easily reached by ferry (leaving every few minutes from the Vancouver Aquatic Centre near the base of Burrard Street). There you’ll find the Public Market packed with produce, seafood, cheeses and baked goods, along with dozens of stalls selling goodies to eat and high-quality crafts. Stop in for a casual afternoon drink with colleagues or clients at one of Granville Island’s two local breweries, such as Dockside Restaurant and Brewing Co., where you can talk shop over a tasting flight of craft beer.

Should you have some downtime, take advantage of Vancouver’s temperate climate, making the city one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and sail in the afternoon. Whistler, one of the main venues for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, lies only two hours north of Vancouver by car, making it an easy daytrip. That night, take a sunset dinner cruise, such as a paddlewheel boat tour via Harbour Cruises & Events. It’s a pleasant way to entertain clients and see several landmarks including Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre public Eden composed of numerous beaches, gardens, walking trails and the Vancouver Aquarium.

Vancouver is in the Pacific Time Zone, and most of its citizens speak English, either as a first or second language. In terms of currency, Tourism Vancouver recommends using Canadian dollars to avoid fluctuating rates at stores, restaurants and hotels. It also notes the majority of purchases you make will be subject to a 7 percent Provincial Sales Tax and a 5 percent Goods and Services Tax, with the exception of liquor (10 percent GST).

Above all, be prepared to have a great time. If you’re like most visitors, once you visit Vancouver, you’ll find it hard to leave.