Fires Burn Into Tourism

The wildfires in BC have had a big impact on tourism in many areas of the province.

Maya Lange, vice president of marketing with Destination BC, says 32 percent of operators in the Kootenay Rockies have lost revenue.

“In July alone, cancelled reservations at one resort in the Kootenay Rockies resulted in a loss of about $100, 000 in revenue because of the perceived risk of fires.”

Lang says 47 percent of businesses in the Thompson Okanagan are reporting interruptions.

“And because of perceptions or misinformation, we’re seeing a tremendous amount of cancellations due to perceived impact to their trip.”

She says Barkerville near Quesnel has seen a 54 percent drop in visitors compared to last year.

“Barkerville is a draw for visitors to the entire area, and if Barkerville is down, the surrounding privately owned businesses that provide accommodations, food and other activities will also be down,” says Lange.