The B.C. Wildlife Park has seen mostly Kamloops residents in the first two weeks since reopening (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

B.C. WILDLIFE PARK

B.C. Wildlife Park noticing huge influx of local visitors in first two weeks after reopening

Jun 15, 2020 | 4:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. Wildlife Park has been open for two weeks after being shut down for more than two months by COVID-19. Following its June 1 opening, the park has seen visitors come back in large numbers with a different demographic.

Park general manager Glenn Grant says there have been 4,300 visitors to the park since June 1 — more than an average two-week period.

While many of the visitors at this time of year are from outside the city and our region, Grant has not surprisingly noticed a different trend in the first couple weeks back.

“The main thing we’re seeing that’s a little bit of a change is the local traffic with less international travellers and less tourists in the area,” he noted. “We would normally have 10 per cent annual passholder visitation through June, July and August, and right now we’re seeing it at about 39 per cent. So there’s a lot of local traffic and folks from British Columbia that are moving around a little bit that are our mainstay visitors.”

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Grant says the park lost at least $270,000 in visitor revenue during the two and a half months they were closed, anticipating about 27,000 people during that time.

He says moving forward this summer, the park will heavily rely on Kamloops residents and people visiting from across the province as travel remains restricted.

“That’s where all attractions within British Columbia are going to be. There are going to be a lot of staycations. I know Tourism Kamloops has strongly promoted throughout British Columbia that Kamloops is a wonderful spot to come and visit,” Grant said. “There will be a lot more one or two-day trips, as opposed to week-long vacations.”

The wildlife park is also hoping to welcome more locals that would otherwise be travelling internationally.