Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

PHASE III BEGINS

Hotels looking forward to more visitors spending the night in Kamloops

Jun 26, 2020 | 4:46 PM

KAMLOOPS — All across the province, the hospitality industry is welcoming the shift into Phase 3 and the relaxation of restrictions on travel throughout the province.

The hotel industry has been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brian Pilbeam, manager of the Delta Hotel Kamloops and Chair of the BC Hotel Association says many hotels closed down completely over the past several months. He adds those that who have remained open have struggled to attract many guests.

“If you were closed, obviously it’s gone from 100 per cent down to zero. For those that stayed open, they were hit about 90 per cent [of normal revenue], so nobody was doing better than 10 per cent of what they normally would have done” Pilbeam says. “Hotels were really one of the first hit and will really be one of the last [industries] to recover… From an industry perspective, we’re looking at 18-to-24 months, maybe even three years to get back to normal levels.”

Pilbeam says the transition to Phase Three is a welcome one for the industry. He’s hopeful people are willing to explore British Columbia this summer and help ease the losses felt by industries that serve travelers throughout this pandemic.

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“Ready to welcome people from all over the province to come out and explore Kamloops and the rest of the province, too. I think everyone has just been waiting for this. It’s been slowly starting, just little bits. Now we’re ready for summer to really start.”