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By Dylana Kneeshaw

BC'S RESTART: PHASE TWO

Help wanted: Tourism, hospitality operators trying to fill jobs as summer bookings increase in Kamloops

Jun 14, 2021 | 4:24 PM

KAMLOOPS — Travel restrictions are starting to ease this month, and more and more British Columbians are making summer plans with hotel bookings, and tourism activities.

After months of limited social interactions and regional travel limits, Tourism Kamloops CEO Beverley DeSantis says the travel bug is strong.

“The pent-up demand is absolutely there. We’ve seen it with our golf program, our wine tours, so we’re very hopeful that we’ll have another record-breaking year in our golf and local tourism.”

Similar to the B.C.-centric marketing of the previous summer, Tourism Kamloops has had to be careful with promotion of the area to make sure visitors are able to safely explore. DeSantis says they’re taking a tiered approach to their messages as each stage of reopening comes into play.

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“Our marketing team is working so hard to ensure that the messaging is clear that we’re welcoming B.C. residents in our destination,” she explains. “As we open up across the country and internationally those different campaigns will speak to those different audiences.”

With Phase Two starting up and Phase Three in sight, event bookings are also increasing. Projected gathering restrictions could allow larger get-togethers and celebrations that couldn’t take place in 2020.

B.C. Hotel Association Board Chair Bryan Pilbeam says on several occasions over the past weeks they’ve gone from a handful of bookings each day to hundreds.

“Certainly on that bigger group and event piece. For conferences, for weddings above 50 people — which everyone will want to have their full guest list there if it’s a bigger wedding — Christmas parties, I think everyone is anticipating that now for the far out bookings,” notes Pilbeam. “But even now for July, people are booking now for 50 knowing that they hope to see a bigger number of people that are able to be there.”

Tourism and hospitality operators are glad to see the next part of B.C.’s Restart plan kick in this week, but they’re also faced with the challenge of bringing back employees to have enough staff to handle pent-up demand.

For example, Pilbeam is also the General Manager of the Delta Hotel by Marriott in downtown Kamloops, and says they’ve got plenty of jobs opening up but those roles haven’t been easy to fill.

“Jobs are there. I know everybody in our industry is in the same boat and looking to hire people and struggling quite frankly to get people to come in,” he explains. “So we’re excited to welcome the old faces back — most of them are back already, and some new faces as well to our industry.”

Those in the accommodation industry say it may take years to recover from the financial hit taken during COVID-19. But starting the summer with B.C.-focused travel is a good start.

“We’re just excited to be breaking that cycle,” said Pilbeam. “At this point just to start to be able to be cash positive I guess at this point, and to not have cash coming from the banks as your only source of income. So this is just the beginning and it’s a super exciting time.”