Kamloops tour operator ready to fill some of Greyhound’s void immediately

So expanding services to fill some of the gap left behind by Greyhound won’t be a big leap, although the company says it won’t just cater the shuttles towards winter sports tourists. It would be available for both groups and individuals.

“With the people from Australia coming in that might want to do Greyhound, they need options, so thought it would be a natural expansion of our existing business,” said Stamp-Vincent, who says the company is licensed to start expanding its shuttle services anytime.

Tastefull Excursions has gone from one van when it started wine tours four years to 11 it operates now to accommodate all the shuttle services. The vans can fit up to 14 people.

“It’s a smaller, nicer, more intimate ride. We’re looking for really providing a high-level, premium service,” noted Stamp-Vincent. “Making sure they get where they need to be when they want to be there, so we’re very flexible.

Flexibility is something Greyhound hasn’t been in recent years with inconvenient travel schedules. Another local company, Super-G Shuttles, is hoping to launch in January at the latest, with a similar 14-passenger van to take people to places like Kelowna and Vancouver.

“A direct shuttle service is what we’re advertising,” said the company’s co-owner Gretchen Zirnhelt. “We understand there are demands, there are so many different needs that the public has been expressing to us, so with any business we’d like to explore all our options.”

Zirnhelt, a nurse and a mother of two, says it appears trips directly to Vancouver are most popular among the people they’ve spoken with.

“80 per cent have been saying Vancouver and only 20 per cent to Kelowna,” she said. “These are only small numbers right now. I’ve been running for 20 days max.”

Tastefull Excursions, which is already fully licensed and could begin immediately, says individual seating is available with at least six people. For a group, it’s $1,100 for the shuttle from Vancouver to Sun Peaks and $975 to Kamloops.

“For larger groups, it’s very attractive for them to say ‘okay, let’s take Tastefull Excursions and get up there with all our gear.’”

by Chad Klassen

Kamloops tour operator ready to fill some of Greyhound’s void immediately

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