Image Credit: Adam Donnelly

By Adam Donnelly

SUN PEAKS & TOURISM KAMLOOPS

Thompson Valley tourism industry hopes to attract visitors from closer to home this summer

Jun 15, 2020 | 4:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — According to Tourism Kamloops numbers, our city welcomed 2 million visitors in 2019, which resulted in nearly half a billion dollars worth of economic impact.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 won’t be nearly as successful a year for tourism in the region. However, both Tourism Kamloops and Sun Peaks Resort are hoping they can mitigate those losses by inviting locals and others who live within driving distance of the area to explore their backyards.

Sun Peaks’ annual summer concert series are often a highlight for locals who make the short trip up to the mountain. Performers like Blue Rodeo, Colin James, Serena Ryder, and Big Sugar have drawn music lovers from across BC over the years. COVID-19 has put a stop to that — at least for this summer.

“It’ll be a bit different this year without those big events taking place,” Sun Peaks Resort Chief Marketing Officer Aidan Kelly explains. “We’re not doing the big concerts; we’re not doing those other large scale events. It’s all been toned down significantly, and we’re focusing on those core activities: the golf course, the mountain bike park and the hiking trails.”

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Sun Peaks has already felt the sting of lost revenue during the pandemic. The resort shut down in mid-March, about a month before the end of the ski season. Kelly expects a reduction in summer visits, as well.

“It’s going to impact us, for sure,” Kelly explains. “We normally do quite a bit of international clientele through tour bus traffic in the summer season, and we obviously don’t have that happening, with no flights and the borders being closed.”

The tourism situation across the region is set to improve as the official start to summer approaches.

“The golf courses are open, our wineries are open, our breweries are open, and the trails are always open, so grab a mountain bike or go hiking,” Monica Dickinson with Tourism Kamloops says.

In late May, Tourism Kamloops received funding from the province to help re-ignite the visitor economy, once it’s safe to do so. Dickinson hopes folks who live within a few hours’ drive of the city will take this opportunity to explore close to home.

“The work that Tourism Kamloops has done historically has been targeted at markets near us,” Dickinson says. “So the drive market — Vancouverites and Calgarians — have been a large part of receiving our messages to come to visit Kamloops.”

Sun Peaks plans to limit the number of guests who can be on the mountain or the golf course at one time, so Kelly suggests reserving a spot before you make your way up is the best plan. Even with the limited operation, the hope is that Kamloops locals and day-trippers alike feel the need to get out and enjoy what the resort has to offer.

“There’s a lot of pent-up demand for people to get outside and recreate in the mountains. Especially in the local market, here in Kamloops,” Kelly says. “We felt that it was important, even if it is a little bit of a restricted operation, that we’re able to open up and have that outlet for people to come to have some fun.”