(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Tourism is Back

Tourism Kamloops hopes for short-term uptake, more visitor dollars in 2022 after border announcement

Jul 20, 2021 | 11:31 AM

KAMLOOPS — Monday’s (July 19) announcement from the federal government regarding international travelers returning to Canada was a welcome one for Tourism Kamloops.

Some of the industries expected to benefit from the return of U.S. travelers are leisure attractions – skiing, golfing, and breweries and wineries – while travelers from Germany and the U.K. engage with Kamloops’ trails and nature settings and explore the beaten paths.

However, as noted by Monica Dickinson, Tourism Kamloops’ director of industry relations and communications, the road to recovery and a full return to normal resembles a long, beaten path.

“This is not an overnight, back to normal fix. We still anticipate a three-to-five-year recovery process,” Dickinson said. “We’re expanding back into Alberta and key international markets. We’re excited to get back to the business of delivering experiences and welcoming people back to our community. But in the same breath, we’re very cautious to keep our residents safe and engaged and have them continue as advocates and ambassadors for our destinations.”

Tourism Kamloops tracks two metrics to measures its visitor and tourism economy. The first is the numbers of visitors in a year and season, and how much money is being spent in Kamloops.

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Dickinson said they treasure that Kamloops residents have engaged in local tourism activities, but the absence of international dollars has been notable since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Even though most of the summer will have passed by the time fully vaccinated Americans can visit, she’s optimistic for a busier autumn and winter.

“We talk about endless summer here in Kamloops, and truly that is September and early October. Our friends at Sun Peaks are hopeful to see a resurgence of American visitors for the upcoming ski season. I’m hopeful by the start of our traditional tourism season uptake in spring, leading into summer, we really start to see that visitor volume increase as per our efforts in those markets,” Dickinson said.

Until then, Dickinson noted that employment is still a challenge for the tourism sector following mass layoffs and terminations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, she said one of the main focuses is the balance of managing expectations from employers on the opportunity to welcome visitors back, while still attempting to provide great guest experiences.