Tourism industry concerned about reputation

Tourism operators from Prince George westward are hoping that things return to normal relatively quickly in Northern BC, concerned that successive years of transportation troulbes may impact on the tourism industry for years to come.

From last years Queen of the North disaster, to this years flooding problems, tour operators and industry participants have fears of tour providers looking to less complicated parts of the country to steer their customers.

The Prince George Citizen featured the story on its website.


Tourism sector feeling impact from flooding
(News) 16 hrs, 50 min. ago
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff

Disruption of rail service and closure of Highway 16 due to high flood levels in northwestern B.C. is not only hurting business for local bed and breakfasts, but throwing long-planned holidays into disarray, local operators say.

Sharron McBride of the Prince George Bed and Breakfast Hotline said the events have had a "definite impact on the B and Bs" in terms of cancellations and just as important, they've thwarted vacations that have been planned sometimes years in advance.

"It's difficult because some of them are supposed to get cruises up to Alaska from Prince Rupert," she said. "One couple (from Honolulu) that one lady told me about, they were supposed to go on a sailing ship out of the Queen Charlottes and now they're desperately trying to get there.

"The sad part is these are vacations that people have planned sometimes two-to-five years from other parts of the world. Usually the Europeans book us six months to a year ahead ... it's just that mother nature had other plans."

Unable to travel through to Prince Rupert since Tuesday, VIA Rail's Skeena train service has been forced to stop short at Prince George since Tuesday before heading back to Jasper. And Highway 16 west of the Highway 37 junction remains closed.

Tourism Prince George manager Deborah Kulchiski said an advisory has been distributed to visitor information centres throughout B.C. warning about the closure and asking travel counsellors to provide alternate routes and plans.

Visitor’s travelling to destinations in northern B.C., Yukon and Alaska are being encouraged to travel either Highway 16 and 37, or Highway 97 north.

Arbor Bed and Breakfast owner Julie Griffiths said she's lost guests and is still waiting for word on whether those booked for the weekend will be arriving.

"There's a lot of uncertainty," said Griffiths, who is also the northern B.C. representative of the B.C. Innkeepers. "It's a big dilemma for the B and B operators as to whether or not to assume these people aren't coming and then when other people phone up to reserve rooms, do you tell them the room's full when the likelihood of these people showing up isn't huge."

She's also concerned about long-term fallout if the situation continues much longer.

"There are a lot of tour companies that book the Jasper, Prince George, Prince Rupert, down the Inland Passage route and last year we had the sinking of the ferry that just messed everything up and this year we have this," she said.

"My long-range concern is some of these groups are going to quit looking at that tour as being one of the premier things to do in western Canada and it takes years and years to overcome that kind of thing."