Early Signs For Tourism Season Look Promising
The view in Prince Rupert on a sunshine-filled afternoon Facebook
Prince George, BC – It’s been a long, slow recovery in terms of tourism since the economic downturn in 2008…
That, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern BC Tourism Association. Anthony Everett says, "What we’re seeing since 2010 in Northern BC is stable, or flat, numbers and I think this is the first year we’ll see an uptick in and around our region." (photo at right shows Port of Prince Rupert’s Atlin dock, courtesy Facebook)
Everett says association reps have been to a number of trade shows where they’ve spoken with tour companies booking trips to the region and with consumers directly, and, on all fronts, it seems like more people are expressing an interest in visiting the region.
The Association CEO admits our area may have fared better than others through the downturn. "When travellers make the decision to come, they’re already making an investment in time and money," he says. "Our numbers didn’t drop off quite like they would have done in Vancouver or even the Kootenay Rockies, where there’s a lot more cross-border or weekend travellers."
Everett says the opportunity/challenge/trick is getting them to stay in the region longer. One way the NBCTA endeavours to make that happen is a program unique to the region called iShare – giving all local tourism associations in Northern BC a detailed listing of events in other communities that they can use to encourage visitors to take in an event as they motor through the region.
But Everett admits, "So many factors go into people’s decisions and you can’t discount something like weather – in the summer, people want to have a warm vacation, they don’t want to be impacted by forest fires, things like that." With the lion’s share of visitors to BC on a touring holiday, if the weather is bad, they simply drive on to their next destination.
It is early goings in the season, with the first RVs just being spotted on the roads, but Everett says the northwest and northeast have already reported that ‘business’ is picking up.
Comments
A sunshine filled afternoon is a rare occurrence in Prince Rupert.
Infrequent, but Prince Rupert on a sunny day is spectacular in its beauty.
CL
Is that an Oil tanker in the bay? or a Cargo ship for shipping cans.
Its Enbridge advertising that oil tankers are a tourist attraction.
No good well maintained accessible campgrounds really hurts this region when compared to others. Its highway traffic we are after is it not? Other places have a good mix of private campgrounds and public recreation sites that are more accessible and conducive to a tourism industry.
We are behind the times and backwards in Northern BC and no amount of media marketing will change that.
Does Target allow camping at their stores ?
I am surprised there is not a picture of the local wal-mart store with over-nighters galore..and the dirt ground at the casino is just about as bad. Shame on Prince George. These highways link countries together, as well as provinces.
Eat here and get gas. That’s as good as it gets. Plus empty yer pockets in the casino and justify it by telling yerself you “were entertained”. Carry on.
If we marketed provincial assets like the provincial parks we would have a better leg up on attracting tourists to this region and with a bigger tourism industry this wold spill over into more opportunity for the private operators.
Problem is Northern BC Tourism, although funded by provincial tax payers, is not a provincial agency. Northern BC Tourism is a stakeholder owned private not for profit agency that is tasked with marketing for its stakeholders, and not for the province or provincial assets. That IMO is the problem with the current system… ignoring world class potential assets in favor of a lower standard, marketing sub standard private operators who happen to be ‘stakeholders’.
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