BC Ferry Cut Will Hurt Says Tourism BC
Prince George, B.C.- Tourism BC is not too happy with the just released route changes announced by B.C Ferries.
In particular, the cancellation of route 40 the “Discovery Coast” run, will have a serious impact says Tourism BC Executive Director Ian Robertson “The 'circle' route connecting Vancouver, Port Hardy, Bella Coola with the Cariboo Chilcotin is one of BC's most scenic journeys that attracts tourists from around the world."
He says the timing of the announcement couldn’t have been worse “Tourism operators in these regions have been receiving bookings for the 2014 season for months, and now they will have to be cancelled. This decision means that they will definitely lose revenue and jobs—and many may lose their businesses.”
Robertson says Tourism BC had hoped there would be “more meaningful collaboration and dialogue” on how cutting this particular service could have been avoided. “We expected, at a minimum, that we would be able to work with the Ministry on an appropriate implementation date that would spare our operators and their customers at least for this year's tourism season."
He says the Tourism BC Association is willing to work with government officials and the BC Ferry Corporation on developing a solution that would support the tourism industry.
Comments
Brain dead leaders are running our ship!
Please tell me the CEO and high end executives will still be getting their ridiculous salaries.. It just wouldn’t be right if they had to suffer cuts too….
No Wonder, BC Ferries has been an incompetent organization for many years. I’m glad I don’t have to rely on them like many do.
Good ole BC Ferries, raising fares and cutting back on service… but hasn’t this always been the case?
http://edocs.lib.sfu.ca/cgi-bin/Cartoons?CartoonID=4089
Just privatize it. BC Ferries, like ICBC is overbloated, full of highly paid people that do very little.
Washington state ferry and Blackball cheaper especially with an rv if going to the island.
The disconnect between the agencies of the government is gobsmacking. Tourism, touted by the government to be BC’s number 2 economic generator and our ‘green legacy’, apparently has no influence with a service arm of the same government. BC Ferries sure appears more interested in maintaining high executive salaries and benefits for current and past employees than serving the public interests of the province.
I toured the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island this summer. I had wanted to take the Bella Coola route, but the scheduling was down right dumb. The boat sets sail from Bella Coola at sunset and sails during the night… so why would I pay a $1000 to take that route and sail at night missing all the scenery one would want to see if taking that sail?
Must be a logic to that somewhere, but I choose to take another route, rather than waste my time and money. IMO those routes are as much about the sail as they are a vital transportation route and should be treated as such.
“He says the Tourism BC Association is willing to work with government officials and the BC Ferry Corporation on developing a solution that would support the tourism industry.”
Obviously BC Ferry was not willing to do that.
Totally agree anotherside… they are embarrassing to watch. This organization needs a serious make over. This is what the ski hi wages these elite managers gets us.
Don’t think for 1 second that this is the work of BC Ferries and not the provincial government. What the article doesn’t say is that the Tourism Industry Association commissioned an economic impact study, something the government neglected to do incidentally, that proved route 40 was actually quite profitable to the provincial coffers when all aspects were considered. For a party that promotes itself as the right-wing supporter of business, this government sure doesn’t know how to run one.
they’re driving us into bankruptcy and making us look like idiots to the rest of the world. We’ve got to do something before there’s nothing left!!!
How about advertising these elite executive jobs at one third of the present rate when they are about to expire, stating that this is all the employer can afford?
If there are no takers, promote eager and knowledgeable employees from the lower ranks for whom the offered one third remuneration would be a great step up?
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