Prince George, B.C. – It’s just a matter of time before the 76 cent Canadian dollar starts to benefit the tourism sector in northern, B.C.

That from Clint Fraser, CEO of Northern BC Tourism, at the organization’s AGM and Conference in Prince George this week.

“Absolutely. We’re definitely seeing an increase into B.C., especially from our key U.S. markets – Washington State and California,” he says.

“And we expect to see that in northern B.C. later on as the trip planning for northern B.C. is usually a bit further out than just jumping across the border.”

However Fraser says the industry in general is not without its homegrown challenges.

“We’re doing fairly well but I think we’re all aware of what those challenges are in the industry around ferry service reduction and fishing regulation changes.”

But overall he’s maintaining an optimistic outlooks, especially in light of the increased profile Prince George received from the Canada Winter Games.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in it, I mean our city, Prince George, and our region got exposed on a national stage and we kind of put some tools in place to raise the profile of our tourism experiences,” says Fraser.

“And now it’s just a matter of following up on those and hopefully seeing some repeat or return visitation out of it.”