Border Rules Shouldn't Hurt Northern Tourism

Monday, June 01, 2009 03:30 PM

Prince George, B.C.- The CEO of the Northern BC Tourism Association doesn't think new travel regulations at the U.S. border will put a clamp on American visits to Northern British Columbia.

As of today, those that want to cross the Canada-U.S. border will need a passport, a Nexus Card, or an enhanced driver's licence.

But Anthony Everitt with Northern BC Tourism says most American travellers that visit the north are well educated about the requirements of getting across the border and generally plan visits for weeks at a time.

"We're really not anticipating any effect with travellers we see from the U.S. into northern British Columbia for a number of reasons. For a number of years now these regulations were coming into effect and the travellers that we typically get from the States are coming for 14 to 21 days, and they're very informed travellers. So in the work that we do, people seem very prepared for the change."

Everitt says border communities in the south will likely feel the impact of the new legislation. But he says, from what he's hearing, the rules are less of a concern than when they were identified.

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Posted on Monday, June 01, 2009 03:30 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on June 1 2009 6:16 PM

We will see. On the upside one can camp out on the Walmart parking lot without being hassled this summer.

Posted by: BCRacer on June 1 2009 7:25 PM

yep or even on city property...there was a real tent city in the swimming pool parking lot last year. for days on end...

but it won't be a problem for me...have no intentions of spending my money in yankee land....or on yankee goods....been 5 years now and still haven't had to buy yankee...

Posted by: lmorge on June 1 2009 10:16 PM

Northern Tourism? They're only enroute to alaska.

Posted by: supertech on June 1 2009 11:24 PM

good point. Tourism here is for hunting and fishing but not usually PG.

Posted by: Eagleone on June 2 2009 9:54 AM

Tourism in Northern BC has no real advocate of tourism IMO only a slush fund operated by and for certain private/special interests with our public dollars. I should know I once administered the trust accounts of nearly $3 million dollars with operating costs of just under a million per year. I was in favor of the public good, which is why I was fired back then. Administering public dollars is not about the public good, but rather whats in it for the private directors of the public funds.

Northern BC has some of the best provincial and recreation camp sites in the world and you will never see one dollar spent on promoting this with our public dollars, but those same dollars will promote all sorts of individual private enterprises.

IMO promoting our natural tourism infrastructure advantages like our provincial parks is a far better strategy with public dollars, because it is a good sell and the spin off benefits to private tourism operators will far exceed the benefit they have going it alone on their own marketing arrangements that ignore the public services available throughout the north. IMO they have no plan and never have had one for tourism in Northern BC... its all about marketing for private interests and each wanting to get their share of the public dollars.

Posted by: Harbinger on June 2 2009 5:07 PM

Prince George. Eat here and get gas.

Posted by: Eagleone on June 3 2009 7:25 AM

Sometimes I say to much....

Posted by: observer on June 3 2009 8:25 AM

A very interesting post Eagleone.

The BCAA tourism magazine "Westworld" gets delivered to me on a regular basis and I NEVER see anything promoting Prince George in it. I read cover to cover every time I get a magazine just to see if Prince George is mentioned but it is invariably everywhere else that gets the travel write-ups and who are advertising their various amenities.
Nothing about Prince George. Why is this do you think?

Harbinger's right - eat here and get gas.