This summer is shaping up to be a busy one for South Cariboo tourism operators as more Canadians prepare to vacation within the country.
Julie Gilmore, the manager of the South Cariboo Visitor Centre, said she has seen an increase in Canadians coming into the centre this summer, asking for guides for Canadian locations. She noted they usually don't get cross-Canada interest and just focus on B.C., so they've recently brought in some guides to Jasper and Lake Louise to meet demand.
"We've seen a lot of locals come in looking for Canada maps and planning their trips to go across Canada or stay within certain provinces," Gilmore remarked. "I think it's wonderful. We live in such a beautiful country, B.C. itself has so many hidden gems. I think it's great for our economy that we stay and explore because a lot of people have not explored Canada or B.C."
In addition, Gilmore said she and her team spent last week meeting with and visiting local resort operators. All have reported being busy and that despite the current tension between the United States of America and Canada, they haven't lost any of their U.S. business. Gilmore noted that at the visitor centre, which is located on the route that leads to Alaska, she also hasn't noticed a noticeable change in Americans passing through.
"We've been seeing a lot of U.S. citizens coming up still and going on to Alaska, getting out, stretching and using our amenities. They seem all very friendly, so I don't think it's going to affect us in tourism," Gilmore said.
So far this year the visitor centre has been open from Tuesdays to Saturdays and just switched back to their seven-day schedule. In that time, Gilmore noted she's seen a steady increase in people coming to the visitors' centre and in June, the area's busy season begins.
"I think we're going to have a busy season, just from what I've learned from tourism operators here in the area. They're all booked and doing very well, so I'm hoping we see a busy season," Gilmore remarked.
The only factors that may impede a busy season, Gilmore noted, would be poor weather and major disasters like wildfires. If these factors don't come into play, she is optimistic the area might reach its pre-pandemic tourism numbers this summer.
In 2019, Gilmore said the visitor centre logged between 18,000 to 20,000 different visitors. Last year, they counted around 11,192 separate visitors, though Gilmore noted this number only includes individuals who came physically into the visitor centre.
"This year we're going into more roaming ambassadors, so we plan to be down at the South Cariboo Farmers Market to reach out to those guests who have not (come in) so we can count them that way," Gilmore said. "We've done the outdoor show here locally and then I'm going to be at the South Cariboo Garlic Festival as well. We're hoping once we get out and get more visible, we can have a better sense of how much really is in the region."
