BC Ferries’ new requirement to reserve a spot when sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo will no doubt be a major shift for travelers.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog fears the change will also lead to fewer visitors in his city.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!He is worried the requirement could hurt tourism by turning spontaneous travel into a headache.
“People are used to having regular ferry service, taking the risks if they don’t get a reservation,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.
“But now, when [BC Ferries] has gone to a full reservation, pay up front system, I think that’s a challenge for folks and people will be reluctant to make that commitment.”
He says the level of inconvenience may become problematic.
“Because things happen. You want to get back to the island sooner or whatever the case may be. Your plans are not settled. Are you going to pay upfront for something you may not be able to take advantage of?”
And Mayor Krog is not only concerned about the immediate impact the change may have – he says that, as the reservation-only policy will be in effect for the foreseeable future, the impact may continue through the next tourist seasons.
“We had an extraordinary summer this year in Nanaimo for tourism, and I am concerned that a wrinkle, if you will, of the ferries reservation system will diminish the strength of our fall, winter, spring tourism and obviously may have an impact potentially in the summer next year as well,” he said.
BC Ferries says its policy is in response to a multi-year construction of the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.
While some construction already started this summer, larger construction activities commenced this October, including the deconstruction of the elevated concrete holding area.
Due to the size of the reconstruction, BC Ferries says the reservation-only policy ensures passenger safety by managing vehicle traffic.
During this phase of work, vehicle space inside the terminal is expected to be reduced by approximately 25 per cent.
The new policy, which only affects the sailing from West Vancouver to Nanaimo, will remain throughout the multi-year construction project.
With files from Michael Williams.