With two of the province’s biggest wildfires burning on Vancouver Island, you might think that would lead to a downturn in tourism, but that’s not the case.
Brian Cant is president of Tourism Vancouver Island and tells 1130 NewsRadio that despite the two blazes near Port Alberni, people continue to visit.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!“We haven’t heard about visitors cancelling their trips to the island as much as perhaps just looking for destinations that aren’t Bamfield right now. I think the big focus for us is to really respect what the community is asking, what the First Nations are asking,” said Cant.
The Mount Underwood fire south of Port Alberni remains out of control and is 3,671 hectares in size. The Wesley Ridge Fire, on the other side of the community, is under control at 588 hectares. He explains plans are underway to help the community bounce back once the flames are out.
“We’re already in conversations with Port Alberni about what does the recovery marketing look like. A wildfire is a moment in time. It may last in the minds of people, but it will… be suppressed and put out and then what does it mean to create a campaign that welcomes people to the [Comox] Valley?”
Cant says given the dynamic nature of the fires, it may not be a bad idea to book a trip once the flames have been doused.
“If it’s essential to travel here, please use the alternate route. If it’s not essential, please consider coming at another time. And for us, that’s really how we ground our decision-making on what we push out to visitors. Our main concern is communicating information to visitors, especially in this local emergency.”
Cant explains that a few weeks ago, on the north side of Cameron Lake, there were some reports of people changing their plans.
“Departing early from Ucluelet or postponing their trip to Tofino, but it was pretty minor. And the fortunate part is following the wildfires in 2023, we’ve really been able to better coordinate messaging and response.”
“We’re already in conversations with Port Alberni about what does the recovery marketing look like.”
The fires come as tourism on the north side of the border booms as more Canadians sidestep travelling to the U.S.
“We’ve seen a lot more people choose Vancouver Island for their summer vacation. Even back in February, we were at some outdoor travel shows and people were coming up to the booths that were representing some of our communities in the region, and they were saying, ‘I’m coming out west this summer. Where do I need to go? I’m coming to the North Island. I usually go down to Colorado, but I’m choosing the Island this year.’ And we have seen that happen. We’ve seen a lot of domestic visitors come.”
He points out that Victoria is a hot spot.
“We’ve also seen a really big increase in people choosing places like Campbell River and the Comox Valley and finding places further north on the island. And Tofino, Ucluelet, Port Alberni — a lot of exploration there. If they’ve been here a few times before, they want to try somewhere new, and it’s really nice to see that dispersion happening across Vancouver Island.”
Given the rise in visitors, Cant says people seem to be willing to pay more to stay on this side of the border.
“It’s simple supply and demand. With the summer season and increase in visitors, we’ll see hotel rates tick up a bit. We’ll see even campground pricing go up a bit, and our response to that is if you don’t need to travel in the summer, there are plenty of times to come visit the island in the shoulder season, where it’s more affordable and it’s a bit quieter.”
He also says, despite the tensions with the U.S., Americans are still coming north.
“We continue to see Americans travel. There is a little bit of a dip there, and I think it’s understandable. The island in the summer is a huge draw for people in the hot, southern states because it’s cooler, even though for us it may feel really hot, it’s much cooler for them.”
In addition to the U.S., he says people are also coming in from the usual international markets like Germany, the U.K., Australia and Mexico.
“Those key markets continue to be a big focus for our marketing efforts. We’re also seeing a lot of people come from Ontario this year. A lot of people from Alberta. And a lot of British Columbians wanting to explore British Columbia.”