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Published on : Wednesday, November 11, 2020
As parts of B.C. come to terms with the new restrictions to prevent virus spread, one sector has raised the alarm over the effect on businesses and livelihoods.
Finally, tourism sector that started preparing for a busy winter is at present facing cancellations due to the new health orders.
Tourism revenue in Victoria has dropped by over 70 per cent in last month, as per Paul Nursey, the CEO of Destination Greater Victoria.
“We have been doing OK, we’ve been getting a little bit of business on the weekends but now that’s going to go away and that’s going to hurt, no doubt about it,” he said.
He said that the new health order, in place until Nov. 23, does not prohibit, but “strongly encourages” to keep travelling to Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions out of their agenda. “We also know that this virus was being spread when people were travelling around the province,” B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday.
“This, of course, increases our risk, not just in those areas where we’re seeing increased cases but around the province. We know that this virus moves with people and it is us who have the ability to stop that transmission.”
The British Columbia Hotel Association is quite concerned about the recent restrictions imposed.
“Our industry was devastated on the ninth of March and we’ve had a couple of pockets around the province that have done all right through the summer and fall months but we’re sitting at 30 per cent occupancy for the year, 2020, with about 50 per cent down of average rate, which means businesses are in the red,” Ingrid Jarrett from the British Columbia Hotel Association told Global News.
Also, she said they couldn’t make their way in the provincial or federal funds as they are not eligible.