Local tourism businesses have been hard hit by the pandemic and have had to make big changes in order to survive.
One of those is the Salmon Valley Campground, which suffered a massive reduction in revenue as a result of COVID-19.
With a shortened operating season, a drop in capacity to accommodate for social distancing, and most challenging of all, a loss of U.S. and international tourists travelling up the Alaska Highway, 2020 presented an array of challenges for the campground.
“Trust me, I had tears," said owner Bobbi Carpino in a news release.
"We didn’t know if we were going to open…you start to wonder like – did I do the right thing?"
As soon as it became available in late April, Caprino enrolled in the Northern BC Tourism Resiliency Program which provides guidance to help businesses adapt to, and work towards, recovery.
With the help of the program, Caprino chose to refocus her business model to move away from being an events venue and more toward a family-oriented resort and attraction, with a newfound emphasis on safety.
Another northern B.C. tourism operator that was forced to adapt as a result of COVID19 is Last Frontier Heli-Skiing, the first heliskiing operation to open in the region.
Due to COVID-19 closing the borders, it's also experiencing a loss of their largest market of international travellers.
“The impact on our business was immediate. We lost four weeks of operation in the spring of 2020,” said spokesperson Steve Rosset.
"Being a part of the Tourism Resiliency Network has reminded me that we are not in this alone.”
Instead of opting to shut down this winter, Last Frontier pivoted in the face of the pandemic to market to Canadian travellers at a 50 per cent discount.
Although it won't be generating the same revenues as a typical year, staff were able to stay employed and create interest from the domestic market.
The Northern BC Tourism Resiliency Program has two business resiliency specialists Alex Buri and Jennifer Moore, who work directly with tourism businesses across northern B.C. to build their long-term resiliency.
“Northern B.C. is my backyard and the health of the businesses and organizations here are near and dear to my heart. It is so exciting to see and hear success stories already coming out of this new program,” says Jennifer Moore.
“The renewed dedication to the program is just another signal of how important tourism is to our province and local businesses,” adds Alex Buri.
The program is still taking applicants and businesses across the region are encouraged to register online.
