Revelstoke’s tourism industry is trying to stay positive, despite feeling the impacts of COVID-19. Tourism Revelstoke media coordinator Robyn Goldsmith said heliski operators are seeing immediate impacts and a number of bus tours operators have canceled trips and hotel rooms.
Robyn Goldsmith said Tourism Revelstoke is following the advice of Destination BC, which has a coronavirus page that is being regularly updated.
Locally, Goldsmith said conversations surrounding tourism and COVID-19 have included discussions on reallocating marketing dollars to focus on short haul travelers rather than overseas visitors, and marketing B.C. as a safe destination with a focus on travelers from B.C. and Alberta.
“Domestic travel already generates 74 per cent of visits and 48 per cent of our tourism revenue in BC. There is potential to continue generating revenue from those markets,” said Goldsmith.
Tourism Revelstoke is advising businesses to offer guests who cancel the opportunity to reschedule without financial penalty, and to be flexible with cancellation and refund policies if rescheduling isn’t possible.They are recommending international travelers with plans to come to Revelstoke follow the travel advisory set out in their country.
“We are committed to guest safety and will provide travelers with the most current information available,” said Goldsmith.
In a social media post, the City of Revelstoke states “the health and well-being of our community and visitors is always our number one priority. The City of Revelstoke is in daily communications with Interior Health and Federal Agencies and is closely monitoring the situation with the Coronavirus, COVID-19.” The statement further notes the city and Interior Health are prepared with emergency plans in place. However, as the Mountaineer online has reported, Interior Health is sharing few, if any, details about COVID-19 preparations in Revelstoke and has apparently been banned from speaking to local media.
While the helicat industry has seen some cancellations, HeliCat Canada executive administrator Corrina Stafford said the environment is moving quickly and it’s difficult to provide up to date details.
“So far we do not know the full extent of the impact on the helicat industry because things are changing so rapidly. There have been some cancellations reported from travelers visiting from areas affected by Government of Canada Level 3 travel advisories, and we are continuing to monitor the situation and keep educated on the most up to date information,” Stafford said in an email to the Mountaineer.
Stafford said that as of Friday, March 13, all helicat businesses were still operating. She said operators are following government and official health authority recommendations and safety measures.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort also remains open, but has canceled the Spring Melter event scheduled for April 19, 2020. A statement on its website notes the “health and safety of our employees and guests is our top priority which includes maintaining high standards for cleaning and sanitation.”
Travel outside of Canada
An official global travel advisory is asking Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel.
Ange Mowbray, owner of Travel Escapes in Revelstoke said the outbreak of COVID-19 is devastating for the travel industry and that airlines and everyone else in the industry are doing all they can in the face of constantly changing circumstances and information.
There are no known cases of COVID-19 in Revelstoke at this time and so far, all tourism-related businesses remain open.
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