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B.C. tourism industry dealing with pandemic, wildfires and record staffing shortages

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Tourism operators across B.C. trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic are now facing more challenges, including raging wildfires and record low staffing levels.

The Rocky Mountaineer company only runs sightseeing tours from spring to fall, and because of the COVID-19 pandemic, October 2019 was the last tour. Operations finally resumed this year on July 5.

“(We had), obviously, all the procedures to be safe with COVID, and then the fires started, so that’s impacted our train,” said CEO Mark Southern.

Some rail lines across B.C. have been closed due to fires burning either on or near the tracks.

“The corridor between Vancouver and Kamloops has been mostly closed, also between Quesnel and Whistler has been mostly closed; we haven’t been able to get trains through there,” Southern said. “That’s where we’ve been motor-coaching guests between Vancouver and Kamloops and then putting them back on a train.”

Still, Southern admits the challenges of altering operations to get around wildfires are “minor inconveniences compared to the devastation some of these communities have had to go through.”

Hotel operators are also being impacted, according to the B.C. Hotels Association. The group’s president and CEO, Ingrid Jarrett, says some areas are seeing cancelled bookings.

“South Okanagan, certainly the Interior and Kamloops, I think people are very cautious both to understand road openings or closures, as well as air quality,” Jarrett said.

Large parts of the southern Interior and Okanagan remained under an air quality advisory Saturday, though smoky conditions were beginning to ease with cooler temperatures through the week.

On top of the pandemic and wildfire challenges, the industry is also dealing with record low staffing levels.

Jarrett said between 30,000 and 35,000 workers are needed across the province right now.

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