Tourism hangover from fires

The hospitality business is feeling the aftershocks of two record wildfire seasons in the South Okanagan-Similkameen, seeing disappointingly few bookings for August and September due to travellers fearing to commit to an area that saw heavy smoke and flames in recent years. 

"I think that's part of the situation, is that people are a little timid to do their bookings," said Travel Penticton executive director Thom Tischik. "They are doing some bookings but they are generally last minute."

2018 is the worst wildfire season on record in the province, earning that title just one year after 2017 was given the same designation. 2,090 wildfires and more than 1.3 million hectares burned during 2018, and the South Okanagan battled some of the largest blazes. August saw much of the smoke and fire threats. 

Tischik says those facts, and the nickname "Smokanagan" that was earned during the many days both years when thick wildfire smoke settled in the valley and surrounding communities, are why tourists thought twice before booking Okanagan summer vacations months in advance in 2019.

"This year, it was completely different. So what is normal? There is no new normal. What we have is a situation that you have to try to enjoy life and enjoy the fact that travelling to various areas, whether that's B.C. or anywhere you want to go, you're at the mercy of the weather," Tischik said. "We can't do anything about that."

On average, forty per cent of wildfires in B.C. are human-caused, and Tischik said he hopes more can be done to lower that number.

And it isn't just Penticton feeling the tourism crunch.

Cathedral Lakes Lodge, located southwest of Keremeos, knows as well as anyone how wildfires can affect business. They were evacuated twice in 2018, as well as once in 2017. Each time, that meant refunding guest costs, forgoing the profit, and facing the fact that the area was earning a reputation as a place prone to wildfires. 

"We see tourists, but you know, it's not like previous years," said Glenda Patterson, reservation agent with Cathedral Lakes Lodge. "Everybody booked June and July, we opened early, and were full. But nobody had pre-booked August over the winter."

Patterson said they are looking at "a few hundred thousand" dollars loss in profit from lack of bookings due to people steering clear of the Southern Interior.

As a result, they are running a last-minute booking special, offering a free night's stay with two-night packages. 

"This year is good," Patterson said. "We don't know, next year we could have another forest fire season, and this is the year to come."