'Things collapsed instantly': Thompson-Okanagan businesses still reeling from travel ban
CTV
All travel restrictions have been lifted in B.C. just days after they were introduced, but visitors are not coming back in the same numbers that were expected.
All travel restrictions have been lifted in B.C. just days after they were introduced, but visitors are not coming back in the same numbers that were expected.
Last Saturday, the premier announced the ban on non-essential travel to the Central Interior and Southeast B.C., in an effort to free up accommodation spaces for wildfire evacuees and frontline responders.
“Things collapsed instantly. Phone just rang off the hook with people saying I need to cancel my reservation,” said Wyn Lewis, owner of Vibrant Vine winery in Kelowna.
He said the Saturday before, they welcomed 400 visitors, and that number drastically dropped to 23 after the travel restrictions were announced.
“So it was as bad as the depths of COVID. It was really, really bad. As soon as people were told to stay away from Kelowna, the tourist business basically dried up completely,” Lewis said.
He said the raging wildfires in the area was a “traumatic” experience, as several of his employees had to be evacuated.
But now things are starting to look up, as visitors packed the lawn to enjoy the winery’s concert series.
