Our provincial tourism industry is going to be hit very hard this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. With flights cancelled, borders closed and travel restrictions in place, we will miss out on tourism revenue here in the South Cariboo. The messaging from Public Health Officials has shifted from ‘stay home’ to ‘stay safe’. So people in the tourism sector are calling on all British Columbians to spend their vacation time and money within the province’s borders this summer – and there are great family staycation spots all over our beautiful province.
Here in the South Cariboo, it’s pretty tough to beat our scenery, recreation opportunities and outdoor experiences. Consider sticking closer to home with summer holiday plans. Why not explore one of our hundreds of local lakes? Tent in the back yard with the kids? Or take day trips to parks when they re-open? For those travelling within BC, we are being encouraged to practice the usual safety precautions — physical distancing and hand hygiene, and certainly not to travel if you are feeling ill. It’s also recommended that anyone going camping or to a cabin, gas up close to home, and bring provisions with you to minimize contact with others.
Travelers visiting their cabins or staying at local resorts, and campers and RV’ers will most certainly visit us. These are great travel options that can be conducive to social distancing and will help our local tourism economy through a tough season. We are focusing our marketing efforts on attracting locals, people within the region and others in BC. Out of province travel will be reduced, but we will see some visitors from other provinces too.
Please remember, hostility toward these visitors is not productive. We should expect to see them here, and we need to be our Cariboo-friendly selves with them. Let’s not participate in the hostile behavior that we are seeing in the news. Whether you’re vacationing in a hammock in your backyard or taking a camping trip with your family, please enjoy the outdoors and everything our area has to offer – as close to home as possible. It will be energizing to disconnect from our phones for a little while and spend some quality family time together.
We Are Stronger Together!
Mayor and Council
District of 100 Mile House
For more information, visit www.100milehouse.com
South Cariboo Visitor Centre
