Tourism groups support B.C. move to limit travel
As signs are expected to be posted at the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia to advise against non-essential travel between provinces, border towns and local tourism groups are encouraging people to hit pause on interprovincial travel plans until the spread of COVID-19 slows.
The signs at the border are part of B.C. Premier John Horgan's strategy to discourage recreational trips between provinces and within B.C. while active cases remain high and variant cases continue to spread. Though more details on the new measures are expected Friday, the province is planning periodic roadblocks and police checkstops to limit non-essential travel.
“To be in a situation to say, `hold off on travel right now because we have to follow the orders coming on Friday,' is tough. But if we have to do that to save summer, then that's what we have to do,” Jikke Gyorki, the executive director of Tourism Fernie, said Tuesday.
She said it'll be hard on the hospitality and tourism industries to endure more travel restrictions because they've been so heavily hit by previous measures, but she's optimistic the vaccine rollout will allow travel to relaunch in June.
“We love our Prairie neighbours — Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — they're a big part of our economy. So, it's sad to say you can't travel here right now,” she said.
Horgan said the B.C. government has been working with the tourism industry and BC Ferries to cancel current and future bookings from people who live outside the area. The restrictions are anticipated to be in place until at least the May long weekend.
“Let's bear down for the next five weeks so that we can have the summer that all of us desperately, desperately want,” Horgan said during a news conference Monday.
There are no plans to implement similar measures in Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney said during Tuesday's news conference.
Kenney said he spoke with Horgan last week about B.C.'S ongoing concern about interprovincial travel. He said he respects B.C.'S decision.
“This is not the time for non-essential travel. We have seen a number of the very contagious P.1 Brazilian variant cases come to Alberta from travel from British Columbia,” said Kenney.
It is not an absolute closure of the border, the premier said.
“If we can just bend down this curve now and let the vaccines get ahead of the variants, then I am certain we'll be able to get back to regular travel in the summer,” Kenney added.
Alberta reported 1,345 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the number of active cases to 18,481. More than 10,000 of those cases are variants of concern.
Tourism Canmore Kananaskis interim CEO Rachel Ludwig said the temporary loss of travellers from B.C. won't hurt local tourism too much, because most tourists in the area right now are from Alberta.
“We are still open for Albertans to explore our wide-open spaces,” said Ludwig, adding that travellers are expected to follow Alberta's health measures. “But it is important to get COVID under control so that travel is possible this summer. Getting vaccinated when you're able is an important step in the right direction.”
Invermere Mayor Al Miller said everyone needs to do their part now to keep people safe in the long term, as more vaccines are administered in both provinces.
Invermere has seen an increase in out-of-town visitors to the area, as well as many Albertans moving more permanently to their second properties in B.C., Miller said. But with cases rising in the valley, he has been worried about the added strain on the local health system.