Uncertain future for Vancouver Island tourism as pandemic 'circuit breaker' rules expected to ease

For the downtown Victoria tourist attraction Miniature World, revenues couldn't get much tinier.

Manager Megan Kellar said visitors to see their scaled-down dioramas dropped sharplyafter the B.C. government announced expanded "circuit-breaker" measures at the end of March, includingbanson non-essential travel and accommodation bookings.

"This would be a really crazy busy day for us, especially right in the middle of the afternoon," Kellar said. "But I actually think we've only had one customer today."

Miniature World is among an estimated 3,000-plus tourism businesses on Vancouver Island, based on 2017 industryfigures, which put the sector among the region's top economic drivers. That was before it was crushed bythe pandemic.

An unscientificsampling of tourism owners and operators on the Island reflectedcommon concerns about the urgency of providing a clear roadmap for easing restrictions and in particular, for reopening borders.

Many are anxiouslywaiting to hearthe B.C. government's recoveryplans to be announcedMay 25, looking for ways to makeup at least past ofthe past year's losses this summer.

A year ago, Victoria Butterfly Gardensreopened its conservatory and collection of exotic butterflies and tropical creatures to the public after a couple of months of keeping the plants and animals alive but the doors closed.

"It's a lot slower, of course, without the cruise ships and any international travel of any kind," general manager Ronalea Rischmiller said.

However, increasedvisits and annual pass purchases by locals has helped offset the loss ofcharter buses full ofout-of-towners over the past year.

Rischmillersaid government subsidies helped get Butterfly Gardens through the worst of the pandemic setbacksand she's optimistic for more customers and further reopeningas vaccinationrates rise.

At Dolphins Resort near Campbell River, general manager Paul Dowlerpreparesto reopen their dozen oceanfront cabins and Anglers restaurant after the 'circuit-breaker' restrictions on indoor dining and non-local lodging guests expires.

Unlike many newer, highly leveraged lodges and wilderness tour providers, Dowler says Dolphins Resortwill weather the pandemic.

But the current inability to confirm bookings even far in advancemay drive international customers to other destinations that are ready to serve them, he said.

"We're talking to a lot of people, Americans in particular, that are vaccinated and they're ready to travel," Dowler said. "And it's hard to make them feel like they're welcomed when you don't have any kind of a guideline to lay out for them as to what the future is going to be."

Campbell River Whale Watching owner Stephen Gabrysh is one of those newer tour providers.Hebought hisbusiness four years ago. He's also president of the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association.

"In a normal season, you know,up to 60, 70 per cent of our business would be international with a lot of that primarily being from Europe and some American."

With the borders closed, Gabrysh estimates his business lost 70 per cent of revenues in 2020, and colleagues in the industry have lost 70 to 90 per cent.

With files from CBC Radio's On the Island