Cooler weather and rain have raised hopes in the Alberta city of Jasper that wildfires will soon be contained and the iconic tourist destination may begin to recover.
But with Canada once again facing above-normal wildfire activity, many who work in the tourism industry are wondering if it’s worth it.
“It’s really a gamble to be in the tourism industry right now,” said Mandy Nordan, owner of the Milas Vista Inn in Tofino, B.C.
Nordan said the 2023 fire season will be different from previous years, and government data backs that up.
About 18.5 million hectares of Canadian land have burned in 2023, making it the worst wildfire season on record, beating the previous record of 7.6 million hectares burned in 1989.
Tofino, a major tourist destination in British Columbia, was also affected by fires on Vancouver Island last month, though it was not hit directly.
Story continues below ad
“Nobody showed up,” Nordan said. “All of our reservations for June were canceled.”
When Nordan heard news of Jasper’s devastation that was once again scaring away tourists, she thought the worst was over.
“We’re already getting calls from people saying they can’t come. It affects business but you can’t blame people,” she said.
The full extent of the damage in Jasper will not be known for some time, but officials estimate that 30 to 50 percent of all buildings in the town may have been destroyed by the fire.
This includes long-standing hotels, lodges, inns, restaurants, cafes, etc.
Beth Potter, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events are now being taken into consideration by businesses.
Get the latest news from Canada and around the world delivered to your inbox as it happens.
Get the latest news from around the country
For stories impacting Canada and the world, sign up for breaking news alerts to get them delivered straight to you as they happen.
By providing your email address, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Global News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“As an industry, we’ve spent a lot of time and effort over the past few years putting together emergency preparedness plans to make visitors feel safe,” she told Global News.
“It’s now part of our standard operations.”
And the stakes are high: The tourism industry is expected to generate $113 billion in 2023 and support one in every 10 Canadian jobs, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
Story continues below ad
“We’re in every part of the country, in every constituency,” Potter said.
Wildfires already cost Canadians hundreds of millions of dollars a year. They are one of the costliest weather events in Canadian history. The Okanagan and Shuswap wildfires in British Columbia last August and September caused $720 million in damages, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Last year’s wildfires in Tantallon, Nova Scotia caused more than $165 million in damages.
“The costs of these events are enormous and given the extreme events that are occurring, it will have a significant impact on everything from rebuild costs to insurance costs for these businesses,” Potter said.
But she added that in addition to the costs of such weather events, the industry is also hit by the widespread global coverage of extreme weather events, which she said can have ripple effects beyond the affected area.
“They (international tourists) don’t understand that when there’s a fire in one part of our country, other parts of our country remain open,” she said.
“We have work to do to ensure the world knows Canada is still a destination for summer vacations, business events and summer business trips this year.”
What’s popular now
Tour of Jasper wildfire damage reveals destroyed homes, hotels
Celine Dion is back! She returns to the stage with a captivating Olympic performance
Story continues below ad
In addition to the wildfires, Canada’s winter sports industry also faces an uncertain future due to global warming, with a report from last June predicting that Canadian ski slopes will have to rely increasingly on artificial snow.
“The results indicate that snow requirements (snow depth) will increase above the baseline in all regional markets under all climate change scenarios in the 2050s,” the report said.
2:30 Jasper Wildfire: Rain and cool weather slows fire spread in national park
Potter said the warming climate is forcing the industry to diversify.
“This measure is asking the industry to look at their product and experience offerings, take into account the seasonality of the industry throughout the year and do things differently,” she said.
This might mean leveraging Canada’s geographic diversity and strengthening tourism bases outside particularly vulnerable areas, but it might also mean diversifying the products and services the industry offers.
Story continues below ad
“We can look at our winter tourism product a little bit differently, attracting tourists at different times of the year and spreading tourism out over more months of the year,” she said.
Tofino’s Nordan hopes tourism hubs like his town can build greater resilience.
“We want people to enjoy their holidays, not worry about being stranded,” she said.
This is something that needs to be discussed at all levels of government, Potter said, and while there are things the government can help with, there are also steps the industry can take.
“We can make changes. We can adapt,” she said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
