Burns Lake hoping for uptick in tourism

With the summer approaching, the Village of Burns Lake (VBL) staff is hoping for a positive season for tourism in the area.

“Now that COVID-19 restrictions have been easing up and as we enter into our peak season we have been seeing increased interest to travel in and around the area,” VBL Chief Administrative Officer Sheryl Worthing told Lakes District News.

“We are not sure what to expect from this summer with the changing of restrictions, increased gas prices, etc. COVID-19 has created a multitude of issues for communities, however, one opportunity is an increase in regional travel and local spending. To that end, we have increased our marketing efforts and hope to capitalize on this trend,” she continued.

International travelers could also improve tourism numbers compared to previous years, as restrictions for travelling have been lightened.

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“According to the Destination B.C. Research and Insights page, December 2021 totaled over 150,000 international guests in the province. It is expected that Burns Lake, like the rest of the province, will see an uptick in international visitors,” said Worthing.

The village does not have any way of determining how many visitors will actually travel to Burns Lake beforehand, but data gathered for Destination B.C. will allow the VBL to see, in retrospect, how successful the summer was in terms of how many visitors stopped at the centre and where they came from.

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One initiative that could help tourism in the community is the Live Love Local campaign, which is a Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce initiative to promote local businesses. “The village is very supportive of the chamber’s efforts to promote the Live Love Local campaign and recognize the benefit of the campaign in highlighting the many amazing businesses our community offers,” said Worthing.

The VBL visitors centre will be re-opened on May 2 to the public, after being closed for the winter season.