Visitor numbers are down and while several factors are at play, fingers are being pointed at the new restrictions that took effect right before the start of the summer tourism season.
“This year we’ve noticed a dramatic downturn in traffic. It has really impacted our sales. I’ve had to cut staff,” said owner Jane Sawin. She estimates traffic has dropped at least 30 per cent. “We put forward four amendments that could have solved a lot of these problems by recognizing you have to have more flexibility, particularly in area that rely on tourism,” said Falcon. “We warned them that hotel room rates would become completely unaffordable for those that are wanting to tour into a beautiful region like Kelowna, because of the lack of spaces available.