Victoria’s tourism industry sees a chance to salvage the season with the federal government planning to drop the last of its COVID-19 border restrictions this weekend.
Nursey said the impact may not be felt for a while, but it could help some companies salvage the season. “Fall is kind of important here and I think for some operators like Clipper and Coho, it’ll help salvage a year. I think getting an American visitor up from Seattle again with less friction at the border will mean a lot to the small businesses here in the fall and Christmas season.
Ryan Burles, president of Black Ball Ferry Line, which operates the Coho car ferry between Victoria and Port Angeles, said it’s a huge step as the company has seen a lot of travellers anxious about using the ArriveCan app. The Coho’s foot passenger traffic and day-tripper traffic is still only about 65 per cent of where it was pre-pandemic.
Don’t jinx it, we’re heading into cold and flu season. Covid might rear it’s head again 🥺