Summer is halfway finished, and tourism in the Okanagan has yet to pick up. Some are blaming provincial legislation around short-term rentals for people staying away. However, the lack of tourists is also negatively impacting the region's restaurant industry. Ian Tostenson, President and CEO of the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association, has more.With the second half of summer underway, tourism operators in the Okanagan are hoping business will pick up after a slow start to the season.
“Normally, we’d have floods of Albertans coming through. Now we’re down to maybe one a day. Also coming in from Vancouver, we’ve seen some big declines as well with travel,” said Jane Sawin, who owns Priest Creek Family Estate Winery.Story continues below advertisement “The wineries have a lot of wine, and the tasting rooms are open. But a lot of people think because of the grape problems, they’re not ,” Tostenson said.