Local businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have been hit as hard as the tourism industry.
The imposition of multiple travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders and self-quarantine requirements have demolished the tourism industry. That is no different in the Battlefords, which is typically a hub for highway traffic between Saskatoon and Edmonton as well as to nearby parks, lakes and recreational venues.
The operations of Destination Battlefords have been affected. Their offices in the river valley as well as the rest of the Battlefords River Valley Visitors Centre are closed to the public during the state of emergency.
In an interview about the COVID-19 pandemic that aired on Access 7 TV, Mayor Ryan Bater, who is also executive director of Destination Battlefords, outlined the extent of the disruption to the tourism industry.
“This has devastated tourism,” said Bater. “There is no tourism industry, it doesn’t exist right now. There is no tourism economy at all. You can’t ethically, morally or reasonably encourage anybody to travel right now.”
Up to now and for the foreseeable future, said Bater, “our focus as a society is on people’s health, and reducing the potential spread of the virus. But eventually the focus will be shifting to the economic recovery and I think that’s still a ways off, but it’s going to have a very serious effect.”
At a meeting of Battleford town council Monday, councillor Judy Pruden reported she was on a teleconference with Destination Battlefords on March 25.
“Needless to say tourism has ground to a halt due to COVID-19,” Pruden reported.
As for Destination Battlefords’ operations, she reported one staff member is still working at the Visitor Centre, but the doors are locked; meanwhile Bater is working from home.
Pruden added that Destination Battlefords was currently working on a plan for when the pandemic was over, for what they might do to help re-start tourism. As well, Pruden confirmed Destination Battlefords’ annual general meeting has been pushed back.
