The company that is one of the biggest seasonal economic drivers in Kamloops says it is still evaluating how its summer will look.
A spokesperson at the Rocky Mountaineer says the season start date remains on hold until June 30.
That’s following news from the B.C. government of a gradual reopening of the economy. Tourism is expected to be slower to rebound; international borders are still shut down, and the B.C. government is recommending against out-of-province travel this summer and asking people to stay close to their home communities.
“We continue to evaluate the global situation and related travel restrictions to determine if they will have a further impact on the season,” Rocky Mountaineer communications director Nicole Ford says in an email.
The Rocky Mountaineer brings hundreds of guests to Kamloops each week between May and October, and has an estimated economic spinoff of nearly $50 million annually for the Tournament Capital.
The company has had to temporarily layoff nearly half of its full time staff members and has delayed hiring back any of its seasonal staff members. In normal times, it has about 60 full time staff and about 80 part-time staff during the summer.