The Rocky Mountaineer is back on track to a successful season as travellers get back to taking vacations.

The luxury train that stops in Kamloops six days a week relies on international travellers and while there has been an influx of visitors from the US and the UK, a record number of Canadians have also been booking trips this year.

Rocky Mountaineer President and CEO Dave McKenna says he feels it is because some people are still hesitant to cross the border.

“I think that there’s a bunch of folks that have still put off that trip to Mexico or whatever they enjoy doing just until they’re a little bit more certain with what’s going on with COVID,” he said on the NL Morning News.

But McKenna, who is also the Chair of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, says the mixed messages from Ottawa have been frustrating.

“We have been constantly working with the Federal Government to just try to provide clarity and certainty for our travellers from around the globe upon their arrival into Canada. So, it is a bit of a slow rekindle,” he added.

“We’re seeing that from the international community and there’s lots of hiccups with our masks on masks off, testing, random testing. Those that have lots of vaccinations are feeling really confident, they are travelling and we’re very pleased to have them.”

The 2020 Rocky Mountaineer season was repeatedly delayed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic before it was eventually cancelled while the 2021 season was delayed until July, with about 11,000 passengers eventually stepping onto the trains.

The 2022 season got underway at the end of April, with McKenna noting reviews of Kamloops – where two routes pass through, the First Passage to the West between Vancouver and Banff and the Journey Through the Clouds between Vancouver and Jasper – have been great. Travellers spend a night in Kamloops, leading to an estimated economic spin-off of nearly $50 million in Kamloops in a normal year.

“Our friends that do our motor coach transfers, our fellow hotels like the Delta and the Sandman Signature that really stepped up to make sure our guests have an amazing experience while in town,” he said.

“We’re also getting feedback on how friendly the people of Kamloops are and I think that’s an incredible testament to the resiliency.”

And as far as booking a last minute trip this year goes, McKenna says there is some availability for late September into early October before the season comes to an end.