Although at BCgolfguide.com, we plan for almost every possible issue that may come our way, we certainly couldn’t expect the entire communities of West Kelowna, Kelowna and the Shuswap regions would suffer such extensive damages through out-of-control wildfires.
While the wildfires in West Kelowna, Kelowna and some areas in the Shuswap region devastated communities, many first responders and evacuees needed accommodations.
That is, the massive project undertaken to repair the damage to the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5). Torrential rains created significant damage to many highways throughout the province in mid-November.
Transportation Minister Rob Fleming made the announcement the day before the main thoroughfare between Hope and Merritt re-opened on January 19.
“Temporary repairs to the Coquihalla are in place which means there are travel-pattern changes and reduced speed limits, with the trip between Hope and Merritt taking about 45 minutes longer than normal,” Fleming said in a release.
“Travelers are reminded that highway work continues and there will be increased enforcement on this route to ensure drivers are obeying the traffic laws and driving according to conditions and restrictions.”
At BCgolfguide, we are busy during the off-season in Canada reviewing 2021 while preparing for 2022.
So much has happened during the past two years, with the pandemic and some significant weather events. These circumstances combined to impact the golf travel industry in several ways.
Moving forward, here are a few considerations for you and your group.
How will 2022 be different? The industry expects heightened competition for accommodation and tee times, banking on a less restrictive travel environment. With the steady flow of tourist traffic limited at times in 2020 and 2021, many facilities were left to rely primarily on local play. In some regions, this resulted in plenty of unused tee times. Golf courses are optimistic that tourists are looking forward to golf travel opportunities throughout 2022.
The devilish par-3, 14th at the Shannon Lake Golf Club in West Kelowna.
Increased Travel Activity: Canadian travelers are pent up, at least that’s the feedback we are hearing from our repeat clients. Restrictions on recreational travel imposed by federal and provincial governments forced many postponements and cancellations. Having spent much of the past two years in kind of a “holding pattern” due to the pandemic, golfers are telling us they are excited to revisit some of their favourite regions again. Continue reading “TRENDS for 2022: Why you should be planning ahead.”
