Overnight travel to the Thompson Okanagan on the rebound, tourism numbers show

There is some positive news for Okanagan tourism operators.

However, visitor numbers are still nowhere near where they were in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic.

At the lowest point in mid-April, overnight visits to the region by Canadians were down more than 80 per cent compared to last year, according to data from the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat.

However, as of the start of this month, Canadian travel to the Thompson Okanagan had partially rebounded and those overnight stays were down 28 per cent from 2019.

As travel to the region starts to rise, national tourism organization Destination Canada is also tracking how Canadians feels about travel during the pandemic.

Its latest data, from the week of August 4, shows 59 per cent of British Columbians welcome visitors from other parts of the province, while 37 per cent of those B.C. residents surveyed said they welcome visitors from other parts of Canada.

3:56 Everyone, including essential workers, must self isolate for 14-days if travelling outside of Canada