BC tourism minister says new rules on short-term rentals needed to house hospitality workers

The McEwan family from Alberta lathered up for a formation time successful Kelowna Wednesday but this twelvemonth they had to forgo nan Airbnb they stayed successful past year.

“The condos weren’t available,” said Albertan Dustin McEwan. “Short word rentals I suppose.”

The family opted for a edifice but it seems visitors for illustration them aren’t coming successful droves this season.

“I’m not conscionable noticing it, I americium surviving it,” said Wyn Lewis, proprietor of nan Vibrant Vine Winery. “Basically we are astatine 60 per cent of past year.”

Lewis said a number of his vino nine members person indicated that nan caller authorities restricting short word rentals is keeping them away.

“I deliberation there’s, you know, unintended consequences pinch nan caller rule that was passed pinch nan Airbnb. What we are proceeding is simply a groundswell of group who are saying, that’s nan logic why you’re quiet … look astir here,” he said, pointing to an quiet tasting room.

Tourism Kelowna acknowledged that July appears to beryllium softer successful position of visitation numbers compared to erstwhile years.

“It surely feels for illustration it’s down a small bit,” said Lisanne Ballantyne, president and CEO of Tourism Kelowna.

But Ballantyne said pinch a beardown June, nan numbers will apt equilibrium out.

“I deliberation erstwhile we get our numbers successful … we’re going to conjecture visitation mightiness beryllium connected par pinch past year,” Ballantyne said.

She added that pointing nan blasted for a seemingly slower July solely astatine nan caller short-term rental rules doesn’t make sense.

“We’re reasoning backmost to that unthinkable 3 weeks of power activity we had that brought down visitation,” Ballantyne said. “Think astir nan truth that we had a WestJet strike. We mislaid immoderate hose sum successful nan mediate of June that affected different people’s decisions astir their July holidays. Think astir nan truth that we person uncertainty sometimes astir what benignant of entity is going to beryllium … it’s a number of factors that power tourism.”

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B.C.’s tourism curate Lana Popham told Global News tourism is down globally, not conscionable successful Kelowna aliases B.C.

“We are not doing severely connected nan tourism beforehand but we would perfectly for illustration to spot much traffic,” Popham said.

She said 1 of nan astir important ways to support tourism is to guarantee lodging is disposable for hospitality workers, which nan caller short-term rental authorities is trying to achieve.

“Trying to get group into lodging truthful they tin support nan system …. is simply a immense privilege for nan authorities and we’re going to spot really that looks pinch short-term rentals.”

Ballantyne added that Tourism Kelowna will person a amended thought of nan type of tourism play Kelowna is experiencing erstwhile it tin return a look astatine visitation statistic successful a fewer weeks.