Canada Tourism Fears Bigger, Badder Wildfires Coming

AFP/APP

Montreal: Images of towering wildfires tearing through forests and leaving a national park in cinders have led to a decline in tourism, putting one of Canada’s top industries on edge.

Despite being ranked among the top 12 global destinations for its natural beauty and cultural mosaic, Canada experienced record megafires in 2023 that scorched vast areas of forest and displaced 200,000 residents.

This year has seen fewer fires and less damage overall, but significant portions of Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies have been ravaged.

The park, which typically attracts about 2.5 million visitors annually, has been largely closed to tourists since July for safety reasons. This has led to substantial financial losses for local businesses, which depend heavily on summer tourism.

“Three-quarters of local businesses earn over 60 percent of their annual revenue during the summer, and they are now facing estimated daily losses of Can$4.5 million (US$3.3 million),” said Stavros Karlos of the Alberta Provincial Tourism Association. The long-term recovery of this “national icon” remains uncertain, Karlos added.

‘Canada is on Fire’

Scientists predict a troubling future with more frequent and intense wildfires due to climate change. “When we see media headlines saying Canada is on fire, it’s a challenge for us,” said Beth Potter, head of Canada’s tourism industry association.

She noted that while one region might be affected by an extreme event, it doesn’t represent the entire country. Last summer, tourism operators in eastern Canada faced cancellations due to fires in western British Columbia, over 3,500 kilometers away.

Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada has acknowledged that climate change is an existential threat to Canadian tourism and the nation’s reputation.

Wildfire smoke drifting into the U.S., affecting cities like New York and Washington, further complicates matters, negatively impacting Americans’ attitudes toward Canada, which represents about two-thirds of international visitors.

‘An Image Problem’

Destination Canada, the federal agency promoting local tourism, admits the country faces “an image problem.” They are working to improve communication with tourists about regional conditions to address and mitigate fears.

Executive Director Sebastien Dubois hopes to encourage year-round tourism to reduce reliance on the busy summer season.

Despite the challenges, 2024 has been promising, with revenues from international visitors up compared to the same period in 2019, a record year.

However, Karlos believes the situation in Jasper should serve as a wake-up call for the tourism industry and authorities. He advocates for increased efforts and resources dedicated to fire mitigation to protect both communities and tourists.