The cost of your summer vacation is going up

The tourism industry says business is booming in B.C., but if you’re among those booking a long weekend getaway or planning an epic summer roadtrip, the cost of that vacation has probably gone up.

“Travel, unfortunately, is going to cost more. It’s not a situation where businesses are gouging customers, that’s not the case,” says JJ Belanger, chair of the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia, and general manager of Crystal Cove Beach Resort in Tofino. “It’s that everything is costing more and so prices are going to go up.”

Belanger says COVID costs continue for hotels and restaurants — cleaning and disinfecting rooms and public spaces — with supply and equipment costs increased because of inflation, which is at multi-decade highs in Canada.

“You’re also going to see an increase in rates compared to what you’ve seen over the last couple of years because, during the pandemic, hotels and restaurants were trying to attract people and offering discounts and such to try to keep their staff employed,” he tells OMNI News, adding that wages have also gone up significantly because of increases to BC’s minimum wage and ongoing labour shortages.

Related Video:

“To attract workers, businesses are having to pay more than they used to, way above the minimum wage. This is going to be reflected in the pricing.”

But he says there are still deals to be had in B.C.

“If you’re a savvy shopper and you’re trying to save some pennies, you might book an overnight flight as opposed to a daytime flight. You might not go to the fanciest restaurant three or four times during your stay, you might just go once or twice. There are ways to save money.”

Related Articles:

• Air Canada passengers raising concerns over delayed luggage

• No, it’s not a concert lineup, it’s the passport wait in Surrey

• Inflation in B.C. spikes higher than national average

But if you’re cringing at local hotels rates for the coming long weekend or later in the summer, Glynnis Chan with Happy Times Travel suggests tours and hotels are making up for lost time.

“Since hotels did not have business over two years … they have make up that money,” she says. “We expect hotel rates to go up more and more because of the demand and supply situation.”

The skyrocketing price of fuel is also pushing up the cost of travel, making everything from roadtrips to flights more expensive, all of it eating into summer vacation budgets.