Overcast skies and a lack of flights: N.W.T. tour operators grind through a tough year
CBC
After two years of travel restrictions, tour operators in the N.W.T. haven't seen the level of visitors return to what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to several tour operators.
Many are happy to have the numbers they do, but say some unfortunate obstacles cropped up this year. This includes the lack of flights, the rising cost of travel and a month of overcast skies in January, a popular aurora viewing time in Yellowknife.
"Everyone who's here is here to see aurora, and if they see aurora they are leaving happy," said Takaya Kenjo, a guide with Aurora Village.
Some relief is on the way, though, as sunny weather is in the forecast for the next week, according to Environment Canada.
Many operators say they're welcoming anywhere between 20 to 50 per cent of the visitors they had pre-COVID.
Donna Lee Demarcke is the CEO of Northwest Territories Tourism.
She said they'd expected the numbers to be low this year and there's a variety of causes, especially the fact travel hasn't returned to what it was pre-COVID globally. There are also rising costs and labour shortages.
"The international markets are still slow to return and some of them aren't even fully open to travel just yet," Demarcke said.
"And so there's that and then also everything that's going on with the airline industry."
Amit Tripathi, the director of Yellowknife Vacations, said his guests have mentioned air travel as well.
"The availability of the flights has been an issue," he said. "One of the major air carriers has took off from from landing to Yellowknife and it reduces the number of the flights."
Air Canada cancelled a direct flight from Yellowknife to Edmonton and Calgary this past fall.
Demarcke said her organization has been discussing this with airlines and they have some solutions in the works.
This includes Canadian North offering a direct Calgary to Yellowknife flight, starting Feb. 14.
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