Alex Ross and his team are busy booking hundreds of hotel rooms, securing equipment and watching long-term weather forecasts as tourism season draws near.
His company, Fresh Adventures, takes tourists from all over the world on guided tours throughout B.C., and even into nearby territories and states.
In an average year, Ross said he gets about 30 per cent of his business from Canadians outside the province. He said Canadian bookings have increased to about 50 per cent as tensions between Canada and the U.S. persist and leaders encourage travel within Canada.
But Ross said it’s not just Canadians from other provinces booking his tours in B.C. — British Columbians appear to be showing more interest in checking out local sights.
“We’ve definitely been getting a bigger surge recently. It’s really nice to see the interest from Canadians so close to home.”