Further to the conversation....
B.C.’s environment minister is considering ways to address growing exasperation among campers who cannot get a reservation for their favourite park on desired days.
It is “extremely frustrating” to campers when they learn that a popular spot is booked, Mary Polak said Thursday.
“There are simply too many people chasing too few campsites.”
Demand for campsites is surging.
In 2015, 158,000 reservations were made, up by 19 per cent from 2014.
The 2015 total was up 80 per cent from the 87,684 reservations made in 2010.
Reducing allowed maximum stays in popular parks to seven days from 14 is one possibility being considered, Polak said.
“One of the things that we are looking at is: Could we create something on the reservation website that would alert people to a campsite that is in the area — maybe it’s not a favourite one that they wanted, but it is nearby and it has spaces,” Polak said.
Out-of-town visitors might not be aware of other sites in an area, she said.
“Maybe a pop-up comes up and says, ‘We see you tried to book this one. Are you aware there’s this other one you could try?’ ”
The aim is to find ways to make booking experience better for people, Polak said. “But ultimately we are going to have to expand the number of sites that we have.”
About 200 campsites have been added in the past five to six years, she said.
The ministry is examining where new campgrounds could be developed or campsites added, she said.
This is a challenge because there might not be land available, or park advocates might not want to see natural areas converted into camping spots, and it can be expensive to purchase land, she said.
Polak released a statement Thursday addressing what some some regard as unfair reservation practices in B.C. parks, saying the goal is to close loopholes.
This follows two dozen allegations of people reselling campsite bookings. Concerns have also been raised about travel companies booking reservations in bulk for international visitors.
Polak said that no one gets preferential treatment and the system does not permit bulk campsite reservations. Even so, one mainland tourism company is being investigated.
In 2015, fewer than 800 reservations, or less than one per cent of total bookings, were from commercial operators, she said.
B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver said reselling of sites is happening, citing an online advertisement offering a site for $150, later reduced to $125, at Porteau Cove, 20 kilometres south of Squamish, which would normally cost $40 to book.
He said B.C. residents should have the first shot at reserving campsites, and an allotment of sites should be set aside for residents.
Polak said she does not see a need to allocate a portion of sites to B.C. residents because they are already responsible for a majority of reservations.
Last year, 75 per cent of reservations were from within B.C., followed by 13 per cent from Alberta, three per cent from other provinces or territories, four per cent from the U.S. and six per cent from overseas
B.C. has 570 campgrounds with 38,669 campsites, operated by the province, Parks Canada, municipalities and the private sector, says a report done for the Canadian Camping and RV Council and released last year.
The private sector in B.C. focuses mainly on serving the recreational vehicle market but many have sites available as well for tenting, said Joss Penny, executive director of the B.C. Lodging and Campgrounds Association.
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
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Perhaps then there is credence to the suggestion of scalping. Nothing like a looming election to get things happening.
Gary Haupt
