The provincial restriction barring visitors from booking travel in most of B.C.'s wildfire-stricken regions ended at midnight on 22AUG - well ahead of its original expiry date - with one exception: West Kelowna.
As Open Jaw reported, the provincial government in 19AUG imposed an emergency travel ban until 04SEP for hotels, motels, inns, B&B's - even RV parks and campgrounds in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon.
The ban was put in place to ensure space for evacuees and emergency workers, but now the province says most of those locations can resume normal operations.
In a recent press briefing, B.C.'s Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma expressed gratitude to those who heeded the directive, highlighting its success in availing accommodation for those displaced and emergency teams.
Ma said, "I do want to start by thanking everybody who has complied with advice and orders. I am extremely grateful for the support of the tourism sector, for their compassion and their understanding. We know that these kinds of travel orders have an effect on their work and their livelihoods," reported CTV News.
Areas like Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, and Vernon will no longer be under the mandate.
According to CTV News, "While the order only remains in effect for West Kelowna and there is no ban on travel per se, Ma said the province is still strongly discouraging non-essential travel to Lake Country and the Shuswap."
