Tourism Kamloops says new international travel measures announced by the federal government today will encourage people to stay local, suggesting they will spend discretionary dollars at home instead.

CEO Bev DeSantis says the three-month flight ban to Mexico and the Caribbean shouldn’t significantly harm the local tourism economy any further.

“Keeping Canadians at home to keep them safe actually might prove to be not a bad idea and probably will bolster our dire tourism industry right now by focusing more on a Canadian lens for travel,” she says.

“Kamloops does not see a lot of international visitors during the winter, but Sun Peaks tends to. As far as people from here going out, I think this will encourage them to stay more local. Which will always benefit destinations such as Kamloops… When the time is right, we’ll welcome our provincial community neighbours and hopefully some time in the near future, the rest of Canada.”

Tourism Kamloops continues to promote local businesses to only people who live in this area, and DeSantis says they are following COVID-19 safety messaging to a tee.

Data suggests B.C.’s ailing tourism industry was valued at $21 billion before the pandemic but is now pulling about half of that revenue for the time being, at roughly $10 billion.

The federal flight ban to sun destinations starts on Sunday and lasts until April 30. Starting next week, any Canadians in those locations who fly home in that time will have to get a COVID-19 test at the airport and quarantine in a designated hotel for three days, before going home to finish their two weeks of isolation.

The government says those travellers will have to pay out of pocket for their COVID-19 test and accommodations.