The Rocky Mountaineer is delaying the start of its Canadian season until June 1 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
It says the delay is a result of the uncertainty around when the ongoing travel restrictions will be lifted.
“The travel landscape is almost unrecognizable from 17 months ago when we last operated our trains, and much uncertainty remains around when the Canadian and provincial governments will lift the travel and health restrictions that make it impossible for us to welcome guests on board our Canadian routes,” said Peter Armstrong, Rocky Mountaineer’s founder and interim CEO.
“We are hopeful the vaccination programs underway in the United States and Canada will soon be sufficient, so we can get back to doing what we do best, which is hosting guests for an incredible experience on board our trains.”
Today’s announcement comes after Rocky Mountaineer repeatedly delayed the start of the 2020 season before eventually pulling the plug in July. In a normal year, the Rocky Mountaineer season runs from late April to early October.
“Due to numerous circumstances, including the uncertainty of when the travel restrictions will be lifted, we have no choice but to postpone our operations until the scheduled start of our 2021 season,” former President and CEO Steve Sammut said last July.
In Canada, the Rocky Mountaineer relies heavily on international tourists with an estimated economic spin-off of nearly $50 million in Kamloops in a normal year with train guests spending a night in the Tournament Capital.
Kamloops mayor Ken Christian says he’s pleased to see the Rocky Mountaineer planning on resuming this year, but he’s not expecting it to be a normal season.
“This has been a product that has predominantly been picked up by international travellers, not so much Canadian travellers, so I think what they’re trying to do is shift a bit in terms of their marketing and see if they can get a semblance of the service back in play,” he said.
“[Rocky Mountaineer] actually participated directly in the mayor’s task force on economic recovery and renewal and they are a big part of our tourism and hospitality economy here in Kamloops and so we are very anxious to hear them coming back.”
The company says people affected by the delayed start in Canada will be given a future travel credit equivalent to 110 per cent of the amount they paid. Further, rail prices for the 2021 and 2022 seasons will not increase, according to the company.
It also says people will be allowed to change their departure dates without any penalties up to 30 days ahead before departure.
For more information on the 2021 Rocky Mountaineer season, go here.
