Gains ahead for the Columbia Valley

Summer tourism numbers are promising for Invermere and other Columbia Valley communities

The Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Centre are conveniently located at the southern approach to Invermere. — Photo courtesy Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce

Susan Clovechok, executive director of the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, said that in a tourism-based economy, there are positive impacts from a weak Canadian dollar, and the effects of lower oil prices extend to the lumber industry, where reduced transportation costs are good for exporters.

“Tourism is going to be very big in the valley this summer,” Clovechok said. “With the Canadian dollar the way it is and oil prices as they are, I think we’ll see a lot more traffic coming here from Alberta and a lot more Canadians staying closer to home for their vacations. We’ve already seen an increase in traffic from the U.S., and I think that will continue.”

A number of organizations in the Columbia Valley are working together to create a shared branding strategy for the valley. Collaboration makes good business sense when human expertise is shared and other resources are pooled.

“We partnered on the Winter in Motion Festival and were able to put marketing dollars together that we wouldn’t have if we were marketing as individual communities,” said Clovechok. “Benefits from the collaboration extend through the whole area.”

Clovechok figures that an increased number of tourist visits will result, over time, in an increased number of residents in the Columbia Valley. More residents will result in a stronger tax base.

“Although our real estate market may be impacted for the next year or two,” she said, “we know that people are visitors here before they become property owners or residents. So longer term, I think what’s going on is good for our economy. In real estate, they’ll have to hang in there for a little while, but if oil prices gradually go back up, the market will improve.”