The ski slopes are getting slushy, muddy mountain bike trails are opening and there’s more than a few folks hitting the links on albeit less-than-green fairways. It almost feels like a normal spring. But for those in the tourism sector, its not.

Clear timelines on when the tourism industry will be able to get back to pre-pandemic levels aren’t all that clear at all yet. Of major concern: how will the rest of spring, and more importantly, the summer of 2021 look? In operation since 1978, Kootenay Rockies tourism is one of BC’s five official Regional Destination Management Organizations (RDMO).

KRT represents over 700 tourism businesses and operators, including those in the Nelson Kootenay Lake region.

Kathy Cooper is KRT’s CEO.

She joined Kootenay Co-op Radio’s Kootenay Morning current affairs show to discuss the outlook for a post-pandemic summer, some telling traffic stats, and the concern over revenge tourism once lockdowns lift.