Introduction
Globally, tourism is one of the most affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the different niches in the sector, festival tourism is the most adversely affected by the pandemic, especially the measures put in place by different governments to curb the spread of the virus. Particularly in Kamloops, where festival tourism is known to thrive due to the yearly events, such as tournaments and cultural functions, COVID-19 pandemic effects were enormous and negatively impacted the tourism sector. The effects were felt by each of the major groups in the sector, including the tourists, the host communities, and the tourism industry. Therefore, the pandemic introduced many challenges for the tourism industry’s growth. This paper focuses on the safety and security issues related to the pandemic and their effects on the tourists attracted by the festivals held in Kamloops. Specifically, the study explains how the pandemic has become a concern for the tourists’ safety and security in festival tourism in Kamloops.
Festive Industry in Kamloops and COVID-19
The City of Kamloops is located in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. The city is also known as Canada’s Tournaments Capital as it hosts various tournaments and international and national competitions (Westcott et al., 2019). In addition, Kamloops organizes various events that attract both domestic and international visitors and contribute to the city’s festival tourism development. Festival tourism includes cultural events, festivals such as heritage and music, sports events, education events, and community celebrations. Kamloops hosts most of these events, such as Oktoberfest, Tofino food and wine festival, Salmon Arm roots and blues festival, BC summer games, and Canada Day celebrations, among others (Whistler Centre for Sustainability & Tourism Kamloops, 2016). Therefore, festival tourism is a major tourism niche in the city and contributes greatly to its growth and development.
The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced festival events in Kamloops and globally. Specifically, individuals were afraid of being infected with the virus whose information was unknown back then. Therefore, the most effective way of handling the virus was by minimizing its spread which saw many governments uphold various measures to ensure it does not spread. Particularly, in Kamloops, the call to avoid gatherings and keep distance from one another made it impossible to hold the events, with most of them being canceled (Let’s Talk Kamloops, 2020). Additionally, various lockdown orders prevented most tourists from traveling from their countries to Kamloops. As a result, most events would not be held physically but turned virtual during the pandemic, while others could not be held at all.
The Safety and Security Concerns Raised by COVID-19 on Festival Tourists
One of the key safety issues of the pandemic for tourists in Kamloops was the high chances of contracting the COVID 19 virus which was widely spreading. According to Holland et al. (2021), fear of contracting the virus, is a security concern imposed by the pandemic that has caused visitors to reconsider their trip plans to various countries. Furthermore, holding events involves bringing people together. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the required distance and avoid gatherings as guided by the World Health Organization (WHO) to minimize the spread of the virus (Mohanty et al., 2020). In such cases, tourists would not be interested in participating in the festival events as they avoid acquiring the virus since the chances are high. Additionally, the tourists were bothered by the travel restrictions such as the forced quarantine when one got to some countries. However, with the vaccine, which has helped drop the infection rates in most areas, festival tourism in Kamloops is likely to develop once again and recover from the pandemic.
The pandemic made tourists develop an avoidance of overpopulated areas. To minimize the spread of the virus, the WHO advised nations to pass mandatory wearing of masks and encourage the citizens to maintain distance. According to Rahman et al. (2021), dodging areas with many people influences tourists’ perception of their travel destinations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most tourists did not fully believe that masks would protect them from contracting the virus and thus stop participating in the events to avoid large gatherings. According to the reports from the city, Kamloops was not badly affected by the virus as the positive cases reported were not many. Therefore, the city reopened earlier than most places, although with some restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. One of the major restrictions was the mandatory wearing of masks and keeping distance while attending the reopened events and tournaments (Let’s Talk Kamloops, 2020). Although most people accepted to use masks, they still shied away from attending the events for their safety. However, the local tourists would attend, especially from areas that did not have travel restrictions.
Another safety concern for festival tourists during the pandemic involved the hotels they were required to stay in and the conditions present. According to Rueda López et al. (2021), tourists are worried about various safety measures in hotels, such as the presence of health checks, elimination of physical contact between people, and adherence to the regulations set by WHO. Similarly, the pandemic has made festival tourists in Kamloops critically analyze their decisions on the hotels they need to board in their destinations. The pandemic has correspondingly made tourists opt to get insurance covers when booking their trips to guarantee that they are covered and would get accurate medication in case of any illness, including COVID-19 (Rahman et al., 2021). Especially in festival tourism, where the events are likely to attract many people, the safety and security measures dear to the tourists should be well thought of and handled effectively.
Conclusion
Kamloops is known as Canada’s Tournaments Capital and thrives in festival tourism as it hosts various tournaments and international and national competitions. Events in Kamloops City that attract festival tourists include Oktoberfest, Tofino food and wine festival, Salmon Arm roots and blues festival, BC summer games, and Canada Day celebrations. However, the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced festival events in the city, especially with the measures developed to control the spread of the virus. As a result, the pandemic became an issue for safety and security among the festival tourists in Kamloops. Specifically, the safety and security issues introduced by the pandemic include most tourists being afraid of contracting the virus, avoiding overpopulated areas, becoming highly anxious about the security measures implemented in their destinations’ hotels, and opting to get insurance covers in case they get sick. Therefore, the festival tourism authorities in Kamloops should consider the security and safety concerns posed by the pandemic to understand how to improve the sector and aid in its recovery post-pandemic.
References
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