BC residents took enjoying the great outdoors to a whole new level.
According to the province, a record number of people made reservations for campsites, day-use passes, backcountry permits, cabins, and picnic shelters in provincial parks this season.
Over 317,000 reservations were made on the new BC Parks reservation service for the 2022 season, an increase of 26.5% since 2019.
“The new and improved reservation service is more reliable and easy to use, which is reflected in the record number of reservations,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“We listened to people’s suggestions and frustrations and worked hard to address these with our new system. We’ll continue to listen and respond to public feedback to ensure people can easily book and access the thousands of great camping opportunities available throughout our province.”
The new reservation service was launched in March and is part of a broader, ongoing redesign of BC Parks’ digital services to improve visitors’ experiences from computer to campground.
“It has been another exceptionally busy season for BC Parks as more people discover and enjoy the health benefits of being in nature,” said Kelly Greene, Parliamentary Secretary for Environment.
“We are working hard to create more camping opportunities in B.C. and improve accessibility so more people can experience the joy of exploring B.C.’s parks.”
Since 2017, more than 1,700 campsites have been added to provincial parks and recreation sites in high-demand areas.