myredracer wrote:
Travel companies, RV rental businesses and tour operators have been snapping up campground sites in BC Provincial Parks the second they become available and are reselling them for twice the cost to European tourists. Chances of BC residents and US visitors getting CG sites is next to impossible now. It's the people with really fast fingers get on the gov't booking website the instant sites become available (3 months in advance) that get the sites. News story here.
Even if you do manage to get a reservation but later on your personal circumstances change and you can't make it, you'll get a one night's stay penalty of $35 (standard site cost) plus an additional $6 per night penalty. Many have ended up reselling their reservations to avoid the penalty. Good luck at getting a new reservation less than 3 months ahead if you want to re-book.
Who would have thought scalpers would have gotten into campgrounds? People have been complaining about the reservation system for quite a while and nothing changes. In addition, in recent years Provincial Parks have had their budgets severely cut back and there's a lot less staff and amenities. News story here.
The government's online reservation and park's budget is just generally messed up and needs a major rethink. We do 100 percent of our camping in private CGs in the US and sure are glad we don't have to fight to get into a BC Park.
easy solution. make some/most/all of the campsites unreservable...first come, first serve.
