Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada this spring and early summer have pushed into the Northeastern U.S., most recently this week, at often dangerous levels. It's seeped into the public consciousness here and adding terms like "AQI" -- the air quality index -- to everyday conversation.
Yet tour operators say there has been negligible impact to their businesses in Canada since hundreds of wildfires broke out across the country in late spring.
Travel advisors who book Canadian rail trips said only a small number of tours have been affected in the roughly three months that wildfires have been burning primarily in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Ontario and Quebec.
Canadian Rail Vacations, a travel agency that specializes in custom and packaged rail vacations in Canada, said four clients had their trains rerouted back in May when fires broke out in Edmonton during their trip across Canada.
Two of those clients, according to a post the agency shared on its Facebook page, said rail service with VIA Rail, Canada's government-owned train service, was canceled once they reached Jasper, Alberta, but they were later able to find alternative transportation to Calgary and eventually Toronto without further disruption.
"Less than 1% of our customers have been affected by the fires thus far this season," said Martin Flanagan, general manager and founder of Canadian Rail Vacations, whose tours primarily run in Western Canada. "All trains have been running and the mountain scenery in Western Canada has been beautiful and typical for the months of June and July."
G Adventures said some departures had to be adjusted due to the wildfires but none of their trips have had to be canceled or postponed since the wildfires started, and guests are primarily continuing on their trips as planned.
Vancouver-based rail tour operator Rocky Mountaineer said as of July 7, all of its rail journeys are running normally. The same goes for rail trips booked with Railbookers and land tours with Tauck and TTC Tour Brands.
The biggest concern expressed by guests has been with the poor air quality that the wildfires have created, which have not only affected Canada but the U.S. and even as far as Europe.
Advisors and suppliers say they initially fielded calls and questions from travelers about the air quality ahead of their trips in Canada, but concerns did not materialize into cancellations or postponements.
"At times during the day, the air quality is not 100% but never to the point of restriction of activities," said Melissa DaSilva, president of TTC Tour Brands, North America. "Suppliers have advised they MAY have to change times or days of experiences to allow for better conditions (helicopter flights, for example) but otherwise, we have followed local government guidelines and adhered to safety protocols and not had to change anything in our programs for any brands."
Tauck said it offers high-quality masks to guests who request one on their departures while they continue to monitor the situation closely.
"We're in constant touch with our Tauck directors on the ground in Canada," said Joanne Gardner, vice president of worldwide operations at Tauck. "We communicate frequently with our supplier partners there as well, and we also monitor news reports on an ongoing basis."
The wildfires reportedly first broke out in late April, eventually spreading to record-breaking levels for total areas burned, just ahead of the peak travel season for Canada between June and October. The peak travel season also coincides with the Canada's wildfire season, which typically runs between May and October.