Private tour operator accused of snapping up B.C. provincial campsites

It may seem as simple as throwing a tent and a bag of marshmallows in the trunk, but summer camping has grown increasingly competitive forsome British Columbians.

And some blame tour companies that market outdoor adventures to foreign travellers.

A Salmon Arm-based tour company has been accused of booking large swaths ofcampsites at B.C. provincial parks for clients, leaving localcampers in the lurch.

Michael Van der Kraats is the part owner of Canadian Camping Adventures, which builds tour packages for foreign travellers, including booking campsites. He says he hasreceived angry emails from B.C. residentsupset over his business.

"They are pretty disgusting, and sometimes life threatening," Van de Kraatssaid.

• B.C. Parks camping reservations too hard to get, say residents

Camp spots fully booked

Nights at provincial campgrounds can be booked three months in advance through a website reservation system.

But many people report the spots are fully booked minutes after they come online.

Van der Kraatssaidhis company is not the problem; he books sites online the same way as everyone else.

"I do realize the frustration, it's just, it's not us making this happen," he said.

"We are just like everybody else. We just make some bookings, and if we can't book them, we book them somewhere else.

"We work with private campgrounds, we work with national parks, provincial parks, we do it like everybody else ...No privileges, no blocks.I mean we're just a small company."

MLA calls for changes

NDP environment criticGeorge Heymanis calling forchangesto the reservation systemso that it favours locals.

"If tour companies are packaging things and making a profit off it, there are lots of private campgrounds they can do that with," Heyman said.

"I think to disadvantage British Columbian families or any family by essentially commercializing our public parks is just wrong."

In a statement, the province says it's investigating complaints about reservation practices by tour companies.

But the ministry notes that 75 per centof campers are from B.C., and less than one per cent of reservations come from commercial operators.

With files from Stephanie Mercier