Advertisement 1

Ontario Parks vows to clamp down on scalpers reselling campsites at steep prices

If Ontario Parks becomes aware anyone has attempted to sell a reservation for profit, the reservation 'may be cancelled and all applicable penalty fees will apply'

Article content

Ontario Parks has vowed to crack down on people who are reselling campsite reservations at steeper prices amid an outcry from frustrated campers.

Starting this Saturday, reservation holders will not be permitted to resell any reservation for profit, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) told the National Post in an email.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

“We don’t condone reselling Ontario Parks reservations for a profit and we take concerns raised by our visitors very seriously,” it wrote, saying it is aware of “instances where individuals are attempting to sell reservations with the intention to make a profit.”

Article content

Campers have been trying to secure sites for this summer, with Ontario Parks seeing an almost 135 per cent increase in reservations made between Jan. 1 and March 28 this year, compared to the same period in 2020.

Recommended from Editorial
  1. Ontario Parks is seeing almost a 135 per cent increase in reservations made in 2021 so far compared to the same time last year.
    Scalpers resell Ontario campsite permits for up to five times the original cost
  2. Everyone seems to want to go to Banff National Park; this year, 35,000 reservations were made for Banff on opening day of bookings, 9,000 more than on opening day 2019.
    Canada's national parks are yours to enjoy (if you can wait online hour after hour)

Because of the competition and high demand, some people have been reselling their reservations on websites like Kijiji — sometimes at five times the original amount. 

One campsite at Algonquin Park, for example, was listed on Kijiji for $240 for a three-night stay, which would have cost $161.03 including tax if booked through the Ontario Parks website.

Now, MECP says if it becomes aware anyone has attempted to sell a reservation for profit, such as listing a reservation on social media or a buy-and-sell website, the reservation “may be cancelled and all applicable penalty fees will apply.”

MECP says it is also looking at new ways to make more campsites available for reservation to satisfy the growing demand.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest from Shopping Essentials
  1. Advertisement 2
    Story continues below
This Week in Flyers