The Okanagan region in the central part of the province is facing weeks without tourism during peak season after the Premier of British Columbia imposed a travel ban to wildfire-affected areas.

David Eby stated that the decision was made to ensure accommodations for the work crews and 30,000 people who were forced to leave their homes across British Columbia.

The order, which was issued on Saturday under a state of emergency, will be in effect until September 4 for hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, RV parks, and campsites in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, and Vernon.

The province noted that the travel ban does not affect other areas, but it is asking people to avoid non-essential travel to the central interior and southeastern regions to keep roads clear for emergency response operations and potential evacuations.

Kelowna International Airport has also canceled flights since Friday to ensure that aerial firefighting efforts continue uninterrupted.

Nearby wildfires have forced thousands in the city to evacuate, causing boat rental companies to close their doors, leaving boats and jet skis idle, bobbing on the water.

Real estate agent Raymun Khunkhun, who has lived in Kelowna for about three decades, said the ban has left the streets eerily empty of visitors.

He said in an interview on Saturday: "There aren't many people walking around or anything else, it's more like a ghost town here now." "These streets are usually busy, as it's hard to walk single file when you're on the sidewalks, and now it's a little scary in the sense that it's just empty."

But he said there isn't much that can be done right now except "pray for better days."