Remember SARS? When misleading news coverage by CNN and other media seemingly convinced the entire world that the entire city of Toronto, and Canada by extension, in 2003 was afflicted and warranted aversion by travellers. Now it’s western wildfires.

Climate change and its deluges of severe weather and wildfires have left many Canadian tourism companies struggling to get insurance and convince visitors that Canada is still open for business.

Beth Potter, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, says there are direct effects for certain tourist areas when bad weather hits.

But she says the biggest challenge is that many international visitors see a headline about wildfires in one part of Canada and don’t understand that they are having no impact on most of the country.

Potter says she heard from tourism operators in southwestern Ontario last summer about cancellations due to fires largely more than 3,500 km. away in British Columbia.

She also says that some operators have been finding insurance more expensive – if they can even secure it – as the risks from severe weather force the insurance industry to rethink costs.

Tourism Minister Soraya Martínez Ferrada says there is no “miracle” cure, but government and industry must prepare for the worst because climate change isn’t going away.