Yukon tourism officials worried about travel website's claims

The Yukon government has warned some tourism operators about a website that appears to be promoting and selling their products and services without their permission.

In an email sent March 5, a Tourism Department official warned about 30 Yukon tourism companies that they are advertised on yukonvacation.com, a website that lists vacation packages, tours and accommodations in the Yukon.

"We have also been advised that some of the information regarding your operation may be incorrect or that the operator of this website may not have an agreement with you to sell your product," says the email by Robert Clark, manager of product development and research with Yukon Tourism and Culture.

Clark said his department decided to warn operators about yukonvacation.com after government officials were unable to track down the site's owners.

"We ran into a dead end, so we did what we feel was the responsible thing," he said Thursday.

"We did communicate to the operators that were presented on the site, suggesting that they try."

Liesel and Ken Briggs, owners of Yukon Forest Cabins near Whitehorse, told CBC News they had never heard of yukonvacation.com before, nor did they have any contracts with that site to promote and book their wilderness cabins.

The listing for Yukon Forest Cabins on yukonvacation.com displays a nightly rate of $195 and a weekly rate of $990.

On the Briggs's own website, nightly rates range from $170 to $199, while weekly rates range from $890 to $1,020, depending on whether customers choose to include breakfast in their packages.

"Certainly the government should really be concerned about this," Liesel Briggs said. "I'd hate to see people get stung. It would give us such a black eye."

Briggs said she sent a note to yukonvacation.com, demanding that information about their business be taken down. She has yet to hear back from anyone involved with the website.

Briggs said she is worried that guests may claim they have reserved and paid for their cabins through the website, even though she has received no money from them.

Yukonvacation.com also lists tours and business in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Internet Travel Solutions Ltd., the company listed as the copyright owner of yukonvacation.com, also has the websites skicanada.us and motorhomereservation.com.