Campers and tourists will have complete access to major campgrounds and their services for nearly seven more weeks.

The territorial government announced last week that full services will be available at 10 public campgrounds until Sept. 30.

“This is terrific news for Yukoners hoping to squeeze in another visit or two with their friends and families at some of our beautiful campgrounds,” said Environment Minister Currie Dixon.

“We’re hopeful that residents and tourists alike will take advantage of this extension of services.”

All visitor information centres at “key campgrounds” will be open for the fall and spring shoulder season “effective immediately,” said the Departments of Environment and Tourism and Culture.

Those campgrounds include: Congdon Creek, Fox Lake, Lake Laberge, Marsh Lake, Pine Lake, Snafu Lake, Squanga Lake, Tarfu Lake, Twin Lakes, and Wolf Creek.

Gates at most of the remaining 31 campgrounds will remain open until October, but will not offer full services after Sept. 8.

Last year, campgrounds and visitor centres opened in mid-May and closed in mid-September, five weeks fewer overall than in 2014.

“Aligning visitor services with transportation schedules and industry operations demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting Yukon’s tourism industry,” said Tourism and Culture Minister Mike Nixon.

“We are hopeful that keeping these campgrounds and information centres open longer will encourage tourists to extend their visits, and that it will translate to more income for local businesses as well.”

The extension came about in part due to a trade mission to Europe last year by cabinet minister Brad Cathers and Premier Darrell Pasloski.

Cathers said cruise lines like Holland America with lengthy bus tours as well as local tour operators marketing abroad drove home the need for an extended season.

He told the Star the campgrounds were a particularly important part of the Yukon experience for certain nationalities, “especially with the Germans and Australians ... which are a bit more adventuresome.

The visitor information centres in Beaver Creek, Carcross, Dawson City, Haines Junction, Watson Lake and Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport will now be open from May 1 to Sept. 30.

Cathers said these were chosen because they have the highest visitor numbers “and they’re all within about a two-hour range from the capital.”

The centre in Whitehorse is open year-round.

Campgrounds are closed for the winter for “safety, security” and the higher cost of maintenance, Cathers said.

He noted campgrounds and visitor centres have seen a continuous rise in the number of visitors over the last few years.

About 3,000 more people have visited campgrounds during the past two or three years than in previous seasons. Visitor centres saw a two-per-cent uptick to 300,000 tourists over the past year.

The centre in Carcross alone assisted about 80,000 visitors through the spring and summer.