Tourism Strategic Plan - Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Northern Rockies / Fort Nelson Tourism Strategic Plan Final Report

Prepared for Northern Rockies Regional District and Town of Fort Nelson By

and

In association with Bold Point Centre November 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 – Executive Summary: Recommended Tourism Development Strategies............ 1 Develop/Implement Sophisticated Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program............................................................................................................ 3 Facilitate Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement/Development and Tourism Investment Attraction.......................................................................... 5 Product Delivery: Tourism Industry Organization and Training ......................... 7 2 – Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program ............................................ 10 Marketing Objectives and Target Markets....................................................... 10 Key Target Markets......................................................................................... 11 Tourism Marketing Strategic Initiatives ........................................................... 12 3 – Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development....................... 22 1. Develop Additional Interpretation Related Opportunities............................ 23 2. Facilitate Development of Soft Adventure/Ecotourism Tourism Product Opportunities.............................................................................................. 28 3. Encourage Development of Hard Adventure Tourism Product Opportunities ................................................................................................................... 32 4. Encourage Development of First Nation Tourism Opportunities ................ 34 5. Facilitate/Encourage Private Sector Upgrading and Enhancement of Existing Attractions, Facilities and Services ............................................... 36 6. Create Awareness of Strategic Tourism Investment Opportunities ............ 37 4 –Product Delivery: Tourism Industry Organization and Training ........................ 39 1. Implement a Community and Industry Awareness Program on the Benefits of Tourism .................................................................................................. 39 2. Organize and Engage the Northern Rockies Tourism Industry as a Group 40 3. Facilitate Enhanced Hospitality and Interpretive Guide Training within the Region........................................................................................................ 42 5 – Implementation and Action Plans........................................................................ 45 Action Plans for Recommended Strategic Initiatives....................................... 45 Overall Implementation Schedule ................................................................... 51

APPENDICES Appendix A – Study Process ................................................................................... A-1 Elements of Tourism Strategic Plan ...............................................................A-2 Steps in the Overall Study Process................................................................A-2 Research, Site Visits and Consultation ..........................................................A-3 Appendix B –Tourism Resources and Infrastructure ............................................ B-1 Principal Attractions/Features ........................................................................B-2 Tourism Facilities and Services .....................................................................B-9 Need for Enhanced Visitor Interpretation Infrastructure and Services .........B-14 Appendix C – Tourism Market Analysis .................................................................. C-1 Preliminary Review of Visitor Markets........................................................... C-2 Characteristics of Relevant Tourism Market Segments ................................ C-9 Key Target Markets..................................................................................... C-11 Appendix D – SWOT, Competitive and Impact Analyses....................................... D-1 SWOT Analysis............................................................................................. D-2 Competitive Analysis..................................................................................... D-8 Impact Analysis – The Value of Tourism..................................................... D-11 Appendix E – Participants in Consultation Process ...............................................E-1 Appendix F – List of References...............................................................................F-1

1 – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: RECOMMENDED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

This study’s focus is to prepare a comprehensive Tourism Strategic Plan, which will be an overall blueprint for developing the Northern Rockies’ and Fort Nelson’s tourism industry as an important sector of the economy. The Fort Nelson to Watson Lake corridor known as the Alaska Highway / AlCan Highway, Pioneer Road / Highway 97 is at a point of significant change and required decision-making for both public and private sector officials. The infrastructure is in need of substantial renewal/enhancement and a comprehensive regional tourism strategic plan can help decision-makers target strategic investments. As the location map in Figure 1.1 shows, the Northern Rockies is at the confluence of four provinces and territories, as well as providing the main overland travel route to Alaska. Figure 1.1: Northern Rockies Location Map

Source: BC Ministry of Transportation

Recommended Tourism Development Strategies

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Northern Rockies / Fort Nelson Tourism Strategic Plan

Visitors very seldom come to a region for a single specific activity. More often it is a combination of opportunities that will attract and hold visitors in a region – and result in them being able to recommend the area to others and return themselves in future years. Based on this fundamental premise and the analysis presented in the preceding chapters, the consulting team is recommending three overall core strategies for further developing and promoting the tourism industry in the Northern Rockies: ♦ Marketing and Awareness – Develop and implement a sophisticated Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program. ♦ Product Development – Facilitate tourism attractions and facilities enhancement, development and tourism investment attraction. ♦ Product Delivery – Enhance community and industry engagement, tourism industry organization, and hospitality training. There are a number of specific recommended strategic initiatives associated with each of these core strategies. These are described briefly on the following pages of this chapter. The details on the destination marketing program core strategy can be found in Chapter 2 of this report. The recommended tourism attractions and facilities enhancement, development and tourism investment opportunities are described in detail in Chapter 3. The product delivery strategic initiatives are described in detail in Chapter 4 of this Strategic Plan document.


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DEVELOP/IMPLEMENT SOPHISTICATED NORTHERN ROCKIES DESTINATION MARKETING PROGRAM This overall core strategy is a prerequisite to encouraging further investment in the upgrading and development of tourism attractions in the Northern Rockies. Strong marketplace awareness of the Northern Rockies as a premier tourism destination is essential to maintain and strengthen the volume of visitor activity and to encourage investment in the upgrading of existing attractions and facilities and development of new ones. We recognize that the Northern Rockies Regional District is already engaged in destination marketing to some degree and works with other partners such as NRAHTA and Northern BC Tourism. All of this needs to be taken to the next level, however, with additional public and private sector investment in destination marketing, as well as a revamp and enhancement of what is currently being done. Therefore, we recommend the following four specific destination marketing strategic initiatives, each of which is described in detail in Chapter 2 of this report, the Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program: 1. Revamp existing print and electronic promotional materials 2. Implement image and awareness advertising and promotional activities 3. Undertake effective regional partnership marketing and packaging 4. Focus on strategic promotion to niche market segments that are best suited to the Northern Rockies. On the following page, in Figure 1.2, we have listed the four Marketing and Awareness strategic initiatives along with the specific projects associated with each of them and the priority level for each project.


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Figure 1.2: Specific Projects and Priorities for Marketing and Awareness Strategic Initiatives Marketing and Awareness Strategic Initiatives / Specific Projects

Priority Level

1. Revamp existing print and electronic promotional materials featuring the Northern Rockies’ brand New Northern Rockies Travel Guide Northern Rockies Touring Map Tourism Northern Rockies website Updated Northern Rockies promotional video 2. Implement image and awareness advertising and promotional activities Conduct travel trade and media relations activities Undertake selective advertising in highly targeted media Attend key travel trade shows with partners Work with the regional destination marketing office (NRAHTA) 3. Undertake effective regional partnership marketing and packaging Develop a Northern Rockies Vacation Packages Program Promote and distribute packages via Internet and selective advertising Encourage development of local in-bound tour operator and guiding services 4. Focus on strategic promotion to niche market segments that are best suited to the Northern Rockies Enhance promotion to U.S. market Market the “Serengeti of the North” Soft adventures and experiential educational vacation programs Hard adventure packages Promote the Deh Cho Travel Connection Circle Tour Get listed with www.grouptravelplanner.net Market to existing special interest organizations Work more closely with the caravan tour companies/groups Liaise with educational tour planners at universities Source: Meadfield Consulting Inc.


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FACILITATE TOURISM ATTRACTIONS/FACILITIES ENHANCEMENT/DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM INVESTMENT ATTRACTION This is the product development component of the overall Tourism Strategic Plan and must be pursued simultaneously with the enhanced marketing and promotion, to ensure that the region’s tourism products, facilities and services meet ever-increasing marketplace expectations. The role of the Regional District and Town in the development and enhancement of tourism attractions, facilities and services can be fairly direct, in the case of attractions and facilities it owns or services it provides. It can help as a facilitator in the case of attractions, facilities and services owned or operated by the private sector or other levels of government. Six specific strategic initiatives are recommended and are described in some detail in Chapter 3 of this report: 1. Develop additional interpretation related opportunities 2. Facilitate development of soft adventure/ecotourism tourism product opportunities 3. Encourage development of hard adventure tourism product opportunities 4. Encourage development of First Nation tourism opportunities 5. Facilitate/encourage private sector upgrading and enhancement of existing attractions, facilities and services 6. Create awareness of strategic tourism investment opportunities. On the following page, in Figure 1.3, we have listed the six Product Development strategic initiatives along with the specific projects associated with each of them and the priority level for each project.


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Figure 1.3: Specific Projects and Priorities for Product Development Strategic Initiatives Product Development Strategic Initiatives / Specific Projects

Priority Level

1. Develop additional interpretation related opportunities Pursue Alaska Highway Scenic Byway Program Re-build historic Alaska Highway mileposts, signs, interpretation stations, walking trails Develop the Northern Rockies/Muskwa-Kechika Interpretive Centre Train tour guides/heritage interpreters Reinstate Provincial Parks’ interpretation programs within region Develop local Fort Nelson sightseeing tours 2. Facilitate development of soft adventure/ecotourism tourism product opportunities Nature appreciation soft adventure packages and programs Cultural and experiential soft adventure packages / programs 3. Encourage development of hard adventure tourism product opportunities

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Rock climbing White water kayaking/rafting Hunting packages and promotion Fishing packages and promotion Mountain bike expeditions Extreme endurance non-motorized racing Wilderness training and outdoor leadership schools Events and programs re-enacting aspects of Hudson’s Bay trading routes and activities 4. Encourage development of First Nation tourism opportunities Aboriginal cultural interpretation programs Aboriginal interpretive programs at Liard Hotsprings Lodge Aboriginal soft adventure and “learning vacation” experiences Guided interpretive tours to the site of the old fort A “Road to Wellness” themed tour 5. Facilitate/encourage private sector upgrading and enhancement of existing attractions, facilities and services Facilitate reinstatement of boat tours on Muncho Lake Facilitate access to less expensive electrical power and telecommunications Encourage upgrading of passenger air service into Fort Nelson Facilitate allocation of tourism-oriented land tenures 6. Create awareness of strategic tourism investment opportunities Create awareness of tourism development and investment opportunities Attend appropriate trade shows and conferences

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Source: Meadfield Consulting Inc.


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PRODUCT DELIVERY: TOURISM INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING In order to enhance community and industry engagement in the tourism industry, it is essential to improve tourism industry organization. This will also have a positive effect on the experience of visitors, which can be further improved with a proactive effort towards enhanced tourism and hospitality training. There are three recommended key strategic initiatives associated with this overall core strategy: 1. Implement a Community and Industry Awareness Program on the benefits of tourism 2. Organize and engage the Northern Rockies tourism industry as a group 3. Facilitate enhanced hospitality and interpretive guide training within the region. These are described in detail in Chapter 4 of this report. On the following page, in Figure 1.4, we have listed the three Product Delivery strategic initiatives along with the specific projects associated with each of them and the priority level for each project.


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Figure 1.4: Specific Projects and Priorities for Product Delivery Strategic Initiatives Product Development Strategic Initiatives / Specific Projects

Priority Level

1. Implement a Community and Industry Awareness Program on the benefits of tourism Newsletter Website posting Local newspaper articles Annual Northern Rockies Tourism Awards as part of Chamber’s Business and Community Excellence awards 2. Organize and engage the Northern Rockies tourism industry as a group Establish Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) Recruit and train full-time Tourism Coordinator Implement Tourism Strategic Plan Monitor progress of implementation 3. Facilitate enhanced hospitality and interpretive guide training within the region Implement SuperHost and FirstHost programs, as appropriate Liaise with tourism industry operators to understand current recruiting needs and job openings Coordinate potential initiatives with Northern Lights College Liaise and network with other college and university tourism program officials to identify other training opportunities Work with Go2 Human Resources Office on training programs and initiatives customized to region Source: Meadfield Consulting Inc.


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A series of Appendices are included with this report, providing information on the study process that led to development of this Tourism Strategic Plan (Appendix A), an assessment of tourism attractions, facilities and services currently available (Appendix B), an overall tourism market analysis (Appendix C), and a SWOT and competitive analysis (Appendix D). A list of people who participated in the consultation process is included in Appendix E, and a list of reference materials used by the consulting team is in Appendix F.


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2 – NORTHERN ROCKIES DESTINATION MARKETING PROGRAM

The Northern Rockies constitutes a nationally and internationally significant tourism destination area because of the access and heritage provided by the Alaska Highway and the outstanding natural environment, which has been recognized and preserved in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and several provincial parks. In spite of all its positive attributes and international significance there is a general lack of tourism marketplace awareness of the Northern Rockies as a destination area. The outstanding natural environment of the MuskwaKechika and the internationally significant heritage of the Alaska Highway are clearly the two dominant drawing cards that can be promoted, along with the availability of high quality tourism accommodations and services at strategic locations throughout the region. While the overall marketing campaign should emphasize the two dominant attractions, it is important to highlight the diversity of tourism experiences the region has to offer. A significant and sustained destination marketing initiative is required to enhance the awareness and make the Northern Rockies “top of mind” in key target markets. Effective destination marketing will require extensive partnerships of public and private sector interests within the region, as well as with destination marketing organizations based outside the region. The key marketing objectives, strategies and recommended marketing and promotional activities are outlined on the following pages.

MARKETING OBJECTIVES AND TARGET MARKETS The overall goal of the marketing program is to promote the Northern Rockies as a nationally and internationally significant tourism destination area in order to enhance marketplace awareness of the region and increase tourism visitation. The specific marketing objectives are as follows: 1. To increase awareness of and interest in the Northern Rockies as a destination-marketing brand 2. To increase interest levels in the Northern Rockies as a premier tourism destination in key target markets within BC, Alberta, the U.S., Central Canada and selected overseas markets.

Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program

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3. To increase tourism visitation during the spring and fall shoulder seasons and winter. 4. To increase the number of visitors transiting the region on the Alaska Highway who stay more than one night within the Northern Rockies. 5. To increase the number of visitors whose primary trip destination is within the Northern Rockies. 6. To encourage development of products and packages that feature the Northern Rockies as the primary destination.

KEY TARGET MARKETS In Figure 2.1 we have listed the primary target markets and market segments that should be the focus of this Northern Rockies destination marketing program. As shown, we believe there is significant potential to more effectively tap into the large population bases in the Lower Mainland of BC, Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, as well as the nearby Northern Alberta market centred around Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray, which have significant and very affluent population bases.


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Figure 2.1: Proposed Target Markets for Northern Rockies Tourism Geographic Target Markets Product / Activity Segments

Northern B.C./ Alberta

Southern B.C./ Alberta

U.S. West Coast

Distant U.S.

Alaska Highway Touring Independent

¡

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Alaska Highway Touring – Group Tours

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Ecotourism

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Hunting and Fishing

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Getaway Packages

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Hard Adventures

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Soft Adventures

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¡ - Primary focus

Europe (U.K./ Germany/ France)

Asia/ Pacific

Other Canada

- Secondary Focus

Source: Analysis by Meadfield Consulting Inc.

It is important to recognize that the relative emphasis among different target markets will likely shift over time based on changing market trends, demographics and currency exchange rates. Marketing materials should highlight appropriate products and packages for each of the relevant market segments.

TOURISM MARKETING STRATEGIC INITIATIVES We are recommending the following four fundamental tourism marketing strategic initiatives for the Northern Rockies: 1. Revamp existing print and electronic promotional materials featuring the Northern Rockies’ brand. 2. Implement image and awareness advertising and promotional activities. 3. Undertake effective regional partnership marketing and packaging. 4. Focus on strategic promotion to niche market segments best suited to the Northern Rockies. Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program

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1. Revamp Existing Print and Electronic Promotional Materials In 2001 the Regional District engaged in an overall branding process, which resulted in the distinctive Northern Rockies/Fort Nelson wordmark/logo, which has been used for the past several years in the Town and Regional District’s marketing and communications materials. Therefore, there is already some marketplace awareness of the brand, which is very distinctive and contemporary, so the goal now is to increase the visibility of this brand in the marketplace and the associated attributes of the Northern Rockies as a premier tourism destination. The current program of Northern Rockies tourism publications must be revamped. The current printed promotional publications vary substantially in quality and messages and some are not cost effective. A vastly increased circulation of high quality but cost effective full colour promotional materials is needed. Currently the Northern Rockies does have an attractive full-colour travel guide which is designed with a pocket folder to be distributed with other brochures from within the region. In addition, the Regional District produces a Northern Rockies’ Recreation Map, as well as an annually updated Trip Planner, which lists attractions, accommodations, restaurants and points of interest for visitors. The Regional District also produces an Annual Events Calendar and a Fishing Guide. We believe that this publication program should be revamped and we would recommend the following publications: ♦ New Northern Rockies Travel Guide. Like the current Visitor Guide this would be a high-quality, full-colour production, although using less expensive coated paper and in a format that will fold into 4” x 9” for a standard brochure rack. It becomes difficult to rack oversized guides in anything but your own visitor information centres. To enhance awareness of and interest in the Northern Rockies, the Northern Rockies Travel Guide should be racked in visitor centres throughout British Columbia and strategic locations in Alberta, as well as being distributed by mail in response to enquiries. •

It might be appropriate to use an 8” x 9” page size that could be folded in half to fit in brochure racks as is done with many local and regional travel guides throughout the province.

•

The Guide would combine the lure material, including editorial copy and colour photographs of the current visitor guide, with the information in the Trip Planner and Events Calendar.

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The Guide would likely be 30-40 pages in length and include advertisements from individual tourist operators within the region who wish to promote their products beyond the basic listings.


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•

The advertising would enable partial cost recovery, although it is best to maintain a balance of at least two-thirds editorial, listings and colour photographs to a maximum of one-third advertisements. This will ensure that the guide does not take on an overly “junky” appearance, while at the same time provides plenty of opportunities for tourist operators who wish to advertise. The advertisements provide visitors with a better idea of the quality of facilities available in the region.

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Approximately 30,000 to 50,000 copies should be printed annually for wide distribution. Consideration could be given to doing a smaller print run of the main travel guide and a wider distribution of an abbreviated guide designed as a lure brochure.

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Ideally the guide should be updated annually, although consideration could be given to publishing every second year, which would reduce costs.

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A pdf of the full travel guide should be available on the Northern Rockies’ Tourism website, as well as interactive accommodations, attractions and events listings.

♦ Northern Rockies Touring Map. The current Northern Rockies Recreation Map, while attractive, does not contain enough detail on all of the points of interest and attractions that visitors can experience in the Northern Rockies. The market research supports this notion as 32% of the region’s travellers in 2003 indicated that quality maps aid in travel decisions (only the Internet, personal experience and word of mouth were more important influences). •

The map would be more effective if it included the locations of all major accommodation facilities and campgrounds as well as various points of interest and attractions along the main routes and within the Town of Fort Nelson.

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Consideration could be given to including some advertisements with the map to help offset production costs, again restricting the number of ads to ensure that the map is as attractive and user friendly as possible.

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Mileage distances between all major communities within the region and to significant communities outside the region should be included.

♦ Develop high-quality Tourism Northern Rockies Website. Development of a strong Northern Rockies tourism website is a top priority. While this can be directly linked to the Town/Regional District website, it should be possible to access it directly via its own registered domain name which should be tourism-northernrockies.com if possible or tourism-northernrockies.net (register both, along with tourismnorthernrockies.ca). Internet/website marketing is a critical reference tool in the planning of 72-75% of long haul vacations to the region, so its


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importance cannot be overstated. The separate tourism website should have the following characteristics: •

The Northern Rockies Logo should be featured on each page

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The Blue and green branding colour scheme should be carried through in the design of all the web pages

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All attractions, accommodations, services and events should be listed interactively on the web pages so that it is possible to directly link to the websites of the individual businesses and operations

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Good use of colour lure photographs throughout including some animation (e.g. photos fading in and out) is helpful

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Packages that can be purchased directly from tour operators and individual tourism operators should be featured on the website, with the potential to purchase on-line

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Visitor information services available in the Northern Rockies should be highlighted on the website with operating hours, 1-800 telephone number for visitor enquiries and e-mail address.

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The region’s two key destination attractions – The Alaska Highway as a heritage and touring route and the Muskwa-Kechika as a worldclass accessible wilderness area – should be featured prominently on the website.

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While basic listings could be provided for all tourist operators within the Northern Rockies, consideration could be given to charging for more elaborate listings and/or advertisements

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Good maps of Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies Regional District should be featured on the website and easily downloaded

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The website should be designed with wide-screen computer monitors in mind which are becoming the new standard

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In addition to having linkages to individual tourist operations within the region, it is important to include reciprocal linkages to and from important tourism marketing partners such as NRAHTA, Northern BC Tourism, Tourism BC and others.

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The website should be optimized on appropriate search engines and tracking mechanisms incorporated so it is possible to know which pages of the website are being visited and, to the extent possible, where the website hits are coming from (e.g. province, state, country).

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Once a suitable video is available for the Northern Rockies, it could be available for viewing on the website

♦ Prepare updated Northern Rockies Promotional video. This should be tourism focused and include outstanding images of the scenery, wildlife and outdoor adventure/ecotourism activities available throughout the region, along with attractions and activities in Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program

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other principal communities. We are aware of several opportunities for acquiring existing footage from local photographers and Northern BC Tourism that could be used to produce an appropriate video cost effectively. There could be various versions of the video with different lengths, depending on the use. The videos could be shown on the website as well as being distributed as DVDs in mailings and at appropriate travel trade shows, conferences and conventions.

2. Implement Image and Awareness Advertising and Promotional Activities With upgraded promotional materials in hand, which are available to respond to interest shown by any prospective visitors, it is then possible to undertake strategic advertising and promotional activities designed to enhance the image and awareness of the Northern Rockies as a premier tourism destination. It is important that promotional materials and the website are clear that the Northern Rockies are in British Columbia, Canada, as the United States also claims its own Northern Rockies in Montana and Wyoming. ♦ Conduct travel trade and media relations activities. Effective public and media relations activities are of paramount importance to increase the market awareness of the Northern Rockies as a premier tourism destination area. Working with marketing partners such as Northern BC Tourism and Tourism BC, the Northern Rockies should participate in travel writers and travel trade familiarization tours. •

The focus should be on travel writers and tour operators from key target market areas such as the Lower Mainland, Calgary, Edmonton and Northern Alberta, large cities in Central Canada such as Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and Montreal, as well as major U.S. cities that are sources of visitors for Northeastern BC including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Dallas.

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The contracting of a very specific, niche market travel writer who will produce an Advertorial on the region could also be considered.

♦ Undertake selective advertising in highly targeted media. There are several relevant visitor guides and travel guides geared to travellers in Northern BC and along the Alaska Highway that enjoy a wide distribution to visitors. In addition there are several magazine publications that are focused on travel or are broader lifestyle publications that include a travel feature or section in each issue. Therefore, we recommend advertising annually in the following publications, as budgets permit:


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The key regional travel guides for Northern BC and the Alaska Highway route including: Milepost, North to Alaska, The Northern BC Tourism Travel Guide, NRAHTA’s Hello North Guide

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Travel oriented magazines including Westworld, published by the BC and Alberta Automobile Associations (should advertise in both BC and Alberta editions) and Canadian Geographic, especially the Canadian Geographic Travel edition (these have a very long self-life)

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Explore: Canada’s Outdoor Magazine - this publication focuses on outdoor adventure travel and also has a very long shelf-life

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Consideration should be given to attracting more interest from the travel trade by advertising in the Canadian Tourism Commission’s regular publication Tourisme, and travel trade publications such as Canadian Travel Press in Canada and Travel Weekly in the U.S.

•

British Columbia Magazine (very long shelf-life)

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Travel sections of daily newspapers in key target markets such as the Vancouver Sun, Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald.

♦ Attend key travel trade shows with partners such as Northern BC Tourism and NRAHTA, when appropriate. The principal annual trade shows/conventions that are relevant include those of the National Tour Association (NTA), American Bus Association (ABA), Ontario Motorcoach Association (OMCA) and Rendezvous Canada (sponsored by the Canadian Tourism Commission and Tourism Industry Association of Canada). Northern BC Tourism and/or NRAHTA already attend these on behalf of their members and partners, but in some instances a direct Northern Rockies presence may be useful. ♦ Work with the regional destination marketing office (NRAHTA) in Fort St. John to build a strong, cohesive regional image for the Northern Rockies as a distinctive destination area, with localized hubs and nodes of tourist attractions, activities and services (e.g. – Fort Nelson, Toad River, Muncho Lake, Liard Hot Springs). The Northern Rockies should feature more prominently in NRAHTA’s marketing and promotional materials, emphasizing the close tie-in with the Muskwa-Kechika, which covers much of the Northern Rockies Regional District.

3. Undertake Effective Regional Partnership Marketing and Packaging The Northern Rockies Regional District already partners with NRAHTA and Northern BC Tourism as it provides funding for NRAHTA, as well as participating in Northern BC Tourism’s marketing activities. It is important to continue to strengthen these partnerships and take advantage of the cooperative marketing and promotional activities each organization offers. Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program

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For example, several of the advertising initiatives recommended earlier, such as in Westworld and British Columbia Magazine, can often be partnered with Northern BC Tourism, which significantly reduces the ad placement costs and enhances the visibility of the ad by being part of an overall Northern BC feature. It is important to work with these partners and individual tourist operators within the region to develop and distribute a program of packages featuring attractions and activities within the Northern Rockies. These strategies should include: ♦ Develop a Northern Rockies Vacation Packages Program that can be featured on the website and promoted by partners. This would include the following types of packages: •

Fly-drive

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Outdoor adventure and eco-tourism packages

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Fishing and hunting packages

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Culture and heritage oriented packages featuring Alaska Highway and First Nations heritage.

♦ Promote and distribute packages via Internet and selective advertising. In addition to promoting these packages on the Northern Rockies’ Website, websites of Marketing Partners, as well as individual tourist operator websites, some strategic advertising should also be undertaken. •

Partner ads in travel sections of target market daily newspapers, particularly where getaway packages are offered

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Having appropriate airline sponsors of the packages would be helpful including Air Canada (to Fort St. John) and Central Mountain Air (to Fort Nelson)

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Promotion to tour operators who could include packages as components of overall tour or package itineraries.

♦ Encourage development of local in-bound tour operator and guiding services. This would support the development and marketing of various packages by proactively bringing in business to the region, dealing with outside tour packagers and operators who like to package with an inbound tour operator in desired destination areas.

4. Focus on Strategic Promotion to Niche Market Segments BestSuited to Northern Rockies In the following paragraphs we recommend a number of marketing and promotional initiatives and areas of focus that target specific niche market


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segments that already have a strong interest in the Northern Rockies or are well-suited to the products and services being offered. ♦ Enhance promotion to U.S. market. When marketing tourism products and packages into the United States make sure the following points are emphasized, where appropriate: •

The affordability of the package in relation to similar packages being marketed in other countries

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The safety of a “Serengeti of the North” safari, relative to attacks from bears, cougars, moose, buffalo

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The general absence of diseases from mosquito/insect bites such as West Nile virus, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Lymes Disease (ticks).

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That there is a common written, spoken language (English) and travel signage is in English.

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The friendliness and welcoming nature of the Northern Rockies’ residents towards visitors.

♦ Market the “Serengeti of the North” to the international audience of travellers who like to experience exotic wildlife regions. •

Wildlife safaris to view the Big 5: bison, caribou, moose, sheep, goats

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Safaris to witness bird migrations and nesting sites

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Day trip expeditions to salt licks, moose pastures

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Night watching and listening using various technologies.

♦ Soft adventures and experiential educational vacation programs are enjoying increased demand by travellers (e.g.- wildlife viewing, photography, cultural programs, skills development) so should be a strong focus of packaging and marketing efforts. •

Ecotourists are the highest educated (4 years university ++), highest income of the tourism demographic groups

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Staff must have high levels of education plus experience in order to relate effectively to this market segment

♦ Hard adventure packages should focus on market niches best-suited to the Northern Rockies, tapping into the potential that exists for quality guided river rafting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, back-packing mountaineering and other activity-focused outdoor experiences. •

Fishing and hunting continue to be important outdoor adventure activities, although the overall market appears to be decreasing in total traffic (e.g.- British Columbia’s sale of fishing/hunting licenses has decreased by approximately 50% since 1994).


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♦ Do greater regional and inter-provincial / inter-agency partnering to promote the Deh Cho Travel Connection Circle Tour, even though it goes outside the Northern Rockies (Highway 77, 7 in the NWT and back into Alberta) •

Alberta VICs will be sending traffic counter clockwise, passing through Fort Nelson - Dawson Creek, making joint marketing a win/win for all regions and provinces

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The Circle Tour funding needs to tie together the Alaska Highway corridor with the Cassiar-Stewart-Kitwanga-Yellowhead Highway loop to make a complete loop.

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There is a need to partner with communities along the Cassiar Highway #37 and the Yellowhead Highway.

♦ Get listed with www.grouptravelplanner.net – Western Canada Group Travel Planner Edition. Group Travel Planner is a compendium of information for tour organizers and companies wanting to develop new tour routes and programs. The 2007 edition features Liard Hotsprings as a photo, but there is absolutely no accompanying text about the location, the Alaska Highway or any other reasons to travel in the region. The complete Alaska Highway corridor is missing on maps and any thought of a tour. ♦ Market to existing special interest organizations. Many organizations arrange member field trips to distant locations (e.g.- Federation of BC Naturalists, Smithsonian Institution). They generally have membership newsletters (hard copy and electronic, as well as websites). As such they are always wanting and valuing purchased advertisements. They also may want someone to write a series of articles featuring the region being advertised. The membership numbers of these organizations might be only a few hundred or a few thousand; however, the group is predisposed to coming to areas offering programs that match their interests. ♦ Work more closely with the caravan tour companies/groups which have wagon-master tour leaders of the multi-vehicle caravans. Strategies include placing media articles, offer of special walks/talks for the caravan group when they stop for the day/night in the region. Discussion with local operators identified two key conventions attended by motorhome “nomads”. Previous attendance by representatives from the Northern Rockies did generate a flow of new caravan tours. Consistent attendance is required to generate new caravans and to sustain interest in the region. ♦ Liaise with educational tour planners at universities that offer group/alumni tours. These groups are upper income, wanting to learn and willing to pay top dollar for exceptional tour packages.


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Beyond these external marketing activities it is also important to regionally communicate to the various agencies, associations, chambers, and business owners that tourism development and marketing requires a sustained effort over a significant time period. Unlike agriculture or forestry which can produce a tangible, touchable item, turning a profit in a reporting quarter, tourism requires a much longer “development to marketing to revenue generation window” before noticeable, tangible results are evident. It is common for a partnered travel package to require 3-5 years from inception through build-up, before it starts to generate an adequate return.


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3 – TOURISM ATTRACTIONS/FACILITIES ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

This overall strategic direction is focused on product enhancement and development. To better compete in the national and international marketplaces, it is essential that the Northern Rockies and Fort Nelson continue to upgrade and improve existing tourism products, facilities and services, as well as developing new ones. There are six recommended strategic initiatives that should be pursued under this overall core strategy: 1. Develop additional interpretation related opportunities 2. Facilitate development of soft adventure/ecotourism tourism product opportunities 3. Encourage development of hard adventure tourism product opportunities 4. Encourage development of First Nation tourism opportunities 5. Facilitate/encourage private sector upgrading and enhancement of existing attractions, facilities and services 6. Create awareness of strategic tourism investment opportunities. We have identified a range of tourism development opportunities for the Northern Rockies and Fort Nelson, based on our research, market analysis, interviews/consultations, field work, and application of the criteria shown in Figure 3.1. These opportunities focus on interpretive, soft and hard adventure/ecotourism, and First Nations products and packages. Figure 3.1: Criteria for Identifying Tourism Opportunities


Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development

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1. DEVELOP ADDITIONAL INTERPRETATION RELATED OPPORTUNITIES There is a need for enhanced interpretation of the natural and cultural features of the Northern Rockies. The following opportunities should be pursued to fulfil this need:

Develop Additional Scenic Viewpoints and Historic/Natural Points of Interest – Pursue Alaska Highway Scenic Byway Program Implementing the proposed Alaska Highway Scenic Byway program within the Northern Rockies is the ideal project to begin development of such facilities. The marketing of this Scenic Byway would further enhance the image of the region in the marketplace and enable partnered dollars to be accessed in marketing to the national and international marketplace. The Scenic Byways Project has a well established history in getting travellers to explore the back roads, secondary highways throughout Continental U.S.A. The process has already been initiated. ♦ In September of 2004 thirteen Alaska Highway Communities signed a memorandum of understanding entitled : The Alaska Highway Community Initiative ♦

“This historic signing signified a commitment to work together on matters of mutual importance regarding future planning and development of the Alaska Highway corridor”

♦ To advance the MOU, Fort Nelson Community went through the Scenic Byways Project in early, 2005. The workshop followed the established protocols in place to establish a back road and communities as a “Scenic Byway.” ♦ There is already a Fort Nelson booklet “The Alaska Highway – Your Scenic Byway Community Workbook” that has been developed ♦ According to the program, each Byway stop or point of interest should reflect one or more of the following six intrinsic qualities: scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological, and recreational.

Re-build the Historic Alaska Highway Mileposts, Signs, Interpretation Stations and Walking Trails These are on the present-day main highway, as well as along the remaining sections of the original Pioneer Road, and will require a multi-jurisdictional partnership, again through the Scenic Byway program.


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Develop the Northern Rockies/Muskwa-Kechika Interpretive Centre The concept of a dedicated “Interpretation Centre” has been considered since 2001 or before and is the subject of at least two or three previous feasibility and marketing studies. This needs to be re-examined in a current context and could perhaps be combined with a new signature visitor information centre in Fort Nelson. Appropriate location, siting, architectural design and functionality of any such complex will be critical issues. This would provide a much-needed additional local attraction and focus attention on the international significance of the Northern Rockies and Muskwa-Kechika. It is a high priority opportunity that will require extensive partnering and planning to implement. The best current opportunity to take advantage of is co-location with the new Visitor Centre that will be part of the proposed new recreation complex. Capital funding in support of this project may be available under the Northern Development Initiative Trust, as tourism is an eligible category and this attraction development appears to meet the Trust’s general requirements, as it would help to enhance the tourism sector of the economy and create jobs. Other provincial and federal funding opportunities could also be explored. ♦ Developing a financially sustainable operation will be a key challenge and requires careful consideration ♦ Program development will be an important element of the planning for this Centre. The staff will be able to make recommendations that encourage visitors to stay another day – building positive memories that result in recommending the Northern Rockies region to friends and relatives. •

Trained staff (salaried and volunteer) bring alive the message by recommending actual sites where the Interpretation Centre’s theme is expressed.

•

This will help to encourage more extensive travel and longer stays within the Northern Rockies.

Train Tour Guides/Heritage Interpreters There is a lack of qualified, well-trained guides available to do local and regional sightseeing and interpretive tours or for the delivery of evening campfire programs at Provincial Park and other campgrounds. These programs could be run at individual wayside stops with RV / motorhome campsites.


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♦ The guide(s) could also be contracted to travel with motorcoach tours or individual motorhomes, offering customized eco-interpretation based tours along specific routes. In the short term, current Visitor Centre staff could be trained to provide some interpretation and guiding services. They could be trained by tapping into existing training programs available, such as the following programs offered by several different organizations: ♦ The Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council (CTHRC) has developed a full program of training for approximately 40 tourism careers. Some careers, such as Tour Guide / Tour Director and Heritage Interpreter have advanced studies (e.g.- Certified Tourism Professional designations). ♦ The British Columbia office for CTHRC and e-merit is the Go2 Human Resources office in Vancouver. Tourism Essentials by CTHRC and emerit is an 8 hour program which outlines the structure of tourism in Canada and locally. It enables participants to compare national expectations and build best practices into local programs and services. ♦ Bold Point Centre, Quadra Island, has over the past 6 years, working closely with CTHRC and Go2HR. developed a series of career / job entry workshops on •

Heritage Interpretation, Eco-interpreter Guiding, Tour Guide and Tour Director

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Communication Workshops

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Natural History of B.C.

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Cultural History

♦ Some community colleges have begun to teach adventure guide programs which include heritage interpretation as a core course. Should a local instructor offer to teach the course they could follow the occupational standards for Heritage Interpretation and Tour Guide / Tour Director, as established by CTHRC – e-merit. •

An Introductory Heritage Interpretation program would equally blend principles, skills and knowledge taught in the classroom with practical experience in the field.

♦ Individuals should be able to select the type of Tour Guide they would like to emphasis. Choices should include: •

Walking tour guide

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Step-on Guide (upland or aquatic – marine)

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Site Guide


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•

Driver-Guide

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Tour Director/Tour Manager

♦ The Canadian Tour Guide Association – B.C. has begun (2006) the process of internal and external discussions with companies and governments to establish a provincial Tour Guide Training and Certification program. ♦ Interpretation Canada – three modules are available, however they are focused on people working in parks and or museums. They have not been updated in over 20 years, including adjustments to account for the occupational standards for heritage interpreters, as set out by CTHRC – e-merit. ♦ Tourism B.C. training modules – SuperHost, 1986 is in major need of overhaul relative to training videos, illustrations and delivery limitations. Being a provincial program, trainers cannot modify content to address local realities, initiatives, tourist dynamics and local view points. A customized version for the Northern Rockies should be developed. ♦ Front Line Interpreter / Host – This is an 8-hour workshop developed by the National Association for Interpreters. It is a copyrighted program, requiring NAI approval of the instructor. Increasingly, governments outside of B.C. and Canada have put into place systems of training, certification and monitoring to ensure a national standard of delivery. Many countries have set the bar for tour guides to be at least a University Degree with appropriate areas of study and three courses in Heritage Interpretation (personal and non-personal).

Reinstate Provincial Park Interpretation Programs within the Region Across British Columbia, Park Management Contractors have fielded thousands of verbal comments from returning tourists more than bemoaning the demise of scheduled Heritage Interpretation Programs. Only in a small handful of parks has a quasi re-instatement of the interpretation programs surfaced since their demise in 2000. This can be achieved with the assistance of BC Parks, part of the Province’s Ministry of the Environment. Partner funding of information programs / booths, especially at the Liard Hotsprings Provincial Park campground should be pursued. ♦ Build-up the Muncho Lake programs at both campgrounds


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♦ These programs would encourage overnighters using the free pull-offs to come to the Private RV campgrounds and also into the provincial park campgrounds. Currently, with no educational / family programs there are fewer compelling reasons to go to any private or public RV campsite. ♦ Provincial Park Interpretation Program staffing of 4 people would be good for local employment, while attracting motivated people to conduct local history research as part of their interpretation duties. Personal Interpretation Programs Such programs would include trail walks & talks, audio visual presentations for evening programs. These need to be timed to account for twilight / semidark northern evenings, June – September. ♦ Staff, with a theatre / performing arts background would produce 5 – 10 small vignette single / 2 person performances, suitable for different audiences. As the majority of travellers are young couples and those 50 years +, programs would need to deliver a higher level of knowledge in appropriate natural / cultural history.(university graduate) ♦ Re-instatement of Personal Interpretation programs should immediately be focused on Liard Hotsprings and Muncho Lake / North and south end campsites. ♦ Cultural Interpretation programs through partnerships with the First Nations communities could combine political capacities as well as partnered dollars into a double win initiative. First Nation communities can bring forward traditional knowledge and people to deliver programs which would in part be a partial solution to the limited labour pool. ♦ Roving Interpreters are needed based out of Muncho Lake and the 2 campsites. The region has significant hikes and way points where interpretation programs would be very well attended. Non-Personal Programs These would include such items as wayside exhibits, information pamphlets of local geology, newsletters for campers, quick information flyers about animal sightings, spring migrations / blooms. ♦ The development of these programs will require the knowledge, skills, training and experience of a person who has proven Heritage Interpretation training. A person with significant experience in Acting / Theatre Sports / Creative Writing are worth gold in Interpretation Programs. A person with an Outdoor Education Degree / or a Degree in Education make good candidates Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development

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•

Caution: a person with a pure sciences / natural sciences or even a history / geography / geology degree could be the death of a good Interpretation Program.

♦ Blend Staff education and skills: selected where 1/2 are well versed in Heritage Interpretation / Theatre / Creative Writing and the other 1/2 are knowledge carriers (1 Natural Science, 1 Pure Sciences).

Develop Local Fort Nelson Sightseeing Tours There is a need to develop local walking and driving tours (guided and self guided) that include the town’s parks, trails, industries, museum and public complexes as points of interest along a series of possible sightseeing routes that would be of interest to visitors. The self-guided walking and driving tours could be described in a pamphlet that includes a town map showing the routes, the locations of the various points of interest and brief descriptions of each. Key features highlighted in the tour itineraries could include: ♦ The Fort Nelson Heritage Museum with its many exhibits, and both passive and active resources that could be used in all manner of personal and non-personal interpretation programs. This would tie-in nicely with the Museum’s Long-term Strategic Plan which calls for enhanced public programming and interpretation. ♦ At Fort Nelson Airport, historic photo displays on the history of the Northwest Staging Route during World War II could be featured, similar to the historic photo displays in Watson Lake Airport. ♦ The Town’s natural gas and wood fibre processing industrial sites are features that are of interest to some visitors, and sometimes it is possible to arrange for a tour or orientation briefing at some of these sites. ♦ The Mile 300 Monument (recently upgraded) is also an important point of interest to include, along with other local unique features such as the Community Forest with its lowlands ecosystem.

2. FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT ADVENTURE/ECOTOURISM TOURISM PRODUCT OPPORTUNITIES The Northern Rockies is extremely well-suited for offering a multiplicity of soft adventure experiences, making use of existing quality accommodations in Fort Nelson and along the Alaska Highway as the bases for unique experiences.


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Nature Appreciation Soft Adventure Packages and Programs These are generally guided programs featuring all aspects of wildlife and natural environment interpretation. ♦ Bird watching packages. Birding is one of the largest soft adventure market segments and has captured the hearts, minds and pocket books of North American baby-boomers. It is an $8 billion per year industry. Sales come in the form travel packages, clothing purchases, equipment, gadgets, souvenirs, food and beverage, accommodations. Local Guides receive their fees, based upon goods and services provided e.g. tents, wine list, modes of transportation and heritage interpretation skills to meet women and men’s needs. The Northern Rockies, is well-positioned to take advantage of year-round birding opportunities. •

Seasonal migrations (spring, fall)

•

Local/regional species (summer, winter, year round).

♦ Large mammal wildlife-viewing safaris. Wildlife viewing in B.C. is very big business. It is estimated that in 2006 the whale watching industry generated an economic impact of more than $100 million along the coast from Victoria to the Queen Charlotte Islands. There are has over a dozen individual companies selling Grizzly and Black Bear viewing tours in the Campbell River region from June to October charging from $159 to over $350 for tours with a duration of 4 to 8 hours. •

Travel along the Alaska Highway, especially from Toad River / Muncho Lake to Liard River Lodge is a noted ongoing wildlife corridor.

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At Mile Post 483 / km. 731) is a dedicated pull-over for access to Mineral Licks Trail, a short walk weeping minerals, key to animal survival. The trail overlooks Trout River.

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Wildlife viewing opportunities include Buffalo, Caribou, Elk, Moose, Goats, Stone Mountain Sheep.

♦ Fossil and rock-hounding. Communities along the Alaska Highway have a history of this because of unique geological phenomena (e.g.- hot springs, coal beds, folded mountains, mineral exploration, fossil beds, animal salt-licks). •

The Oil & Gas / Ministry of Mines will have current maps of mineral sites, some readily accessible to tourism infrastructures.

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Existing resorts, lodges have displays in their lobbies of fossils and minerals found minutes from the property. Other lodge owners know the locations of hot springs, in use for hundreds of years, though less well known than Liard Hot Springs.

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Coal Fields, limestone formations


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•

Rock-hounders can hunt for precious metals, stones and jade.

♦ Vegetation of the North: the following types of vegetation can be interpreted through guided hikes and river trips: •

Trees,

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Plants, shrubs, wildflowers

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Mosses / lichens

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Ecological studies

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Blossoms, colours, montage

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Artistic abstract, realism.

♦ Winter Northern Lights packages. The Northern Rockies is far enough north that it is an excellent location to view the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis during the winter months. Low levels of ground light away from the main communities and cold clear evenings can help ensure good viewing. These types of packages have been successful in other northern communities such as Yellowknife. Night-time viewing can be combined with interesting winter daytime activities such as dog-sledding, snow-shoeing and cross country skiing.

Cultural and Experiential Soft Adventures Packages and Programs Examples of several other types of soft adventure packages and programs that would be well-suited to the Northern Rockies include themed interpretation based programs blending cultural and natural history over the course of 2-4 days or as long as a week, such as the following: ♦ Guide-outfitters with ecotourism options ♦ Arts in the wilderness: photography, painting of landscapes, and meditation by being in the wild. Ontario has developed a successful Arts in the Wild program. Programming can encompass both visual and performing arts. •

Generally, artistic people express their inner selves through their artistic mediums. The artists shines when they are doing their carving, oils, sketches, metal castings.

•

A coordinator would need to arrange artists, studios, workshop locations and distant marketing to arts clubs / magazines informing people of an Arts and Travel opportunity in Northern Rockies of BC.

♦ Women in the wilderness – historical treks and responsibilities, bush survival school. In 2007, dozens of women only programs of travel and education exist. Wise resort owners packaging with adventure program Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development

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specialists will be able to capture this growing and very lucrative opportunity. ♦

“People of the North” experiential-educational discoveries. This is an opportunity to call on First Nations elders to pass on their stories, knowledge and skills. It should also be possible to encourage the remaining non-native elders, pioneers in the 1930’s-60’s to become story tellers, recording their experiences on DVD for website broadcast. Also recording new learners will help with building skills, confidence, and empowerment as they draw strength from the wisdom of the elders, blended with the energy of today’s youth. Possible experiences beyond the story-telling include: •

Edible wild crafting – picking of mushrooms, berries, plants, drying, juices, jellies, fruit leathers / pemmican

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Plants and technology wild crafting – bowls, ropes, shelters, skewers

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Medicinal wild crafting – preventatives, curatives, vitamins, sweetness, ointments, salves, creams

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Skills of being a horse wrangler (e.g.- Chilcotin Holidays has a “Wrangler School” program)

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Animal tracking school

♦ Environmental education field schools for college / university students •

Watersheds/hydrology

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Glaciation

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Weathering

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Mining and exploration, land remediation

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Climate Change

Some type of homestead school offering apprenticeships in the bush is another variation of this concept (e.g.- WWOOF – Willing Workers on Organic Farms, Canada). Staff members at many properties do have interests that can be maximized through experiential/educational programs, such as the following examples: ♦ Northern Rockies Lodge – the local wood carver could offer workshops/ time to work on a small sculpture. Others, while hiking could be looking for appropriate wood to use in carvings. ♦ Fossil hunts – staff have found local fossil beds. These could be turned into walking tours, interpreting local geology and fossil formation.


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Soft adventure visitors are typically middle aged (40+), are highly educated, very well travelled, and expect equal standards and backgrounds of the tour leaders. Their expectations of a soft adventure vacation are as follows: ♦ Clients are known to enjoy a very good, physical, rough, exhausting day lasting 4-8 hours. ♦ Come evening, at base camp, they expect to be spoiled with good chairs, quality safari tents or cabins, soft beds, good wine and meals. ♦ A fixed roof lodge-resort with common room is preferred, enabling late evening mingling. ♦ Day trips can be wet, dirty, cold, and bug-ridden – but evenings should have few discomforts. Soft adventures are built around developing very personal events for the guest. Soft adventure operations require staff to have a broad knowledge base, along with a high standard of manners, etiquette, and inter-personal communications skills.

3. ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF HARD ADVENTURE TOURISM PRODUCT OPPORTUNITIES There are many possibilities, most of which have been developed or tried-out to some degree, but have not fully tapped into the market potential. Examples include: ♦ Rock climbing. This encompasses a variety of vertical challenges, elevations, traverse, and free climb opportunities that are pursued by dedicated enthusiasts. ♦ White water kayaking/rafting. Main Current Rafting Expeditions has been offering high quality day trips and expedition trips in the region, as an indicator of this potential. The Liard River has a number of significant rapids, whirl pools and extremes in water levels (25 feet change in 2007). It would be valuable to have avid river kayakers do a series of runs on the river to obtain their opinion of the areas with best potential. Communications with the B.C. Canoe and Kayak Association and the White Water Rafters Association could lead to a group coming north, running the rivers and giving a written assessment, which would be helpful. ♦ Hunting packages and promotion. This is well-established in the region for the past several decades with registered guide-outfitters in place. Approximately 25 registered guide-outfitters share wilderness leases and government rights of access in Northern B.C. Summer of Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development

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2007: The provincial government launched a campaign to increase by 25,000, the number of licensed recreational hunters in British Columbia. There are 3 categories of hunters: •

International Hunter / trophy

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Resident trophy / recreational

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Food / subsistence residential hunter.

Guide Outfitters primarily earn their living from catering to the needs of the International Client. While a single trophy animal can be valued at $10,000-20,000 the net annual income to many guide-outfitters provides only a fairly a modest/subsistence income. Enhanced packaging and promotion of hunting experiences should be encouraged with guideoutfitters working closely with accommodation providers in the designated areas where tenures have been established. ♦ Fishing packages and promotion. This is also well-established with registered guide-outfitters offering packages and programs. The major draw for the Northeastern BC is access to Arctic Watershed freshwater species such as pike, walleye, grayling, and Arctic char. •

Since 1994, overall sport fishing licences in BC have fallen by 50%. The provincial government, in cooperation with a number of tourism organizations, has begun a family oriented campaign to increase the number of young and old to take-up sport fishing.

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Internationally, since 1999 BC has had to face major fishing competition from Russia and Siberia for similar species of fish. Other nations are able to offer fantastic fishing, good accommodations and lower pricing. This is especially true for Europeans who can now easily access Russian rivers, once closed under the Soviet regime.

♦ Mountain bike expeditions using logging roads, known seismic roads, mining roads, and trails. This activity would be an ideal marriage with an existing guide-outfitter/trail rides operator, as it would broaden their client base while utilizing existing trails away from the hunting season. Website pages dedicated to mountain bike opportunities would help promote this activity (include options for viewing mini-cam productions that feature water crossings, rock jumps, forest trails, etc.). ♦ Wilderness training and outdoor leadership schools. These can cater to youth, adult, and corporate markets. Partnerships could be developed with First Nations and established resorts to host multiday/week programs on trekking the wilderness and learning true survival skills – this would definitely attract a niche market. Through planning of locations, trails, training workshops, activities, challenges a wilderness


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training and outdoor school could have seasonal competitions in the Northern Rockies. All programs could be divided into the four seasons •

Requires professionally accredited trainers, outdoor leadership graduates

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Local outfitters / trappers / hunters to co-train the participants.

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Outdoor schools can specialize by gender (male, female, co-ed)

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Comparable examples include: Strathcona Park Lodge with their COLT and WYLD programs; NOELS (Northern Outdoor Education and Leadership School); Yamnuska Outdoor Centre at Canmore Alberta.

♦ Extreme endurance non-motorized racing. A possible example would be 4 days of mixed water, climbing, cycling overland to a known destination. The Raid the North Extreme race held recently in the Prince Rupert area and on Haida Gwaii is a good example. •

Various types of “Eco-challenges” and Extreme-Trek competitions are possible.

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These can be effectively marketed via various outdoor niche publications (e.g.- Runner, Triathlon, Out There)

♦ Consider events and programs that re-enact various aspects of the Hudson’s Bay trading routes and activities. •

Paddle competition down the Liard River

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Freighter Canoes, single canoe, mixed, women only

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Bundle carry competitions

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Hatchet Throws etc.

Alliances need to be built with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and the BC Canoe and Kayak Guides Association.

4. ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF FIRST NATION TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES First Nations of the region have a lengthy and significant cultural heritage that has not been adequately interpreted or presented to date. There is no such interpretive centre along the Alaska Highway corridor. Partnerships could be developed between new First Nation operators and established non-Native operators to work together with inbound tourism operators and investors to develop Aboriginal cultural experiences for visitors. On their own, Aboriginal tourism products are seldom the key or sole reason for a tour operator or independent traveller to come to British Columbia. Cultural tourism overall, however, accounts for some 50% of the reasons why tourists will plan trips to other countries and regions. Therefore, it is better to Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development

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promote the total cultural history of the Northern Rockies from pre-historic settlements to contemporary partnerships, which together are delivering a cultural tourism product with an Aboriginal focus. ♦ Aboriginal cultural interpretation programs. The opportunity exists for local First Nations to partner with other providers to develop an Aboriginal cultural experience themed reason to travel the Alaska Highway, featuring such elements as: •

Traditional food gathering and processing

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Traditional hide tanning and processing (moose, caribou, bison)

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Traditional travel and trade route re-enactments

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Traditional meals: gathering, processing, feasting

♦ Aboriginal interpretive programs at Liard Hotsprings Lodge. This lodge was recently purchased by the Fort Nelson First Nation. The location is prime, being directly on the Alaska Highway and across the highway from the Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park and Campground. The area’s history as a hot springs healing destination goes back thousands of years. The First Nation should consider developing a complete cultural heritage interpretation program with experientialeducational activities, such as the following: •

Traditional Food gathering and preservation: walks, experiences and hands on workshops of a few hours / a few days.

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Trail Rides / guide outfitter expeditions into the back country on traditional routes for gathering (hunting, fishing), foods and medicines.

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Guide Outfitter lead expeditions over the mountains to trade with coastal peoples.

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Cultural Programs including storytelling, feasts, learning folk art skills (tanning, smoking fish, basket-weaving, running a trap line, music and gift making). The cultural storytelling, traditional songs and dances would be ideal presentations to be given at the meeting place currently established in the Liard Hotsprings Provincial Park.

♦ Aboriginal soft adventure/learning vacation packages. Existing resorts could partner with First Nations to offer unique soft adventure and “learning vacation” experiences, such as the following: •

Guided hikes, canoeing, kayaking

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Trail rides, returning after 2 , 4 or 6 hours

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Trail rides into wildlife viewing areas: fording rivers, riding trails to moose beds, fossil hunting, rock-hounding, gold panning

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Soaking in a remote hot spring, after a day’s ride


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•

Have evening / day time education / experiential activities lasting 1-3 hours, ranging from story-telling, traditional dance and music to arts and culture workshops. Participants could be given one small takeaway item symbolic of the activity.

♦ Tours to the site of the “old fort”. A guided interpretive tour (hike or horseback) could be developed to the site of the old fort which gave Fort Nelson its name, recounting the role of the First Nations in the fur trade and their own history and heritage in this region. ♦ A “Road to Wellness” themed tour could be developed, which would incorporate visits to the various known and to-be-developed hot springs, and include traditional healing and natural medicines. The learning of traditional medicine practices has a micro-niche marketing opportunity. •

The gathering and processing lends itself to developing a much longer operating season i.e. Spring / Summer / Fall months.

•

Any instruction would require an exceedingly well trained presenter, with extensive field time plus academic study.

5. FACILITATE/ENCOURAGE PRIVATE SECTOR UPGRADING AND ENHANCEMENT OF EXISTING ATTRACTIONS, FACILITIES AND SERVICES In the site visits and consultation undertaken for this study, it is clear that a number of existing operators are engaging in upgrading and enhancement of the facilities and services they provide. Frequently, however, there are constraints imposed by regulatory and jurisdictional issues associated with different levels of government (Town/Regional District, provincial and federal) and various departments or agencies at each level. As it has already been doing, the Regional District and Town can help operators deal with some of these issues by facilitating contact and meetings with the appropriate department or agency, or even helping to lobby provincial and/or federal politicians when confronted with unreasonable obstacles. Good examples include the following: ♦ Facilitate reinstatement of boat tours on Muncho Lake which cannot currently be operated because of the lack of an accessible docking facility. •

Provision of such a dock within the Park for use by boat tours and other recreational boating, would be an appropriate public infrastructure component to provide, in order to have the valuable visitor activity and interpretation program that the boat tours offered.

•

The Regional District may be able to help the private sector entrepreneur effectively lobby the province to provide this infrastructure, subject to reasonable user fees.


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♦ Facilitate access to less expensive electrical power and telecommunications are additional initiatives that the Regional District can and has been facilitating for small communities and businesses located to the north on the Alaska Highway. The Regional District can coordinate the various community and private sector interests and facilitate the necessary public and private sector partnering required to implement these upgrades. ♦ Encourage upgrading of passenger air service into Fort Nelson. This will involve ongoing liaison and dialogue with the current scheduled service provider, Central Mountain Air, and Canada’s main national and international carrier, Air Canada, which used to provide daily service between Vancouver and Fort Nelson. The absence of Air Canada is a major constraint on developing fly-in destination visitor traffic to the region, so this is a major concern. This results in much higher airfares for long distance travellers as the Fort Nelson add-on fare from Vancouver under Air Canada was minimal compared to having to book a separate fare on a different airline (Central Mountain Air). Enhanced destination marketing and packaging may help to restore Air Canada’s confidence in Fort Nelson as a destination, but it will be important to determine what their criteria are for re-establishing viable service. Passenger security screening at the airport would likely be a key requirement, so this would need to be examined. ♦ The Regional District could also play a role in facilitating the allocation of tourism-oriented land tenures within the Regional District’s boundaries, with the objective of encouraging additional outdoor adventure/ecotourism commercial activities, rather than just the traditional fishing and hunting outfitting tenures. Outdoor adventure and ecotourism represent a growing market opportunity, whereas hunting and fishing, generally speaking, are fairly static or declining in many of the key market origin areas as a result of shifting demographics.

6. CREATE AWARENESS OF STRATEGIC TOURISM INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES As noted earlier, the destination marketing initiative will in and of itself help to promote investment attraction. However, some more specifically targeted tourism investment attraction activities could be undertaken such as the following: ♦ Create awareness of tourism development and investment opportunities identified in this Strategic Plan. For example, the privately owned Highway commercial sites along the Alaska Highway that are not currently operating could be identified as opportunities for investors to purchase and develop those sites. Tourism Attractions/Facilities Enhancement and Development

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•

Owners could be contacted to ascertain their plans, if any, and the Regional District could offer to list their site as a tourism investment opportunity within the Economic Development portion of the Regional District’s website.

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Any enquiries which come into the Economic Development Office could be directed to the site owner in each case.

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The Regional District would not get involved in any transactions, but could play a facilitator role, with the aim of encouraging appropriate investment that will enhance the Region’s tourism industry.

•

The Regional District could also apply for grants from provincial and federal government agencies to facilitate specific tourism projects.

♦ Attend appropriate trade shows and conferences. This can be a way of making contact with potential investors in everything from accommodation properties to adventure and ecotourism operations. There are a number of resort and hotel investment forums that could be relevant for making contact with prospective investors in this type of operation, as well as attendance at the Wilderness Tourism Association and BC River Outfitters Association’s Annual Conferences to make contact with existing major players in outdoor adventure/ecotourism who might have an interest in establishing branch operations within the Northern Rockies.


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4 –PRODUCT DELIVERY: TOURISM INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING

In addition to creating a much stronger marketplace awareness of the Northern Rockies as a premier tourism destination and enhancing the tourism products, facilities and services available, it is essential to ensure that visitors experience high quality service and hospitality throughout their visit to the region, including a strong welcome from front-line staff and local residents. From the research and consultation of this study it is clear that the Region’s tourism industry needs to be better engaged as a group to develop and promote the tourism sector in the Northern Rockies. While a number of the operators belong to organizations such as NRAHTA and Northern BC Tourism, there is probably a need to engage the industry organizationally within the Northern Rockies itself. This will require implementation of a community and industry awareness program as well as specific organizational strategies, and then encouraging upgraded hospitality training to deliver high-quality tourism products and services. Three specific recommended strategic actions associated with this third core strategy are as follows: 1. Implement a Community and Industry Awareness Program on the benefits of tourism 2. Organize and engage the Northern Rockies tourism industry as a group 3. Facilitate enhanced hospitality and interpretive guide training within the region. These strategic actions are described in more detail on the following pages.

1. IMPLEMENT A COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY AWARENESS PROGRAM ON THE BENEFITS OF TOURISM As part of this study, in Chapter 4, we have highlighted the value of tourism to the Northern Rockies, with an indication of the order of magnitude economic benefits and non-economic benefits for this important sector of the economy. Many businesses that may not on the surface appear to be in tourism do benefit directly or indirectly from tourism expenditures within the Region and should be made aware of this. This applies to all gasoline and automotive service centres, along with restaurant and fast food outlets, as well as most retail establishments and many other local service businesses. The Chamber Product Delivery: Tourism Industry Organization and Training

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of Commerce currently endeavours to promote the benefits of tourism among its members, but this should be enhanced with the following initiatives targeted at both businesses and residents: ♦ Newsletter. Some type of “Tourism is Your Business” newsletter from the Northern Rockies and Town of Fort Nelson could be circulated once or twice a year in mailings that are already going to residents and businesses in the region. The newsletter could be a simple two sides of a page format and would highlight tourism business successes, make a note of the numbers of visitors travelling through the Region each year and the dollars they are spending, and give examples of businesses and community services that benefit directly or indirectly as a result of tourism. Typically there are more commercial and retail facilities and community services because of the incremental financial support provided to all of these by tourism use. ♦ Website posting. The same type of information could be posted on the Regional District’s website and e-mailed directly to all businesses that have an e-mail address. ♦ Local newspaper articles. Tourism staff could write or have a writer prepare occasional articles that would appear in the local newspaper, again highlighting the benefits and impacts of tourism within the region and the importance of providing friendly northern hospitality to all visitors. ♦ Annual Northern Rockies Tourism Awards as part of Chamber’s Business and Community Excellence awards. The annual tourism industry awards should be accompanied by appropriate media publicity so that they become another good community awareness tactic.

2. ORGANIZE AND ENGAGE THE NORTHERN ROCKIES TOURISM INDUSTRY AS A GROUP Tourism Northern Rockies should be given an official status as an office or department within the Northern Rockies Regional District. This is partly the case already, although we recommend that a full-time staff person be engaged as a dedicated Tourism Coordinator to spearhead this function. This staff person would report to the Regional District’s senior management and also take advice from a Tourism Advisory Committee. ♦ Stakeholder-based organization. The overall premise of Tourism Northern Rockies would be that all tourist operators and tourist related businesses are in effect partners or stakeholders in the organization – there would be no specific membership dues. This is a concept that is currently popular among many tourism-oriented organizations and Product Delivery: Tourism Industry Organization and Training

40


associations as the practical costs of collecting membership fees can often exceed the fees generated. •

All stakeholders are then provided with opportunities to participate in various marketing and promotional activities on a fee for service basis.

•

While they may receive basic listings in the Northern Rockies Travel Guide and on the website for free, enhanced listings and participation in other advertising and promotional activities would be subject to a participation fee which would allow the Regional District to recover some of its costs for destination marketing and promotional activities.

♦ Establish Tourism Advisory Committee. We recommend that the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) be established in a manner that would ensure various types of tourism interests are represented on the Committee. Therefore, individual Committee members should be recruited that would represent the following interests: •

Attractions and activities

•

Roofed accommodations and campgrounds

•

Adventure/ecotourism operators and outfitters

•

First Nations

•

Retail services

•

Key communities.

It is important that members include a cross-section from Fort Nelson and throughout the Northern Rockies Regional District. The Tourism Advisory Committee should include a Town/Regional District Councillor/Board Member to ensure close communication between the Committee and Council, which is essential. The Committee’s role would be to help direct and set the agenda for the various activities and initiatives of the Tourism Office, subject to approval by the Regional District Board and Town Council. In order to keep current on tourism and related issues throughout the region, some of the Committee’s meetings each year should be scheduled for communities within the region that are located north of Fort Nelson. The proposed overall tourism industry organizational structure is shown in the organization chart of Figure 4.1. A key role for the Tourism Advisory Committee would be to oversee the implementation of this Tourism Strategic Plan and monitor the progress on an ongoing basis, supported by the fulltime staff position.

Product Delivery: Tourism Industry Organization and Training

41


Figure 4.1: Organization of Tourism Northern Rockies

Tourism Advisory Committee

Tourism Coordinator

Access to Admin. Support

Project Support/ Contracts


The Tourism Advisory Committee itself would report to the Regional District Board/Town Council and would provide overall direction to the full-time tourism staff person, shown above as a Tourism Coordinator. The Tourism Coordinator position would report on a day-to-day basis to senior management within the Town/Regional District. The Tourism Office would be funded by the Regional District, although some costs would be recovered through private sector participation in marketing and promotional activities, as well as accessing funds that may be available from special programs offered by provincial and federal agencies.

3. FACILITATE ENHANCED HOSPITALITY AND INTERPRETIVE GUIDE TRAINING WITHIN THE REGION In addition to SuperHost training for frontline staff in the tourism and hospitality industry within the region, First Host training could be encouraged for First Nations participating in the tourism industry, as well as an interpretive guide training program, which has been outlined in the opportunities of Chapter 5 of this report. Appropriate recruiting strategies should be developed, by encouraging contact with various tourism and hospitality industry college and university programs that are offered within BC and have many students looking for seasonal, full-time and cooperative program placements within the industry. ♦ In particular we would recommend networking with the faculty of the Adventure Tourism Program at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops (formerly the University College of the Cariboo). Product Delivery: Tourism Industry Organization and Training

42


•

This program has been training students for careers in outdoor adventure and ecotourism for the past 15 years and many of its alumni have gone on to careers within the province, including establishing their own businesses.

♦ Northern Lights College, which has a campus in Fort Nelson, has offered a Northern Adventure Tourism Program at its Atlin campus (currently under review), so may be another possible source of potential employees. ♦ There are several other colleges and universities in the province that offer diploma and degree programs in tourism and hospitality that should also be contacted and networked with: •

Capilano College (Tourism & Outdoor Recreation Management & Leadership Programs, Wilderness Leadership Certificate Program)

•

BCIT

•

North Island College (Adventure Tourism Diploma - Campbell River Campus)

•

University of Victoria (Hospitality/Tourism Management)

•

University of Northern British Columbia (Resource-based Tourism)

•

Malaspina University College (Department of Recreation & Tourism Management)

•

Simon Fraser University (School of Resource & Environmental Management)

Other colleges in BC with certificate and diploma programs such as: •

Camosun College

•

College of New Caledonia

•

College of the Rockies

•

Douglas College

•

Kwantlen University College

•

Native Education Centre

•

Northwest Community College

•

Okanagan University College

•

Selkirk College

•

Yukon College.

In addition, there are private institutions offering tourism-related programs •

Sprott-Shaw Community College

•

Vancouver Career College

•

Vancouver Premier College of Hotel Management


43


•

Canadian Tourism College

•

Tourism Training Institute.

Part of this initiative would really be a facilitation process wherein the Northern Rockies Tourism Office would liaise with tourism industry operators on a regular basis to understand their recruiting needs and current job openings, and help to pass on this information to faculty and students in the various college programs. ♦ It may even be appropriate to engage with some of the leading colleges in other provinces that have tourism programs such as in Ontario where students in these programs might welcome an opportunity for seasonal employment in the Northern Rockies, which they would see as a unique adventure in addition to being seasonal employment. ♦ Georgian College in Barrie and Fleming College in Lindsay and Peterborough offer relevant tourism management training and outdoor adventure/ecotourism programs that could be considered, along with Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. For specialized training sessions and initiatives for the staff of individual tourist operators, the following programs and initiatives should be considered: ♦ SuperHost – Tourism BC ♦ GO2 (Independent Organization helping BC’s tourism industry attract and keep a dynamic, skilled workforce) ♦ Summer Career Placements Initiative (Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy). Repeated studies firmly indicate that companies which invest in their staff training and education reduce overall staffing and human resource costs. Encouraging loyalty results in staff putting in extra effort “for the organization”, staying with their employer instead of job hunting. Loyal, educated staff typically reduce overall human resources costs as companies save on advertising jobs, staff selection time and costs, staff orientation/training, and government paper work at the time of hiring and at tax time.


44

5 – IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION PLANS

It is intended that this Tourism Strategic Plan be implemented over the next five to ten years, as time and resources permit. We have prepared specific action plans for the key recommended strategic initiatives in each of the three core strategy areas, as well as an overall implementation schedule.

ACTION PLANS FOR RECOMMENDED STRATEGIC INITIATIVES We have prepared individual action plans for each of the overall strategic initiatives recommended for the three core strategies: ♦ Marketing and Awareness – Develop and implement a sophisticated Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program. ♦ Product Development – Facilitate tourism attractions and facilities enhancement, development and tourism investment attraction. ♦ Product Delivery – Enhance community and industry engagement, tourism industry organization, and hospitality training. For each Action Plan we have specified the key actions, the lead organization and partners that need to be involved, the priority level, and the timing of implementation over the five year life of the current Strategic Plan. Three priority levels have been specified – 1, 2 and 3 – which are essentially the degree of urgency associated with implementing a specific recommended strategic initiative.

Implementation and Action Plans

45


Marketing and Awareness Action Plans These are shown in Figure 5.1, which follows, for each of the four principal strategic initiatives associated with the marketing and awareness core strategy. Figure 5.1: Marketing and Awareness Action Plans Lead Organization and Partners

Marketing Strategic Initiative / Action Plan

1. Revamp existing print and electronic promotional materials featuring the Northern Rockies’ brand. Decide on initiatives to undertake in each fiscal year Define specifications of any new promotional publications Work with graphic designers to design and produce new publications Determine distribution patterns and arrange for distribution via brochure distribution companies and tourism industry partners (NRAHTA, NBC Tourism) Work with website designer to develop new tourism website and establish procedures/responsibility for ongoing updating of information Work with tourism promotional video producer and partners at NBC Tourism to produce appropriate video material for use on website and distribution on CD’s DVD’s 2. Implement image and awareness advertising and promotional activities. Determine advertising budget available for next fiscal year Identify partnership opportunities for leveraging advertising expenditures (e.g.- with NRAHTA, NBC Tourism) Select media to place advertisements Work with graphic designers to design appropriate advertisements, tailored to each media Undertake media relations activities including issuing of press releases and working with partners to attract travel writer and media visits to the region Attend key travel trade and consumer shows, partnering with NRAHTA, NBC Tourism and tourist operators in the Northern Rockies, as appropriate Liaise closely with NRAHTA and NBC Tourism to ensure that the Northern Rockies has a strong presence and top-of-mind awareness in all of their marketing and promotional activities


46

Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff

Priority Level/ Timing 1 Years 1-2

Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators

Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators

1 Years 1-2


Lead Organization and Partners

Marketing Strategic Initiative / Action Plan

3. Undertake effective regional partnership marketing and packaging. Facilitate development of a Northern Rockies Vacation Packages Program, working with interested tourist operators in the region Ensure there is a lead operator (usually the main accommodation establishment) for each package who will be responsible for sales and revenue Feature packages on the Northern Rockies tourism website with hotlinks to the package lead operator Identify local entrepreneurs that could offer tour guide and inbound tour operator services and help to connect them with market opportunities 4. Focus on strategic promotion to niche market segments that are best suited to the Northern Rockies. Determine market niches that are of highest interest currently (e.g.- soft adventure/ecotourism, hard adventure) Identify organizations, publications and other media that reach these markets cost effectively Develop appropriate advertisements, fliers and other low cost print and electronic promotional materials targeted to the specific niche markets Source: Meadfield Consulting Inc.


47



Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators

Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators

3 Years 2-5


Product Development Action Plans These are shown in Figure 5.2, which follows, for each of the six principal strategic initiatives associated with the product development core strategy. Figure 5.2: Product Development Action Plans

Product Development Strategic Initiative / Action Plan

1. Develop additional interpretation related opportunities. Continue staff and Council commitment to the Scenic Byway Program initiated in partnership with NRAHTA – complete the inventory process and identify priority community projects Liaise with Ministry of Transportation and BC Parks regarding implementation of additional signage marking points of interest and tourism businesses, as well as interpretive signage within Provincial Parks Work with BC Parks and the Go2 Human Resources Office in Vancouver to train local guides for Parks interpretation and regional sightseeing – RD Board and Town Council to provide political support/lobbying Economic development and tourism staff should liaise with designers of new Recreation Complex to ensure that the Visitors Centre component is appropriately designed (strong street-front presence and separate entrance) and will allow for development of an initial phase of the Northern Rockies/Muskwa-Kechika Interpretive Centre Work with partners including the Muskwa-Kechika Advisory Board and BC Parks to initiate and develop the Interpretive Centre concept and seek the endorsement of the M-K Advisory Board Seek funding from provincial and federal agencies to develop suitable exhibits and audio-visuals for the Interpretive Centre 2. Facilitate development of soft adventure/ecotourism tourism product opportunities. Tourism staff should work with the TAC and industry partners to identify the most suitable soft adventure/ecotourism products to initiate – likely packages developed by the partnering of existing accommodation, transportation and outdoor adventure operators Partner with arts and cultural groups to facilitate development of culturally oriented packages and programs such as “Arts in the Wilderness” or “People of the North” experiential packages


48

Lead Organization and Partners Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff, Regional District Board and Town Council


Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, BC Parks, Ministry of Transportation, MuskwaKechika Advisory Board

Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators, arts and cultural groups

2 Years 2-3


Product Development Strategic Initiative / Action Plan Determine the lead tourist operator for each new product and package and provide marketing and promotional support via the Northern Rockies Tourism website, media relations activities and co-op advertising opportunities Consider partnering with Watson Lake to develop and implement “Northern Rockies Northern Lights” winter packages Work with NRAHTA and NBC Tourism to further support the marketing and linkages to products and packages in other parts of Northern BC 3. Encourage development of hard adventure tourism product opportunities. Tourism staff should work with the TAC and industry partners to identify the most suitable hard adventure/ecotourism products to initiate – help operators in liaising with BC Parks and Integrated Land Management Bureau to seek any required approvals Determine the lead tourist operator for each new hard adventure product and package and provide marketing and promotional support via the Northern Rockies Tourism website, media relations activities and co-op advertising opportunities Pursue possible hard adventure events or races by contacting event/race organizers for suitable possibilities such as Raid the North Extreme and EcoChallenge – invite them to the Northern Rockies on a familiarization tour Partner with NBC Tourism and NRAHTA to secure and implement possible race events, working with their media relations specialists 4. Encourage development of First Nation tourism opportunities. TAC and Tourism Staff should initiate a dialogue on tourism planning and development with the Fort Nelson First Nations Council and staff Work with them to determine the most suitable opportunities to pursue and how the Town and Regional District can be a supportive partner, along with other non-Aboriginal tourism industry partners Development of Aboriginal interpretive programs and guided excursions that could be offered to guests at the Liard Hot Springs Lodge and/or in the Fort Nelson area might be an appropriate first step Suitable First Nations exhibits for the Northern Rockies/Muskwa-Kechika Interpretive Centre could also be developed, if that initiative goes ahead


49

Lead Organization and Partners


Priority Level/ Timing

3 Years 2-3

Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators, BC Parks, Integrated Land Management Bureau

Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators, Fort Nelson First Nations

1 Years 2-5


Product Development Strategic Initiative / Action Plan

5. Facilitate/encourage private sector upgrading and enhancement of existing attractions, facilities and services. Identify the specific shortcomings as outlined in this Tourism Strategic Plan document – upgrading of specific interpretive sites, rest areas and highway pulloffs, and signage (need to select locations in greatest need); upgrading of run-down accommodation facilities and services at some locations along the Alaska Highway For public sector attractions, points of interest and signage, liaise with appropriate provincial and federal authorities to secure partner funding and approvals – this ties-in with the interpretation related opportunities noted earlier For private sector attractions, facilities and services the focus will be on liaising with the owner(s) or operator to encourage upgrading or the sale of the business to adequately capitalized investors, or helping them secure land tenures or permits, working with BC Parks and the Integrated Land Management Bureau 6. Create awareness of strategic tourism investment opportunities. Identify specific tourism investment opportunities available in Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies – including any tourism businesses and sites that are currently for sale, as well as possible business opportunities such as for commercial outdoor recreation operators (e.g.- rafting, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, etc.) at suitable locations Post the possible opportunities with descriptions and points of contact (e.g.- owners, real estate agents, Chamber of Commerce) on the Northern Rockies Tourism and Regional District websites Attend suitable trade shows and conferences to make contact with prospective investors and make them aware of possible opportunities When investors decide to proceed, facilitate local planning and development approvals, where appropriate

Lead Organization and Partners Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff


Partners: NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators, BC Parks, Ministry of Transportation, Integrated Land Management Bureau


2 Years 1-5

Partners: Town and Regional District Planning and Development staff, Chamber of Commerce, NRAHTA, NBC Tourism, tourist operators


Product Delivery Action Plans These are shown in Figure 5.3, which follows, for each of the three principal strategic initiatives associated with the product delivery core strategy.


50


Figure 5.3: Product Delivery Action Plans

Product Delivery Strategic Initiative / Action Plan

1. Implement a Community and Industry Awareness Program on the benefits of tourism. Work with Chamber of Commerce to implement series of local newspaper articles about tourism and its benefits Post information about the tourism industry and its positive impacts on the region on the Town and Regional District website Develop and distribute a “Tourism is Your Business” newsletter highlighting recent tourism developments, activities, events and impacts/benefits Work with the Chamber of Commerce to initiate annual Tourism Awards that could tie-in with the Chamber’s Business and Community Excellence awards 2. Organize and engage the Northern Rockies tourism industry as a group. Establish new tourism industry organizational structure with new Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) Establish full-time tourism staff position as Tourism Manager or Coordinator, to work closely with TAC Encourage industry participation on TAC and in partnership initiatives related to implementation of the Tourism Strategic Plan 3. Facilitate enhanced hospitality and interpretive guide training within the region. Arrange for SuperHost and FirstHost hospitality training programs for Fort Nelson and Northern Rockies tourist operators Liaise with appropriate educational institutions (e.g.Northern Lights College), Go2 Human Resources Office and BC Parks to facilitate access to interpretive guide training opportunities Encourage tourist operators, students and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the various training opportunities by communicating the bottom line benefits to businesses and attractions of well-trained staff

Lead Organization and Partners Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff

Priority Level/ Timing 1 Year 1

Partners: Chamber of Commerce


1 Year 1

Partners: Regional District Board and Town Council, tourist operators Lead: Tourism Advisory Committee, Tourism Staff

2 Years 1-2

Partners: Tourism BC, FirstHost, BC Parks, Go2 Human Resources Office, tourist operators


OVERALL IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE We have prepared an overall schedule for implementing the recommended core strategies and strategic initiatives contained in this Tourism Strategic Plan.


51


This is included on the following page in Figure 5.4, where the chart shows in which years each of the strategic initiatives will be implemented during the next five years. It is important to stress that this is a five-year Strategic Plan and it will be essential to monitor progress of the key initiatives on an annual basis and make appropriate refinements as circumstances change. At the end of the five-year period the entire Plan should be reviewed and updated to reflect current conditions, priorities and resources available at that time. The annual monitoring and review activities should include the following: ♦ Convene an annual Tourism Advisory Committee meeting specifically to review implementation. ♦ Prepare a brief Annual Report on the progress of implementation during each year. ♦ After this annual review have a “Talk of Town” radio program focussed on the progress of implementing the Tourism Strategic Plan. ♦ Communicate ongoing progress of implementation via the website and occasional press releases. In any staff reports to Council that pertain to tourism, there should be a clear link or reference to the Tourism Strategic Plan.


52


Figure 5.4: Overall Implementation Schedule

Year

CORE STRATEGY / STRATEGIC INITIATIVE

2008

1 – Northern Rockies Destination Marketing Program 1.1 Revamp existing print and electronic promotional materials 1.2 Implement image and awareness advertising and promotional activities 1.3 Undertake effective regional partnership marketing and packaging 1.4 Focus on strategic promotion to niche market segments 2 – Product Development 2.1 Develop additional interpretation related opportunities 2.2 Facilitate development of soft adventure/ecotourism tourism products 2.3 Encourage development of hard adventure tourism products 2.4 Encourage development of First Nation tourism opportunities 2.5 Facilitate/encourage private sector upgrading/enhancement of attractions, facilities and services 2.6 Create awareness of strategic tourism investment opportunities 3 – Product Delivery 3.1 Implement a Community and Industry Awareness Program on the benefits of tourism 3.2 Organize and engage the Northern Rockies tourism industry as a group 3.3 Facilitate enhanced hospitality and interpretive guide training


53

2009

2010

2011

2012

APPENDIX A – STUDY PROCESS

Study Process

A-1


Appendix A

ELEMENTS OF TOURISM STRATEGIC PLAN The following key elements have been addressed by the consultation, research and analysis, as well as the recommended strategies that are included in this Tourism Strategic Plan: 1. Assessment of Fort Nelson’s and the Northern Rockies’ current tourism accommodations and attractions base, identifying key needs and opportunities. 2. Establishing the overall goals and objectives for developing tourism in the Northern Rockies and preparing appropriate strategies to fulfil these objectives. Specific tourism development and marketing goals and objectives are defined along with strategies to achieve them. This has been done based on thorough and up-to-date research and analysis, along with extensive consultation with tourist operators from Prophet River to the Yukon border by key members of the consulting team. 3. Identifying the tourism development opportunities that best match marketplace requirements. The location of the Northern Rockies and Fort Nelson in relation to the major urban markets poses a challenge. This Tourism Strategic Plan is designed to ensure a strong product-market match. We have identified the resources that offer the best tourism development potential and, in particular, what natural, cultural and heritage resources can be further developed to enhance tourism in the region, all in the context of meeting marketplace needs. 4. Determining how the new opportunities can be developed and implemented. When examining key strategic tourism opportunities we have considered how they can be developed and operationalized. 5. Outlining the best approach to marketing and promoting the region’s tourism industry. An important component of this Strategic Plan is an updated Tourism Destination Marketing and Promotional Plan, based on the research, analysis and consultations undertaken in this study. 6. Ensuring the Tourism Strategic Plan can be effectively implemented. We outline other steps and roles and responsibilities of the Town, Regional District and other partners in implementing key recommendations.

STEPS IN THE OVERALL STUDY PROCESS These are shown in the flow chart of Figure A.1, which follows.

Study Process

A-2


Appendix A

Figure A.1: Steps Undertaken to Prepare Tourism Strategic Plan INITIAL RESEARCH/ CONSULTATION

PRODUCTS & MARKETS

OPPORTUNITIES & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Product Assessment

Review of Existing Studies/ Documents/ Data

MARKETING & IMPLEMENTATION

Strategies & Opportunities

Site Visits and Industry Consultation

Identifying Tourism Opportunities

Overall Tourism Strategies

Implementation Plan

Initial Interviews/ Market Analysis Marketing and Promotion

Market Assessment


RESEARCH, SITE VISITS AND CONSULTATION To prepare an effective Tourism Strategic Plan for the Northern Rockies, the consulting team deployed a process of thorough background research, site visits throughout the region, and interviews/consultation with key tourism stakeholders and businesses.

Review of Existing Reports, Documents and Data The documents reviewed during the research process for this study are included in Appendix F of this report.

Interviews/Meetings with Tourism Operators The consultants conducted meetings and personal interviews with tourism operators in Fort Nelson and along the Alaska Highway, in early July 2007. These visits revealed that many operators have immediate and long range concerns for their own and the region’s economic survival. Additional operators have closed up as of 2007, continuing a trend of the past several years.

Study Process

A-3


Appendix A

Senior members of the consulting team toured around the Town of Fort Nelson and visited/experienced many of the key tourism oriented operations including attractions, roofed accommodations and campgrounds, restaurants and fast food outlets, retail outlets, and the Visitor Centre. The consultants also visited the majority of the principal tourist operations located directly along the Alaska Highway corridor between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake including the following: ♦ Coal River Lodge & RV Park ♦ Contact Creek Lodge ♦ Double G Services ♦ Fireside Car/Truck Stop Motel ♦ Iron Creek Lodge ♦ Liard Hotsprings Provincial Campground ♦ Liard Hotsprings Lodge ♦ Northern Rockies Lodge ♦ Rocky Mountain Lodge ♦ Smith River Falls ♦ Stone Mountain Safaris Ltd. ♦ Summit Lake Campground ♦ Tetsa River Campground ♦ Tetsa River Outfitters ♦ The Poplars Campground & Cafe ♦ Toad River Lodge & RV Park At most of the commercial operations the consultants interviewed the owner(s) or proprietor(s). On a previous visit in June, the consulting team leader also visited and toured the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum, which has undergone a number of improvements over the past few years, but still retains its authentic frontier charm and is a “must see” for visitors.

Study Process

A-4


Appendix A

General Observations based on Visits and Interviews The region’s tourism operators have faced a number of difficult circumstances that particularly impact the lucrative American tourist market. Since the writing of the SWOT / Tourism Essentials report in early 2006, a number of events have occurred that are or will significantly impact tourism operators in Northeastern British Columbia. Examples of these events include: ♦ Fuel price increases to as high as $1.57 per litre along the Alaska Highway during July of 2007 ♦ The value of the Canadian dollar has continued its rapid rise to the point where it is at par with the U.S. dollar as of late September 2007. ♦ The requirement of all U.S. citizens to have passports for international travel by road and other surface transportation modes as of 2008 or 2009 ♦ Immense airport bottlenecks in American terminals as a result of nationwide air traffic control inadequacies and tightened security. In conversation with local tourism operators issues around staff recruitment, retention and retraining constantly surfaced, as the following observations demonstrate: ♦ Most of the highway operations are owner-operated with the owners supplying much of the labour, supplemented by seasonal staff where available and affordable. The pace can be hectic and stressful and the financial rewards frequently modest. ♦ Property ownership is in effect the pension plan for many of these owner/operator couples. Investors will need to have powerful reasons to purchase the old hotels / cafes for property prices in the range of $1-2 million+. ♦ Serious illness of a proprietor could result in the closing of one of the dwindling (less than 10) full service roadside stops (accommodations, fuel, café, RV camping, activities), because of the lean staffing and management configurations. ♦ Tourism staff recruitment and retention in the region is currently a problem.

Study Process

•

Other industries are offering better hours and significantly better wages/ salaries/benefits

•

Historically resource extraction communities (forestry, mining, oil & gas) have considered tourism in a very negative light as offering low paying and menial jobs

A-5


•

Appendix A

The attitude towards visitors and tourism by some local residents and businesses is not always positive, in spite of the direct or indirect benefits they derive.

♦ Most operators observed, however, that the American market continues to be their primary source of tourism business. ♦ Some of the larger accommodation operators noted that motorcoach tours continue to be an important market segment providing as many as 25-30 groups per season for some operators. In spite of these problems it was evident that some operators had kept pace with the times and have made some significant upgrading investments.

Study Process

A-6

APPENDIX B –TOURISM RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Tourism Resources and Infrastructure

B-1


Appendix B

The dominant infrastructure component from a tourism point of view in the Northern Rockies is the Alaska Highway, which traverses the entire region, from Prophet River south of Fort Nelson, all the way north to the Yukon border. This famous pioneering road was once most memorable for its deep muddy sections and frequent flat tires. Exhausted travellers needing a hot shower and soft bed filled a few dozen wayside stations en route. Since the 1990’s the potholes and mud have been replaced by an all weather seal-coated wide highway. Today’s travellers are “pilots of blacktop”, in highly engineered, self contained, long haul motor homes, RV’s, campers and cars/trucks. In 2005, exit surveys identified that less than 50% of the travellers use the once popular wayside motels/cafés, which at one time were the mainstay of the region’s tourism industry. Many opt to stop overnight at government built wayside pull-offs, keeping even more dollars from hotel/ café owners. The tourism sector in the Northern Rockies continues to be important, in spite of this decline and the predominance of resource extraction activity in the area. Tourism continues to have excellent growth potential in the Northern Rockies with the strategic location on the Alaska Highway being a key strength. Between April and September each year, approximately 320,000 visitors travel through the region on the Alaska Highway.

PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS/FEATURES Several types of attractions draw visitors to the area, including: ♦ The Alaska Highway itself as a key tourist travel route and heritage attraction, featured in many travel guides and attracting: •

Americans travelling to Alaska

•

Canadians to Yukon/Alaska and within Northeastern BC and Northwestern Alberta

•

A significant RV market (both Canadian and American)

•

Numerous motorcoach tours.

♦ The outdoor wilderness environment of the Northern Rockies, which encompasses: •

The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

•

Many long-standing and some more recently developed provincial parks and ecological reserves, including majestic Muncho Lake and Liard Hotsprings Provincial Parks

•

Endless scenic vistas and unspoiled backcountry with spectacular mountains, crystal clear lakes and rivers, glaciers and a diversity of abundant flora and fauna


B-2


Appendix B

♦ Outstanding outdoor adventure/ecotourism experiences and potential ranging from hiking, backpacking and mountaineering to river rafting, kayaking, horseback riding and camping ♦ Fishing and hunting.

Developed Tourist Attractions and Features In Figure B.1 we have listed principal attractions and features of the Northern Rockies and Fort Nelson that are of particular interest to outside visitors. Figure B.1: Principal Developed Attractions/Features in the Northern Rockies Category Culture/ Heritage

Hiking Trails

Attraction/ Feature Fort Nelson Heritage Museum

Location

Description

Fort Nelson

Museum captures the early days of fur trading and trapping in Fort Nelson and its place in the history of the construction of the Alaska Highway. Fantastic collection of memorabilia and vintage cars and trappers cabin Commemorates the location of Fort Nelson as a major staging route on the Alaska Highway 275-seat theatre showing movies, live performing arts and concerts, also featuring an artists’ gallery. Adjacent to the library. 5.5 km round trip to viewpoint - 3 hrs return or 11 km round trip to second viewpoint - 6 hrs return - moderate - waterfalls, canyons, rock formations, creeks - wildflowers 4.6 km round trip - 3 hrs return - moderately easy - 25 ft. high canyon - waterfalls - best done in the fall when water levels are low Moderate, starts steep but has more gradual gains - wildlife tracking, moose, sheep, elk, wolf, black bear and grizzly bear tracks 1 km round trip - 30 minutes return - easy 30 ft erosion pillar - view of Mt. St. George waterfall - Stone’s Sheep, caribou Lake edge route - 13.6 km round trip - 5 hrs return or Radio Tower Route - 10.2 km round trip or 4 hrs return - moderately easy bog cranberries, wildflowers, glacial moraines, mountain caribou, camping 2.3 - 8.1 km - easy - fairly flat offering a variety of trails - green, blue, purple loop bears, deer and woodpeckers. 21 km - 3-4 days return - moderate - uneven

Mile 300 Monument

Fort Nelson

Phoenix Theatre

Fort Nelson

Baba Canyon

Mile 378 Alaska Highway

Boulder Canyon


Dunedin Trail


Erosion Pillar Trail


Flower Springs Trail

Mile 373 of Alaska Highway

Fort Nelson Community Forest MacDonald

Mile 300 Alaska Highway Mile 378 Alaska


B-3


Category

Appendix B

Attraction/ Feature Creek

Location

Description

Highway

Mineral Licks Trail


Old Alaska Highway Trail


Petersen Canyon


Red Rock Canyon Smith River Falls

Mile 436 Alaska Highway Mile 495 Alaska Highway Mile 440 Alaska Highway

terrain - moose, caribou, Stone’s sheep and mountain goats - horseback riding 1.3 km round trip - 45 minutes return moderately easy - Trout River - wildlife Stone’s Sheep 4 km round trip - 3 hrs return - easy but trail to the viewpoint is moderately difficult views of Muncho Lake 12 km round trip - 5 hrs return - moderately easy - decommissioned section of Alaska Highway - waterfall - original bridges 6 km round trip - 4 hrs return - moderate waterfall 1.4 km round trip - 1 hour return moderately easy - waterfall - fishing Northern drainage - 4.2 km return - allow 3 hrs return & Southern drainage - 5.1 km return - 3.5 hrs return - moderately easy waterfall - Stone’s Sheep 6.7 km round trip to upper viewpoint - 5 hrs. 12.5 km round trip to peak - 9 hrs moderately difficult - views of Flower Springs Lake & Summit Lake, rock ptarmigan and Stone’s Sheep - be prepared for all weather conditions and bring water 4.5 km round trip - 3 hrs return - moderate panoramic view at the top - wildflowers, blueberries and rock ptarmigan 12 km roundtrip - 4 hrs - moderately easy alpine landscapes, wildflowers, caribou and moose 1.2 km round trip - less than 1 hour - easy waterfall - fishing - Woods Bison are dangerous 23 km roundtrip - 8 hrs return or overnight difficult with multiple steep elevations campsite - no water sources - black bears 4 km round trip - 2 hrs. return - moderately easy - bird watching, ducks, wild berries 6 km - 3 hours return - moderately easy - old section of the Alaska Highway - Stone’s Sheep and caribou 71 km - 4-7 days for the loop - difficult creek crossings - camping - hoodoos Wokkpash Gorge - Forlorn Gorge - fishing wildlife - wildflowers - birdwatching 12.5 km roundtrip - 8.5 second lake roundtrip - moderate - fairly flat with short steep

Stone’s Sheep Trail

Summit Peak Trail (Mt. St. Paul)

Mile 373 of the Alaska Highway

Summit Ridge


Summit Tower Road


Teeter Creek


Teetering Rock Trail

Mile 345 of the Alaska Highway

Tetsa # 1 Trail

Mile 366 Alaska Highway Mile 377 Alaska Highway

The “Cut” Trail

The Wokkpash Trail

Mile 378 or 382 Alaska Highway

Tsimech Lakes Trail

Km14 McConachie


B-4


Category

Outdoor Adventure and Scenic Attractions

Regional and Provincial Parks

Sports/ Recreation

Attraction/ Feature

Liard River Hot Springs

Appendix B

Location

Description

Creek Road, Fort Nelson Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park

section - trails are seismic lines cut through the muskeg Steamy warmth of the springs year-round lures visitors to soak in the hot pools, surrounded by hanging gardens. Moose, bears, wolves, bird and plant species can be observed from the boardwalks Highlight of Muncho Lake Provincial Park is Deep, glacial lake tinted jade green by the copper oxide leaching out of the bedrock. Fishing, hiking, boating, lake tours, white water rafting, fly-in camping and remote retreats in rustic cabins “Serengeti of the North” for wild vistas, raw beauty, and number and variety of animals and species. Kaska Dena & Treaty 8 First Nations culture. Trail is a hiker’s paradise through dramatic scenery, wildlife, hoodoos and wilderness Canoeing, kayaking and boating. Canoe down the Muskwa from Fort Nelson for wildlife spotting including grizzly bears and moose. Large sandy beach makes it a popular swimming, boating, picnicking and fishing location. Wildlife viewing with black and white spruce forests Located on the Liard Plain, this park was created to protect a hot spring ecosystem, the second largest in Canada. Spectacular landscapes and wildlife viewing, hiking to mountain valleys and lakes and horseback riding. Wokkpash Protected Area famous for hoodoos up to 30 metres high and Forlorn Gorge a miniature Grand Canyon. Summit Lake is highest point on the Alaska Highway. For day use, camping, swimming, hiking.

Muncho Lake

Muncho Lake Provincial Park

Muskwa-Kechika Region

Northern Rockies

Wokkpash Recreation Area Wilderness exploration

Stone Mountain Provincial Park Throughout Northern Rockies

Andy Bailey Regional Park

28 km southeast of Fort Nelson

Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park Stone Mountain Provincial Park

Approx. 317 km North West of Fort Nelson 150 km west of Fort Nelson

Tetsa River Regional Park Muncho Lake Provincial Park

On Alaska Highway west of Steamboat North and south of the Community

Aquatic Centre

Fort Nelson

Community Forest

Alaska Highway near Fort Nelson


B-5

Jade green lake up to 394 ft. deep, wildlife viewing, boat tours, fishing and white water rafting. 25-metre swimming pool, swirl pool and sauna Hike, bike or walk through Fort Nelson’s Lowlands ecosystem. Wildflowers and birdwatching


Category

Attraction/ Feature Poplar Hills Golf & Country Club

Recreation Centre

Appendix B

Location

Description

High above the Muskwa Valley

9-hole course offers driving range, putting green, pro shop, rentals, concession, lounge and panoramic views of the Northern Rockies Hockey, skating, roller-blading, curling, lounge and viewing area

Fort Nelson

Source: Compiled by consultants from numerous brochures, travel guides and the publication Northern Rockies Hiking Trails

Muskwa-Kechika’s Outstanding Natural Environment a Key Attraction The scenery and natural environment of the Northern Rockies is truly spectacular and of international significance. This can be enjoyed by all visitors travelling along the Alaska Highway Corridor and even more so by those who venture into the region’s extensive backcountry. Of particular note is the MuskwaKechika Management Area, which covers 6.4 million hectares in the Northern Rockies. This is a special land management zone that allows for varying levels of protection, conservation and use, enabling economic development while protecting a large, intact and predominantly inaccessible (by road) wilderness. ♦ It has sometimes been referred to as the “Serengeti of the North” because of the diversity and abundance of wildlife, not to mention the isolation, biodiversity, spiritual and cultural values of this spectacular wilderness area. ♦ The land base is huge, not just big! Skies, mountain peaks, river valleys, vistas, distances between settlements and villages/towns are forces in their own right which demand respect – for some visitors the land seems beyond vast and easy contemplation! Approximately one quarter of the total land area of the M-KMA is comprised of parks and protected areas, including the 16 Provincial Parks and two ecological reserves listed in Figure B.2.


B-6


Appendix B

Figure B.2: Parks and Protected Areas within Muskwa-Kechika Management Area Name of Park or Reserve

Park Designation

Area in Hectares

Dall River Old Growth

Class A Provincial Park & Protected Area

644

Denetiah


97,908

Dune Za Keyih


347,789

Finlay-Russel


122,795

Graham-Laurier

Class A Provincial Park (& Protected Area)

99,982

Horneline Creek

Class A Provincial Park

298

Kwadacha Wilderness


114,444

Liard River Corridor/West

Class A Provincial Parks & Protected Area

Liard River Hot Springs


1,082

Muncho Lake


86,079

Northern Rocky Mountains


Ospika-Cones

Ecological Reserve

Prophet River Hot Springs


185

Redfern-Keily


80,771

Sikanni Chief River

Ecological Reserve

Stone Mountain


25,179

Tetsa River


103

Toad River Hot Springs


414

88,898

665,709 1,282

2,091

Source: Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

A Class A park is Crown land designated under the BC Park Act or by the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act whose management and development is constrained by the Park Act. Each of these parks represents a spectacular natural environment and those which are accessible by road are popular with tourists such as: ♦ Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park with its unique Wokkpash Valley and the Wokkpash Trail, which is a 65 km multi-day scenic wilderness trail. ♦ Muncho Lake Provincial Park, with its signature jade green mountain lake, is noted for fishing, hiking and boating ♦ Liaird River Hot Springs, which is its own unique ecosystem and the hot springs are open on a year-round basis for visitors.


B-7


Appendix B

The range of outdoor adventure activities throughout the Northern Rockies is almost limitless and includes camping, hiking and backpacking, fishing, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, horseback trail rides, river boating, birding, wildlife viewing, canoeing, kayaking, and ATVing, among other things.

Festivals and Events A wide range of festivals and events are staged each year in Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies. A number of these are primarily community oriented events (although visitors are always welcome), while others are of stronger interest to visitors, such as those listed below in Figure B.3. Figure B.3: Northern Rockies Festivals and Events Name of Festival/event Heritage Days

Dates for 2007 January/ February

Trapper’s Rendezvous

January/ February

Winter festival in Fort Nelson

Fort Nelson Trade Show

May (cancelled in 2007)

Held at the Recreation Centre it welcomes over 2800 visitors and features over 70 booths plus outside space for larger displays

Visitor Centre

May to September

Tourism displays plus brochures, maps and information on the region

National Aboriginal Day

June 21

Fort Nelson Aboriginal Centre’s display of First Nations culture

Northern Rockies Triathlon

June 24

Combines a 1km swim, 40 km bike ride and 10 km run

Summer Solstice Shopping Event

June 22

Shopping extravaganza on the Friday closest to the longest day of the year

Mud Dogs/Demolition Derby

June 23-24

Colliding cars and big trucks race through the mud

Chamber’s Annual “Fun in the Sun” Golf Tournament

June 24

Includes dinner and special prizes for u to 72 participants.

Lumberman’s Golf Tournament

June

Annual golf tournament held for Canfor employees, contractors and the public.

Welcome Visitor Program

June, July and August

Slide show & presentation is unique to Fort Nelson as Visitor Centre staff introduce history, attractions and amenities of the region. Normally held at the Visitor Centre.

Canada Day

July 1

Parade and celebrations as businesses


Description Community celebration in Fort Nelson

B-8


Name of Festival/event

Dates for 2007

Appendix B

Description compete for the #1 float. Elks parking lot & Art Fraser Park open up for a day of family fun.

Fort Nelson Garden Club Flower Show

July

Stunning floral creations and cut flowers

Ladies Open Golf Tournament

July

Annual two-day stroke-play tournament for ladies

Fort Nelson First Nations Annual Celebration

August 4-6

Join the Fort Nelson First Nations for a weekend celebration of culture, dances, feasts and children’s games

Tetsa River Fishing Derby

August 4-6

Weekend fishing derby for the whole family. Horseshoe & mini-golf, outdoor dance and barbecue

11th Annual Petitot River Gathering

August 9-12

Traditional events, workshops, drum-dancing, fiddling, talent shows, feasting and fishing

Fort Nelson Rodeo

August 18-19

Weekend of barrel racing, chuckwagon races, bull riding, saddle bronc, calf roping and steer undecorating

Oilmen’s Golf Tournament

August

Participants work in the oil & gas industry in Northeastern BC and Northwestern Alberta

Run for Your life

September

5 km & 10 km Marathon

Gymkhana Rodeo

September 1516

Fun rodeo for cowgirls and cowboys

Business & Community Excellence Awards Dinner

October

Held to recognize volunteers, outstanding individuals and businesses. Fundraising event for the Chamber of Commerce. Dinner, auctions and live entertainment in the Community Hall.

Oilmen’s Hockey Tournament

October

Hosted by the Fort Nelson Petroleum Association it attracts participants who work in the oil and gas industry from Northeastern BC and Northwestern Alberta

Canadian Open Dog Sled Championship

December

A championship sled dog race that has been held in Fort Nelson for 45 years. This sprint event has multi-length races that attract international competitors.

Source: Compiled by consultants from numerous brochures, travel guides

TOURISM FACILITIES AND SERVICES There are a range of existing tourism facilities and services, located primarily in the Fort Nelson area and throughout the region along the Alaska Highway corridor.


B-9


Appendix B

Roofed Accommodations There are a significant number of hotels, motels, lodges and B & Bs, including some major new facilities developed over the past few years (e.g.Lakeview Inn and Suites), with the largest concentration in Fort Nelson (see Figure B.4). ♦ While quality levels vary, there are several good quality hotel/motor hotel facilities in Fort Nelson, along with some good B & Bs ♦ Along the highway corridor there are a few high quality accommodation facilities including Northern Rockies Lodge at Muncho Lake (the best along the corridor), Liard Hotsprings Lodge, and Stone Mountain Safaris Lodge ♦ A few refurbished or new motel/cabin/restaurant operations are also available along the corridor, as well as some in need of significant upgrading Figure B.4: Northern Rockies Roofed Accommodations # of Units

Category

Location

Name

Hotels/ Motels

Fort Nelson

Bluebell Inn

57

Open year-round, Internet, fuel, airport service, convenience store, kitchenettes, laundromat, ATM

Fort Nelson

Fort Nelson Hotel

136

Open year-round, restaurant, indoor pool & sauna, Internet, entertainment, lounge, meeting & conference centre

Fort Nelson

Kacees Northern Suites

22

Open year-round, full kitchens, next door to laundromat and IGA

Fort Nelson

Lakeview Inn & Suites

82

New hotel with business centre, Internet, gift shop, exercise room, hot tub, laundry, meeting room, free continental breakfast

Fort Nelson

Mini Price Inn

18

Open year-round

Fort Nelson

Pioneer Motel

12

Open year-round, gift shop, kitchenettes, laundry

Fort Nelson

Provincial Motel

36

Open year-round

Fort Nelson

Ramada Limited

41

Open year-round, laundry, office services, Internet, free continental breakfast, kitchenettes

Fort Nelson

Shannon Motel

56

Open year-round


B-10

Facilities/Services


Category

Lodges

Bed & Breakfasts

Appendix B

# of Units

Location

Name

Fort Nelson

Super 8 Motel

142

Open year-round, Boston Pizza next door, business centre, Internet, Indoor pool, hot tub, gym

Fort Nelson

Thriftlodge

70

Open year-round, restaurant, lounge, gift shop, hot tub, Internet

Fort Nelson

Woodlands Inn

131

Open year-round, restaurant, gift shop, business centre, Internet, shuttle, fitness centre, lounge, hot tub, laundry, meetings, free continental breakfast, liquor store

Coal River

Coal River Lodge

6

Restaurant, gift shop, hiking, boating, fishing, gold panning, chocolates and jams

Fireside

Fireside Car & Truck Stop

4

Restaurant

Iron Creek

Iron Creek Lodge

7

Open year-round, restaurant, gift shop, convenience store

Liard River

Liard Hotsprings Lodge

12

Open year-round, restaurant, gift shop

Muncho Lake

Northern Rockies Lodge

45

Open year-round, restaurant, gift shop, cabins, fishing, tours

Double G Services

2

Open year-round, restaurant, gift shop,

Stone Mountain Provincial Park

Rocky Mountain Lodge

3

Gift shop

Toad River

The Poplars

4

Restaurant, gift shop, attractive cabins.

Toad River Lodge

10

Open year-round, restaurant, gift shop, no non-smoking rooms

Alaska Highway B&B

3

Open year-round

Ardendale B&B

3

Guest lounge/TV, breakfast, sleigh rides & pack horse trips

Prophet River

Neighbour’s Inn

8

Open year-round, pets allowed, gift shop, wheelchair accessible

Tetsa River

Tetsa River Recreational Services

8

Open year-round, pets allowed, gift shop, cabins

Fort Nelson


B-11

Facilities/Services


Category

Appendix B

# of Units

Location

Name

Toad River

Stone Mountain Safaris Lodge

Facilities/Services

4

Open year-round, gift shop, all rooms have mountain views, hot tub, satellite TV

922

Total Number of Units

Source: Compiled by consultants from Northern Rockies Trip Planner 2006, numerous brochures, and 2007 BC Accommodations Guide, Hello North Travel Guide 2007

Campgrounds Several campgrounds and RV parks are located along the Alaska Highway, primarily combined with food and fuel stops and/or adjacent motel/cabin accommodation (see Figure B.5). ♦ There are also a few attractive Regional Park and Provincial Park campgrounds in scenic locations along the corridor ♦ In addition there are many backcountry and wilderness camping opportunities available throughout the region. Figure B.5: Northern Rockies Campgrounds # of Sites

Category

Location

Name

Commercial Campgrounds/ RV Parks

Coal River

Coal River Lodge

12

Power and water hook-ups, laundromat, phones, washrooms, restaurant, gift shop, lodging, fuel

Fireside

Fireside Car & Truck Stop

12

Power and water hook-ups, phones, washrooms, food, lodging, fuel, repairs

Iron Creek

Iron Creek Lodge

20

Power and water hook-ups, laundromat, phones, washrooms, food lodging, fuel, repairs, hiking, canoeing & fishing

Fort Nelson

Bluebell Inn

42

Power and water hook-ups, laundromat, washrooms, phones, food, fuel, lodging, convenience store

Fort Nelson

Fort Nelson 5th Wheel Truck Stop

42

Power and water hook-ups, Laundromat, washrooms, water, meals, fuel, repairs, internet, ATM, phones, post office, lodging

Fort Nelson

Pioneer Motel

6

Power and water hook-ups, laundromat, phones, washrooms


B-12

Facilities


Category

Provincial Park Campgrounds

Regional Park Campgrounds

Appendix B

# of Sites

Location

Name

Facilities

Fort Nelson

Westend Campground & RV Park

160

Power and water hook-ups, laundromat, washrooms, phones, meeting room, internet, 15 unserviced

Liard River

Liard Hotsprings Lodge

36

11 un-serviced, power and water hook-ups, phones, washrooms, food, fuel, gifts, TV room, convenience store

Muncho Lake

Northern Rockies Lodge

30

Power and water hook-ups, laundromat, phones, washrooms, food, lodging, fuel, sauna

Tetsa River

Tetsa River Recreational Services

34

Power and water hook-ups, phones, washrooms, 14 un-serviced sites

Toad River

The Poplars

52

7 un-serviced, power and water, hook-ups, cafe, fuel, lodging, gift shop, hiking and walking trails

Toad River Lodge

26

2 un-serviced, power and water hook-ups, laundromat, phones, washrooms, food, lodging, fuel, repairs, gifts, Greyhound Bus Depot, Internet, post office, wildlife viewing

Liard River

Liard River Hot Springs Campground

53

All un-serviced, phones, soaking pools, playground, hanging gardens, park attendant on site

Muncho Lake

McDonald Campground

15

All un-serviced, boat launch, hiking trails, lake fishing

Muncho Lake

Strawberry Flats Campground

15

All un-serviced, boat launch, hiking trails, lake fishing

Stone Mountain Provincial Park

Summit Lake Campground

28

Un-serviced sites, water, picnic tables, fire pits, hiking, lake fishing, boat launch, horseback riding

Fort Nelson

Andy Bailey Campground

5

Toilets, boat launch, lake fishing, not recommended for large rigs, sites un-serviced

Tetsa River

Tetsa River Campground

25

Sites un-serviced, pit toilets, firepits, river fishing, hiking trail nearby

613

Total Number of Sites

Source: Compiled by consultants from Northern Rockies Trip Planner 2006, numerous brochures, Hello North Travel Guide 2007


B-13


Appendix B

♦ Some tours and excursions, including a number of outdoor adventure/commercial recreation operators are located throughout the region, primarily along the Alaska Highway corridor •

There are a limited number of these operators, however, and the primary focus to date is on hunting and fishing

Limited Air Access Somewhat limited and comparatively expensive air access continues to be a weakness for the Northern Rockies’ tourism sector, although the majority of the region’s tourism sector is based on “rubber tire” traffic travelling along the Alaska Highway. The loss of Air Canada service from Vancouver was a major blow to the region’s tourism sector. However, Central Mountain Air has maintained the daily connectivity to Vancouver International Airport with a 30seat washroom-equipped aircraft, only somewhat smaller than the Dash-8 used by Air Canada. The loss of Peace Air was a further blow, significantly reducing air access from Alberta in particular. This limited airlift capacity makes it difficult to develop business from some market segments, particularly fly-in group business (e.g.- meetings/ conferences, group tours arriving by air). There is no passenger security screening available at Fort Nelson Airport which is a further constraint. Some additional air access to the region is provided by charter aircraft services including float planes.

NEED FOR ENHANCED VISITOR INTERPRETATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES The Alaska Highway is an internationally significant visitor touring route that millions of travellers have experienced since it was first built in 1942. In spite of this, signage and interpretation at existing and potential points of interest stops is limited or non-existent. The Provincial Government since 2001 has virtually eliminated all interpretation programs at their provincial parks with next to no maintenance given to their wayside pullover interpretation signs. The various governments and ministries (both federal and provincial) have territorial/jurisdictional disputes over signage. ♦ Without substantial advanced marketing visitors will have no reason to schedule a trip into the Northern Rockies in the first place – such marketing will inevitably highlight the scenery and heritage associated


B-14


Appendix B

with the Alaska Highway, which can only be adequately experienced with adequate signage, points of interest and interpretation. ♦ For those who have chosen to come, without a complement of good wayfinding and interpretive signage and appropriate maps they will keep rolling down the highway at 110 km/hr. en route to Alaska or Yukon – or south into Alberta – non-stop, with no regrets and no memories. ♦ Without the memories they have no reason to tell friends about the Northern Rockies, yet word of mouth referrals influence approximately 55% of travellers planning next year’s vacations. Therefore, the impact of good interpretive signage and points of interest programming cannot be overstated and is a current critical need throughout the Alaska Highway corridor in the Northern Rockies.


B-15

APPENDIX C – TOURISM MARKET ANALYSIS

Tourism Market Analysis

C-1


Appendix C

The tourism market analysis undertaken to date focuses on regional tourism visitation patterns as well as the characteristics and potential of some key market segments including outdoor adventure and cultural/heritage tourism.

PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF VISITOR MARKETS We have examined the overall regional tourism market, particularly with reference to the comprehensive visitor research project undertaken by Tourism BC in 2003. In particular, we have looked more closely at the motorhome/RV market which accounts for about half of all visitor travel according to the survey.

Lucrative Alaska Highway Visitor Market The Alaska Highway is considered one of the most scenic and inspiring heritage travel routes in the world and the stretch between Fort Nelson and the Yukon border is one of the most scenic sections. As noted, the majority of visitors to the region arrive on the Alaska Highway. A comprehensive visitor study was undertaken in 2003 by the Tourism BC Research Staff, with the results being published in early 2005. This study provides important updated information on the region’s tourism market. BC, Alberta and the United States are the main sources of visitors to Northeastern BC, as shown below in Figure C.1. Figure C.1: Principal Origins of Visitors to Northeastern BC, 2003

Overseas 6%

BC/Alberta 34%

Other Canada 15%

U.S.A. 45%

Source: Northern Rockies Alaska Highway Visitor Research Study, 2003

Tourism Market Analysis

C-2


Appendix C

In the more detailed examination of visitor origins in Figure C.2, it is clear that almost one-half of the visitors along the corridor are Canadians, and the vast majority of these are from BC and Alberta. Visitors from the US, however, still account for 45% of total visitation as of 2003 (this may have declined in the past couple of years) with the majority coming from Alaska, pacific states, the mid-west and southern states. Overseas visitation is primarily European, accounting for 5% of total visitation along the corridor (mainly from Germany and Switzerland). Figure C.2: Origins of Visitors to Northeastern BC, 2003 Visitor Origin

% of Visitors

Canada BC Alberta Yukon Ontario Other Canada

49% 20% 14% 2% 7% 7%

United States Alaska Pacific Mid-West South New England

45% 10% 8% 9% 10% 3%

Overseas / Other Countries Europe Asia Pacific Other

6% 5% 1%