TOURISM OPPORTUNITY STUDY
FOR THE
QUESNEL FOREST DISTRICT
The
Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture (MSBTC) sponsored a Tourism
Opportunities Study (TOS) for the Quesnel Forest District. The intent of this study was to identify
tourism opportunities and prepare a report that can be used as a planning tool
for the expansion of existing, and development of new, tourism businesses. The study encompasses ecotourism and
adventure tourism opportunities within the forest district, focusing
particularly on Crown land.
Tourism Opportunity Studies are defined as information tools that can be used to identify and develop tourism development opportunities. The study is intended to be a tool for existing and potential operators, government planners, and local communities. The TOS is intended to:
- Identify adventure tourism markets, trends and product development demands
- Provide an analysis of local characteristics, and land and resource management issues that could affect adventure tourism development
- Identify those adventure tourism products and activities which the region has the best opportunity to develop
- Provide an adventure tourism product development action plan for parties interested in developing the region’s related opportunities
The study area for this project is the Quesnel Forest District. This region encompasses 210,000 square kilometers located in central British Columbia. The region stretches from the headwaters of the Blackwater (West Road) River in the west to Bowron Lake Provincial Park in the east. The northern border is the confluence of the West Road River and the Fraser River while the southern border is around the communities of Marguerite and Tingley Creek.
The Quesnel Forest District is almost entirely comprised of portions of the Interior Plateau, accompanied by a small section of the Columbia Mountains in the extreme eastern portions of the district. Within the district, the Interior Plateau is represented by three subdivisions, the Fraser Basin, the Fraser Plateau and the Quesnel Highland. To distinguish it from the larger Cariboo region, and from the City of Quesnel, the study area has been referred to in this report as the North Cariboo.
The study area is heavily based on forestry, but also has a strong service and retail trade sector. Forestry is reported to account for about two-thirds of economic activity in the region (direct and indirect), and officially accounts for about 30% direct of employment. This is a very large proportion of jobs concentrated in the forest sector, which is about three times higher than the provincial average.
The drivers of the economy are expected to continue to be forestry (including increased reliance on value-added activity), tourism, and the service industries. There is also expected to be growth in agriculture, high technology, education and the retirement sector. However, the economy and population of the area is expected to exhibit the slow growth trends of the recent past.
Tourism has good potential for growth – both from pass-through and destination markets. Growth is anticipated in urban tourism based on continued improvements in downtown Quesnel. Rural tourism growth is anticipated based on expansion of the adventure tourism and culture sectors.
Adventure tourism development is best suited for the soft adventure market. This niche has been targeted as the region’s resources tend to be of regional/provincial significance, as opposed to national or international significance typically required for the hard or avid adventure market.
The Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan outlines a strategy for tourism development in the region. This information sets the direction that the Ministry of Forests intends to follow in land management issues affecting tourism development. The following are the key guidelines to the tourism industry intended to allow land use decisions to include favourable consideration of tourism. (Source: Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan – Tourism Sector Strategy. P. 139)
- Maintain the current diversified tourism product in the region in terms of front, mid and backcountry products
- Locate new facilities in Protected Areas (PA) or Special Resource Development Zones (SRDZ) if they depend on unaltered or natural appearing settings
- Locate tourism facilities to face PAs to ensure maintenance of the dominant viewscape
- Integrate tourism uses with recreation, fish and wildlife, and cultural heritage uses
- Concentrate tourism uses in areas that allow for management of tourism values
- Consider activities that do not have constraining resource needs such as urban products, cultural activities, and motorized off-road activities
- Native and non-native culture offer significant opportunity for tourism and the resources on which this product depend should be identified and maintained
A tourism
land use policy has been developed and reported in the Appendix to the Land Use
Plan. The introduction to the policy
states the following: “Tourism is a significant and growing land
use component in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and contributes to the region’s quality
of life. It plays a key role in
diversifying the resource-based economy of the region. Tourism relies on secure access to, and
sustainability of, a variety of high quality natural environments, resources
and experiences.”
The Land Use Goal states the following: “To encourage land use and resource management decisions that protect and manage the natural environment, high value tourism resources and cultural values on which tourism depends”.
The analysis of facilities indicates that the region has a reasonable base of tourism accommodation but a much smaller inventory of attractions. This is significant as it is indicative of the composition of the region’s tourism industry. That is, travellers can be accommodated adequately, but outside of Barkerville, there are few attractions to encourage people to either visit or stay in the region.
In terms of accommodation the region has a mix of types. Although there has been one recent hotel development in Quesnel and at least two significant upgrades, most of the accommodation properties are older and of modest quality. They have been suitable for the historic commercial and outdoors oriented markets, but may not match today’s more sophisticated adventure travellers’ needs.
In terms of outdoor products (commercially available recreation), the Quesnel region offers a range of land/snow/water-based products. Over 40 water-based products are available with the most common being fishing and canoeing. Land-based products total 30 individual offerings and range from hiking to wildlife viewing with hiking/backpacking being the single most popular activity. Snow-based products are less common (a total of nine), which range from cross-country skiing to snowmobiling.
Is spite of this broad range of products, it is important to recognize that the majority of these are small-scale, part-time, and seasonal operations. Most are owner-operators with a small number of part-time staff. However, based on this analysis the top three most popular adventure tourism products are fishing, canoeing and backpacking.
Tourism is a significant component of the regional economy and appears to have remained reasonably stable through the 1990s. According to the Visitor Survey, approximately 480,000 travellers visited the North Cariboo. This figure is comprised of 240,000 residents and an equal number of non-residents. This is a significant number of travellers and represents nearly 1.5 million person-days.
The main reasons people visit the area are to see friends and relatives, and to pursue outdoor activities. Both of these trip purposes mesh with the adventure tourism focus of this report. A broader range of commercial outdoor and cultural could be attractive to both of these traditionally strong market segments. This information does not incorporate new markets that could be encouraged to visit the region based on new product developments.
The area has a broad and diverse inventory of resources on which to base tourism development. This includes three distinct geographic regions of the Interior Plateau – the Fraser Plateau in the west, the Fraser Basin in the central portion, and the Quesnel Highlands in the east. The region has a climate conducive to four-season tourism, the province’s most famous river (the Fraser River), two regionally significant rivers (the Blackwater and Quesnel Rivers), numerous productive fish lakes, and a rich heritage.
The region is heavily dependent on forestry although tourism has a solid base and offers good prospects to expand and diversify the economy. The adventure tourism and culture components of tourism are the focus of this analysis and the region is well represented in these areas. The region has the province’s largest heritage attraction (Barkerville), and an internationally famous remote canoe route (Bowron Lake chain). The region has a mix of accommodation types and a variety of attractions. Accommodations include hotels, motels, lodges and campgrounds. Attractions are heavily oriented towards heritage-type amenities.
Tourism in the region is driven by three categories of visitors. These include pass-through traffic visitors, destination visitors, and persons visiting friends and relatives The pass-through market is the highway-oriented vehicle traffic travelling north and south on Highway 97. The destination visitors are those persons fishing at the fly-in and road accessed lodges, canoeing in Bowron Lake Park, taking ranch vacations, and visiting Barkerville. Persons visiting their friends and relatives are concentrated in the key population centre of Quesnel.
Summer generates about two-thirds of total tourism business, while spring and winter account for about 15% each. There are no comprehensive measures of tourism performance, however, there has been an increase in the number of accommodation properties and the resulting room revenue. Overall, tourism appears to have performed reasonably well over the last decade.
Numerous organizations and agencies are involved in the management and administration of tourism. The key local agencies expected to have a role in advancing adventure tourism in the region are Quesnel Community and Economic Development Corporation, and the Community Futures Development Corporation.
TRENDS
IMPACTING TOURISM
Age, life stages, and earning power are key determinants for the purchase of travel products. Now, and in the future, the group having the most dramatic impact on the travel industry is the baby boomers - those persons born between 1946 and 1964. This nearly two decade long period of population growth produced nearly 10 million Canadians and 75 million Americans. In fact, approximately 30% of all Canadians and about 28% of Americans are baby boomers.
This group has been very dominant throughout their life stages and has transformed the market based on their numbers. They created a boom in school construction, in housing starts, in clothing sales, in automobile sales, and in tourism. Their impact on the travel industry will likely become even more dramatic over the next decade. This is because boomers - more than any other group in the recent past - have the financial means and the interest in travelling. Boomers typically travelled when they were younger, both on family holidays and as young adults, and are expected to remain avid travellers as they grow older. As of the mid 1990s, about 40% of all domestic travel in Canada was by baby boomers, and they spent about 50% of all the domestic travel money.
The first baby boomers to enter the peak income earning years (typically 45 to 54) did so in 1991 and the last will come through this period in 2018. Persons in this age group typically have increased incomes, and with children leaving home, the boomer parents will have the ability and the financial means to travel.
The older boomers are saving more money now that their families are growing up - and a portion of this money will be used to travel. Additional future family wealth will be driven by the trend towards two income families through the 1980s and 1990s - that should become two pension families in the current millennium.
An additional financial windfall is anticipated due to the inheritance likely to be passed on by the parents of today’s boomers. This group survived two world wars, and the last century’s major economic depression. These events caused boomer parents to be very financially cautious through the post war boom of the 1950s and 1960s. Much of this wealth (estimated to exceed $10 trillion throughout North America) will be passed on to today’s boomers in the form of inheritance. Boomers will spend a portion of this money on travel.
Future travel by boomers is likely to be different than travel in the past, and boomers are likely to exhibit the following trends:
- more individualistic and perhaps not as likely to travel in groups
- more well travelled and travel savvy, and will be more demanding in obtaining service and value
- more knowledgeable, quality conscious and sophisticated consumers
- interested in a sense of achievement rather than rest and relaxation
- used to being fun seekers and thinking and acting young - this will continue as they age
- more environmentally aware and may shun mass travel destinations
- more likely to be interested in cultural or educational themes to their travels
- well educated and inclined to expand their education through learning oriented travel
These trends are expected to be very significant for the North Cariboo. The dominance of the baby boomer market for travel generally is well documented and they are expected to continue to be the dominant socio-economic cohort. This demographic age group is also the key consumer of adventure travel, particularly soft adventure, the focus of this analysis. Marketing programs geared solely to this group should form the basis of individual facility, community and regional marketing plans.
The focus of this analysis is on adventure tourism and cultural tourism. As components of the tourism industry, they probably represent about 20% to 30% of total tourism spending (accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, retail and other travel services make up the remainder).
Adventure travellers want outdoor experiences that are unique and genuine, as opposed to contrived or superficial. Enriching, fulfilling adventure experiences are sought as travellers look for more experiential, participatory, and fun experiences that provide some level of learning. The North Cariboo offers the “real thing” in terms of adventure travel with indigenous cultural attractions and authentic rural outdoor products. Typically, facility owners, and the staff dealing with the patrons, are from the area and provide the friendly western hospitality for which the area is known.
Adventure travellers have often experienced adventure trips in other destinations and are attuned to good quality - they are willing to pay, but only if the value and quality of experience is there. This will be a particularly significant issue as the adventure sector in the region develops. Adventure travellers are well travelled and can be demanding, and they expect good facilities and good service.
Adventure oriented travellers are increasingly sensitive to environmental practices and conditions. The existing Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan and its zonation recommendations should assist adventure tourism development by preserving natural appearing areas.
Adventure tourists are also more respectful of local values, traditions, and cultures than was the case in the past. Although not a focus of this analysis, this characteristic of adventure travellers will be very important if First Nations communities in the region embrace tourism as part of their economic development strategies.
A considerable amount of tourism research and planning has been conducted in the Quesnel study area over the last decade. Significant progress has been made in expanding the tourism industry, although much remains to be done. Key reasons that tourism growth has been spotty are the area’s distance from markets, the small population and related number of tourist facilities, limited number of significant attractions, and intervening opportunities closer to the population centre markets. There has also been a lack of resources to develop tourism facilities and to market the area.
From the perspective of developing the adventure tourism/culture tourism sectors, the region has a number of significant strengths. In terms of the natural environment these strengths are based on wilderness and scenery, plus the variety of fish and wildlife resources. Significant wilderness and scenic features are preserved in provincial parks in the east and west portions of the region. The region has the province’s most well known river (Fraser) as well as several regionally significant rivers (Blackwater and Quesnel), all with valuable canoeing/kayaking and fishing opportunities. However, the region’s most significant tourism resources - both of which are nationally significant - are Barkerville and the Bowron Lake canoe circuit.
Countering these strengths are a number of weaknesses which need to be addressed in order for the industry to grow. Transportation and access is a deterrent as the region is “a day’s drive” from Vancouver as a market and as an international gateway. Highway 97 has also only two lanes for much of its length through the region. Air access capacity to Quesnel has declined, while costs remain high. In terms of market issues, the market is relatively small, seasonal, and heavily based pass-through traffic. The region also has a limited number of dedicated tourism facilities.
Opportunities exist for land, water and snow-based adventure tourism activities – all of which are significant. Market opportunities exist to capture a greater number of the pass-through vehicles, as well as to create more of a destination image for the area. The more urban or frontcountry opportunities are best suited for the pass-through market, and the backcountry opportunities for the destination market.
Threats, or outside factors influencing tourism, are significant deterrents to future tourism development. Key to rural or backcountry tourism is access to the land base – for facility construction, for touring, and as scenic viewscapes. Impediments to securing land access are First Nations land claims and by resource use conflicts. Pine beetle infestations are not as serious as in other areas of the central interior, but the spread and the resulting salvage logging is a serious concern. Continuation of the fragile economy in central BC is also affecting the area’s ability to attract investors and capital.
The tourism product analysis process included the systematic evaluation of nearly 30 outdoor activities. This resource, market and economic evaluation lead to the ten products selected, of which six are land-based, two snow-based and two water-based. These products are (in alphabetical order):
- Automobile touring
- Freshwater fishing
- Heritage attractions
- Hiking
- Industrial Tourism
- Lodges
- Non Alpine Winter Activities
- River Kayaking/Canoeing
- Snowmobiling
- Wildlife Viewing
Information has been provided in the main report on a series of topics for each product. The following information focuses on the actual development opportunities and the suggested locations for each product.
·
Automobile
Touring
Automobile touring includes vehicle-based sightseeing. It includes all roads that are capable of being driven safely by 2-wheel drive vehicles, including both paved and unpaved roads. Opportunities exist in two distinct areas. One is the provision of guided tours. The other is to service visitors who stay in the region because of the touring/sightseeing opportunities. This includes accommodation, food and beverage services, entertainment and recreation. The locations offering potential are as follows.
Barkerville – Likely: This loop provides a round-trip from Quesnel east to Barkerville, and on to the 3100 Road from Barkerville through the Cariboo Mountains to Likely (approximately 100 km), and connecting to Highway 97. This 300 km route is extremely scenic with spectacular views of the Cariboo Mountains along the Mathew Valley. Opportunities exist for hiking (Cameron Ridge), fishing (Cariboo River), and wildlife viewing.
Nazko Valley Loop: Quesnel along the Blackwater Road to Nazko (approximately 100 km), north to Gillies Crossing, back to Backwater Road. The Nazko Valley contains some of the area’s oldest homesteads and provides scenic river and lake environments. Opportunities exist for fishing, hiking and winter activities along this 200 km route.
West Fraser Loop: From Quesnel this route crosses the Fraser River and heads down the West Fraser Road to Marguerite and back across the Fraser River by reaction ferry, and return to Quesnel along Highway 97 (about 120 km return). The route winds through ranch country and the Fraser River bench lands. Opportunities exist for hiking and wildlife viewing.
·
Freshwater
Fishing
Fishing includes casual to more serious sport
anglers. The former is more likely to
prefer easy access to high quantities of small fish, and the later more likely
to seek out (and pay for) more remote, higher quality opportunities in
wilderness settings. Commercial
opportunities include packaged fishing tours, fishing resorts, as well as the
indirect revenues associated with accommodation and other services for
independent anglers.
The highest potential for guided and/or lodge-based fishing is into the western portion of the region. Several lakes including Marmot Lake and Fishpot Lake provide excellent fly-fishing and yield rainbows from 5 to 8 lbs. Brown (Bishop) Lake is a trophy lake yielding rainbows up to 15 lbs. The Blackwater (West Road), Baezaeko and Nazko Rivers offer excellent fly-fishing for rainbow and bull trout.
It should be noted that guided angling days have been limited by the Ministry of Environment in many of these locations. There may be some commercial fishing potential in the east and southeast and adjacent areas outside the forest district, such as the rivers and lakes associated with the Quesnel and Horsefly rivers and the Matthew River-Ghost Lake area. Other locations include Quesnel River and the Bowron Lake Chain.
·
Heritage
Attractions
Cariboo gold rush history is interpreted at Barkerville - perhaps the province’s single most significant heritage attraction. The length of time Barkerville has been in existence has established heritage as a key theme for the region. The region is also well endowed with several major heritage trails.
Heritage appreciation lends itself to guided, package tours as travellers are willing to pay for the convenience of being taken to major sites, learning from informed guides and having transportation, meals and accommodation arranged. The following are the key opportunities.
Barkerville is well known as a significant provincial heritage site. Also, there are a large number of undeveloped sites that are thematically linked to Barkerville such as Stanley, Grouse Creek and Antler Creek. A complete inventory of heritage sites related to Barkerville has not been completed, but many smaller sites can be incorporated into tours.
Wells is a company town from the
‘second gold rush’ in the 1930s, which now provides services for visitors to
Barkerville and Bowron Lake. It has a
unique heritage streetscape, with galleries and shops an active art community
and an art school offering courses in all seasons.
Cottonwood House is a 1860s roadhouse built to serve the miners travelling to the goldfields and features farm animals, gardens and household displays. Quesnelle Forks and Keithley Creek (just outside area) were significant towns during the gold rush. Quesnelle Forks was one of the largest Chinese settlements in the Interior.
Historic Trails include the Cariboo Waggon Road, 1861 Gold rush Pack Trail, the Goat River Trail, Collins Overland Telegraph Trail, Native heritage routes, and Alexander Mackenzie/Grease Trail.
Nazko area sites include the Blackwater Homestead, Krestenuk Trading Post, original schoolhouse and church, Chuntezni’i Cemetery and Homesteader Cemetery. The Quesnel And District Museum and Archives presents an excellent summary of the goldrush, ranching and forestry history of the Quesnel area. The Quesnel and District Antique Machinery Museum and the riverfront walking tour are additional heritage resources.
·
Hiking
Hiking is comprised of a range of activities from casual and easy, to challenging and difficult. The spectrum includes day-hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering, and heli-hiking. Hiking and backpacking involve walking on trails in the front/mid/backcountry. Hiking is the less demanding form of trail use, typically on less arduous trails, in the front/mid country, for short durations. Backpacking is a more adventurous and demanding form of hiking and involves overnight travel in the mid/back-country.
Hiking opportunities exist in two categories. One is guided and interpreted hiking, both for short hikes and longer backpacking trips. The other, more indirect opportunity, is the support services of overnight accommodation and related services to be purchased by hikers before and after the hike.
The Wells area has a well-developed trail network that
includes short (2 to 7 km walks close to the community as well as 5 – 7 hour
alpine hikes to Mt. Agnes, Mt. Murray, Mt. Tinsdale or Two Sisters. The Stanley-Barkerville section of the
Cariboo Waggon Road is also a popular day-hike. In addition Wells-Barkerville is situated between two important
sections of the National Hiking Trail – the Goat River Trail from Highway 16 to
Barkerville and the 1861 Goldrush Pack Trail from Barkerville to Keithley
Creek. These trails provide multi-day
hiking opportunities and would be suitable for guided experiences.
The National Hiking Trail (a new non-motorized national trail) continues west of Quesnel along the Collins Overland Telegraph Trail to the Alexander Mackenzie Trail, which runs along the Blackwater (West Road) River west to Bella Coola. There are currently limited hiking opportunities within the Cariboo Mountains and Bowron Lakes Park (within the Quesnel Forest District), but opportunities exist for the “hard” adventure market. The same market applies for the Itcha-Ilgatchuz Mountains.
In the Nazko area there are several short nature hiking potential trips to plateau lakes which have high shoreline diversity and wildlife features. The Fraser River bluffs to the north and south of Quesnel offer very accessible hiking in close proximity to Highway 97 and to population centers. Heli-hiking potential in mountainous areas (Cariboo Mountains, Quesnel Highlands, Itcha-Ilgatcho), although potential conflicts with caribou may restrict this opportunity.
·
Industrial
Tourism
Industrial tourism refers to
a range of activities that link the primary economic sectors (forestry,
agriculture and mining) with tourism.
It includes mill and forestry tours, farm tours and guest ranches, and
mine tours and gold panning.
Opportunities exist to produce tours of existing operations or to allow paying customers to work at existing businesses (specifically farms and ranches). Due to the gold mining history of the region, there are good opportunities to demonstrate the techniques and interpret the history of this aspect of the province’s development.
Forestry resources include the mills in Quesnel and their associated woodland operations. There is potential to interpret modified harvesting techniques in the Quesnel Highlands especially as part of the Cornish Mountain Trail network at Wells. Agriculture resources include the ranches, farms and guest ranches in the area. Farm and ranches also exist in the Nazko. Barkerville/Wells is the key focus for gold panning but the activity could be pursued on local creeks or around the other heritage communities along the historic access routes.
·
Lodges
Lodges and resorts are roofed accommodations having an outdoor recreation focus. The Cariboo has historically been known for its abundance of fishing resorts and guest ranches.
There is an opportunity to create resort/lodge developments tied in with one or more of the other adventure tourism products discussed in this analysis such as canoeing, wildlife viewing, or water recreation activities. The most appropriate scale (at least initially) would be small, perhaps in the 10 to 20 room/units size. A development of this size would provide operating efficiencies, and would provide the intimacy of a small lodge experience.
In the eastern portion of the
study area, there is reported to be interest in developing a lodge at Stanley
(near Wells-Barkerville) in order to offer heritage based tours. There is potential to locate a lodge in the
Matthew Valley near Ghost Lake.
Pleasant Valley (near Wells) would offer easy access to Barkerville, the
cultural attractions in Wells, as well as winter recreation opportunities. Wells itself could be the base for a lodge
offering cultural and natural experiences.
In the western half of the Forest District, most of the larger fishing lakes have lodge development. However, there is potential for existing lodges to expand into other aspects of adventure touring, offering both summer and winter products.
·
Non-Alpine
Winter Activities
The non-alpine winter product is a “roll-up” of several activities and includes cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice sailing, dog-sledding, ice fishing, skijoring (dog(s) pulling a person on skis). With the exception of backcountry skiing, all of these activities can be pursued by novices or people with limited experience. Also, technology is making these activities more accessible and safer (easier to use equipment for novices).
The community of Nazko hopes to develop ‘Trapper Cabin’ retreats in the western part of the Forest District this could be linked to ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice climbing and snowshoeing. The lodges at Bowron Lake could expand into winter products including dog sledding on Bowron Lake. Wells is an ideal location from which to experience winter activities along with courses in the arts, evening cultural events or winter carnival. Winter star-gazing is a popular activity.
Dog Sled operators from outside the area have brought clients to the Gold Rush Trail Sled Dog Mail Run from Quesnel to Wells. This event is coupled with a winter carnival in Wells that features events featuring skiing, dogsledding and snowmobiling.
·
River
Kayaking/Canoeing
River recreation includes a
variety of potential activities including kayaking, canoeing, rafting, boating,
jet boating, and tubing. There are
various categories of river recreation based on water volumes, rapids and
gradient.
Canoeing generally requires slower moving rivers and streams and also takes place on lakes. Rafting is usually associated with larger rivers and commercial operations. Canoeing and kayaking are most often non-commercial activities. Tubing is a casual activity, often associated with family swimming, beach activities, and leisurely river drifts. Several river recreation locations exist in the region. The key rivers are:
The Blackwater River provides a multi-day whitewater experience along a natural river; day trips on some sections are possible; difficulty ranges from I to III+. The Nazko River provides a day trip with good fishing on flat water.
The Cariboo River from Kimball Lake to Cariboo Lake is a long day or overnight trip on flat water which provides excellent wildlife viewing and scenery. Below Cariboo Lake to Quesnelle Forks is suitable for rafting with Grade II to IV rapids.
The Quesnel River is suitable a variety of experiences from rafting and kayaking in the section from Likely to Quesnelle Forks and in the Big Canyon near Quesnel to float trips through natural ranch land settings.
The Fraser River is suitable for trips by jet boat, voyageur canoe or zodiac. There is a suitable landing area in downtown Quesnel.
·
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling involves snowmachine use on logging roads, trails and open areas for touring. Commercial opportunities exist for guided tours and for the related sales, service and maintenance. There are also revenues from the use of other traveller services needed by independent smowmobilers.
Experienced snowmobilers are not likely to purchase tours, but they will spend on accommodation and related travel services. Less experienced or novice snowmobilers are good candidates for tours. A possible development opportunity for snowmobiling is a dedicated snowmobile lodge. This could be developed in the eastern or western portion of the North Cariboo. It could also provide a range of non-alpine activities and also a range of summer activities.
Wells area has well developed trail system including loops for family riding and access to two alpine areas – Groundhog Lake and Yanks Peak. The Gold Rush Trail provides linkages to Prince George, Quesnel and Likely for long distance touring. Quesnel area has two trail networks – the ‘Chip Dump’ Trails and Milburn Mountain Trails. Nazko is well situated to develop a network of winter trails including the Alexander Mackenzie Trail, Martin Meadow and Kluskus Trail. There is also access to the high elevation areas of the Itcha Mountains from Nazko.
·
Wildlife Viewing
Wildlife viewing is the act of observing the behaviour of animals in their natural habitat. There are several distinct groups: carnivores (black bear, grizzly bear, cougar, wolves, coyotes); ungulates (mule deer, elk, caribou, moose); birds (waterfowl, shorebirds, water birds, birds of prey, passerines, upland game birds); fish, especially salmon runs.
The product involves guiding people to viewing areas and providing interpretation. The region has good potential because of the simplicity of the activity and broad appeal of seeing animals in their natural environment. Several sites have high wildlife viewing potential.
Bowron Lakes canoe circuit provides excellent potential to see deer, moose, black and grizzly bears. At the bridge at the mouth of the Bowron River sockeye salmon, bald eagles and osprey can be seen. The slough at the south end of Bowron Lake can be accessed as a day trip to see a variety of birds including eagles, osprey, and bitterns.
The wetlands surrounding Wells provide birding opportunities especially in spring and fall when migratory birds including swans may be seen. Mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose and caribou are often seen on Highway 26 between Quesnel and Wells. The Quesnel Highlands and Itchas-Ilgatchuz are home to caribou, bear and mountain goat.
The Nazko Valley provides
excellent birding. Bald Eagles and
osprey nest along the Nazko and Blackwater rivers, rare white pelicans feed at
Wutlus and Tzazati Lakes, and trumpeter swans can be seen at Gillies Crossing. As well this area is home to most large
ungulates as well as bears, wolves, cougars and lynx.
ECONOMIC
IMPACT POTENTIAL OF ADVENTURE TOURISM PRODUCTS
The preceding analysis presents a description of opportunities and development considerations for the ten products assessed. Each product has been discussed individually and independently, based on a number of development criteria. This review has produced a consistent summary of the development potential of each product.
This analysis does not, however, indicate which products are likely to be the most significant or offer the greatest economic impact. Taking into consideration the likely development cost as well as the revenue generating potential, a ranking of the products was conducted.
Based on this comparison of products, the three products likely to have the greatest economic impact on the region are lodges, heritage attractions, and snowmobiling. All three rated “High” in terms of their economic impact, and were ranked 1, 2 and 3 in order of their anticipated impact. These three products also have high development costs relative to the other products.
At the other end of the scale are Industrial tourism, Automobile touring, and River Kayaking/Canoeing – which all scored relatively low ratings, and ranked 8, 9 and 10. Although rating down the scale in terms of economic impact, they are also the least costly to develop, and relatively easy to initiate.
It is important to note that the above is an analytical process intended to provide an unbiased assessment of the development potential of the products. This should not preclude individuals or groups, who have a particular interest or passion for an activity that did not score high, from pursing the activity. Economic impacts (both revenue and jobs) will only be created if entrepreneurs and investors put up capital to develop these opportunities.
Half of the products assessed (touring, fishing, hiking, lodges, river recreation and wildlife viewing) have strong (High) appeal to the close-in markets (Regional and Provincial). These markets are typically driving, and are within one to “a few” hours driving time away. These two markets segments currently comprise over 60% of the traveller market to the region.
The products generally do not have particularly high appeal to the more distant markets in Canada and in the Pacific Northwest. These origin groups make up about one-quarter of the current market. There is strong appeal for many of the products in the more distant international markets. This is based on the uniqueness of these product offerings to the international market, and the likely appeal to this group. It is important to note that the international/offshore market is relatively small (about 13%) but could be particularly significant for individual products.
The Protected Areas and the SRDZ are by far the most relevant zones to accommodate most forms of adventure tourism development based on this analysis. Some activities would be precluded from parks, but most would benefit from the total resource protection afforded by this protected area status. (However, commercial park use permits would be required.)
The SRDZ is the most appropriate zone for tourism developments, with High ratings achieved for all but two of the products. The other two zones are less appropriate due to resource extraction activities and the resulting impacts on access and viewscapes.
COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS
The growth in Adventure Tourism provides opportunities for existing tourism operators and for business start-ups. It provides opportunities for multi-million dollar lodge-type products to simple interpreted tours run by a single individual.
Regardless of the kind of tourism business and scale of operation, there are some common ingredients for success. These “success factors” provide new adventure tourism business with guidance and tools for growth. They are generic and should form part of individual business plans. Considerations are as follows:
- selecting a good location
- targeting appropriate markets
- providing a quality experience
- caring for the environment
- providing value-added options
- ensure competent management
The overall purpose of this Tourism Opportunity Study was to identify potential tourism developments and to provide guidance on implementation. The preceding sections of this report address the “opportunity identification” objective, and this section is devoted to providing direction on implementation.
This document is strategic - intended to identify and evaluate options, determine the opportunities offering the highest priority, and provide guidance and recommendations to assist in furthering tourism development. By design, it is a district wide document, although references are made throughout on general and specific locations, and to individual communities.
The focus of this analysis has been entirely on the adventure and cultural components of the tourism industry. Many other tourism development considerations may be appropriate at the community level but they have not been within the scope of this report.
Endorse the contents of this study.
This report presents an analysis of opportunities within the adventure/cultural components of tourism. By design, it does not address urban opportunities, nor does it consider the many First Nations opportunities possible in the region. Information is presented to assist local agencies in priorizing their assistance, in guiding regulatory agencies with their decisions, and in providing background information to developers, investors and entrepreneurs.
The tourism industry needs a “champion” to
assist with study implementation.
Tourism is a difficult economic sector to manage because it cuts across, or overlaps with, a number of other sectors. Expansion is largely dependent on the private sector, with permitting and regulations undertaken by various government agencies. (It is noted that there has been a significant public sector investment in the region, including the creation of new parks, Barkerville and investment in the Wells Gateway programs.) The Local Advisory Committee for this project strongly voiced the opinion that a central coordinating agency was necessary to manage implementation of this Tourism Opportunity Study.
Focus tourism development in the most
suitable zones.
Most of the tourism products discussed here are dependent on (or benefit from) unaltered landscapes. Within the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan area, the two zones that are intended to preserve the visual resource base are the Protected Areas and the Special Resource Development Zone.
Focus on implementing the actions described
in the individual product write-ups.
Each of the ten products described earlier includes a list of actions intended to foster implementation. These are discussed under the headings of administrative issues, marketing and development.
Encourage clustering as a tourism
development concept.
Currently Quesnel, because of its urban nature, provides a “cluster” of accommodation, restaurant, entertainment and retail amenities. With the exception of Wells on a much smaller scale, no other clustering of facilities or amenities exists in the region. Tourists benefits when a number of things to see and do are grouped together in close proximity. This “shopping centre” approach benefits the businesses by focusing greater attention on the cluster than on individual businesses.
Expand the marketing exposure of the North
Cariboo.
The Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast Tourism Association, the communities of Quesnel and Wells, and Barkerville are the key agencies marketing and promoting the region. Increased marketing would likely lead to an increased volume of business and an improved environment in which to encourage new development.
A central reservation system would expand
sales and retain tourists.
Tourists (like all consumers) appreciate purchase convenience. If Quesnel (as the key center and gateway to the east and west portions of the region) could offer point-of-sale convenience, greater tourism retention should be possible. The ideal system would allow a tourist to book accommodation, tours and adventure tourism products in one place. This could be done in person in a kiosk type environment at the Visitor Information Centre and over the Internet.
Take the opportunities in this report to
the marketplace.
Tourism development will be undertaken by existing operators, by potential entrepreneurs in the area, or by operators active elsewhere and/or outside investors. They need to know about the opportunities and be encouraged to get involved.
Although this TOS is regional is scope, tourism development occurs at the local level. Tourism projects are often initiated by local agencies such as chambers of commerce or economic development commissions, and they are always site or location-specific. Also capital investments are locally based and revenues are generated (and jobs created) at the local level.
Consequently, guidance is provided here to assist the three communities in expanding their involvement in tourism. The observations are solidly based on market research and analysis of the resources. The opportunities are meant to add to the knowledge base in order to advance the tourism planning process.
The value being added by this report is that a regional and market-based perspective is being brought to the community level. It involves an integration of regionally based information with tourism development to be delivered locally.
Background: Quesnel is the tourism service centre for the region, having most of the area’s accommodation, food services, and retail outlets. However, the city has not had a strong tourism orientation, although this is changing, as the city has done a good job with its heritage displays and with the riverfront trail. It has also recently charged the Quesnel Community Economic Development Corporation with the tourism development, marketing and information services functions.
Quesnel has an Economic Development Strategy produced in 1999. The tourism vision states that the community will increase its role as a gateway to outdoor adventure tourism. There is expected to be increased linkages with Wells and with the Nazko/Blackwater area. The plan states that efforts should be devoted to improving the city’s tourism infrastructure and attractions.
Themes: Quesnel evolved as a forestry community and forestry remains the key economic sector. Tourism should attempt to augment this sector in order to diversify the economic base. An industrial theme and staging ground to adventure tourism are appropriate focuses.
Products: Industrial tourism is the key product. Other products offering potential are automobile touring and fishing.
Markets: The markets are predominantly automobile pass-through travellers, including BC residents and Alaska bound Americans. The destination market is heavily oriented to people visiting friends and relatives.
Background: Wells prepared a strategy for outdoor recreation and culture-based tourism in January 2000. The strategy is intended to get more Barkerville destined pass-through visitors to stop in Wells, and to build the shoulder and winter season destination market. The current Gateway project has provided the resources to work on infrastructure development, skills development, and marketing.
The District has identified a number of projects intended to meet their tourism visitation goals. These include assisting BC Parks with planning for the new Cariboo Mountain and Cariboo River Parks, developing Learning Holidays, skills development, trail development, and marketing.
Tourism Themes: Wells would benefit from continuing to focus its tourism development on the 1930s mining theme. It is an indigenous theme relying visually on the many commercial and residential building that still exist. It also is a natural tie-in with the earlier era gold mining theme of Barkerville. In addition to the architectural appearance of Wells, the other focuses of culture/heritage and adventure tourism are strongly supported by the analysis in this TOS report.
A particularly unique asset of Wells is a gaming licence for a local site, one of only a few that have been granted by the provincial government. Effectively developed in keeping with the aspirations of the community, and in scale with the community, it could be a key draw to the area. It could also be influential in getting Barkerville-bound travellers to stop and to stay longer. This development could allow Wells to offer a tourism experience similar to Dawson City, Yukon.
Products: In addition to the above, the key summer products are automobile touring, heritage attractions, hiking, lodges, river recreation, and wildlife viewing. In the winter, snowmobiling and other non-alpine skiing have good resources and an established reputation.
Markets: The markets are predominantly regional and provincial for all the above products. However, properly packaged and serviced, there is potential in attracting international visitors (from Europe and Asia) particularly for the non-alpine skiing winter experiences and for the lodge experience.
·
Nazko/ West
Region
Background: Nazko is a relatively isolated community within the region and has only a minimal tourism industry. The traditional components have been guide-outfitting and remote fishing lodges. The community is small but is reportedly interested in pursuing tourism to create jobs and income for residents.
Themes: Perhaps the strongest theme or focus that is relevant for the community is First Nations culture. (Due to the lack of First Nations involvement in this study, First Nations’ based tourism development opportunities were intentionally not addressed in this TOS analysis.)
Products: In addition to the above, other products offering potential for the community are fishing, hiking, lodges, river recreation and wildlife viewing. Snowmobiling is the key winter activity.
Markets: The markets are predominantly regional and provincial for all the above products. However, properly packaged and serviced, there is potential in attracting international visitors (from Europe). Key attractions will be non-alpine winter activities and the range of lodge-based activities.
SUMMARY
The North Cariboo area has significant potential to develop its adventure tourism sector. As noted throughout this report, the area already has several historical, cultural and resource features which attract tourists, and provide a significant base upon which to expand adventure and cultural tourism in the area. At the same time, the area also has numerous natural resources and features which could support new adventure tourism businesses.
Tourism businesses are typically developed at the local level. Although research and planning can provide information and direction at a provincial and regional level, actual product development occurs locally, on specific sites. This TOS report is intended to provide guidance for adventure tourism development throughout the study area. For tourism development to be successful, however, local communities must see tourism as one of their key economic development objectives, and must be welcoming to tourists. Within the North Cariboo both Quesnel (September 1999) and Wells (January 2000) have reasonably current economic development strategies and both of these communities strongly endorse further tourism development and expansion.
This report suggests that the key tourism development roles for Quesnel are as a focus for industrially based tourism and as a staging area for adventure tourism, both in the west and the east. The adventure tourism products seen as having the most potential in and around Quesnel are automobile touring and fishing. Wells has the opportunity to continue to focus and develop its unique mining and heritage themes. New potential adventure tourism product options include lodge development, river recreation, wildlife viewing, snowmobiling and other non-alpine winter activities. The Nazko area offers a remote community experience in relatively close proximity to larger population centers and travel routes. The First Nations focus is perhaps the strongest theme, with a range of possible adventure tourism products including fishing, hiking, lodges, river recreation wildlife viewing and snowmobiling.
A series of administrative/management actions have been recommended in this report to advance tourism development in the region. The key administrative issues are to endorse this TOS and to charge an agency with the responsibility to implement the recommendations presented here. The issue of championing the implementation needs to be discussed with the other two areas within the region (the Williams Lake area and the Chilcotin) as there could be opportunities in pursuing the opportunities jointly. Key marketing recommendations are to expand the North Cariboo tourism marketing and to develop a central reservation system.
Within the study area, adventure tourism’s resource requirements have been recognized and offered some level of protection through the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan. However, tourism interests, particularly backcountry tourism, need to continue to be represented at the planning tables during the current round of sub-regional planning in the Cariboo Forest Region.
There seems little doubt that adventure tourism sector will continue to expand in North America. Those communities that understand adventure tourism market trends - and can actively identify local resources and develop business opportunities - will be able to benefit from growth in the sector. While significant opportunities exist, as noted in this document, it is important that land-based planning and resource development processes recognize the importance of the land and resource requirements of the adventure travel sector. As well, it is important that growth in the adventure tourism sector be properly managed to avoid negative environmental impacts and conflicts with local recreational users. Developing and managing an active adventure tourism sector will take significant local effort, but the rewards to successful communities can be significant in terms of employment and economic development.