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Overall Assessment of Potential
On many counts, the foundation for a strong eco-tourism sector already exists in the Clayoquot Biosphere Region. There are a number of business activities in place to serve as an anchor for further development. There is an established market, one that seems to be showing no sign of exhaustion. There is an incredible landscape that provides unique, as yet untapped potential for new industry approaches.
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But there are some significant holes that threaten this foundation including:
- infrastructure that has not kept pace with demand
- increased competition amongst businesses that threatens to undermine the overall experience for the visiting public
- significant gaps in some areas of service
- untested ecological limitations, including to wildlife, beaches and marine species
- limited First Nations involvement in the industry, when their territory and culture is a large part of the picture people have come to experience
The development of a sustainable ecotourism industry requires a planned approach that recognizes and addresses these impacts as part of its overall strategy for growth. In the absence of a management plan for tourism development tourists, and the economy built upon them, is no more secure than any other single resource economy.
Only a well-built and thoughtful approach to ecotourism will add sustainability, dimension and depth to the region's economy.
Overview: Current status and trends in the industry
Background: To understand the growth of the tourism industry in the Clayoquot Biosphere Region, it is necessary to understand something about the history of the place. Historically, the economy of the region was about as far from tourism as it is possible to get. Industrial logging and commercial fishing employed over 60% of the population and provided the backbone of not only the local economy but also the region's identity. Through the 1980's-90's two things occurred simultaneously to change that face forever. First, a 'protracted, high profile clash between loggers and environmentalists to bring an end to industrial logging in the region'. (Sutherland, 1999:48). Second the collapse of the salmon fishery, followed by a significant downsizing of the commercial fleet, associated coastal processing opportunities and marine businesses.
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The combined effect of world-wide attention on the region for its' environmental stewardship and preservation of natural values together with a large available workforce, made the shift to a tourism economy a relatively easy fit. In Tofino today, the tourism industry far outperforms all others (Firkser, T., 2001, SFU). It is the centre of tourism on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and one of the island's major tourist destinations. While no 'official' survey has been done to measure the exact number of visitors per season, the Chamber of Commerce estimates at least 20,000 people per day visit the area in the summer season. The economic value of the tourism industry is conservatively estimated to be between 50 million/year (National Geographic, 2003) and 100 million/year (Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce).
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Historically Skamania County's (Washington) economy has been dependent on natural resources, and the local economy has fluctuated dramatically to adapt to market conditions. Ninety seven percent of County land base is under federal or state land ownership, and in the 1980s federal policy decisions (e.g. harvest restrictions, Endangered Species Act and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act) limited local access to the resource base, timber production dramatically declined and mills closed. Therefore, the County, city and private business formed a public-private partnership that built the Skamania Lodge and Conference Centre in 1993, which has generated employment (it employs approximately 320 people year round) and contributed to some resurgence in the local retail economy. A second resort in the County is nearing completion. The community has taken advantage of the urban populations in Portland and Vancouver and uses the National Scenic Area Act in its marketing campaigns. Active local County leaders, local businesses and local government formed the Skamania County Economic Development Council to coordinate economic development by assisting the Port in its industrial development strategies. The second step was to build and strengthen the local Chamber of Commerce in order to develop the tourism economy.
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The growth of tourism is more recently moving into Ucluelet as the requirement for accommodation and visitor services expands and as tourism-related products centered in Ucluelet are developed. First Nations communities have benefited to a lesser extent with the addition of 25-30 small businesses focussed on the tourist sector located either in reserve communities, in Tofino or Ucluelet.[1]
Movement towards ecotourism as the focus for the Region has not been a conscious or coordinated decision on the part of local governments or other agencies. Rather it has grown organically out of individual business owner assessments of the type of visitors attracted to the area and the subsequent shaping of tourism products.
It may be too strong to suggest that 'luck was with the Region' in this regard, but the absence of tourism development strategy is evident. It shows up both in the somewhat haphazard collection of activities that are available as well as in the obvious sector gaps such as adequate parking and service staff accommodation.
Ecotourism: The Region's focus on ecotourism products has allowed it to benefit significantly from overall trends in the tourism industry. Like the term sustainable development, ecotourism has been defined in a variety of ways and the term used and abused for marketing purposes. However, in theory and good practice, it refers to economically viable, culturally appropriate, nature-based tourism activities that promote education, interpretation, environmental protection, conservation and involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples (Peachy, K. 2001).
Globally, demand for ecotourism activities is growing and shifting away from escapism-oriented travel. A 1990 World Resources Institute estimate suggests that nature travel is increasing at rates between 10% and 30% annually, while tourism overall is increasing annually at 4%. A 1997 survey of tour operators in the Asia-Pacific region supports these observations, with operators reporting annual growth rates of 10% to 25%[2].
According to a 1993 survey conducted by Statistics Canada, adventure travel and ecotourism were driving the Canadian tourism industry in all regions across the country, with a growth rate of 12.9% in 1992[3]. Similarly, a March 1995 study of American travelers conducted for Fodor's Travel Guides, identified Canada as the favored top ten foreign destinations for 12% of respondents, ranking it well ahead of Costa Rica, Mexico and Australia-countries that offer substantial ecotourism products[4].
Tourism contributed over 8.8 billion to the provincial economy in 1998 and wilderness/ecotourism contributed about 9% of this total. On Vancouver Island, the tourism industry is currently estimated to be worth 1.25 billion with wilderness tourism contributing about 200M.[5]
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Cultural Tourism: Interest in aboriginal tourism products and services is somewhat more difficult to measure, but the opportunities for the development of First Nations tourism products in the Region are clearly evident. Aboriginal tourism is a major growth industry in Canada. In 1999, aboriginal tourism generated about $250 million and employed about 12,000 people. Revenues are expected to reach the $1 billion mark in 10 years[6]. The profile of tourists interested in First Nations tourist products is similar to that of the ecotourist.
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Humpback,
Photo: Pacific Whaler Adventure Tours, Tofino
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A 1995/1996 Tourism BC Visitors Study[7] found that visiting native cultural sites was a popular activity for non-resident visitors to Vancouver Island. This was especially true for European, Long Haul U.S.[8], and Asia/Pacific travelers with 61%, 42% and 26% respectively visiting native cultural sites. Between 25% and 29% of Regional Canada[9], Regional U.S., and Long Haul Canada report visiting native cultural sites during their trips to BC.
There are an estimated 25-30 businesses currently operating in the Region that are owned and/or operated by First Nations[10]. They range in size and product from the TinWis Resort and Conference Center owned by Tla-o-qui-aht Nation at one end of the spectrum to small, independent owner/operator fishing and canoe charters at the other. The addition of a First Nations tour booking center (Naachaks Adventure Centre) in Tofino in 2003 will no doubt help to consolidate and raise the profile of these businesses in the coming years.
Previous attempts at cooperative marketing in a visible location of First Nations tourism products resulted in significant sales increases for members. Ma-mook Development Corporation has added tourism transportation to its list of businesses with the Clayoquot Spirit Tours
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"We had lots of people on the Trail. We were overwhelmed. It was scary, the trail was getting chewed up, degraded from too many people in their heavy duty hiking boots. The elders told us to shut it down." |
and the Long Beach link bus service. Ahousaht has developed and is promoting their Walk the Wildside Trail, a business venture that has the potential to attract thousands of visitors each year to explore, with cultural interpretation, the beautiful natural landscapes of Flores Island. Plans are underway to revitalize and expand this opportunity in a way that is appropriate to the community and sensitive to the ecology.
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Challenges: Obviously, with the tourist season upon us as this report is being prepared, the issues, opportunities and challenges associated with a burgeoning tourism industry for the Region are top-of-mind. Pressures on district infrastructure including roads, water and sewage facilities, the lack of housing for service staff, waste management, parking limits, the loss of a community culture, pressures on wildlife and the ecology, skyrocketing housing prices are all profoundly evident.
As the Region continues to grapple with these issues, some are calling for a 'cap' on tourist activity until there is, at a minimum, a plan for its sustainable growth. Others are eager to exploit the situation for as long as it continues. In an attempt to support the industry's development without further increasing the pressure on local taxpayers, the District of Tofino is considering application to the Province to become a resort municipality and a consortium of municipalities facing similar growth pressures has been formed. Local government is also reviewing its zoning and enforcement bylaws to identify ways that more control can be extended in areas such as overcrowded housing, the use of residential accommodation for nightly accommodation and the problem of illegal parking and camping. Associations have been formed to endorse 'best practices' in the whale watching industry, the kayak industry and the bed and breakfast community.
The issue of transportation links between Tofino and the outlying communities needs resolution. Parking and signage for water taxis associated with the First Street dock facility needs remedying. Taxi schedules need better coordination to link with tourism opportunities and interests. The recent acquisition of this dock by the District of Tofino and the establishment of a committee to consider its usage and management offer an opportunity to find solutions to these issues.
Businesses, residents and government representatives are working together to seek solutions... and the tourists continue to come.
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Opportunities: A tourism strategy for the Region would help to identify gaps in the current array of products available for the visiting public. These gaps could then form the basis of new recruitment and new product development. This would minimize competition in those parts of the industry that are already oversubscribed and identify parts of the industry that could effectively and profitably be developed first by local residents and second through a targeted business recruitment strategy.
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Photo: Tla-ook Culture Adventure Tours
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Some components of the local tourism economy that could quite readily be added to strengthen the overall tourism profile include:
- More First Nations businesses that focus on cultural interpretation and education
- More opportunities to access the Sound
- Businesses focussed on bringing people to outlying communities and the subsequent development of facilities and infrastructure to support visitors in these locations (Ahousaht Walk-the-Wildside, Meares Island/Lone Cone, Shark Creek). These enterprises would have to be developed through careful dialogue with First Nations about rights and title, protected sites and preferred development approaches.
Other opportunities include:
- Forestry educational tourism
- Shellfish-related tourism
- First Nations kayak guides
- Art and culture tourism
- Research and field school studies
- Elder hostel
- Additional low-mid price range accommodation and camping facilities
- Sailing tours
- Diving
- Museums (the Ucluelet Museum will open in 2003)
- Mothership Charters
- Health related services and healing retreats (eg. Hollyhock)
- Cultural centers
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Tofino Council is reviewing the option of applying to the province for Resort Municipality status. This status would enable the District to apply a user fee to the visiting public - taxing consumption rather than households. The model, tested successfully in Whistler since its' inception, could offer the opportunity to target revenues from tourism more directly to infrastructure impacts.
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We need to nurture rather than promote tourism. We need economic protection. We need a better tourism product and we need legislative tools. This is why we've joined a resort community's focus group. Property tax doesn't work for generating revenue. We have 22,000 visitors daily in Tofino. We're proposing a resort sales tax, on restaurants, tours, hotels etc. We would then give a grant back to the property tax payers (or a reduction).
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Assessment of the Sector by SCED Criteria
Environmental Criteria: Ecotourism, as a subset of the overall tourism industry should be culturally appropriate, environmentally responsible, educational and to the benefit of local communities and their values. The pressure to simply respond and react to a rapidly growing tourism industry in Clayoquot Sound may overshadow the Region's ability to plan and promote the kind of tourism economy that they claim to want. Our commitment under the UNESCO Biosphere designation is to develop tourism as one component of a diversified economy and to be vigilant about the way the Region responds to a situation that appears, at least on the surface, as a gift but could prove otherwise without collective care and attention.
Economic Criteria: The tourism business currently generates an estimated 100 million dollars in the Region's economy and provides more than 1000 jobs in the service sector at least during the summer season. The largely hidden cost of this industry in terms of pressure on infrastructure has not been quantified. The other aspect of the industry that is very difficult to quantify, but warrants further analysis, is the extent to which tourism 'pushes out' other industries that might serve to diversify the local economy. The artificially high cost of real estate, zoning limitations in place to keep the tourism character intact and the cost and access to appropriate infrastructure to support businesses are components worth considering. While it is difficult to pause for thought while business is good and while the impetus to do so is less urgent, when money is not tight, the long-term economic health of Clayoquot's communities demands forethought.
Social Criteria: Tourism creates jobs, but the majority of these are in the service sector and, as such, are lower paying, seasonal and less secure than some other sectors. Employees do not receive benefits such as health care or housing. The costs of living in the Region are often very high compared to wages. New tourism products offer opportunities for entrepreneurs and investment dollars for business start-up may be easier to secure where there is a proven climate of growth. Concern about competition, and subsequent 'informal pressure' may make it more difficult for businesses of some types to open or locate in the Region, favouring existing operators over new entrants. Finally, changes to the way-of-life of residents due to tourism activity, whether it is busier streets, the presence of strangers or tax increases or positive aspects such as support for local cultural activities, must be considered and citizens of all backgrounds included in the tourism planning process.
Opportunities for First Nations: There are clearly opportunities in the tourism sector that favor the growth and development of First Nation's tourism products. Financial support for First Nation's tourism entrepreneurs is available through the federal government to encourage their increased participation in the industry, and regionally through NEDC. Increased access to the waterfront would benefit the development of First Nations tourism products. The development of a certification program for products and services of First Nations origin would benefit the overall health of businesses in this sector, as would community support for First Nations enterprises and cooperative marketing efforts. Care must be taken, as tourism grows, to ensure that those aspects of the First Nations culture that are sacred can be protected in perpetuity. This requires dialogue, thoughtful planning and a clear objective for appropriate product development.
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[1] NEDC, 2003
[6] Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada and the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, 2000
[7] Tourism BC data adapted from ARA and Peter Williams, 2000
[8] Long Haul US includes all states but Regional U.S. states (i.e. Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Alaska).
[9] Regional Canada includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Territories. Long Haul Canada refers to all other provinces.
[10] NEDC, 2003
List of key resources and contacts
Contacts:
- Michael Curnes, Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce
- Barbara Bryant, Tofino Business Association
- Susan Harvey, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce
- Individual business owner/operators
Publications:
- Anderson/Fast Marketing Solutions et al. Ecotourism in Saskatchewan Report II: A Working Strategy. Prepared for: Saskatchewan Watchable Wildlife Association. February 1996.
- ARA Consulting Group and Dr. Peter Williams, Clayoquot Sound/Central Region Tourism Opportunities Study, March 2000, Prepared for Ma-mook Development Corp., Aboriginal Business Canada, Nuu-chah-nulth EDC
- Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada and the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council. 2000. Aboriginal Tourism Business Planning Guide: Checklist for Success. Ottawa: CTHRC.
- Firkser, Taryn; The Past, Present and Future of Tourism in Tofino, 2001, SFU
- Malaspina University-College Dept. of Recreation & Tourism Management, Researcher Nicole Vaugeois, Cultural Tourism Inventory, April 2002, Prepared for TAVI
- Peachy, Karen; Opportunities for Field School Tourism Development, DRAFT, unpublished, 2001, Ecotrust Canada
- Synergy Management Group Ltd, District of Ucluelet: Feasibility and Action Planning for the Development and Implementation of Short/Medium Term Economic Opportunities in Forestry, Fishing and Tourism, 1997
- New Options Consulting, The Way Ahead, A Marine Sector Strategy, 2001, Alberni Clayoquot Regional District
- Catherine Berris Associates Inc., Forest Recreation Inventory and Tourism Resource Inventory, Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture, 1998
- R.B. Rollins & Assoc., Clayoquot Sound Recreation and Tourism Survey, 1998
- Steering Committee, Clayoquot Sound Sustainable Development Strategy, Sustainable Tourism Options for Clayoquot Sound & Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, 1992
- Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, 2001 Visitor Perception Survey
- Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Member Survey
- Tourism BC data adapted from ARA and Peter Williams, Clayoquot Sound/West Coast Region Tourism Opportunities Study, Tourism BC data adapted from ARA and Peter Williams. 2000
Internet:
The International Ecotourism Society, www.ecotourism.org/textfiles/stats.txt
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