SUNSHINE COAST DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY DESTINATION BC Heather Boyd MANAGER, VANCOUVER, COAST & MOUNTAINS AND INDUSTRY PROGRAMS [email protected] Seppe Mommaerts MANAGER, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT [email protected] SUNSHINE COAST TOURISM Paul Kamon EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 604 740 6170 [email protected] INDIGENOUS TOURISM ASSOCIATION OF BC Theodore Assu DIRECTOR OF TRAINING & EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT 604 921 1070 [email protected] MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ARTS AND CULTURE Amber Mattock DIRECTOR, LEGISLATION AND DESTINATION BC GOVERNANCE 250 356 1489 [email protected] SUNSHINE COAST TRAIL SUNSHINE COAST | 2 Photo: Andrew Strain TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................1 7. STRATEGY AT A GLANCE ............................................................. 29 a. Distinctive Destination for the Sunshine Coast b. Distinctive Direction for the Sunshine Coast 8. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ................................................................30 a. Objectives and Actions II. ACRONYMS .........................................................................................3 Theme 1: Improve Transportation To, From and Within the Sunshine Coast 1. FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................4 Theme 2: Attract, Retain, and Train Skilled Workers and Provide Job Growth 2. INTRODUCING THE STRATEGY ...................................................6 Theme 3: Enable Tourism Business Success and Viability a. Program Vision and Goals Theme 4: Manage the Destination Collaboratively b. Purpose of the Strategy Theme 5: Implement Product Development and Experience c. A Focus on Supply and Experience Enhancement that Cultivate a Unique Sense of Place d. Methodology Theme 6: Enhance the Quality of Services and Experiences e. Project Outputs9 9. IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ............................................57 3. ALIGNMENT .......................................................................................10 a. Catalyst Projects b. Provincial and Regional Priorities 4. SUCCESS NETWORK ...................................................................... 12 c. Funding Programs 5. A DISTINCTIVE DESTINATION .................................................... 15 10. MEASURING AND MONITORING SUCCESS ...................... 62 a. Geographic Description of the Area b. Description of the Population base, Communities APPENDIX ................................................................................................ 63 included, and First Nations a. Appendix 1: Overview of Planning Process c. Description of Economy Base — Historical and Current b. Appendix 2: Vision Story d. Overview of Tourism Performance c. Appendix 3: Planning Considerations e. Key Visitor Markets d. Appendix 4: Objectives by Priority and Implementation Timing f. Summary of Key Strengths, Challenges, and Opportunities e. Appendix 5: Alignment Details — plans reviewed g. Experience Potential 6. A DISTINCTIVE DIRECTION ........................................................ 23 a. Vision b. Goals c. Guiding Principles for Destination Development d. Motivating Experiences e. Develoment Themes f. Interaction of Development Themes and Motivating Experiences TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: Tourism Revenue Drivers 11 FIGURE 9: BC Ferries Passengers from Horseshoe Bay FIGURE 2: Five Dimensions of Supply — the Visitor Experience 12 and Little River, Annual, 2008-2015 19 FIGURE 3: Project Timelines 12 FIGURE 10: Visitor Characteristics — Visitor Centre Parties, Market Origin, 2015 19 FIGURE 4: Planning Areas in BC 14 FIGURE 11: Sunshine Coast Visitor Parties, Trip Length, 2015 20 FIGURE 5: Levels of Destination Development Planning 15 FIGURE 12: Interaction of Development Themes and FIGURE 6: Key Governmental and Management Organizations 16 Motivating Experiences 28 FIGURE 7: Room Revenue, 1995–2010 18 FIGURE 8: SCRD Room Revenues, 2006–2010 18 FRONT COVER PHOTO: TIN HAT MOUNTAIN, Andrew Strain (C) 2017 — Destination BC Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Destination BC. This guide is produced to provide information to assist tourism operators in British Columbia. Destination BC does not endorse, recommend or assume any liability for any of the operations or organizations referenced in this document. Super, Natural; Super, Natural British Columbia; HelloBC and Visitor Centre and all associated logos/ trade-marks are trade-marks or Official Marks belonging to Destination BC Corp. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. DISTINCTIVE The Sunshine Coast planning area was a regional estimate of $77.6 million stretches from northwest of Langdale spent by travellers in 2007. DESTINATION along 180km of land to north of Lund FOR THE to Bliss Landing, Desolation Sound and The Sunshine Coast’s largest visitor SUNSHINE COAST waterways to the northern tip of Toba base is the BC resident primarily from Inlet. It encompasses the jurisdictions the Lower Mainland and Vancouver of the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Island. The Sunshine Coast has identified the Powell River Regional District and three distinct selling propositions: includes the following islands: Gambier, Keats, Nelson, Hardy, Thormanby, 1. A STRING OF Texada, Lasqueti, Harwood (Tla’amin RURAL, OCEAN-SIDE Nation land), and Savary. The Sunshine Coast is accessible by ferry, airplane COMMUNITIES and floatplane. 2. OUTDOOR There are approximately 50,000 people residing on the Sunshine Coast. ADVENTURE, AND The Sunshine Coast includes four First Nations communities of skwxwú7mesh 3. ARTS, CULTURE Nation, shíshálh Nation, Tla’amin AND HERITAGE Nation, and Klahoose Nation, and the three municipal communities of the Traditional major attractions for the Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt, area include Skookumchuck Narrows and City of Powell River. Provincial Park, Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park, Princess Louisa Historically, Sunshine Coast communities Inlet and Savary Island. Additional relied heavily on the forest industry. tourism features include the unique More recently, tourism, recreation coastal communities, inlets and opportunities, and an influx of retirees waterways; trails; a rich tapestry of have begun to shift the Sunshine artisans, art galleries, cultural festivals, Coast’s economic dependency from and events; exceptional outdoor resource-based sectors to a more recreation such as hiking, mountain diversified portfolio. While there are biking, and fishing; and easy access to few performance indicators for the resorts and cabins. tourism industry at a local level, there SUNSHINE COAST | 1 The experiences identified below have YEAR-ROUND VISITOR potential as iconic products for growth: ECONOMY. WE HAVE • Indigenous cultural tourism VIBRANT COASTAL • Sunshine Coast Arts Crawl • Sunshine Coast Trail and COMMUNITIES AMID Suncoaster Trail EXCEPTIONAL OUTDOOR • Backcountry alpine hiking like the ADVENTURES. WE South Powell Divide ATTRACT RESPECTFUL • Mountain biking including the Coast Gravity Park and Duck Lake Trails VISITORS WHO LIKE TO • Boating including Desolation Sound DISCOVER AND and Princess Louisa Inlet UNDERSTAND MORE • Rock climbing in the Eldred Valley ABOUT OUR LAID-BACK • Wildlife viewing along inlets and waterways PACE OF LIFE AND THE • Diving with over 100 dive sites WILD, NATURAL PLACES • Health and Wellness highlighting the THAT NOURISH US. George Health & Wellness Centre and spas Four destination development goals have been identified: • Foraging and Culinary 1. Increase the total contribution of the The vision for the Sunshine Coast is visitor economy B. DISTINCTIVE aligned to existing planning frameworks 2. Enhance the overall visitor experience and tied to the aspirations of what types DIRECTION of the Sunshine Coast as a preferred of destination tourism partners the FOR THE travel destination for key markets SUNSHINE COAST Sunshine Coast would like to be within 10 years: 3. Strengthen the business climate WE ARE A UNIFIED 4. Strengthen a unified Sunshine Coast tourism industry by working together SUNSHINE COAST, These four goals will support the two WORKING TOGETHER TO common provincial goals: INCREASE THE SOCIAL, 1. Lead Canada in growth of overnight CULTURAL, AND visitor expenditures, and ECONOMIC BENEFITS 2. Secure the highest Net Promoter Score in North America FROM OUR SUNSHINE COAST | 2 ACRONYMS The unique selling propositions that set the Sunshine Coast AEST Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills area apart have been identified as the motivating experiences & Training to support in destination development planning: AGRI Ministry of Agriculture 1. A string of rural, ocean-side communities CDMO Community Destination 2. Outdoor Adventure Marketing Organization 3. Arts, Culture & Heritage DBC Destination British Columbia DC Destination Canada Specific experiences identified for development include: • Indigenous Tourism DMO Destination Marketing Organization • Arts, Culture, Festivals and Events DDS Destination Development Strategy • Trails – Hiking, Mountain Biking, Marine EDUC Ministry of Education • Touring – Vehicle, Cycling, Motorcycles ENV Ministry of Environment & Climate • Boating/Marinas Change Strategy • Natural Asset Utilization (e.g., wildlife viewing FIN Ministry of Finance and other outdoor experiences) FLNR Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural • Sustainable Culinary Experiences Resource Operations & Rural Development • Health and Wellness IRR Ministry