NORTHWESTERN BC DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Including Highways 16 and 37 PRINCE RUPERT SHORELINE Photo: Harbour Air DESTINATION BC Seppe Mommaerts MANAGER, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT Jonathan Heerema SENIOR PROJECT ADVISOR, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT [email protected] NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA TOURISM April Moi INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT & TRAVEL TRADE SPECIALIST 250 793 0062 [email protected] Lucy Martin INDIGENOUS TOURISM SPECIALIST 250 561 0432 [email protected] MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ARTS AND CULTURE Amber Mattock DIRECTOR, LEGISLATION AND DESTINATION BC GOVERNANCE 250 356 1489 [email protected] NORTHWESTERN BC | 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................... 1 7. STRATEGY AT A GLANCE ...............................................................46 II. ACRONYMS 8. GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ...................................... 50 Theme A: Environmental Integrity 1. FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................11 Theme B: Infrastructure, Access and Amenities 2. INTRODUCING THE STRATEGY ...................................................14 Theme C: Collaboration a. Program Vision and Goals Theme D: Experience Development b. Purpose Theme E: Tourism Workforce c. A Focus on the Supply and Experience Theme F: Government Coordination and Support d. Methodology 9. IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ..............................................81 e. Project Outputs a. Catalyst Projects 3. ALIGNMENT ....................................................................................... 20 b. Provincial and Regional Priorities c. Funding Programs 4. SUCCESS NETWORK.......................................................................23 10. MONITORING AND MEASURING SUCCESS......................101 5. A DISTINCTIVE DESTINATION .....................................................26 a. Location and Access APPENDIX ...............................................................................................110 b. Population Base Appendix 1: Planning Process c. Economic Base Appendix 2: Planning Considerations d. Destination Overview and Assessment Appendix 3: Constraints and Opportunities e. Key Markets and Products Appendix 4: Net Promoter Score Information f. Summary of Key Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities Appendix 5: Iconic Features and Areas g. Experience Potential 6. A DISTINCTIVE DIRECTION ..........................................................43 a. Vision b. Guiding Principles c. Goals FRONT COVER PHOTO: MOUNT EDZIZA PROVINCIAL PARK, JF Bergeron (C) 2019 — 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. A DISTINCTIVE Geographically, Northwestern BC is the DESTINATION largest of the 20 Destination BC planning areas. The planning area is very diverse with coastal areas, mountains, significant headwaters, glaciers, rivers, lakes, hot springs and valleys. Northwestern BC’s outstanding cultural and natural assets support (or could support) a range of adventure, eco-tourism, cultural and Indigenous tourism experiences. The area has a wealth of provincial parks and protected areas. With regard to existing tourism, there are several key themes within the planning area, as highlighted below. TRAVEL CORRIDORS Touring is a long-standing experience (also known as the Stewart-Cassiar available in Northwestern BC. The Highway). Currently, there are efforts primary touring routes are BC Ferries to create additional circle tours and Route 10 (Port Hardy to/from Prince travel routes in the area, including the Rupert), Highway 16 (also known as the Nisga’a Lisims Government’s Circle Yellowhead Highway), and Highway 37 Tour Project which proposes several NORTHWESTERN BC | 1 circle tours that will be tested later in currently offer rich tourism experiences, 2019. Another important initiative is there is untapped potential to further the current collaborative effort of several develop authentic, Indigenous tourism local governments and tourism industry experiences in Northwestern BC by representatives to re-brand Highway 16 those communities that wish to pursue which presents opportunties to further these opportunities. Complementing develop touring experiences related to this potential is growing demand this corridor. amongst many markets for authentic Indigenous tourism offerings. SIGNFICANT PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS COMMUNTIES There is a wealth of parks and protected There are many unique communties areas in Northwestern BC, which can throughout Northwestern BC. serve as attractions unto themselves. These parks draw visitors for a range of Examples include: outdoor activities and serve as operating • The coastal city of Prince Rupert areas for guided activities (under Park — with its cafes, shops, and coastal Use Permit). There are several accommodations provincial parks and protected areas • Terrace — a transportation hub and that have garnered widespread gateway to fishing attention including (but not limited to): • Kitimat — providing access to fishing Khutzeymateen Park, the Great Bear on the Kitimat River Rainforest (the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world), Nisga’a Memorial • Smithers — with its Alpine-themed Lava Bed Park, Kitlope Heritage architecture and surrounding outdoor Conservancy, North Tweedsmuir Park, activities the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut • Houston — offering outstanding Park (located in the traditional territory steelhead fishing and outdoor of the Lheidli T’enneh, the Park adventures protects a portion of the only inland • Burns Lake — an emerging mountain temperate rainforest in the world), biking destination located in the heart Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park, of the Lakes District Mount Robson Provincial Park, Mt. Edziza Park, Atlin Park and Tatshenshini- • Fort Fraser — one of BC’s oldest Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park (which European-founded settlements is part of the Kluane-Wrangell-St. • Vanderhoof — home of the Nechako Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek White Sturgeon park system, designated as a UNESCO • Prince George — the largest city in World Heritage Site in 1994). northern BC, which serves as a major transportation hub and base for many INDIGENOUS surrounding outdoor activities COMMUNTIES • McBride — serving as the “Gateway Northwestern BC has a significant to the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh number of Indigenous communities. Whudujut Park” and as a base for The 38 Indigenous communities in the adventures in the Robson Valley, planning area are diverse in terms of McBride also offers a new mountain their cultural traditions and ways of life. biking park While several of these communitities NORTHWESTERN BC | 2 • Valemount — with its outstanding • Mountain biking parks and trails mountain views and mountain (some currently under construction) biking park • Backcountry horse trails • Fort St. James — Canada’s oldest • Hiking trails fur trading post and home to Fort St. James National Historic Site • Historic trails • Port Edward — home of the OUTDOOR ADVENTURE North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site The planning area’s natural assets support a wide range of outdoor • The Hazeltons — located at the activities, many of which are offered confluence of the Skeena and now and many that could be developed Bulkley Rivers to meet market demand. • Stewart — known for its hanging glaciers (over 20 in the area), bear viewing and its proximity to B. KEY CHALLENGES Hyder, Alaska • Dease Lake — a former Hudson’s The most critical challenges for the Bay trading post and currently planning area regarding destination the service centre for Highway 37 development are: communities and for people • Its size and resulting challenges visiting Mount Edziza Park, Spatzizi related to coordination between Plateau Wilderness Park and communities, which impact tourism Spatsizi Headwaters Park and destination development • Telegraph Creek — located off • Its distance from key markets, which Highway 37 in Northern BC at the can make travel to the destination confluence of the Stikine River costly and inconvenient and Telegraph Creek • The need for more guided and • Atlin — the province’s most packaged tourism experiences northwesterly community that • Declining populations of fish and emerged during BC’s last gold rush wildlife in 1898 • Lack of awareness in many key COASTAL ACTIVITIES markets about the tourism assets and experiences available in The coastal areas of Northwestern BC Northwestern BC provide outstanding scenery and settings • Attracting and retaining sufficiently for a range of marine activities, including skilled workers fishing, boating, non-mechanized marine recreation, coastal wildlife viewing, cruise • Climate change and associated ships, and coastal hiking. threats to the natural and built environment UNIQUE TRAILS • Industrial development Trails are featured throughout the planning area, consisting of: • Traditional Indgenous trails • Coastal trails NORTHWESTERN BC | 3 C. UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITIONS AND EXPERIENCE