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Founded in 1999, the WTA works to protect BC’s wilderness
landscapes, marine areas and intact functioning ecosystems, and secure access
to wilderness tourism opportunities. We help ensure BC maintains its Super, Natural
image and tourism market share.
BC ‘s tourism brand is Super, Natural BC. It has over $500
million invested over 15 years, ensures BC’s global market share in a strong
internationally competitive market, and is important for both rural and urban
tourism.
Wilderness
or nature based tourism industry profile for BC (2008):
- Approx. 2,250 Businesses
- Approx. 980,000 clients
- Approx. 3 million client days
- Clients spend $1.5 billion at
Nature based tourism business (does not include tourist expenditures before and
after visiting the nature-based tourism business)
- Overall, 25 million tourists spend
over $13 billion in BC, with much of this induced by nature based tourism
Industry economic impacts (Direct, indirect and induced impacts are
included in these estimates):
- Operations ($Millions): Revenues - $2,854.6; GDP - $1,566;
Taxes - $413.20; Employment 22000 Person Years
- Investment ($Millions): Revenues - $36.5; GDP - $18.4;
Taxes - $1.6 Employment - 215 Person Years
Business
Characteristics
Expenditures (average, cost structures vary from business
to business)
- 22% labour
- 15% transportation and fuel
- 11% on maintenance
- 9% on advertising/promotion
- 9% new facilities/equipment
- 8% food and beverage
- 6% liability insurance
- 5% mortgage and rent
Most businesses are small
- 55% < 3 full time staff members
- 25% between 3
and 10 full time staff members
- 20% > 10 full time staff members
Booking Sources
- 40% repeat
guests
- 30% marketing
- 23% word of
mouth
- 6% drive
by/walk in
Markets
- 29% from BC
- 17% other Canada
- 17% Northwest USA
- 18% other USA
- 14% Europe
- 2% Asia
- 3% Other
Main
Constraints to Growth
- Lack of long term guarantee of tenuring to the land base
- Competition for natural resources among multiple
industries
- Lack of security regarding long term integrity of
viewscapes
- Government regulation and taxation
- Transportation and Access
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