NORTH VANCOUVER ISLAND – In the past 18 months there has been a great deal of economic planning activity on the North Island. Taking advantage of the Island Coastal Economic Trust’s “Economic Development Readiness Program,” Malcolm Island, Alert Bay, Port McNeill, Port Alice and the Regional District of Mt. Waddington have all created economic development strategies to guide their development activities over the next few years.
One of the common threads running through each of these plans is the potential for further development of North Vancouver Island Tourism. Though it may be a stretch to see this becoming a 12 month a year industry, most communities recognize that we can do more to attract visitors to our beautiful, wild and wildlife-filled region.
Vancouver Island North Tourism in partnership with Tourism Vancouver Island and Destination BC, has done an outstanding job of marketing our region to the rest of BC, Alberta, the US and Europe.
The North Island has several great operators who are taking advantage of our cultural, wilderness and wildlife assets. Companies and organizations like North Island Kayaks, Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures, Stubbs Island Whale Watching, MacKay Whale Watching, Quatse Salmon Centre, Kawatsi Economic Development Corporation, the Namgis First Nation’s Umista Cultural Centre and many more know just how much our visitors appreciate the pristine and cultural beauty of our North Island Region.
To support their efforts the Regional District of Mt. Waddington and its municipal and First Nations partners are collaborating on a Tourism Development Forum in March 2016. The aim of the forum is to create a unifying North Island tourism framework that will raise our region to the next level in the industry. The region as a whole is doing more to make the diversity of its marine and land-based wildlife, trails and cultural history more attractive and welcoming to visitors.
You gotta be here!
– David Mitchell is the General Manager of Community Futures Mount Waddington. He can be reached at david@cfmw.ca or 250-956-2220.