Tourism Corridors: Canada's Strategic Approach to Visitor Dispersal and Regional Development
Destination Canada's Tourism Strategy is a good example for combatting challenges caused by over tourism in both popular and lesser-known regions.
Destination Canada's Tourism Strategy is a good example for combatting challenges caused by over tourism in both popular and lesser-known regions.
In an era where overtourism challenges popular destinations while lesser-known regions struggle to attract visitors, Destination Canada's Tourism Corridor Strategy Programme emerges as an innovative solution for balanced tourism development. The inaugural corridor projects, initiated in 2023, demonstrated the programme's potential to transform regional tourism and paved the way for an ambitious 2024-2025 expansion.
Investing in product development, particularly in areas where gaps exist, lays the foundation for a thriving and sustainable tourism industry that caters to specific visitor needs and preferences. Focusing on product development ensures that tourism offers are compelling and meet market demands, contributing to the long-term success of Canadian tourism and supporting thriving local communities across the whole country.
The Atlantic Canada UNESCO corridor, building upon key learnings from Scotland's UNESCO Trail, the Coral Triangle and Rutas UNESCO Uruguay, successfully connected 13 UNESCO sites across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, creating compelling multi-destination itineraries that aim to address the uneven distribution of visitors across these sites by redistributing summer travellers and developing appealing shoulder- and off-season offers.
Committed to a regenerative tourism model, thorough destination assessments have been conducted at all UNESCO sites, with an extensive stakeholder consultation process involving community and visitor surveys, interviews and five planning workshops, ensuring local perspectives shaped the project. By creating a cohesive tourism route, the new tourism corridor prioritises sustainable tourism growth that benefits local economies without compromising the region's natural and cultural assets, with 31 initiatives being implemented across five key areas as part of the ten-year initiative:
Recognising the increasing demand for authentic Indigenous tourism experiences and inspired by existing community-based lodge networks in other parts of the world, such as Paradores and Logis Hotels, the Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network seeks to create a strategy for developing Indigenous-owned lodges throughout the Yukon, western Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia to address the lack of accommodation options for visitors outside of major cities.
Extensive research, including stakeholder interviews and site visits, market research, accommodation inventory analysis and global benchmarking of similar projects indicated a strong business case for the network, highlighting the potential for high revenue generation due to the exclusivity and desirability of the Indigenous lodge experience. Econometric analysis suggests that a single lodge with nine rooms, operating at 30% to 50% occupancy, depending on seasonality, could generate gross revenue ranging from CA$1,478,250 to CA$6,570,000 annually. Six key recommendations outline the plans for continued development of this initiative:
Inspired by the resounding success of spectacular road trips such as Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way and building upon Destination BC's Invest in Iconics Strategy and Travel Alberta's Development Zones, the Sustainable Journeys from Prairies to Pacific Corridor Strategy is a flexible framework adapted to suit the unique needs and potential of each of the 50+ communities located along Highway 3. This adaptability is rooted in a deep understanding of the diverse tourism ecosystems within the corridor, gained through extensive engagement with local leaders and stakeholders. By reviewing existing strategies, conducting in-depth research and prioritising initiatives based on their potential impact, the strategy effectively addresses each community's specific needs and challenges, supported by identifying gaps in tourism offers and an assessment of the investment attractiveness of each location.
The strategy uses a three-pillar approach to unifying the corridor's communities under a common theme: trails. This approach helps to create a cohesive and compelling visitor experience that encourages exploration of the entire corridor:
Building on the ongoing successes of the pilot initiatives, the 2024-2025 programme introduces four new strategic corridors that exemplify innovative approaches to regional tourism development:
Cycle Ontario and Quebec
This initiative transforms existing infrastructure into a year-round tourism asset, connecting Ottawa, Montreal and Cornwall through cycling routes. The corridor ingeniously integrates UNESCO heritage sites, culinary experiences and Indigenous tourism, creating a sustainable tourism product that appeals to both domestic and international markets.
Field to Fork: SK MB Agritourism
Saskatchewan and Manitoba's agricultural heritage becomes a tourism draw through this corridor, which connects farm stays, festivals and culinary experiences. The initiative demonstrates how traditional economic sectors can diversify into tourism, creating new revenue streams for rural communities.
Juan de Fuca Corridor
This cross-border initiative stands out for its collaborative approach to destination management, prioritising community wellbeing and ecological preservation while celebrating the region's rich cultural heritage. It exemplifies how international cooperation can enhance tourism development while protecting sensitive ecosystems.
Northern Sky Corridor
Connecting Alberta to the Northwest Territories, this corridor capitalises on dark sky tourism and Indigenous experiences, showing how natural phenomena can be combined with cultural tourism to create unique visitor experiences. The focus on infrastructure assessment and transportation partnerships addresses crucial development challenges in remote regions.
As tourism becomes more purposeful and with visitors increasingly desiring authentic experiences, tourism corridor development represents a promising model for creating sustainable, community-centred tourism growth while ensuring visitor satisfaction and regional economic development.
In an era where overtourism challenges popular destinations while lesser-known regions struggle to attract visitors, Destination Canada's Tourism Corridor Strategy Programme emerges as an innovative solution for balanced tourism development. The inaugural corridor projects, initiated in 2023, demonstrated the programme's potential to transform regional tourism and paved the way for an ambitious 2024-2025 expansion.
Investing in product development, particularly in areas where gaps exist, lays the foundation for a thriving and sustainable tourism industry that caters to specific visitor needs and preferences. Focusing on product development ensures that tourism offers are compelling and meet market demands, contributing to the long-term success of Canadian tourism and supporting thriving local communities across the whole country.
The Atlantic Canada UNESCO corridor, building upon key learnings from Scotland's UNESCO Trail, the Coral Triangle and Rutas UNESCO Uruguay, successfully connected 13 UNESCO sites across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, creating compelling multi-destination itineraries that aim to address the uneven distribution of visitors across these sites by redistributing summer travellers and developing appealing shoulder- and off-season offers.
Committed to a regenerative tourism model, thorough destination assessments have been conducted at all UNESCO sites, with an extensive stakeholder consultation process involving community and visitor surveys, interviews and five planning workshops, ensuring local perspectives shaped the project. By creating a cohesive tourism route, the new tourism corridor prioritises sustainable tourism growth that benefits local economies without compromising the region's natural and cultural assets, with 31 initiatives being implemented across five key areas as part of the ten-year initiative:
Recognising the increasing demand for authentic Indigenous tourism experiences and inspired by existing community-based lodge networks in other parts of the world, such as Paradores and Logis Hotels, the Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network seeks to create a strategy for developing Indigenous-owned lodges throughout the Yukon, western Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia to address the lack of accommodation options for visitors outside of major cities.
Extensive research, including stakeholder interviews and site visits, market research, accommodation inventory analysis and global benchmarking of similar projects indicated a strong business case for the network, highlighting the potential for high revenue generation due to the exclusivity and desirability of the Indigenous lodge experience. Econometric analysis suggests that a single lodge with nine rooms, operating at 30% to 50% occupancy, depending on seasonality, could generate gross revenue ranging from CA$1,478,250 to CA$6,570,000 annually. Six key recommendations outline the plans for continued development of this initiative:
Inspired by the resounding success of spectacular road trips such as Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way and building upon Destination BC's Invest in Iconics Strategy and Travel Alberta's Development Zones, the Sustainable Journeys from Prairies to Pacific Corridor Strategy is a flexible framework adapted to suit the unique needs and potential of each of the 50+ communities located along Highway 3. This adaptability is rooted in a deep understanding of the diverse tourism ecosystems within the corridor, gained through extensive engagement with local leaders and stakeholders. By reviewing existing strategies, conducting in-depth research and prioritising initiatives based on their potential impact, the strategy effectively addresses each community's specific needs and challenges, supported by identifying gaps in tourism offers and an assessment of the investment attractiveness of each location.
The strategy uses a three-pillar approach to unifying the corridor's communities under a common theme: trails. This approach helps to create a cohesive and compelling visitor experience that encourages exploration of the entire corridor:
Building on the ongoing successes of the pilot initiatives, the 2024-2025 programme introduces four new strategic corridors that exemplify innovative approaches to regional tourism development:
Cycle Ontario and Quebec
This initiative transforms existing infrastructure into a year-round tourism asset, connecting Ottawa, Montreal and Cornwall through cycling routes. The corridor ingeniously integrates UNESCO heritage sites, culinary experiences and Indigenous tourism, creating a sustainable tourism product that appeals to both domestic and international markets.
Field to Fork: SK MB Agritourism
Saskatchewan and Manitoba's agricultural heritage becomes a tourism draw through this corridor, which connects farm stays, festivals and culinary experiences. The initiative demonstrates how traditional economic sectors can diversify into tourism, creating new revenue streams for rural communities.
Juan de Fuca Corridor
This cross-border initiative stands out for its collaborative approach to destination management, prioritising community wellbeing and ecological preservation while celebrating the region's rich cultural heritage. It exemplifies how international cooperation can enhance tourism development while protecting sensitive ecosystems.
Northern Sky Corridor
Connecting Alberta to the Northwest Territories, this corridor capitalises on dark sky tourism and Indigenous experiences, showing how natural phenomena can be combined with cultural tourism to create unique visitor experiences. The focus on infrastructure assessment and transportation partnerships addresses crucial development challenges in remote regions.
As tourism becomes more purposeful and with visitors increasingly desiring authentic experiences, tourism corridor development represents a promising model for creating sustainable, community-centred tourism growth while ensuring visitor satisfaction and regional economic development.
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