Tourism in the Beaver Hills Region

Outline

• Overview of Tourism in BHI• Current Tourism Initiatives• Future Tourism Research,

Planning, and Development Opportunities

Overview of Tourism inBeaver Hills Region

• Seamless integration with the BHI vision, mission, and guiding principles.

• Developing and managing tourism & recreation in an environmentally, socially/culturallysustainable mannerwhile optimizingeconomic benefitsfor communitieswithin the BHI region.

Overview of Tourism inBeaver Hills Region

• Sense of place based on natural capital

Overview of Tourism inBeaver Hills Region

• Heritage Appreciation Development Plan for the Beaver Hills

Overview of Tourism inBeaver Hills Region

• Unique highlights include:– Elk Island National Park– Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation

Area– Miquelon Lake Provincial Park– Natural Areas and ESAs– Ministik Lakes Game Bird Sanctuary– Beaverhill Lake

Overview of Tourism inBeaver Hills Region

• Other unique highlights:– Waskahegan Trail– Strathcona Wilderness Centre– Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village– Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival– Blackfoot Ultra Marathon– 2007 Western Canada Summer Games– – Ag/rural tourism– – Aboriginal tourism– – Ecotourism

Current Tourism Initiatives

• UofA Research– Examine economic values through

the identification of the benefits and costs of tourist travel and recreation activities that are common to Beaver Hills.

– Identify non-monetary values of tourism/recreation.

– Useful reference document to initiate discussion on planning policy and tourism/recreation development decisions.

Tourism Research, Planning,and Development Opportunities

• Assessment of existing and potential tourism/recreation operations (complementary to HA Dev Plan)– Spatial inventory of tourism/recreation activities,

operations and trails (GPS)– Inventory of trail plans, tourism/rec studies, policies,

plans, and bylaws impacting tourism/rec development– Identify tourism/rec opportunities and constraints– How can we promote and further develop appropriate

tourism/recreation in the BHI?– Map of existing and potential activities

and operations for planners

Tourism Research, Planning,and Development Opportunities

• What is the economic and non-monetary value of tourism and recreation in the BHI region?

• Feasibility analysis• BHI develop a vision and plan

to achieve defined tourism/recreation goals.

• BHI- a model for sustainable tourism development in Alberta??

Tourism in the Beaver Hills Region