What We Do

Mission

The goal of the Adventure Tourism Coalition (ATC) is to have strong alignment and collaboration among adventure tourism sectors; to work with the public, key stakeholders, and all levels of government in an effort to provide world-class visitor experiences while supporting growing and robust rural economies.

The following three strategic levers are the key objectives of the ATC to encourage, enable, and manage the growth of the adventure tourism industry in BC.

1. Working Together

Hankin-Evelyn Backcountry Recreation Area | Mattias Fredriksson, Destination BC

The ATC commits to improving communication and working collaboratively across all adventure tourism stakeholders, land use sectors, provincial regions, Indigenous communities, local and provincial governments to achieve the following:

  • Enacting the Adventure Tourism Strategy.
  • Sector advocacy.
  • Joint policy development.
  • Improving tenure strength.
  • Pricing regulation.
  • Allocation processes for distribution and carrying capacity.
  • Tenure management.
  • Incidental use management.
  • Improved harmonization with government stakeholders.

2. Influence Regulatory Decision Making

Assiniboine Lodge | Kari Medig, Destination BC

The ATC will work closely with government and policy bodies to improve accountability and maintain commitments to sustainable adventure tourism in BC. This includes the following objectives:

  • Advocate for a new adventure tourism policy within the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture branch of government.
  • Provide input on regulatory and policy changes.
  • Advocate for updates to the Land Act, Finance Act, Mines Acts, Tourism Act, Park Act, and FRPA for improved development, management, decision making, and administration of adventure tourism in BC.

3. Raise Awareness for the Adventure Tourism Industry

Kamloops | Andrew Strain, Destination BC

The ATC will strive to highlight the importance of sustainable adventure tourism development to the economy, society, and environment of British Columbia. This includes working on the following:

  • Improve relationship with the public by developing protocols for interaction with recreational users.
  • Identify values in land management.
  • Determine tourism scenic areas.
  • Ensure quality of environment and natural resources for recreation.
  • Establish adventure tourism sector-based job growth targets across the province.
  • Work collaboratively with resources industries to complement the economic development options in rural communities across BC.

Challenges to Overcome

Nahatalatch River | Michael Bednar, Destination BC

Without dedicated efforts towards achieving the mission and objectives of the Adventure Tourism Coalition, the following could be challenges faced by the industry:

  • Adventure tourism continues to be considered a marginal economic industry compared to others in BC.
  • Insignificant, unpredictable tax revenues to the province from tourism industry.
  • Continued ad-hoc approach to Indigenous community engagement.
  • Disparate and non-supportive policy and regulation applied by siloed governmental agencies.
  • Environmental degradation.
  • Loss of social licence and disconnect between local communities and adventure tourism industry.