Canoeing on Beaver Mines Lake Campground. Photo credit: Travel Alberta / Katie Goldie.
Nicholas L. M. Allen
Jun 28, 2023
The last project leverages Highway 3, which is a key inter-provincial corridor linking the large urban hubs of Southern Alberta and British Columbia’s lower mainland.
Three pilot corridors from across Canada have been selected to accelerate inter-provincial and territorial destination development.
On June 8, Destination Canada announced it has launched a new pilot project called the Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, which aims to accelerate the intentional development of tourism corridors or clusters of tourism assets across Canada. In partnership with a variety of groups across provincial and territorial boundaries, they claim this collaborative project will benefit not only the communities and destinations involved but will also bolster Canada’s competitiveness by giving visitors more reasons to travel to new regions across Canada.
They classify a corridor as a geographic region or a route that connects different destinations with significant tourist attractions, such as: historical sites, natural landscapes, or cultural events.
Corridors have the potential to offer a range of attractions and experiences that are connected by a scenic and convenient route, making them popular amongst visitors who want to explore multiple destinations in a single journey, ultimately benefiting local communities.
“As a country, we aim to offer legendary experiences for our guests, end-to-end but for our tourism sector to grow and truly thrive, we must equally consider the aspirations of communities as hosts,” said Marsha Walden, President and CEO, Destination Canada, “Our new pilot program will help to fill the existing gap in cross-boundary, intentional, destination development and ultimately help build a more resilient tourism industry that contributes to the wealth and well-being of Canadians, while also making Canada a more competitive destination, aligning our offering with the expectations of today’s high value guests.”
As part of the Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, Destination Canada, along with a consultant, and selected corridor partners will co-create and deliver a strategy, implementation plan, and financial plan to support a regenerative approach to the development of these tourism corridors in the future.
“Canada makes all senses come alive with an abundance of natural beauty, captivating international business events, riveting cultural performances, and eye-opening Indigenous experiences. Domestic and international visitors alike have a growing interest in more sustainable forms of tourism, and Canada is well-positioned to deliver. The Tourism Corridor Strategy Program will promote the visitors’ economy across Canada, strengthen our tourism ecosystem, and supports vibrant, thriving communities from coast to coast to coast for long-term prosperity,” said Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance.
Applications to be part of the pilot program opened to industry in February 2023. Following a comprehensive review process, Destination Canada has selected three high-potential tourism corridors to support for 2023. The selected projects include:
Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor, the Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network and Sustainable Journey from Prairies to Pacific.
The last project leverages Highway 3, which is a key inter-provincial corridor linking the large urban hubs of Southern Alberta and British Columbia’s lower mainland. Destination Canada said this corridor will integrate the existing strategies and experience themes in Alberta and British Columbia to produce potential investment opportunities, as well as infrastructure enhancements to grow demand and manage visitation in the long-term.
“The Prairies to Pacific Corridor initiative will support investments in authentic and transformational experiences, along with the necessary infrastructure and amenities, across the route, thereby increasing interactions between residents, visitors, and place; increasing the dollars spent in our communities; and, motivating overnight stays in all seasons, to ensure regenerative benefits that tourism can bring are enjoyed year-round. This support from Destination Canada and the important partnership with Travel Alberta will allow tourism to continue to support vibrant, thriving communities across our provinces,” said Alison McKay, Vice President of Destination Management for Destination BC.
Visit destinationcanada.com for more information on the other projects.