Tofino TOURISM MASTER PLAN

Tofino

TOURISM

MASTER PLAN

October 2014

*Cover images provided by Tourism Tofino

Contents

PROJECT BACKGROUND ................................................................ 1

PROCESS .............................................................................................. 3

ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................... 6

OUR CURRENT REALITY ................................................................ 9

TOURISM MARKET ASSESSMENT ............................................. 16

COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE .......................................................... 30

TRAVEL TRENDS & CONSIDERATIONS ................................... 37

IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS ................................................. 47

OUR PLAN ......................................................................................... 55

Structuring the TMP 55

Vision to Action 56

Tourism Master Plan Vision 60

Goals 60

Strategic Directions & Implementation 61

Actions 65

EVALUATING AND ADAPTING ................................................... 81

Plan Quickview

Plan Quickview Background (Page 1) Our Plan (Page 55) Key Partners (Page 5)

PROJECT As Tofino emerges into a predominantly tourism economy the District of Tofino with partners and the community developed a community based Tourism Master Plan for long term success in tourism and beyond. A Tourism Master Plan (TMP) is long-term plan and development framework for tourism that guides tourism growth and development in a coordinated and forward-looking way. The purpose of a TMP is to ensure the long-term success of tourism as it relates to community goals, and that the community’s vision is not compromised by undesired tourism development.

VISION TO ACTION PLAN The Tourism Master Plan will become Tofino’s first plan to integrate and align with the goals and desired outcomes articulated in V2A. “Vision to Action” (V2A), is a community-driven vision of Tofino’s environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability.

Current Reality (Page 9) TOURISM VISION (PAGE 60)

Tourism’s year round contribution to Tofino’s wellbeing is built upon a foundation of exceptional experiences that uplift bodies, minds and

spirits while connecting visitors to Tofino’s genuine west coast peoples, eclectic culture and unique natural places.

UNIQUE STRENGTHS Tourism is the most significant part of the Tofino economy

supporting amenities as well as environmental protection

Beaches and truly unsurpassed west coast natural areas (UNESCO Site) and parks (park reserve) for activities

Surfing inspires many trips to Tofino and the surfing experience rivals all other BC coastal destinations

Well positioned, professional styling/branding to support marketing

Well-developed broad array of tourism experiences, cooperation and collaboration for tourism success

Eclectic downtown commercial and community experience

Funding access for both marketing and infrastructure/programming

Visitors are very satisfied with their Tofino experience

TOURISM GOALS (2014-2024) (PA GE 60)

SUP

PO

RTS

COMMU NITY WE LLBEIN G Tofino is a healthy, resilient, culturally rich community with appropriate infrastructure and diverse personal and economic opportunities to achieve a high quality of life.

NATU RA L ENV IRONME N T Regional ecosystems are healthy, enhanced by leading stewardship practices, and celebrated through experiences offered in Tofino’s unique setting

Stra

tegi

c Di

rect

ions

Pg

.60

Actio

ns P

g.63

OPPORTUNITIES Changing travel preferences for aging travelers

Diminished strength of the CDN dollar

Continued expansion into social media channels to promote Tofino

Potential to enhance tourism collaboration with First Nations

Capacity to optimize early summer and year round visitation

Economies/visitation recovering from a global economic recession– albeit still volatile

Growth potential from emerging country travel markets, such as Asia

Key markets have a very strong impression of Vancouver Island compared to other BC tourism regions

DEL

IVER

S V I SI T OR EC ON OMY AN D EXPERIEN CE Tofino provides exceptional visitor experiences, a diversity of offerings and a strong value proposition to visit the

area during summer months and throughout the year.

Stra

tegi

c Di

rect

ions

Actio

ns RISKS AND THREATS

Unknown impacts of continued development potential and infrastructure, community capacity to accept more visitors

Unknown effects of changing travel preferences for increasingly multicultural markets

Continued reliance on a tourism economy may reduce economic diversity

Competition from emerging markets and other BC regions

Transportation access to Tofino, and capacity of transportation infrastructure in Tofino

Peak season staffing for the right amount of people with the right skills and service experience, demographic trends suggest future challenges

Extractive resource development threats in the area

Economic recovery is volatile

Persistent housing affordability challenges

REQ

UIR

ES

CAPA CITY TO DE LIVE R Tofino has the right resources, capacity and partnerships to deliver on all tourism goals

Stra

tegi

c Di

rect

ions

Actio

ns

Related Tourism Organizations Tofino Businesses Canadian Tourism Commission Tourism Vancouver Island

Go2 BC Port Alberni Regional District Destination BC Aboriginal Tourism BC

Questions? April Froment | District of Tofino 250.725.3229 ext 23 E [email protected]

Plan Quickview

GO

ALS

(1

0 YE

AR

)

COMMUNITY WELLBEING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT VISITOR ECONOMY AND EXPERIENCE CAPACITY TO DELIVER Community contributions/connections Economic resiliency and diversity Build connections

to protect it Support healthy interactions

Deliver exceptional attractions, activities and experiences

Maintain and optimize peak visitation periods Grow non-peak periods Investing in

learning Ensuring People and Resources Fostering Key Partnerships

STR

ATE

GIC

DIR

ECTI

ON

S

PG

. 62

(3-5

YEA

R)

A.1 Make progress on a diverse range of attainable housing

A.2 Ensure the best community value from any future accommodation and development

A.3 Enhance parking and traffic flow management

A.4 Ensure a strong Tofino brand and support marketing of “made in Tofino” products

A.5 Develop Tofino appropriate beach infrastructure

C.4 Improving work and learning opportunities from November to February

B.1 Integrate environmental knowledge/education/respect into all of Tofino’s experiences

B.2 Ensure development pace matches capacity to support and deliver excellent experiences


C.1 Develop excellence in customer service and visitor experience

C.2 Update market research to support the marketing to target audiences with greatest potential

C.3 Develop and promote Tofino value offerings in the appropriate seasons



D.1 Improve local government and community support of local businesses

D.2 Increase communication and dialogue with First Nations communities with respect to tourism

D.3 Improve understanding and communication between Tofino business sectors

ACT

ION

S FO

R C

ON

SID

ERA

TIO

N P

G.6

5

0-6

MO

NTH

S

• Develop a list of desired community amenities (DOT)

• Develop a suite of parking management approaches and implement – Downtown parking

• Work with accommodation partners to encourage shuttle use (DOT)

• Create menu links/content on TourismTofino.com to promote made in Tofino products (TT, TLBCC)

• Develop similar styling for TT and DOT communications

• Identify and prioritize opportunities for additional beach/water access/parking – beyond Hellesen Rd. (DOT)

• Identify which access points are appropriate for infrastructure investment (DOT)

• Develop business friendly workshops in the shoulder/offseason (TLBCC)

• Deliver components of Ambassador program in the winter(TLBCC)

• Town Hall Meeting on the state of Tofino’s Infrastructure (DOT)

• Develop Indicators for high quality visitor experiences (TT)

• Continue to advocate and explore opportunities to expand airline access to Tofino (TT)

• • Update the current market research and marketing plan as soon as critical information becomes available (TT)

• Continue to share research with stakeholders via AGM-like presentations in the Fall (TT)

• Continue to bring local tourism businesses together to consult on upcoming marketing campaign deliverables(TT)

• Develop one value add campaign annually during the off –peak season (TT)

• Develop business friendly workshops in the shoulder/offseason(TLBCC)


• Develop business friendly workshops in the shoulder/offseason (TLBCC)


• Create a communication approach to ensure community understanding of tourism $ sources (RMI/MRDT) (TT, DOT)

• Review opportunities to provide incentives for early business license renewals or alternative renewal dates (DOT)

• Host Tofino business sector profiling and learning luncheons (TLBCC)

6 M

ON

THS

-1 Y

EAR

• Develop a housing plan for Tofino (DOT)

• Develop policy to fast track development proposals that deliver benefits (DOT)

• Monitor the parking policy and implementation (DOT)

• Develop a suite of parking management approaches and implement – Beach

• Develop branding for “Made in Tofino” experiences and products (TT, TLBCC)

• Review and update development permit guidelines for shorelines to ensure appropriate results (DOT)

• Develop a plan for Hellesen Rd. access to MacKenzie (DOT)

• Develop a contract between appropriate Tofino organizations to implement the Tofino Institute Business Plan (DOT ETC.)

• Coordinate an interpretive signage program in areas used by visitors (DOT, PARKS)

• Include a tourism Tofino.com guest blogger to highlight local environmental initiatives and local heroes who uphold environmental values (TT)

• Complete buildout assessment to help ensure development keeps pace with capacity (DOT)

• Complete Stage 3 Liquid Waste Management Plan (DOT)

• Continue visitor surveys for congruence with indicators and targets (TT)

• Identify and solicit funding/sponsorship to leverage existing commitments for fibre optic cable installation (DOT)

• Review and consider improvements to the Tofino Visitor Centre (TT)

• Develop a new Ambassador module to deliver to business owners and managers on quality and customer service excellence (TLBCC/RES)

• Create a Tofino “ expert” list on social media to continue to promote brand/quality during the peak seasons (TT)

• Distribute CTC EQ Toolkit to local business members (TT)

• Develop a Festival, Events and Animation Strategy(DOT)



• Host a “Business 101” workshop to provide an overview of business regulatory bylaws “ Regulatory Tradeshow” (DOT, TLBCC)

• Host a local government to business dialogue session (TLBCC)

• Co-host cultural tourism workshop with Clayoquot Sound First Nations to engage in dialogue, learn, foundation for cultural tourism (TT/DOT)

AC

TIO

NS

1-3

YEA

RS

• Start building affordable housing in Tofino (DOT/Developer?)

• Evaluate the progress of the parking policy and implementation (DOT)

• DOT and TT to work together to develop common branding/logo (TT/DOT)

• Implement access to MacKenzie Beach from Hellesen Rd. (DOT)

• Implement priority infrastructure for priority locations (DOT)

• Develop Ambassador program into a program/experience delivered in Tofino (TLBCC)

• Education destination experiences are promoted actively (TT)

• Complete Liquid Waste Capital Works Plan (DOT)

• Make a community decision on going forward (DOT)

• Evaluate and adjust customer service directions as appropriate with partners (TT)

• Implement improvements for the Tofino Visitor Centre (TT)

• Develop a business/employee service recognition/award program for excellent service(TLBCC)

• Re-evaluate the marketing research and plan after 5 years (TT)


• Education destination experiences are promoted actively by tourism organizations (TT)


• Education destination experiences are promoted actively by tourism organizations (TT)

• Review and make Tofino’s business regulatory bylaws more user friendly ( DOT)

Project Background

Project Background Over the past several decades, Tofino has evolved from a fishing and logging economy into a predominantly tourism economy. Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes.1 A tourism economy represents the sale and receipt of goods and services that contribute to this phenomenon. The basis for the tourism economy to operate includes local natural amenities/features, local residents, culture, public realm and governance. How the economy, the visitor and these foundational assets interact forms the tourism experience for the visitor and local residents as well as the impacts on natural areas. Due to the inherent link between all these components and obvious connections to the local community the District of Tofino decided to develop a community based Tourism Master Plan, with tourism partners and the community. The plan is supportive of the broad community goals as articulated in the Tofino Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (Vision to Action), and it integrates relevant pieces of other community plans.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

A Tourism Master Plan (TMP) is a long-term development framework for tourism that guides tourism development in a coordinated and forward-looking way. The purpose of a TMP is to ensure the long-term success of tourism in Tofino as it relates to community goals, and that the community’s vision is not compromised by undesirable tourism development. This TMP takes stock of the current state of affairs and looks at the ‘big picture’ of Tofino’s tourism sector, providing a vision, goals, and strategies to guide more specific actions. The TMP is a living document that needs to remain flexible in order to adapt to changes (including trends) that may arise within the environment (social, cultural, environmental, and economic). The Tofino TMP planning process was undertaken in collaboration with stakeholders and in consultation with the community. Tofino’s TMP process objectives:

To develop a compelling vision for tourism that will provide direction for tourism planning;

To explore the significance of the tourism industry to Tofino’s economy;

To engage the community in planning and help residents understand any proposed tourism-related changes;

1 Source UN World Tourism Organization.

October 2014 | Tofino Community Based Tourism Master Plan 1

Project Background

To assess and detail how to enhance the tourism experience for visitors by examining

current services, facilities and transportation network;

To define the roles and responsibilities of public and private stakeholders in enhancing the Tofino experience for visitors;

To develop an implementation approach, including roles and responsibilities of public and private stakeholders;

To develop a mechanism to monitor success and areas of needed improvement; and

To align the Tofino’s Resort Development Strategy with the TMP.


Plan Process

Process

From Fall 2013 to Spring 2014, the Tofino Tourism Master Plan process was facilitated by the Whistler Centre for Sustainability through the following five steps:

Setting the stage

Assessing the current situation

Articulating the tourism vision

Developing the plan

Building in implementation

INVOLVEMENT Over 200 individuals from Tofino and area participated in the planning. Most of the involvement was through community surveys that received significant input from area residents. Engagement opportunities included two surveys, four open houses, presentations by Tofino tourism sectors, and an active web blog with presentations and videos to make participation more accessible. The Community Economic Development Advisory Committee (CEDAC) also played a role in reviewing the plan’s strategic direction and alignment with the Vision to Action Plan.

The planning process and plan was developed with significant involvement from a Tourism Master Plan working group that included:

Duane Bell Bob MacPherson

Barb Brittain Josie Osborne

April Froment Kirsten Soder

Dan Harrison Jennifer Steven

Mike Jacobsen The Tourism Master Plan Working Group members put in many volunteer hours into the project over nine meetings.


Plan Process

ENGAGEMENT The following engagement approach was developed to align with the type of cooperation required to ensure that appropriate voices were heard during tourism planning,

TABLE 1: ENGAGEMENT

Group Role: Engagement Goal: Promise:

Tourism Master Plan Working Group

To engage community organizations and citizens to develop the plan and collaborate with the CEDAC on the TMP.

To empower the Working Group and place final decision making in the hands of the group.

The plan will reflect what the group decides.

Community Economic Development Advisory Committee

To be the voice representing the community’s interests.

To champion the process and involve constituents.

To collaborate in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and identification of preferred solutions.

We will look to them for advice and innovation in formulating solutions, and to incorporate advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Public To learn about and contribute to information needs and ideas of the process.

To involve and work directly with them throughout the process to ensure that concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.

District and Working Group will work with them to ensure that concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how the they influenced the decision.

Organizations and Interest Groups

To learn about and contribute to information needs and ideas of the process.

To involve and work directly with them throughout the process to ensure that concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.

Work with them to ensure that concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how the they influenced the decision.


Plan Process

TOURISM MASTER PLAN AND VISION TO ACTION The District of Tofino recently embarked on the “Vision to Action” (V2A) plan, the development of a community-driven vision of Tofino’s environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability.

The Tourism Master Plan was developed alongside the V2A Plan and will become Tofino’s first plan to integrate and align with the goals and desired outcomes articulated in V2A.

PROJECT SCOPE While the TMP is aligned with the V2A plan, its scope is narrower and deeper. It looks out into the future approximately 5-10 years, yet enables flexibility, recognizing that some conditions will inevitably change during this time.

The TMP addresses these key questions:

What is Tofino’s current experience with tourism?

What value does tourism bring to Tofino?

What type of community support does tourism have?

What business goals related to tourism does the community expect to achieve?

What community goals related to tourism do we expect to achieve?

How does tourism support broader community success and sustainability for the community through tourism?

How does Tofino achieve these goals?

What type of tourism products does Tofino have and need?

What type of visitor is the community hoping to attract?


Ongoing Implementation

Ongoing Implementation Tourism is unique when compared to other industries, no more so than in the cooperation and partnership required to deliver the ‘experiences’ sought after by visitors and the community alike. Planning and implementation both require the same level of cooperation and partnership. The opportunities outlined in this report are a result of a community-wide effort and the implementation of the recommended actions can only be achieved through the cooperation and participation of many individuals and organizations in the community

The four primary organizations directly involved were the District of Tofino, Tourism Tofino, The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Parks Canada. This core group should continue and formalize into an ongoing Tourism Master Plan working group that includes representatives from various tourism attractions, services and accommodation types. Ensuring this working groups stays abreast of community and non-tourism perspectives will help to foster a stronger and more supported tourism plan and experience.

WORKING GROUP ONGOING PURPOSE While the focus of the working group is to ensure the implementation and relevance of the Tourism Master Plan other tasks should include:

Creating awareness of the vision, goals and directions with respective colleagues, community members, organization members and other tourism stakeholders such as the regional district and province

Advocating for the TMP vision, goals and directions in relation to significant community, regional or provincial decisions that might impact progress

Maintaining an inventory of actions and the status of action implementation

Maintaining the monitoring functions outlined in the plan and sharing that data for group evaluation

Reporting progress to respective councils, boards, organization membership, and residents

FIRST YEAR STEPS AND TIMELINE What happens during the first year of the Tourism Master Plan is crucial to ongoing success.

STEP 1 (SUM ME R 2014): To help ensure a continued commitment to the plan and the implementation structure to support it we recommend that the four primary organizations sign a partnership agreement (Appendix A) that;

1) recognizes support for the vision, goals and strategic directions 2) displays commitment to consider (by fall 2014) the implementation of the TMP actions associated with

their respective organizations 3) ensures partners consider the plan during organizational strategic planning and work planning 4) commits partners to participate in the ongoing working group and the tasks associated with it


Ongoing Implementation

STEP 2 (FALL 2014): It is recommended that the working group meet formally at least two times a year to discuss plan progress. The first meeting should take place in Fall 2014 and we suggest that the District of Tofino take on the initial organizing role for the working group though the meeting should be facilitated by an individual outside the working group such as another municipal employee or a consultant etc. The first meeting should include opportunities to:

1) Check in on action acceptance or modifications by lead organizations 2) Check in on progress for the actions labelled 0-6 months 3) Review local tourism trends from visitor surveys, Parks Canada and Tourism Tofino 4) Adjust action timing and prioritization as required based on new information 5) Workshop how to apply the TMP to decision making using the goals and strategic directions

STEP 3 (SP RIN G 2015): It is recommended that the working group meet again in the Spring of 2015. This second formal meeting should include opportunities to:

1) Check in on action acceptance or modifications by lead organizations 2) Check in on final progress for the actions labelled 0-6 months 3) Check in on mid-term progress for actions labelled 6 months to 1 year. 4) Evaluate progress by reviewing and discussing the results from the TMP Monitoring Program 5) Adjust action timing and prioritization as required based on new information

RESOURCING THE WORKING GROUP As this is a working group, the resources required to facilitate it will be minimal and will primarily include staff time. Funding for any extra expenses beyond meeting regularly will ideally come from all core partners. It is recommended that the District play the main facilitation role, however each organization should provide support based on their respective skills and resources.

DECISION MAKING FRAMWORK The Tourism Master Plan and its implementation address many of the current and future tourism issues, opportunities, threats and trends. It is impossible to account for all possibilities, therefore, it is important that the Tourism Master Plan include a framework for considering unanticipated occurrences. The TMP goals/indicators, along with the strategic planning questions contained in the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (V2A) provide a robust approach for framing conversations about these items. The decision framework includes asking and then exploring the following questions:

1. How does this action move Tofino toward the Tourism Master Plan goals? If not, how can it be structured in such that it supports all the goals?

2. How does this action support Tofino’s movement toward sustainability as articulated by the objectives in the V2A? If not, how can it such that it supports all the objectives?

3. How does this action provide a flexible stepping stone to further Tofino toward the TMP goals? If it doesn’t, how can it?

4. How does the action provide a return on investment (benefits beyond costs) to help further future actions toward the TMP goals? If not, how can it?



The Biosphere Reserve

With the largest area of ancient temperate rainforest left on Vancouver Island and its magnificent beaches with both marine and terrestrial wildlife, Tofino area residents sought to designate the Clayoquot Sound area as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In 2000, the area was designated with this status. Receiving the reserve status was a significant accomplishment and is a unique feature for the area.

Our Current Reality TOFINO

LOCA TION

The District of Tofino is situated at the northern tip of the Esowista Peninsula and is within the Clayoquot Sound region - one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in North America. Tofino is the commercial and tourism centre and jumping off point, for both the Clayoquot Sound as well as Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Access to Tofino from the east side of Vancouver Island is via Highway 4 near Qualicum Beach. At 163 kilometres in length, the terminus of Highway 4 lies at Tofino’s First Street dock (the longest east-west vehicular route on Vancouver Island). Alternative access to Tofino is via air, either by float plane service from the harbour or from the Tofino-Long Beach Airport.1

POPU LA TION SOC IO-EC ON OMIC DE MOGRA PH IC S

Tofino’s population was 1,880 according to the 2011 census. This represents an increase of 28% since 2001 when the population was 1,466 people. In comparison, BC’s population over this same ten year period grew by 12%.

In 2011, the median age of Tofino residents was 34 years, compared to the BC median age of 42 years. Almost half of Tofino’s population is between the ages of 25 to 44 – significantly higher when compared to the rest of BC whose population in that age range


Our Current Reality

represents just over a quarter of the total. Tofino’s population is made up of few children under 14 years and fewer people over the age of 45 when compared to the rest of BC.

FIGURE 1: AGE DISTRIBUTION, 2011 CENSUS

In 2005, the median household income for all census families in Tofino ($45,700) was less than the Regional District ($55,400) and less than the provincial median ($62,350).

In Tofino, 51% of residents aged 15 and over had a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree as of 2006, compared to 42% for the Regional District and 52% for the rest of BC. Postsecondary education levels trended slightly more toward the trades and away from university programs compared to the rest of BC.

TABLE 2: EDUCATION COMPLETION, 2006 CENSUS

Population (15 Years and Over) by Level of Education, 2006

Less than High school

High school Trades (cert./dip)

Non-university (cert./dip)

University (cert./dip/degree)

Tofino 19.2 29.7 14.1 18.1 18.1 ACRD 29.3 27.7 16.0 15.9 11.1 British Columbia 19.9 27.9 10.9 16.7 24.7

ROLE OF TOURISM IN THE ECONOMY Over the past several decades, Tofino has transitioned from a predominantly resource extraction economy (fishing and logging) to a tourism economy. With the establishment of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in 1971 and international attention to land use and forestry in the 1980s and 1990s, Tofino’s reputation as an international destination steadily grew. Fishing and logging have been reduced or replaced in large aquaculture in the area and smaller, more localized logging practices, although many of the jobs in these sectors are filled by regional rather than Tofino residents. Jobs in the tourism sector now outnumber those in the natural resource sector, although many of these jobs are seasonal in nature.

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 - 14 15 - 24 25 - 44 45 - 64 65 +

%

Age Distribution(2011) Tofino

Age Distribution(2011) BC


Our Current Reality

A spectacular setting and activities including whale watching, kayaking, boating, sport fishing, wildlife viewing, surfing, and storm watching employ the majority of Tofino residents and provide the main source of income for many families.

TOU RISM EM P LOYME NT

In 2006, accommodation and food services was the largest sector in Tofino, accounting for 25% of all employment; the average for the Regional District was 11.3%, and 8.1% for the province as a whole.

In 2006, construction jobs in Tofino accounted for 10.4% (an 83% increase over 2001) in the workforce, compared with an average of 7.6% for the Regional District and 8% in the province.

Making up the largest segments of the Tofino labour force and employment opportunities, tourism industries together result in just over 600 jobs closely associated with tourism operations, representing about 60% of Tofino’s workforce.

It is estimated that seasonal workers increase Tofino’s population from 1,885 up to 4,000-5,000 in the summer months, making up 60-70% of the peak tourism workforce.2

2001 Census Tourism Jobs

630

2006 Census Tourism Jobs

615 FIGURE 2: EMPLOYMENT BY NAICS, 2006 CENSUS

For tourism based communities like Tofino, the tourism economy typically presents a dilemma for residents: they enjoy tourism-related amenities but are adversely impacted by moderate inconveniences during busy times of the year, as well as the higher cost of housing and other living expenses. Further, the reliance on tourism as the main economic driver makes Tofino vulnerable to external threats such as economic fluctuations and environmental disasters (Dodds 2009).

265

95 65

55 45

35 25 20 10

72 Accommodation and food services 44-45 Retail trade 48-49 Transportation & warehousing 71 Arts, entertainment and recreation 56 Admin+support, waste mgmnt srv. 91 Public administration 53 Real estate & rental/leasing 51 Information and cultural industries 52 Finance and insurance

Employment 2006 Census


Our Current Reality

Key Experiences

Over 57% of visitors participate in hiking activities while 48% visit Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, 44% go surfing, and 35% participate in whale watching.

TOU RI SM OFFE RINGS, ASSETS A ND INFRASTRUC TURE

Tofino is most synonymous with beaches, whales, natural areas, views, waves and of course, surfing. With its eclectic blend of four season outdoor recreation offerings, lively arts and culture events, burgeoning local food scene and diverse award winning accommodation, coupled by the spectacular natural landscape of Clayoquot Sound and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, all of Tofino’s ingredients have made it a premier destination and the “Surf Capital of Canada”.

In more recent years, the neighbouring community of Ucluelet has also started to attract visitors to the region and a number of Tofino day visitors are staying in Ucluelet, while many Tofino visitors also visit attractions in the that area.

Tofino offers a variety of experiences for visitors to enjoy. Based on the 2013 Visitor Experience Survey (VES), over half of visitors take part in food-related activities, shopping and hiking.

FIGURE 3: ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION RATES, 2013 VES SURVEY

Source: Visitor Experience Survey - Tofino Profile 2013

Those who live in or have visited Tofino, know that the Tofino experience goes far beyond simple lists of activities. When asked about the inspiration for their trip to Tofino, visitors surveyed in the 2013 VES used the words included in the word cloud below (the larger words represent those used most often). Surfing is clearly an inspiration for most visitors.


Our Current Reality

NATU RA L OFFE RIN GS

Tofino’s natural environment provides the foundation for the local tourism economy. The ocean, surf, beaches, parks, trails and wildlife are the primary reason people make the trip to the area.

Beaches and large parks/natural areas: There are 16 Provincial Parks and two Ecological Reserves of the Clayoquot region close to Tofino. The Long Beach Unit of the Pacific Rim National Park is perhaps the most well-known asset of the Tofino area, but more recently, visitors have been spending increasing amounts of time at the beach areas within Tofino’s municipal boundaries. These beaches provide a location for hiking as well as popular water activities such as surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and kayaking.

Trails: Tofino’s many trails offer visitors the venue for hiking, which is the most popular outdoor for visitors according to the 2013 Visitor Experience Survey. Visitors also note using the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet as well. Recent trail development in and around Tofino is helping to provide alternative transportation options for non-vehicle users as well as those visitor who wish to explore the lush rain forest surroundings.

Neighbourhood Parks: A number of small neighbourhood parks in Tofino offer visitors and residents alike a place to rest and relax.

REC REA TION/TOU R OFFERIN GS

Tofino’s recreation and tour offerings are predominantly outdoor experiences, where visitors are exposed to beautiful scenery, wildlife and weather/the elements. There are approximately 40 operators providing a variety of offerings, including: surfing and stand-up paddle boarding schools and rentals, sea kayaking services and tours, sport-fishing, hiking tours, whale-watching, diving, golfing, Island tours by boat, and cultural canoe trips, to name a few. Many recreation operators base their

IMAGE SOURCE: TOURISM TOFINO



Our Current Reality

While arts, cultural and heritage resources may not be directly sought after by all visitors, they play a critical role in defining part of the Tofino experience.

operations within the 16 Provincial Parks, and the two Ecological Reserves of the Clayoquot region found close to Tofino.

ARTS, CU LTU RE AND HE RITA GE OFFE RIN GS

The Tofino’s Arts and Culture Plan has adopted a broad definition of cultural resources that include not-for-profit arts and heritage groups, cultural businesses and creative enterprises, community cultural groups, festivals and events, cultural spaces and facilities, along with natural and cultural heritage.

It is fair to say that Tofino is well endowed with arts, cultural and heritage offerings ranging from First Nations to contemporary experiences. A very impressive and comprehensive listing of organizations, events and festivals, venues and facilities, galleries, suppliers, and artists is contained in the Tofino Cultural Scan report appendices. Leveraging these resources further could attract new visitors and contribute to a richer backdrop and add to the meaning and substance to Tofino’s foremost activities.

Festivals and Events: There are a number of excellent festivals and events offered in Tofino on an annual basis. Notable examples include: Tofino Public Market, Whale Festival, West Coast Winter Music Series, Carving on the Edge Festival, Monday Night Movies, FEAST! and many surf competitions. Festivals and events add vibrancy to the Tofino experience and many festivals can also provide a specific reason for visitors to travel to Tofino.

Venues: While Tofino doesn’t have a large conference centre facility, it does have a variety of community and business based venues to help support numerous types of activities such as meetings, workshops, weddings, festivals and events and social gatherings.

ACCOMMOD ATION

The Tofino area is home to over 1,500 accommodation units ranging from award winning high-end luxury hotels that have become a tourism attraction in themselves, to quaint B&Bs and vacation rental homes. Four campgrounds offer camping and recreational vehicle (RV) sites. While room rates trend on the higher side during peak visitation seasons, most accommodation providers reduce rates somewhat when demand slows down in the Spring/Fall and Winter months.

CULINA RY

Tofino offers a full range of food and beverage establishments – from small cafes and road-side options to fine dining restaurants offering gourmet cuisine. According to the 2013 Visitor Experience Survey, many visitors use the grocery stores and cook their own food or eat at Tofino’s more casual restaurants. Some of the most



Our Current Reality

commonly stated “other” eating venues were cafes/coffee shops, cooking their own food, food trucks, bakery, fish market, and gourmet takeout.

In addition to restaurants and cafes, Tofino also offers locally made food products available for sale at stores and at the site of production. These products help to connect visitors to the place through the food and beverages they consume and help to strengthen the local economy. Examples of the local products and the businesses that offer them include: the Tofino Brewing Co., the Tofino Coffee Roasting Company, Chocolate Tofino and Picnic Charcuterie.

TRA NSP ORTA TION

Access to Tofino from the east part of Vancouver Island is via Highway 4 near Qualicum Beach. At 163 kilometres in length, the terminus of Highway 4 lies at Tofino’s First Street dock (the longest east-west vehicular route on Vancouver Island). Alternative access to Tofino is via air, either by float plane service from the harbour or from the Tofino-Long Beach Airport.3

Most visitors travelling to Tofino use a personal, rental or recreational vehicle. Air and bus options exist but aren’t extensively used by visitors as the majority of visitors are not part of a group travel tour. Within and around Tofino there are some transit options available during the summer that service the route between the Cox Bay Visitor Information Centre and downtown Tofino, and between Long Beach and downtown.

RETA IL EXPE RIENCE Visitor surveys for Tofino suggest that shopping and retail stores are not of primary importance to the visitor, yet a large majority participates in some type of shopping activity while in the area. The retail environment helps to define the sense of place as well as the look and feel of the community while also providing another activity to participate at in times of inclement weather. Tofino has a relatively broad mix of locally owned and unique stores.

INFRA STRUCTU RE

Tofino’s local infrastructure is dependent upon a collection of well-maintained and up-to-date services that include water, waste management and sewage treatment. Currently, the municipality is in the process of addressing long-term water supply and liquid waste management that will eventually determine the extension of water lines and wastewater treatment facilities. The community is aware of tsunami risks and have taken measures to be prepared for that possible situation. Lack of a high speed fibre optic connection to the province’s internet infrastructure continue to present significant challenges to the community. While there is adequate access to wifi and internet in the downtown core, parts of the community have inconsistent or no access, making it challenging for some to be connected and economically competitive.



Tourism Market Assessment

Tofino Tourism Value $34 million

room revenues

$250-300 million total revenue

1800-2400 jobs

Tourism Market Assessment ECONOMIC VALUE AND VOLUME OF TOURISM In 2012, tourism directly employed 127,300 or 1 in 15 British Columbians, contributed $7.5 billion or 3.7% of the province’s total GDP, generated over $13.5 billion in revenue and contributed $2.8 billion in tax revenues across all levels of government. Consumption taxes alone were estimated at $1.5 billion, directing $669 million to the provincial government and $787 million to federal revenues.4 The sector makes a significant contribution to the BC economy and job base.

British Columbia tourism extends economic benefits to all regions in the province with Vancouver Island, the tourism region in which Tofino is located, generally being the second largest recipient of these economic benefits. While nearly two-thirds of tourism employment is in the Vancouver/Coast Mountains region, 13% or 16,800 members of the workforce are based on the Island.

While total tourism revenue and GDP numbers are not available for Vancouver Island, using the region’s share of room revenue to parse out these figures results in an estimated $1.3 billion of the province’s GDP, $2.36 billion in revenue and $500 million in tax revenues to governments.5 Tourism employment in 2006 represented approximately 7% of the jobs on the Island, with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District where Tofino is located supporting the highest concentration of these jobs.6

Tofino’s room revenues represent 2.2%7 or $33.3 million of the province’s room revenues, yet estimating the overall economic value of Tofino’s tourism industry presents a challenge given the lack of adequate data. Using room revenue to parse out some economic figures reveals Tofino generating an estimated $165 million of the provinces GDP, $300 million in tourism revenues and $33 million in tax revenues.

Using Tofino’s relative provincial room revenue percentage as a basis for estimating employment provides an estimate of 2,400 direct jobs while using Tofino’s relative tourism region room revenue as a basis for the same calculation results in a lower estimate of 1,800. While between 1,800 and 2,400 jobs may seem like an overestimation given Tofino’s working population of about 1,100 and previous estimations based on 2006 census data of 600 jobs, there are likely some tourism jobs tied to Tofino that are not actually based in Tofino, such as Tofino’s share of transportation jobs on BC Ferries. There are also tourism jobs held by regional residents who work, but don’t live, in Tofino as well as seasonal residents who are likely not captured in Tofino’s population or labour force counts during the census



period. Seasonal residents are estimated to more than double the permanent tourism workforce during peak summer months.

TOFINO VISITOR V OLUME

There are no official estimates as to the number of visitors visiting Tofino on an annual basis however, Parks Canada, Tourism BC and the more recently formed Tourism Tofino have all developed various tracking systems.

FIGURE 4: LONG BEACH UNIT VISITORS, PARKS CANADA

Parks Canada has had the longest continuous visitor monitoring program in place in the area and estimates visitation at approximately 800,000 annually. Park usage is useful for estimating the volume of visitation as roughly 50% of Tofino visitors in the summer months visit the Park.8 The majority (75%) of this visitation occurs during the early spring to late fall (mid-March to October).9

Using road counters combined with visitor surveys, Parks Canada estimates the number of visitors is slightly down from a high of 802,566 in 2009/10 to 754,967 in 2012/13.

Partial year figures from March 2012 - December 2013 show relatively positive increase compared to the past two years.

Other longitudinal data sets include visitor centre tracking as well as total room revenues for Tofino’s fixed roof accommodators.

Visitor centre visit tracking is relatively inconsistent in recent years due to opening and closing of centres and shifting centre locations. Identifying trends with any certainty from centre data is challenging.



Room revenue data on the other hand is relatively more consistent and shows that total room revenues to Tofino properties increased to 2007, at $37.7 million, and then dropped thereafter, stabilizing between 2011 and 2012 at $33.3 million. Room revenues are expected to increase in 2013, but final figures were not yet available at time of writing.

Ucluelet’s room revenues are increasing, albeit, by a smaller proportion compared to Tofino’s. The total revenue for the region dropped slightly in 2008, but since has remained relatively stable

FIGURE 5: ROOM REVENUES, BC STATS

More recently, Tourism Tofino and accommodation partners started to track accommodation performance for the area. Using occupancy and room availability it is possible to calculate the rooms sold for the months where comparison data is available. Rooms sold is a better indicator of visitor volume than room occupancy alone, because the rooms available for renting can fluctuate up or down impacting occupancy levels.

Recent rooms sold data reveals a decrease for the summer period between 2011 and 2012, as well as a slight reduction in 2013. The most recent reporting period of January to October 2013 shows a relatively large increase of 8% compared to 2012, however.

SEA SONA LITY

Like many visitor destinations, Tofino experiences variations in visitor volumes throughout the year. The summer months tend to see the largest visitor numbers, followed by spring and fall. Winter

FIGURE 6 ROOMS SOLD, TOURISM TOFINO



months from November to February tend to have the lowest overall visitation. Occupancy rates at accommodation providers during the peak months of July and August are generally at or near capacity. The following figure illustrates the variation in visits using data from both the Long Beach Unit visitor estimation results and the total estimated rooms sold data from Tourism Tofino’s tracking program.

FIGURE 7: LBU VISITATION/ROOM NIGHTS, PARKS CANADA AND TOURISM TOFINO



Characteristics of the Tofino Visitor Origin: Most likely from BC and most likely a repeat guest - 40%-61% of all visitors from BC.

Companions: Most likely traveling with one other companion – 42% travel with a partner or spouse.

Getting there: Highly likely arrived in Tofino in a vehicle and via the ferry –85% travelled by vehicle to Tofino.

Reason for trip: Highly likely came for leisure – 94% came for leisure with only 5% taking part in business activities.

Popular activities after eating and shopping: Most likely hiked 57% followed by a visit to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 47% and surfing 44%.

Most important features: Scenic beauty, the overall experience and outdoor recreation activities are the most important features according to visitors.

Travel information: Sources of information where primarily based on real experiences, followed by websites – Twice as many used past trips or friends/family advice compared to websites .

THE VISITOR

Parks Canada and more recently Tourism Tofino gathered data on who visits the area, why and what they do while visiting.

Parks Canada’s 2011 research captures information on-site and through post trip online surveys accounting for people who actually plan on visiting the Long Beach Unit during their stay. A total of 890 full surveys were completed along with 2,893 on-site shortened surveys from June to September. Long Beach Unit staff performs the initial survey by intercepting vehicles driving into the Park.

Tourism Tofino data was captured from 480 visitors in the Tofino between July and September 2013 area who voluntarily placed a call back card in a ballot box and then agreed to and completed an online survey.

ORIG IN S Both tourism surveys showed similar results with respect to US based visitors at around 7 -8%, but stark variations exist measuring the proportion of visitors from overseas and from Canada. The Parks Canada survey reports that overseas and Canadian visitors make up 26% and 66% of park users respectively, while the Tourism Tofino survey reports that overseas visitors make up only 4% of visitors to Tofino and with Canadians making up the large majority at 89%. This variation could be due to real differences in park users and Tofino visitors or they could be a result of the sampling techniques. It is possible that overseas visitors are less likely to voluntarily enter their name in a draw box for a grand prize and more likely to respond to a Park official who stops them in a vehicle coming into the park.



The Parks Canada trends between 2001 and 2011 show that the visitor mix has changed somewhat, with US visitors making up about half the mix they made early in the decade, dropping from 15% to 8% of visitors. During the same time overseas visitors and Canadian visitors grew equally making up for the drop.

FIGURE 8: VISITOR ORIGINS



VI SIT CH A RAC TER IS TIC S Parks Canada surveys suggest that a large majority of visitors from Canada (76%) are repeat

visitors, with US (76%) and overseas (79%) visitors more likely to be visiting the area for the first time.

Just over half of Canadian visitors said the visit to the area was the primary purpose of the trip whereas US (71%) and overseas (89%) visitors were more likely to say that the trip was one of several planned stops on their trip.

Canadians stated staying an average of 9 nights away on their trip that included Tofino; US visitors stated 14 nights away and overseas visitors stated 24 nights away.

TRA VELL I NG PA RT IES A N D LENG TH OF ST AY Almost half of the parties travelling to Tofino are couples (46%), followed by those travelling with friends (25%) and those with children under 18 years (23%). Not surprisingly, visitor length of stay is highest (11 nights average) when it occurs at the home of a family member or friend. This is followed by an average length of stay of 3-5 nights when it occurs at a hotel, resort, campground or vacation rental.

FIGURE 9: GROUP CHARACTERISTICS, VES 2013 TOURISM TOFINO

ACTIV IT IES A N D AT TR AC T ION S Tofino offers a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy. Based on the 2013 Visitor Experience Survey, over half of visitors take part in food-related activities, shopping and hiking. Almost 50% of visitors visit the Pacific Rim National Park, 44% surf and 35% go whale watching.



FIGURE 10: ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION, VES 2013

Source: Visitor Experience Survey - Tofino Profile 2013

Attractions are places where activities take place, or are venues unto their own. Visitors indicated that the most popular attractions for visits during their stay were beaches (96%), local shops and boutiques (83%), and national/provincial parks (77%).

FIGURE 11: ATTRACTIONS, VES 2013



REASO N FO R VI SI T I NG Ninety-four percent (94%) of visitors come to Tofino for leisure, which is not surprising given the

activities they participate in during their visit, and only 1% comes for purely business or work-related reasons.

Four percent (4%) visit for a combination of leisure and business. The graphic below presents the words used by visitors to describe the inspiration for their trip, with the larger words noted most often in visitor responses.

Visitor motivations are further quantified below in the chart by rating the importance of a number of features the decision to visit Tofino on a scale from “Not At All Important” (1) to “Extremely Important” (5).

FIGURE 12: IMPORTANCE AND PERFORMANCE, VES 2013



In the same line of survey questioning visitors were asked to evaluate each aspect based of their actual experience. Tofino’s overall visitor satisfaction rating according to the 2013 Visitor Experience Survey was 4.8 out of 5 (97%). The average performance of each feature as compared with visitors’ perceptions of importance is also provided in the chart. Tofino is currently performing at a high level in all visitor satisfaction categories where the importance ranks highest.

GETTI NG TO TOF I NO Most visitors (61%) on the Tofino VES indicated that their main mode of transportation to

Vancouver Island was by ferry (99% of those on BC Ferries vs. other ferry routes), with a smaller portion (15%) arriving by air. Another 23% stated that they live on the Island (and therefore travel to the island was obviously not required).

Of travellers arriving by air, a third of those arrived via the Tofino Airport, indicating that it is a valuable transportation asset to the area.

When asked about vehicle transportation to and from Tofino, 71% mentioned using their personal vehicle, followed by 15% stating rental vehicle and 8% noting RV.

It is clear from these findings that vehicles are used by virtually all visitors which isn’t surprising given the need for transportation in and around Tofino and the lack of mass travel options to the area.

FIGURE 13:TRANSPORTATION TO TOFINO, VES 2013

TRIP PL A N NI NG I NFO RM A TIO N Visitors were asked to indicate the main sources of information they used for trip planning. The top sources for planning trips were equally split between previous personal experience, tourism and or destination websites, and friends and relatives. When visitors were able to select more than one source on the list, other key areas included peer-reviewed social media sites, general social media and other websites. Visitor surveys completed by Parks Canada suggest similar trends with the majority of visitors using past experiences or friends and family as sources of information for the trip.

The results of a Vancouver Island visitor study among Vancouver Island visitors from BC, AB, Western and Eastern Washington State in late 2011 and 2012 supports this finding showing internet use by 90% of participants for pre-trip planning.



Visitor centres are still used by a large majority of travellers (68%) but primarily during the trip at the destination or on route. Using the internet on mobile phones or computers in resort were also popular approaches for trip planning while on the island. 10

Other studies have shown that visitors put tremendous trust and decision weighting on their past experience and the suggestions of friends and family. Providing an excellent visitor experience for all visitors is a very important for ensure positive associations with Tofino.

EQ TR AVELLE R TYPE S Using demographics is one way to gauge who visits Tofino, but a more recent approach to segmenting travelers uses psychographics. As opposed to defining people by age, income, gender, family, or education level, psychographics highlight a visitor’s worldview, values, and beliefs. Combining psychographics with demographics helps communities to hone in on who is visiting, identify and match them up with kind of experiences they are looking for, and help to target prospective customers.

The Canadian Tourism Commission, Canada’s marketing organization, recently released the Explorer Quotient (EQ) tool to help communities make sense of the travellers arriving on their door steps. The EQ identifies nine primary traveller types, and recent visitor segmentation work by both Parks Canada and Tourism Tofino have identified the following types as the prime visitors to the Tofino area. See the following tables for highlights and characteristics associated with Tofino’s primary visitor types.



EQ type (Parks %)

Image Source Description They are

Most likely to be seen at

Travel values

Authentic Experiencers

(9%)

Tourism Tofino

Parks’ Canada

Your travel type is something of an improv artist, exploring nature, history and culture, all on the path to personal development

• spontaneous • discrete • ethical • eco-conscious • independent • open-minded • curious

• nature reserves • world heritage

sites • hiking trails • museums • home-stays • campsites

• learning travel – like to learn everything about a place, time, or culture nature – enjoy vast natural settings and wonders

• cultural immersion – prefer integrating into the local culture

• personal development – seek self-improvement through understanding others

Cultural Explorers

(23%)

Tourism Tofino

Parks’ Canada

You are a very active traveler who enjoys frequent weekend escapes. Always on the move, you immerse yourself in nature, local culture and history

• positive • open-minded • curious • risk-taker • flexible • easy-going • energetic • creative

• heritage sites • cultural events • museums • festivals • B&Bs • hostels

• companion experiences – prefer traveling with like-minded people

• living history/culture – enjoy ancient history and modern culture

• learning travel – seek to learn everything about a place, time, or culture

• constant exploration – always plan for the next outing

Free Spirits

(3%)

Tourism Tofino

Something of a thrill-seeking hedonist, travel satisfies your insatiable need for the exciting and the exotic.

• open-minded • ambitious • enthusiastic • fun-loving • adventurous • curious • social

• luxury hotel • tourism hot spot • top restaurant • night club • group tour

• sample travel – like to see and experience a bit of everything

• constant exploration – always plan for the next trip

• companion experiences – prefer traveling with like-minded people

• indulgence – seek the best you can afford



EQ type (Parks %)



Travel values

Cultural History Buffs

(7%)

Parks’ Canada

You strive to go beyond your own roots to understand the history and culture of others. You are the most likely to own a passport, and you enjoy solitary travel.

• idealistic • positive • open-minded • independent • detailed • curious • progressive • considerate

• B&Bs • museums • galleries • heritage sites • festivals • dining with locals

• learning travel – seek to learn everything about a place, time, or culture

• hobbies – pursue personal interests when travelling

• history – like to understand past cultures and their present context

• solitary travel – prefer to visit places alone or in small groups

No Hassle Travellers (17%)

Parks’ Canada

A bit of an escapist, you search for worry-free and secure travel. You look for relaxation, simplicity, and a chance to experience the outdoors with family and friends.

• flexible • rational • spiritual • careful • energetic • open-minded • discriminating

consumer

• festivals • theatres • museums • parks • group tours • outdoors

• escape – seek a getaway from everyday stresses and responsibilities

• group travel – enjoy socializing with others

• nature – like purity and serenity of open spaces

• security – prefer safety of familiar places



EQ type (Parks %)



Travel values

Rejuvenator

(13%)

Parks’ Canada

For you, travel is a chance to totally disconnect and get away from it all. When you travel, you want to stay in top hotels where you’re most comfortable, secure.

• family-oriented • traditional • ambitious • impulsive • relaxed • discriminating • social

• family resorts • spas • hotel

restaurants • casinos • tourist hot

spots • organized tours

• comfort – prefer familiar surroundings

• shared experiences – like sharing experiences with close friends/family

• escape – seek a getaway from everyday stresses and responsibilities

• pampering –enjoy being cared for

Source: CTC, EQ Quiz http://quiz.canada.travel/caen/all-traveller-types


Community Experience As part of the information gathering phase of this project, a number of different tools were used to capture the perceptions of Tofino residents and business owners on a variety of tourism related topics.

Residents’ opinions were the focus of an open online survey that ran from the latter third of November and into the middle of December.

Over 200 responses were gathered over that surveying period with about 150 completing the majority of the survey.

While the results of the survey are not necessarily reflective of all residents (due to the nature of the methodology), they do cover a relatively broad range of opinions on tourism in Tofino.

In addition to the surveying, some in-depth interviews were conducted with the representatives of key tourism organizations as well as businesses from various tourism sectors. The following sections summarize what was heard about the community experience with tourism.

COMMUNITY SURVEY

WHO? The majority (77.2%) of respondents said they

lived full-time year round in Tofino, with 17% living elsewhere including Ucluelet and other places. Just over 5% said they live in Tofino for several months in a row, but not full-time.



Community Experience

Survey respondents had lived in the area for an average of 13 years, suggesting that survey

participants covered a relatively wide spectrum of Tofitians ranging from living in the community for 1 year to 54 years.

The majority of respondents were females at about two-thirds of respondents, and the 10 year age groupings represented in the survey were spread relatively evenly between those 20 and 60 years of age.

The largest proportion of respondents lived in the Chesterman Beach Area (25%), followed by the Downtown and Harbour Area (18%).

TOURI SM CO NNEC TIO N Most of the respondents had some connection to the tourism industry either directly, or indirectly through close relatives.

The bulk of respondents at over 60% derived most of their income from the tourism industry or from delivering services/products to visitors and residents alike.

The next largest respondent categories associated themselves with being a professional (health care, lawyer, teacher, accountant) at 11%, or as retired at 7.5%.

Of those who didn’t directly associate with collecting the majority of their income from tourism, half stated that they did derive some income from tourism and 40% stated that a close relative derived some income from tourism.

TABLE 3: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES WITH TOURISM

Top ‘benefit’ themes: Top ‘challenges’ themes:

The following list highlights the themes derived from over 400 comments about the benefits of tourism to Tofino.

Economic driver - employment and business opportunities as well as adding to tax base for local infrastructure and services (227 comments)

Community life – residents have access to more activities, culinary offerings and events (113)

Diversity - economic, culture, people, events, business opportunities

People - cultural diversity, excitement and energy, interesting, diverse

Natural environment - awareness, protection and sustainability (26)

Improves town infrastructure, from tourism funding opportunities and taxes (18)

The following list highlights the themes derived from over 500 comments about the problems or challenges from tourism in Tofino.

Affordability (139) – affordability of goods and services in general, affordability of housing, seasonality of employment, lack of economic diversity.

Infrastructure (137) – Utilities and natural resources overloaded with a focus on the water/sewage as well as amenities such as natural areas or parking spaces at peak times.

Community Life (117) – crowding especially in the peak season, loss of community feel, transient population/absentee landlords/crime, inappropriate look and feel of some operations

Environmental (50) - Garbage/litter, lack of environmental sustainability, development of natural areas, and wildlife protection.



RECENT DE VELOPME NT When asked about their satisfaction with how tourism has developed in Tofino in the past

five years or so, roughly 50% of respondents said they were satisfied, with the majority of those being somewhat satisfied rather than very satisfied. About a quarter of respondents were neutral, with about another quarter expressing dissatisfaction.

FIGURE 14: SATISFACTION WITH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, TMP RESIDENT SURVEY

GROWT H When asked about Tofino’s approach to impacting visitation levels, there was strong

support to increase levels in the spring/fall as well as the winter season, with strong support to maintain levels during the summer months.

FIGURE 15: FUTURE VISITATION, TMP RESIDENT SURVEY



SUMM ARY O F COMMU NIT Y SUR VEY RE SUL T S The participation rate in the community tourism survey was quite high especially given the fact that two other community project surveys were being conducted at the same time. Participants were made up of a good cross section of age groups with the large majority being quite satisfied with Tofino as a place to live. Respondents were quite sophisticated with their perceptions on tourism, recognizing the many benefits; first and foremost employment and economic foundations, but also other common benefits of tourism. Despite the number of respondents who worked in the tourism industry, many had considered a variety of the problems associated with tourism as well, such as local price inflation, stress on local infrastructure and as sense of crowding/ loss of community. With the overall benefits and challenges from tourism, about 50% of the community remains satisfied, neutral (24%) or dissatisfied (24%) with the way tourism has developed in recent years. Fortunately, many respondents provided suggestions and ideas on how Tofino can improve the tourism experience for visitors and residents. Final questions about where the focus should be in increasing tourism visitation found that most participants suggested maintaining summer levels while growing levels in the fall and winter.

TOURISM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS

WHO In addition to the community survey, in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of key tourism organizations as well as businesses from various tourism sectors. The interviews were semi-structured and allowed for us to explore various topics at varying levels of depth.

TABLE 4: TOURISM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW PARTICPANTS

Interview participants

Gord Johns, Chamber of Commerce

April Froment, District of Tofino

Dan Harrison, Raincoast Education Society

Corene Inouye, Jamie’s Whaling Station, Tourism Tofino

Jay Gildenhuys, Shelter Restaurant

Kirsten Soder, Tourism Tofino

Jennifer Stevens, Eagle Eye Gallery, Chamber, Arts

Kim Shaw, Tofino Chocolate

Bruce McDiarmid, Tofino Vacation Rentals

Charles McDiarmid, Wickaninnish Inn

Barb Brittain, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Chris Leferve, Lefevre Group – Campsite, Condo Hotels, Rentals, Middle Beach Lodge

The following sections summarize what we heard.



TOURI SM’S ROLE AN D BE NEF IT S All participants feel that tourism is Tofino’s economic engine and driving force of the local

economy. Jobs, opportunities for entrepreneurs, community funding were all cited as local benefits derived from tourism.

Some comments presented tourism in a more wholistic view, citing that tourism is one way of having a community exist in the area without diminishing the area itself and that tourism amenities, activities, culinary interests, along with visitors and new residents helped to enhance the community experience and maintain some of the infrastructure (such as schools, health care) required for a community to survive and grow.

Participants noted that tourism was vulnerable to shocks outside the control of the community and that while tourism helped to diversify away from resource extraction industries there may be a need to consider diversification from tourism.

WH AT’S WOR KI NG? There was agreement that most things were working.

With respect to the tourism experience, participants noted the breadth of activities and price points available on both the beach (west) side and inlet (east) side of the peninsula, the burgeoning food scene, Tofino’s unique advantage of surfing, the character of the community and downtown area and lack of chain businesses or hotels.

Participants also noted the good working relationships amongst tourism businesses and sectors as well as improved working relationships amongst the formal tourism partners in the community compared to the past.

Enhanced marketing efforts (e.g. social marketing) by Tourism Tofino as well as by Tofino businesses have helped keep the community front and centre with past and future visitors.

Local businesses understand what makes Tofino unique and support those initiatives that help maintain that uniqueness, whether it is protecting viewscapes or promoting Tofino’s eclectic retail scene. Specific positive initiatives noted include: storm watching, whale festival, and off season promotion.

Recent improvements in airport access were cited as an underutilized strength for specific visitor markets, though more navigational aids would still help.

TOURI SM’S ROLE I N ECO NOMIC DIVE R SI FIC AT IO N Most interview participants noted the desire for Tofino to diversify the economy

somewhat so as to hedge against tourism challenges outside of the community’s control such as broad economic pressures, ferry transportation, trends, etc.

Participants’ views on how to diversify were somewhat varied. When pressed to consider how diversification might come about, most participants suggested that learning and education might be one area to expand into by using the excess accommodation capacity and Tofino’s natural amenities to attract learners to the area. The rich First Nation’s culture in the Tofino area was also suggested as another possible opportunity for diversifying and enriching a new visitor base.



While most agreed that knowledge workers might migrate to the area for lifestyle, there

wasn’t a shared view that this demographic would lead to significant economic diversification. Tofino’s remoteness (airport access) and lack of communications infrastructure were the most cited challenges for this type of knowledge worker at present.

A few participants highlighted the ‘Tofino’ brand as a strong asset for entrepreneurs looking to manufacture products in the community for local customers, but also for customers outside of Tofino. Tofino Brewery is one example of a local business using the Tofino name, keeping spending in the community, and also bringing new revenues into the community through external distribution.

COMMUNI TY AT TI TU DES TOWAR D TOU RI SM Findings to this question were generally more positive than what we gathered through the community survey. Everyone agreed that the community is more supportive of tourism now than in that past and that this support has generally grown over time. Participants suggested that while there is a likely a group of residents who are unsupportive of tourism, many of those who were once opposed to tourism have either moved on or accepted that it is the main economic driver for the community. One participant suggested that the time of year makes a big difference to resident attitudes, with peak times drawing more negative feelings.

TOURI SM DE VELOPME NT The notion of not “killing the goose that laid the golden egg” was apparent in most comments about the growth of Tofino’s built environment and peak visitor base.

Similar to the survey, there was a feeling that peak times of the year are quite busy and perhaps not able to absorb more visitors without somehow diminishing the experience somewhat.

Most participants accepted the idea that most growth should occur at off peak times.

Participants were cautious in talking about growth caps, but did recognize a need to time new development with the appropriate infrastructure (water, sewer, transportation) capacity.

Strong development guidelines, vision documents and directing tourism development to specific areas near beaches were some of the ideas suggested for managing future growth.

CHALLE NGE S Participants shared similar comments about local challenges related to tourism and the resident/visitor experience. Issues related to carrying capacity such as stresses on community infrastructure and local attractions were echoed again, with some concerns about rising prices and how to cater to a broad range of visitors.

Staffing and housing issues were raised with respect to the peak season housing crunch along with the lack of year round employment.

Other issues included a lack of night time activities; loss of revenues for the park reserve; a need to redevelop some of the older accommodation properties and the possible lack of ROI for those property investments given the occupancy rates; short term nightly rentals; and a shortage of gathering/conference space for events.



Challenges totally or somewhat outside the influence of Tofino tourism stakeholders

include; BC Ferry access to Vancouver Island; competition from warmer beach destinations for surfers especially; US dollar parity (though the Canadian dollar has begun to decrease); global economic volatility; local industrial activity; unsettled treaties; and a general drop in retail spending.

OPPOR TU NI TIE S There was no shortage of agreement that Tofino has a number of characteristics that could contribute to a deeper and wider tourism experience during both the peak and slower seasons.

Opportunities noted by participants included: cultural and First Nation’s tourism experiences including Tofino’s history as a fish cannery community and World War Two base.

Other commonly mentioned opportunities included; educational tourism through formal courses and as an overlay over all of Tofino’s current attractions and activities; events and festivals that draw visitors; and increased restorative health and wellness tourism.

The lower Canadian dollar was thought to make Tofino more attractive to both visitors from the U.S. and Canadians who might place a premium on domestic travel.

Other noted opportunities included: enhanced air access, partnering in the region to leverage each other’s tourism attractions/activities rather than duplicating them; more focus on non-vehicle movement around the area; and better access to the harbourside of Tofino while improving/protect views and the retail experiences.

Notable trends that Tofino could take advantage of included an aging population that is perhaps more attracted to the type of experience offered in Tofino, but also a younger demographic that will become future customers. Weddings were also noted as a growing opportunity.

ROLES A ND RE SPO N SIB IL I T IE S Similar to the community survey, interview participants felt that business associations (Chamber, TBA, Tourism Tofino), the District, businesses and other stakeholders in the area are responsible for managing tourism and ensuring that tourism supports community goals.



Travel Trends & ConsiderationsThe following section represents a summary of recent travel trends and tourism drivers beyond Tofino’s control that are worth considering for tourism planning. The topics have been highlighted by various tourism planning organizations and government authorities such as the Canadian Tourism Commission, UN World Tourism Organization, Government of British Columbia, Destination BC, Tourism Vancouver Island among others. The section also expands on research tied to possible new visitor opportunities for Tofino such as cultural tourism, shoulder season promotion, and recreational activities.

RECEN T VISITA TION TRE NDS

CAN A D A VI SIT A TIO N Canada’s ranking by total tourism arrivals has dropped from 8th (19.6 million arrivals in

2000) to 18th (16.0 million arrivals in 2011) amongst global travel destinations.11

After a few years of fluctuating growth trends, 2012 international overnight travel to Canada emerged slightly ahead (1.8%) of 2011, continuing the upward trend from 2009.

International visits from the US increased by over 200,000 travelers, as compared to 2011; the emerging China market significantly contributed to the increase by bringing in roughly 40,000 additional travelers.

Other markets such as Australia, Mexico, Japan and India contributed somewhat to the increase. At the same time, significant core markets such as the UK, France and Germany recorded fewer visitors. 12

Results from January –November 2013 continue to show an increase in overnight trips to Canada with US markets continuing to increase, at 1.2% ahead of 2012 and emerging markets increasing by 7.4%. Visitation from core non-US markets including the UK, France, Germany and Australia, remains virtually unchanged to 2012.13


Travel Trends and Considerations

CAN A D A OU TBO UN D T RIP S Canadian outbound overnight trips to the US or other countries increased by 2% for the

first 11 months of 2013 compared to 2012. Outbound trips have continued on a similar growth trajectory during the past five years, with visits to the US at 30% higher than in 2009.

More than 70% of all outbound overnight trips by Canadians were to the US in 2013.

Contrasting with the 11% increase in overnight visits to the US in March 2013 over March 2012, November 2013 results may indicate a changing trend as overnight visits to the US dropped 1.2% from November 2012.11

BC VI SIT A TIO N BC visitation levels by

international and US markets increased in 2012 by 1.2% from 2011 to 4.2 million trips, but remained lower than 2010 levels and closer to 2009 pre-Olympic games levels.

The increase from 2011 to 2012 was observed in both US and other international markets with US markets and other countries increasing 1% and 2% from 2011 to 2012 respectively.14

Results for 2013 until October 2013 show that all overnight (US and International) visits were 4.5% ahead of 2011 and reveal the strongest year since 2008, and even more than the 2010 Olympic year. 15 Looking at the summer travel months from May to October showed that these months paced ahead of other months with total overnight visits up by 5.6% and US overnight visits up by 5%.13

Despite the positive visitation trends from BC’s largest market, total entries to Canada via BC by all visitors including the US have declined significantly since 2000.

BC TOURI SM SPEN DI NG In BC, the tourism sector grew more rapidly than the BC economy as a whole in the decade up to 2010, though most that growth occurred in the middle part of the decade as global events at both the beginning and end created somewhat challenging conditions for tourism sector. The one recent bright spot occurred in 2010 as BC hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, though the direct benefits from that event were more localized in the Vancouver, Coast Mountain region. After a few years of volatility, tourism numbers have started to trend upwards again in 2012: total revenues posted the third straight increase per year, inflation adjusted GDP increased and surpassed the record in 2010, and employment rates increased for the first time since 2008.

FIGURE 16: ENTRIES TO CANADA VIA BC, STATS CANADA



ISLA N D TR A VEL TRE N DS Most non-BC visitors to Tofino include Tofino as part of a longer itinerary that includes Vancouver Island; therefore Vancouver Island travel trends are helpful in understanding challenges and opportunities for Tofino.

Similar to Tofino, the top markets for Vancouver Island travel include BC (63%), US residents (17%), other Canadian residents (10%) and international residents (10%) .

Per capita spending from the top markets is skewed toward non-BC Canadian, US and international visitors compared to BC residents. For example, Alberta visitors make up 6% of overnight visitation, but account for 11% of the spending, where as BC residents make up 63% of the market share but make up 41% of spending.16

Other Canadian visitors and US visitor(non- BC) spending is 50% higher per night stayed than BC visitors and the total trip spend per visitor is three times higher.

TABLE 5: SPENDING BY VISITORS TO VANCOUVER ISLAND, VANCOUVER ISLAND TOURISM

Vancouver Island Overnight Leisure Visitors (000)

Total Spending ($000)

Nights (000)

Nights per visitor

Spend/night Spend/visitor

All Leisure travellers

1,975

$876,645

7,462

4

$117

$444

BC residents 1,125

$345,011

3,552

3

$97

$307

Other Canadian residents

167

$165,618

1,121

7

$148

$992

US residents 473

$237,961

1,675

4

$142

$503

Other international residents

209

$128,054

1,114

5

$115

$613

In general, tourism was growing on the Island until between 2006 and 2008 and then declined until 2012. Tourism accounted for 16,800 jobs on Vancouver Island in 2012, though employment in tourism on the island has trended downward after a peak of 22,300 in 2008.17



Room revenue for the area has also trended downward from a peak in 2007 to 2010, making up a smaller share of overall room revenue in BC.

During a similar timeframe overall travel (vehicles and passenger) volumes on BC Ferry routes dropped 10% from a peak in 2004 to a low in 2012/13, with Routes 1 and 2, the main travel routes for accessing Vancouver Island from the Mainland also dropping an average of 2% per year for the past three years to March 2013.

On a positive note, travel volumes on Routes 1 and 2 have rebounded somewhat with the most recent year to date March 13/January 14 figures showing a slight increase over the same time frame for 2012/13.18

FIGURE 18: BC FERRIES TRAVEL VOLUMES 2000-2012

FIGURE 17: REGIONAL TOURISM EMPLOYMENT, BC STATS



SEA SONA LITY

Similar to Tofino visitors, travellers to Vancouver Island visit during the summer time, focusing most travel in July to September. The table below highlights that shoulder season travel in April-June is the next most popular time for travel to the island by non-BC residents. This trend might indicate that spring is potentially a more natural time to attract visitors to Vancouver Island and Tofino than the fall.

TABLE 6: VISITORS TO VANCOUVER ISLAND BY SEASON, VANCOUVER ISLAND TOURISM

VA NCOU VE R IS LA N D IN-MA RKE T REPO RT In 2011/12, Tourism BC conducted a research study among residents of BC, Alberta, and Washington State to provide market profiles and brand attitudes from key markets.19 While the study was based on the Vancouver Island tourism region, some results are broken down to reflect regions on the Island. Tofino/Ucluelet is represented by the name ‘Long Beach’. Many of the findings are similar to other visitor research already discussed; therefore the list below only contains a summary of new findings and implications.

Findings:

Almost 72% of visitors to Vancouver Island have a positive impression of the region, which ranked 1st out of the 6 British Columbia tourism regions.

Most respondents have some level of familiarity (very or somewhat)with Vancouver Island destinations, though amongst BC residents, Long Beach (57%) ranked 4th behind Victoria (87%), Parksville/Oceanside (64%), other Vancouver Island locations (67%).

Visitors are highly motivated by sightseeing (37%), visiting friends/relatives (33%), and visiting national and/or provincial parks (14%).

Critical strengths of the Island experience included; being a place to relax and unwind, a good getaway and being unique and different.

Critical weaknesses included; not being hot and sunny, good value, accessible and being an exciting place.

Specific associations from key markets include:



TABLE 7: KEY MARKET BRAND ASSOCIATIONS WITH VANCOUVER ISLAND, TOURISM BC

Possible implications:

Leverage the region’s high impressions as well as the high level of familiarity with the Island compared to other areas, to draw attention to the lesser known Island regions. For Tofino, this might mean including Vancouver Island on marketing materials in distant markets.

Maintain exceptional quality of service, availability of information and visibility of visitor centres, as most visitors make decisions about what activities to participate in when they are already on their trip.

Relative to other regions the Island is a popular destination for spring getaways, which presents an opportunity for this season.

Adjust marketing for the different key markets.

Address affordability and accessibility where possible. In Tofino’s case this might be about making the trip worth it, for example, offering repeat visitation deals or specials to key markets at certain times of the year, and making the trip home easier.

TOURISM DRIVERS AND CONSIDERATIONS

GENERAL EC ON OMIC TRENDS - LOOKIN G AHEA D

Economic trends have a large impact on overall travel volume and patterns. General economic trends in 2012 showed ongoing recovery from the 2008 recession, boosting the likelihood of travel somewhat, but not significantly. This trend contrasts with 2008 and 2009, where economic conditions were not very conducive to tourism growth.

OECD GLOB AL ECO NOMI C OUTL OOK (NO V 2013) Global economy continues to expand at a moderate pace, with some acceleration of

growth in 2014 and 2015. The forecasts have recently been somewhat downgraded due to events in both the US and emerging market economies.

Growth is expected to be larger in the US over the next few years compared to other mature markets; growth however is expected to occur across all markets.



$

There remains an increased risk with the forecasted growth.

The following table lists the growth forecasts for some of Tofino’s key markets.

TABLE 8: REAL GDP GROWTH FORECASTS, OECD NOV 2013

REGION AL OUTLO OK All major western markets for Tofino are expected to experience moderate economic growth for the next 3-4 years, with growth rates increasing for both BC and Washington State from 2013 to 2014 and beyond.

British Columbia: Economic growth trends for BC, Tofino’s key regional market, shows that economic growth will accelerate into 2014 (2.3%) from 2013 (1.4%) and maintain higher grow rates of 2.7% in both 2015 and annually between 2016-18. 20

Alberta: The Alberta economy is expected to continue expansion, though at a lower rate than recent years. Growth of 2.9% is expected for 2013 and roughly the same rate is expected annually to 2016.21

Washington State: A report by Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council members highlighted that the Washington State economy continues to expand at a moderate pace with income growth in metropolitan areas west of the Cascade mountains experiencing average or above average growth compared to the State. Going forward, they expect the Washington economy to outperform the U.S economy albeit narrowly. 22

CURRE NCIE S Canada’s strong dollar played a lesser role in reducing Canada’s price competitiveness compared to other destinations as the dollar stabilized in 2012 against most of the world’s currencies, except for Japan and Australia where the Canadian dollar decreased in value, making prices more attractive to these markets. The Canadian dollar weakened against the US dollar through 2013 into 2014 which may have a positive impact on domestic tourism and growth from US markets.

DEMOGRA PH IC S – T IME T O TRA VEL Demographics have a significant role to play in determining future travel markets and the type of experiences desired by visitors. These major

Annex Table 1. Real GDPPercentage change from previous year

Canada 1.7 2.3 2.6 Germany 0.5 1.7 2.0 United Kingdom 1.4 2.4 2.5 United States 1.7 2.9 3.4

Euro area -0.4 1.0 1.6

Total OECD 1.2 2.3 2.7

2013 2014 2015



trends in Tofino’s key markets of British Columbia are likely to have some influence on tourism in the coming years.

Baby Boomers: The first baby boomers born between (1947 and 1956) turned 65 in 2012. The Metro Vancouver area age demographic is shifting with a significant number of boomers hitting their senior years. It is expected that in 2036, one in four Metro Vancouver residents will be 65+.23 Aging trends are similar across Canada and likely to an even greater extent on Vancouver Island. Ensuring that Tofino remains relevant to this older demographic will be important as they represent an increasingly large group of potential visitors. An aging population may also present some challenges for employment or small business ownership as many boomers retire out of the workforce.

Youth Travel: On the other side of the age pyramid are youth travellers. Between 2000 and 2010, youth aged 15-30 accounted for 20% of all travellers. Travel by this age group is expected to increase by 6.3% per year to 202024, and has already shown some signs of resiliency for travel to Canada with visits rebounding 25% from the recent drop in overall visitors. Other age categories did not experience the same growth during this time frame. 25 Youth travel could represent a growing visitor market for Tofino as well as a potential labour supply given that current youth participation in the workforce is generally lower.

Emergent Market Travel: While overall world travel is expected to increase in the coming years, growth in arrivals at emergent locations in Asia and Pacific destinations is expected to double that of advanced economies (Americas and Europe) between now and 2030. Many of these locations are creating new competition for existing destinations, making international travel more competitive than ever. These emergent areas are also producing outbound trips at a faster rate than advanced economies26 which could lead to opportunities if the products fit the market.

AIR ACCE S S AN D T RA VEL BAR RIER S While most visitors to Tofino travel by car, many initially arrive into Canada from overseas. This consideration indicates that the experience at airports and the border is important. Since 9/11, border and airport security procedures have increased processing times for access to Canada and BC. Additional entry requirements such as visas for certain markets, and re-entry requirements such as passports for return travellers to the US have increased the hassle of cross border travel.

BC TOURI SM LABOU R MA RKET Without employees tourism in Tofino would not exist. Employees are the front line of the experience and are part of creating positive experiences during every direct interaction with a visitor. Seasonality of work, changing workforce demographics, industry perceptions, and the recruitment, training and retention of staff are some of the greatest challenges facing the tourism industry.27 With a significant number of people set to retire in BC between now and 2020 and fewer youth entering the job market means there will be more pressure on BC’s labour forces. A study on the tourism labour market on Vancouver Island in 2009, noted that



the growth needs for labour would likely be met, but that aging demographics post 2013 would lead to a labour shortage.28

Recent interviews for a labour market study in Tofino identified some strategies used to attract and retain employees, but themes highlighting elicited from the interviews included: a lack of affordable and attainable housing, a high need for seasonal labour due to the seasonal tourism demand in Tofino, and a need for some support employee/employer services. The same study indicated that that the natural and recreational amenities as well as lifestyle made the community attractive to a young workforce. 24

OUT DOOR RECRE AT ION PAR TIC IP ATIO N Outdoor recreation activities are synonymous with the Tofino experience so understanding trends in this field may be able to help with planning. The US based Outdoor Foundation is a broad coalition of organizations promoting healthy outdoor lifestyles. For a number of years the Foundation has been tracking outdoor activity by Americans and participation rates in various activities. The most recent report provides a few interesting findings:

Outdoor recreation participation rates are stable, but not growing.

Running activities are cited as the most popular activities by the participants.

Adventure racing as well as off and on road triathlon racing grew the most over the past five years, increasing by 211%, 199% and 174% respectively. Participation rates in each of these activities are slightly less than participation rates for surfing at 0.8-1% of the US population.

While surfing is only practiced by 1% (2,895,000) of the US population participation numbers grew by 700,000 from 2011 to 2012. The three year growth trend however is relatively flat.

Stand up paddling had the highest number of new participants in the past year, with 50% of participants being completely new entrants to the activity. Total participation is just over half of surfing participation numbers as of 2012.

Introducing outdoor recreation early in life has a lasting effect, and while participation rates are growing with adolescent boys, rates are declining with adolescent girls.

Other activities that Tofino is able to offer such as hiking, bird-watching, fishing and wildlife viewing have participation numbers that dwarf participation in more active recreational pursuits like stand-up paddle boarding surfing and sea kayaking. On the other hand, these activities are not unique to Tofino.

Participation rates are significantly lower amongst non-Caucasian residents; however those who do participate go outside as frequently as Caucasians. 29

CULTU RAL TOUR ISM The idea of promoting Tofino cultural tourism opportunities was raised a number of times during conversations and our community online survey. Cultural tourism opportunities in Tofino include everything from Aboriginal tourism to visiting historical sites, museums and arts venues.



The Canadian Tourism Commission completed some travel motivation studies on these topics and some of the key findings are shared below:

Aboriginal Tourism for UK, Germany, France

The largest market amongst this group is France at 85% of potential travellers to Canada and Germany at 72% of potential travellers to Canada.

Aboriginal experiences can be highly motivating for travel, but they serve more as a value added than a trigger to want to visit more destinations.

Products that include their participation and provide enriching experiences are highly valued, while products that are entertainment oriented and distance the traveller from the Natives are of lesser value and interest.

On product development: Continued growth in the mature travellers market, which is the key market segment for Aboriginal tourism, is seen as a strong positive trend, as well as the desire for more experiential vacations. Canada must create a much stronger awareness of its Aboriginal tourism experiences and how they are uniquely different from those of other countries and work to improve product quality where it is not yet market-ready.30

Aboriginal Tourism for the US market

Of Americans engaged in Aboriginal tourism activities, 31% reported that this activity was the main reason for at least one trip. For most it is an add-on experience.

The Pacific region (CA, WA, OR and AK) of the US generally has a higher proportion and concentrated number of aboriginal cultural explorers than other regions in the US with 10.3% of pleasure travellers taking part in Aboriginal experiences on a trip.

BC rates very favourably with this travelling segment when compared to other Canadian and even some US locations.

Aboriginal tourism travellers tended to participate at higher rates than non-Aboriginal experiencers at activities like wildlife viewing, ocean activities, hiking, boating/swimming and fishing.31


Implementation PartnersTourism is quite unique when compared to other industries, but no more so than in the cooperation and partnership required to deliver the ‘experiences’ sought after by visitors and the community alike. Public and private sectors jointly provide a large number of visitor amenities including attractions and activities (the main reasons for visiting) as well as the supporting infrastructure like roads, land use, and water systems. Beyond the attractions such as beaches, inlets, wildlife, recreation activities and cultural experiences lay the critical business sectors such as accommodation, culinary, transportation, and retailers that help embody the spirit of the community and round out the overall experience.

The following sections include a list of key organizations, their goals and roles they play in tourism.

NATIONAL PARTNERS

FEDERAL GOVE RN MEN T

Canada’s federal government’s role in tourism is relatively vast and comprehensive. The most obvious role in Tofino is the stewarding of the Pacific Rim Nation Park Reserve, through Parks Canada as well as the marine environment outside of the intertidal zones. Yet it also plays a significant role in labour market polices for domestic and foreign workers, supporting Aboriginal economic development, funding arts and culture heritage, community infrastructure development, border security and visa policies, gathering tourism related research, air access agreements to ensure access to visitor markets, and broad tax policy to create a supportive business environment for tourism.



Implementation Partners

Canada’s Federal Tourism Strategy: Welcoming the World was designed to bring greater alignment to programs and services that support the tourism industry. The four priority areas are:

• Increasing awareness of Canada as a premier tourism destination • Facilitating ease of access and movement for travellers while protecting the safety and

integrity of Canada's borders • Encouraging product development and investments in Canadian tourism assets and

products, and • Fostering an adequate supply of skills and labour to enhance visitor experiences through

quality service and hospitality

CANA DIA N TOU RISM COMM ISSION (CTC)

The CTC, a crown corporation, is Canada’s national tourism marketing organization, tasked with marketing the Canada brand to the world, but more specifically to Canada’s key markets. The CTC funding, made up of base funding and special stimulus funding, has been dramatically reduced in the past three years, and in 2012/2013 was about $71 million dollars, down from $106 million in 2010/2011.32 Base funding also dropped from $72 million in 2012 to $58 million in 2013. In 2012, the CTC withdrew most of its budget from marketing to the US leisure traveller, leaving the role for provincial, regional or local destination organizations to fill.

The key roles of the CTC include:

Advertising and marketing Canada to international markets

Attending consumer and trade shows

Conducting industry research and studies

Promoting product and industry development.

PA RKS CAN ADA

Parks Canada’s mandate is to protect and present significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage and to foster the public understanding and appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the integrity of the areas for current and future generations. Parks Canada fulfills this mandate at national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas.

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve located just south of Tofino is managed onsite by local Parks Canada officials and staff through a park management plan. Many of the assets such as campgrounds, trails, interpretive experiences and beaches located in the locally accessible Long Beach Unit of the Park are listed in the earlier tourism offerings section of the report. Parks Canada issues business licenses for commercial operators conducting activities in the park, including guided walks, surf schools, wildlife viewing and public transportation. Parks Canada also conducts extensive research on park visitors and the visitor experience with park offerings.

Key strategies in the current management plan include:



Working with First Nations Partners,

Protecting and Restoring Cultural Heritage and Ecological Integrity,

Managing the Coastal Zone, and

Enhancing Community Relations and Visitor Experience.

PROVINCIAL

PROV IN CIA L GOVERNME NT

The provincial government’s role in tourism spans across multiple ministries and departments. Most recently the provincial government’s Resort Municipality Initiative has supported the reinvestment of locally collected provincial tourism revenue into infrastructure and programs to support the growth of tourism in Tofino. However, the provincial government’s role goes beyond this program and includes such things as highway access, ferry access to the Island, jurisdiction of the inter-tidal zones (to the high tide line), health and liquor control regulations, local health services, capacity building support through regional learning institutions, and providing access to crown land for both tourism and industrial commercial activities.

A recently released five year strategy to grow provincial tourism revenues by 5% per year from 2012 to 2016 articulates four key focus areas for the Province. These include:

1. Leadership through partnership and coordination 2. Focused marketing 3. World class visitor experiences 4. Removing barriers to growth.

A large proportion of the actions will be led by the newly formed Destination British Columbia.

DESTINATION BRITISH COLUMBIA

Destination BC is a provincial crown corporation that focuses on a number of key marketing and leadership responsibilities for the provincial tourism industry. These include:

Marketing BC domestically, nationally and internationally

Supporting regional, and community tourism marketing and product development

Providing support for Visitor Centres

Conducting tourism-related research

Enhancing public awareness of tourism and its economic value to BC

Providing advice and recommendations on tourism related matters

Destination BC was a key commitment of the Provincial Government in Gaining the Edge, a Five-year Strategy for Tourism in BC to help grow tourism sector revenue from $13.4 billion in 2011 to $18 billion by 2016.



GO2

Recognizing some of the current and future human resource challenges in the industry, Go2 has become the central human resources agency for BC’s tourism industry. Go2 fulfills its mandate by developing tourism career awareness to attract people to pursue tourism careers, research and human resources planning studies such as the recent resort community labour market study that profiles Tofino, compensation studies to stay on top of wage trends, promoting best human resources practices and leading training initiatives, and health and safety through WorkSafe BC.

ABORIGINA L TOU RISM BC

The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (AtBC) is a non-profit, membership-based organization that is committed to growing and promoting a sustainable, culturally rich Aboriginal tourism industry in BC.

AtBC delivers on their mission by delivering the following programs:

Training and development with partners providing workshops in First Nations communities throughout BC.

Marketing and promotion for stakeholders, promoting businesses to tourists and attending tradeshows.

Authentic experience program that makes it easier for visitors to identify the most authentic, accurate, and respectful representations of First Nations culture.

Operating First Nations experiences such as the Klahowya Village in Stanley Park.

REGIONAL

REGIONA L DISTRIC T

The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) is the regional district responsible for solid waste and recycling services, regional park services, and regional planning. The ACRD also operates the Long Beach Airport facility, which is funded primarily through the ACRD by taxpayers in the District of Tofino, District of Ucluelet and Long Beach Electoral Area C. The planning for a regional sport multiplex located next to the Long Beach Airport is also currently underway and it is expected that the ACRD will be the operator of this facility.

TOU RISM VA NC OUVE R ISLAN D

Tourism Vancouver Island is one of six of BC’s regional destination marketing organizations. Fees for service and funds help them to deliver a host of marketing and industry support services. Relevant research being spearheaded by the organization but not yet ready for release includes public polling amongst BC, AB and WA State residents examining their awareness, perceptions, intent to travel, satisfaction and repeat visitation to the island. The results of this research will be important to consider from a marketing perspective when it becomes available since so many destination travellers to Tofino include Tofino as a stop while on a much larger journey through the region.



Current goals for the 2012-2015 strategic plan include:

Goal 1: Increase the economic contribution of tourism to the Vancouver Island Region

Goal 2: To be financially sustainable

Goal 3: To have empowered and engaged staff

Goal 4: To increase the effectiveness of the Board

Goal 5: To increase the communities’ support of the tourism industry

FIRST NATION S

Tofino is located within the western-most region of the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht people, one of the Nuu-chah-nulth nations along the west coast of Vancouver Island. The primary Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations communities of Esowista, Ty-Histanis, and Opitsaht are the closest neighbouring communities to the District of Tofino. The Ahousaht and Hesquiaht First Nations are located to the north of the District, and must regularly enter Tofino and Tla-o-qui-aht Ha-houlth-ee to gain road access to the rest of Vancouver Island and beyond. The Nuu-chah-nulth people have populated this region since time immemorial. Nearby First Nations and Tofino benefit from a number of formal relationships and informal circumstances. Tofino and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations have a formal protocol agreement that defines their working relationship. They also have formal and informal agreements with respect to services, such as wastewater collection. The Wickaninnish Community School and the Tofino General Hospital are located in Tofino in part because of the presence of nearby First Nations populations.

Through the provincial treaty process, certain lands within the District of Tofino are under discussion for transfer to the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, which may lead to further agreements to manage the civic relationship between two local governments.33

In 2000, a report entitled “Clayoquot Sound/Central Region Tourism Opportunities Study: A Process Towards Tourism Development” was written for the Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation and a host of Aboriginal tourism partners including the BC Ministry of Small Business and Tourism.

The study highlighted the significant unique and sought after Aboriginal cultural experiences and communities in the area as well as being on the doorstep of very large numbers of tourists as some of the most significant attributes of the area. It also highlighted some major obstacles to the region realizing its full tourism potential in an equitable manner. It found that the current distribution of tourism benefits very inequitable with little participation by First Nations at the time. The lack of knowledge on how to work in a more collaborative manner, and the lack of trust, was the biggest obstacle in realizing the potential of tourism in the region.



MUNICIPAL

DISTRICT

The District of Tofino’s role in local tourism is varied and includes the role of a regulator of local private/municipal land use above the high-tide line, visitor services with respect to various municipal recreation amenities like trails and parks, roads and parking management and bylaws, development form and character, residential and commercial taxation, planning, water and sewer as well as waste collection. The District of Tofino is also one of 14 BC resort municipalities that receive tourism infrastructure and programming funding from the provincial government through the Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) program.

The District’s high-level policies for directing tourism development are primarily located in the Official Community Plan (OCP) and include such directions as where tourism commercial activity and accommodation should be located (primarily at existing west coast beach areas for resorts, with commercial located closer to downtown with some tourism activity at the waterfront areas), the need to enhance public access to beach areas, employee housing requirements for destination resort locations, and shuttle transportation between resorts and downtown among others.

As part of the RMI, the district is required to have a Resort Development Strategy (RDS), to articulate the tourism goals support by the RMI funded projects. The three goals are as follows:

INCREASE AWARENESS OF TOFINO’S ‘ECLECTIC’ NATURE: The key objective is to develop visitor amenities that promote Tofino’s unique arts and cultural experience year-round.

ENHANCE VISITOR EXPERIENCE & SATISFACTION WHILE INTERACTING WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: The key objective is to create memorable ‘beach’ and ‘waterfront’ experiences for visitors that promote interaction with the natural environment through appropriate amenities, linkages and public accesses.

SUPPORT ‘ACTIVE’ LOCAL TOURISM ASSETS THROUGH DEVELOPMENT & ENHANCEMENT OF VISITOR COMMUNICATIONS: The key objective is to raise awareness of local and regional tourism assets while promoting an active recreation lifestyle through enhanced visitor communication.

TOFIN O-LON G BEACH CHAM BE R OF COM ME RCE

The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit business organization, representing over 250 members, many of whom are somehow connected to tourism. The Chamber provides members with human resources services such as group benefits, seminars/workshops, networking opportunities all the while acting as a voice for the Tofino business community. The organization’s most recent strategic plan identifies challenges from the recent economic recession and environmental threats to the region as the most critical issues facing the Chamber and many of the Chamber’s membership.



Aside from representing member’s interests, the Chamber delivers the Ambassador Spirit Program with funding from the District to support front line service staff in delivering an exceptional experience for visitors. The program involves both customer service training and training for new employees to better understand Tofino’s story, history and place.

TOU RISM TOFIN O

Tourism Tofino is the not-for-profit Destination Marketing Organization for Tofino and is a division of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce as of 2007. With a Board of Directors made up of twelve members (9 industry voting, 4 appointed non-voting), Tourism Tofino’s role is to market Tofino to the past and future visitors. Funding for Tourism Tofino primarily comes from the funds collected via the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), a tax of 2% collected on nightly rental sales through local accommodation providers with at least 4 dwellings available for rent. The funds are primarily used for marketing activities to stimulate market demand for the Tofino region. Tourism Tofino’s current mission is “To make Tofino a popular year-round destination by promoting the diversity of our environment, our history and way of life, and our commitment to the preservation of the UNESCO Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve.”

Key goals for Tourism Tofino include:

1. Increasing visitation for more and longer vacations and getaways to the Tofino area, and

2. Improving utilization of research and data collection to appropriately measure results of marketing.

TOU RISM BU SINESSE S

Tourism businesses are both Tofino’s experience providers and connectors to Tofino’s natural and cultural experiences. Without accommodation providers, culinary establishments, recreation outfitters, land/marine tour operators, retail shops and cultural attractions, Tofino would not be host to so many visitors on an annual basis. While the natural and cultural amenities may be what sparks a visitor’s intent to consider visiting the community, all the supporting sectors help to make that visit possible and memorable. Many tourism businesses are relatively small organizations and tourism provides most, if not all, the income for business owners. Appendix B includes a relatively complete listing of tourism businesses operating in the Tofino area.



Our Plan This section discusses the overall Tourism Master Plan vision, goals, strategic directions and actions that the Tourism Working Group members identified as the highest priority actions for consideration by tourism partners.

STRUCTURING THE TMP There are many ways to structure a plan. Given the desired intent to align the TMP with the Vision to Action Integrated Sustainability Plan and OCP, as well as input during the planning process from community members and tourism partners, the structure on the following page is proposed as the simplest, yet most comprehensive approach.


Our Plan

The planning structure begins with the community vision and the V2A goals and desired outcomes, which informs the TMP vision, the highest level direction for the TMP. Sitting below the vision are tourism focus areas each with a focus goal describing outcomes for each area 10 years out. These focus areas are aligned to reflect the interconnected relationship described by the TMP working group as well as community members. The alignment also reflects a logical causal model with a circular relationship of cause and effect. Below the focus goals sit strategic directions and actions.

FIGURE 19: TMP FRAMEWORK

VISION TO ACTION The District of Tofino recently embarked on “Vision to Action” (V2A), the development of a community-driven vision and action plan for Tofino’s environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability. This “Integrated Community Sustainability Plan” or ICSP incorporates the outcomes of Tofino’s most recently completed plans, and is broader than each of them, which focus on a certain area – such as planning (Official Community Plan (OCP)), recreation (Recreation Master Plan), or arts and culture (draft Arts and Culture Master Plan). All of these plans as well as the V2A have involved countless hours of community input, dialogue and strategic thinking and planning.


Our Plan

The ICSP is somewhat longer term than most plans– looking forward a generation or more – and is the community’s highest level directional policy, with goals to guide all future plans including the Tofino Tourism Master Plan (TMP).

SUSTA INA BILTY

Sustainability is integrated into the ICSP and therefore the Tourism Master Plan. Sustainability, or sustainable development, has been defined in many different ways. The United Nations Brundtland Commission, in the 1987 report, Our Common Future, introduced the term sustainable development as:

“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

This definition helped achieve global consensus that meeting the needs of current and future generations is absolutely dependent upon the health and viability of three completely interconnected systems:

the natural environment, which provides the services and finite resources that enable society and the economy to function, including air to breathe, water to drink and soil to grow food;

society, which is sustained by the life-providing services of the natural environment and serves to support us as individuals, families and communities; and

the economy, which is governed by the rules of the other two systems and is dependent upon human labour and natural resources to thrive.THE GE NERATIONA L GOA LS FOR THE V2A

PLAN A RE A S FOLLOW S:

Community values and an understanding of sustainability help to define the The high level ICSP goal statements that describe what the community must work on in order to achieve long-term success and sustainability. These goal statements in turn, informed the TMP focus areas and goals.

COMMUNI TY L IFE Goal: To create a thriving community with healthy, active citizens of all ages, a vibrant cultural scene, and access to a variety of recreation, leisure and lifelong learning opportunities.

ECONOMIC DEVELO PMEN T Goal: To develop a diverse and resilient economy that maintains and enhances the natural environment, sustains local livelihoods, promotes human well-being, and supports community development.


Our Plan

HOMES A ND NEIGH BOU R HOOD S Goal: To encourage compact, mixed-use development nodes within its existing footprint that support diversity and affordability while protecting Tofino’s unique rural coastal nature, natural ecosystems and old-growth features.

TRA N SPOR T AT ION A N D I N FR A ST RUC TU RE Goal: To support greater active transportation modes, natural stormwater management, waste reduction, water and energy conservation, and reliable communications.

NATU R AL ENV IRO NME NT Goal: To protect, preserve and enhance the natural environment that contributes to the uniqueness, beauty, health and economy of Tofino and its surrounding area.

TMP –V2A DESIRED OUTCOMES The V2A planning structure elaborates on the V2A goals by articulating desired outcome statements to further describe the more specific yet non- prescriptive, outcomes required to achieve the goals. An assessment of the relevant V2A outcomes supported/challenged by tourism was conducted to ensure that the TMP aligns with V2A to help to elaborate on what tourism requires, delivers and supports a generation from now.2 This assessment is located in Appendix C.




Our Plan

TOURISM MASTER PLAN VISION The TMP vision was developed with the working group members during our working sessions. We asked the working group to consider Tofino’s Resort Development Strategy vision, the Tofino V2A vision/goals, as well as the numerous contributions from the community survey. The community survey identified themes related to year round, sustainable and culturally appropriate tourism, increasing educational and cultural offerings and maintaining or enhancing Tofino’s small town feel in a natural setting.

Based on the feedback and working group consultation the vision - looking forward a generation or more - is as follows:

Tourism’s year round contribution to Tofino’s wellbeing is built upon a foundation of exceptional experiences that uplift bodies, minds and spirits while connecting visitors to Tofino’s genuine west coast peoples, eclectic

culture and unique natural places.

GOALS The V2A goals and specific outcome statements related to tourism helped in crafting the following 10 year goals for the TMP focus areas. These goals were reviewed, adjusted and finalized by the working group based on feedback from citizens and tourism stakeholders. The goals articulate high level statements of the desired future in 10 years. FIGURE 20: TMP GOALS

TOURI SM FOC U S ARE A GOAL S(2014-2024)

TOU

RIS

M

NEE

DS

TO S

UP

PO

RT COMMU NITY WE LLBEIN G Tofino is a

healthy, resilient, culturally rich community with appropriate infrastructure and diverse personal and economic opportunities to achieve a high quality of life.

NATU RA L ENV IRONME N T Regional ecosystems are healthy, enhanced by leading stewardship practices, and celebrated through experiences offered in Tofino’s unique setting

TOU

RIS

M

NEE

DS

TO

DEL

IVER

V ISITOR EC ON OMY AN D EXPERIEN CE Tofino provides exceptional visitor experiences, a diversity of offerings and a strong value proposition to visit the area during summer months and throughout the year.

TOU

RIS

M

REQ

UIR

ES

CAPACITY TO DELIVE R Tofino has the right resources, capacity and partnerships to deliver on all the tourism goals


Our Plan STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS & IMPLEMENTATION Strategic directions represent broad directions that guide specific actions over the next 3- 5 years from 2014-2019. They start to answer the high level question of “how?”, “where?”, “when?” and “what first?”. These directions are informed by a strategic analysis called a SWOT and need to be more specific than the goals, yet not as specific as an action(e.g. ‘hold a new event in the spring’).

STRA TE GIC ANA LYSIS: SWOT

A SWOT is a preliminary analysis and prioritization of what needs to be leveraged (strengths), what needs to be developed (weaknesses), what issues can our strengths take advantage of (opportunities), and what issues are we most vulnerable to due to our weaknesses (threats) with respect to desired outcomes. A SWOT was completed for each of the TMP focus areas reviewed and consolidated below.

Inputs for this process include pages 7-54 of this report , the a community profile, community survey results, industry interviews, the review of trends, the District of Tofino’s 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy and the SWOT notes from the V2A process. Results were reviewed and considered by the Tourism Working Group. TABLE 9: TMP SWOT

STRE NGTH S Tourism is the most significant part of the Tofino economy

supporting amenities as well as environmental protection



Well positioned, professional styling/branding to support marketing


Eclectic downtown commercial and community experience

Funding access for both marketing and infrastructure/programming

Visitors are very satisfied with their Tofino experience

Residents are generally supportive of recent tourism development, and they are interested in growth outside the peak months

RISKS A ND TH REA TS

OP P ORTU NITIE S Changing travel preferences for aging travelers

Diminished strength of the CDN dollar vs the US




Economies/visitation recovering from global economic downturn – albeit still volatile

Growth potential from emerging country travel markets, such as Asia


Unknown impacts of continued development potential and infrastructure on community capacity to accept more visitors

Unknown effects of changing travel preferences for increasingly multicultural markets



Transportation access to Tofino, and capacity of transportation infrastructure in Tofino, is limited

Peak season staffing for the right number of people with the right skills and service experience, demographic trends suggest future challenges




Our Plan

Persistent housing affordability challenges

ADDIT ION AL IN SIGHT

Beyond the SWOT, other insights became apparent throughout the process. These insights include:

More is going right for tourism in Tofino than going wrong

Tourism is a significant part of Tofino’s economy

Tourism business is increasing after subsiding somewhat between 2009 and 2012

Most visitors are repeat visitors from British Columbia

More and more people looking to past experiences and online for review when considering Tofino

Visitors are primarily couples and groups of adults

Spending is highest by overnight guests from other Canada (non-BC) and the US

Many visitors travel to both Ucluelet and Tofino

Beaches are the primary attraction followed by surfing, hiking , visiting the park and whale watching

Municipal planning documents such as the Official Community Plan contains many robust policies that are supportive of the goals articulated in the TMP.

STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS Reviewing the detailed SWOT and additional insights provided a rich foundation for considering 3-5 year directions for the Tourism Master Plan. The Working Group reviewed each goal and identified the most relevant strategic insights provided by the background work. These insights provided a basis for creating numerous strategic directions which were then prioritized to 14 areas by the working group over a number of meetings. The table below outlines the key insight or SWOT issue(s) that was addressed by the strategic direction.

TABLE 10: TMP STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

ST RA TEGIC DI RECTIO N SWOT/IN SI GH T S AD DRE S SED OR EN H AN CED

A.1 Make progress on a diverse range of attainable housing

• Persistent housing affordability challenges

• Peak season staffing for the right amount of people with the right skills and service experience, demographic trends suggesting future challenges

A.2 Ensure the best community value from any future accommodation and development

• Continued development potential and having enough infrastructure and resident willingness to accept more visitors

A.3 Enhance parking and traffic flow management

• Transportation access to Tofino, and capacity of transportation infrastructure in Tofino


• Surfing inspires many trips to Tofino and the surfing experience rivals all other BC coastal destinations


Our Plan


A.4 Ensure a strong Tofino brand and support marketing of “made in Tofino” products

• Continued reliance on a tourism economy may reduce economic diversity

• Economic recovery is volatile

A.5 Develop Tofino appropriate beach infrastructure

• Beaches are the primary attraction followed by surfing, hiking , visiting the park whale watching



B.1 Integrate environmental knowledge/education/respect into all of Tofino’s experiences

• Tourism is the most significant part of the Tofino economy supporting amenities as well as environmental protection

• Beaches and truly unsurpassed west coast natural areas (UNESCO Site) and parks (park reserve) for activities

• Beaches are the primary attraction followed by surfing, hiking , visiting the park whale watching

• Extractive resource development threats in the area



• Beaches and truly unsurpassed west coast natural areas (UNESCO Site) and parks (park reserve) for activities

C.1 Develop excellence in customer service and visitor experience

• Well-developed broad array of tourism experiences, cooperation and collaboration for tourism success

• Eclectic downtown commercial and community experience

• Visitors are most satisfied with their Tofino experience

• Competition from emerging markets and other BC regions

• More and more people looking to past experiences and online for review when considering Tofino

C.2 Update market research to support the marketing to target audiences with greatest potential

• Changing travel preferences for aging travelers

• Diminished strength of the CDN dollar vs the US

• Growth potential from emerging country travel markets

• Key markets have a very strong impression of Vancouver Island compared to other BC tourism regions

• Changing travel preferences for increasingly multicultural markets

• Competition from emerging markets and other BC regions

• Continued expansion into social media channels to promote Tofino

• Spending is highest by overnight guests from other Canada (non-BC) and the US

• Potential to enhance tourism collaboration with First Nations


C.3 Develop and promote Tofino value offerings in the appropriate seasons

• Capacity to optimize early summer and year round visitation








Our Plan


• Continued reliance on a tourism economy may reduce economic diversity

D.1 Improve local government and community support of local businesses


D.2 Increase communication and dialogue with First Nations communities with respect to tourism





D.3 Improve understanding and communication between Tofino business sectors



Our Plan

ACTIONS The actions identified in this plan are important to help the community move towards the vision and goals. Drawing from community comments and what was learned through the process these actions were identified by the Working Group for the priority strategic directions, refined and shared to consider feedback. The organizations listed alongside each action (Lead) have agreed to consider the actions over the coming months through their respective planning processes. Sequencing of actions was considered based on what ‘made sense’ given organizations current workloads. Once an action is accepted by a Lead, this organization should connect with other partners to discuss project implementation in more detail.


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION A.1 MAKE P ROGRE SS ON A DIVE RSE RA NGE OF A TTA IN ABLE HOUSIN G

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Persistent housing affordability challenges

Peak season staffing for the right amount of people with the right skills and service experience, demographic trends suggesting future challenges

# ACTIO N MA IN GOAL TIMING LE A D PA R T N E R $ PROGRE S S T RAC KI NG

1 Develop a housing plan for Tofino

Community Wellbeing

0-6 months

DOT $$ Not Initiated Initiated

Achieved Partial

Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2 Start building affordable housing in Tofino

Community Wellbeing

6 months -1 Year

DOT $$$ Not Initiated Initiated

Achieved Partial

Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Tourism is very seasonal which puts a strain on year round employment and housing.”

Survey Participant

“Tourism may have contributed to increased land value which in turn has led to lack of affordable housing”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION A.2 EN SU RE THE BEST C OM MUN ITY V ALUE FROM ANY FU TU RE A CC OMMODATION A ND DEVELOP MEN T

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Tourism is the most significant part of the Tofino economy supporting amenities as well as environmental

protection

Continued development potential and having enough infrastructure and resident willingness to accept more visitors


1 Develop a list of desired community amenities

Community Wellbeing

0-6 months

DOT TT $ Not Initiated Initiated

Achieved Partial

Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Develop policy to fast track development proposals that deliver benefits

Community Wellbeing

6 months -1 Year

DOT $ Not

Initiated Initiated Achieved

Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Infrastructure that benefits locals as well as tourists ranging from paths to bike parks to public washrooms”

Survey Participant

“Allows us access to and have more beneficial amenities than a similar town of our size”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION A.3 ENHA NCE PA RKING AND TRA FFIC FLOW M AN AGE MEN T

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Transportation access to Tofino, and capacity of transportation infrastructure in Tofino




1

Develop a suite of parking management approaches and implement – Downtown parking

Community Wellbeing, Visitor Experience

0-6 months

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2 Work with accommodation partners to encourage shuttle use


0-6 months

DOT Accommodation

$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3

Monitor the parking approaches and implementation - Downtown


6 months-1 year

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4

Develop a suite of parking management approaches and implement – Beach areas


6 months-1 year

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

5

Evaluate the progress of the parking approaches and implementation - Downtown and Beaches


1 year- 3 years

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Traffic - not enough room in town we should have it somewhere on outskirts and provide shuttle”

Survey Participant

“…amenities like beach parking are overwhelmed at high visitation times”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION A.4 EN SU RE A STRON G TOFIN O BRA ND AND SU P PORT MA RKE TIN G OF “MADE IN TOFIN O” PROD UCTS

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Continued reliance on a tourism economy may reduce economic diversity



1

Create menu links/content on TourismTofino.com to promote made in Tofino products

Community Wellbeing

0-6 months

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Develop similar styling for TT and DOT communications for Visitor facing communication tools

Community Wellbeing

0-6 months

TT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3

Develop branding for “Made in Tofino” experiences and products

Community Wellbeing

6 months-1 year

TLBCC

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4 DOT and TT to work together to develop common branding/logo

Community Wellbeing

1 year- 3 years

DOT/TT

$$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

30% Approximate percentage of Tofino Brewing

sales outside of Tofino.

“Our dependence on the tourism industry makes us vulnerable to global economies and the availability of discretionary income”

Survey Participant

“Vision: To see much greater support for the small business in town.”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION A.5 DEVE LOP TOFINO A PP ROP RIATE BE ACH IN FRASTRUCTU RE

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Beaches are the primary attraction followed by surfing, hiking , visiting the park whale watching




1

Identify and prioritize opportunities for additional beach/water access/parking – beyond Hellesen Rd.

Community Wellbeing

0-6 months

DOT TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Identify which access points are appropriate for infrastructure investment

Community Wellbeing

0-6 months

DOT TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3 Implement access to Mackenzie Beach from Hellesen Rd.

Community Wellbeing

1 year- 3 years

DOT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4 Implement priority infrastructure for key locations

Community Wellbeing

1 year- 3 years

DOT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

5

Review and update development permit guidelines for shorelines to ensure appropriate results

Community Wellbeing

6 months-1 year

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

6 Develop a plan for Hellesen Rd. access to Mackenzie Beach

Community Wellbeing

6 months-1 year

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Tofino has done a great job of installing facilities for surfers and other beach users, like the flush toilets at parking spots on Cox Bay. This is very helpful especially with the high volumes of people now visiting the area.”

Visitor Survey Response


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION B.1 IN TE GRATE ENV IRONMEN TA L KN OW LED GE/E DUCATION/RE SPECT IN TO A LL OF TOFIN O’S EXPERIENCE S

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Tourism is the most significant part of the Tofino economy supporting amenities as well as environmental

protection


Beaches are the primary attraction followed by surfing, hiking , visiting the park whale watching



1

Coordinate an interpretive signage program in areas used by visitors

Natural Environment

6 months-1 year

DOT/Parks

$$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Include a tourism tofino.com guest blogger to highlight local environmental initiatives and local heroes who uphold environmental values

Natural Environment

6 months-1 year

TT RES $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“I would love to see boards or a paper or something that specifies all the work being done in the area to help and preserve the environment”


“It is the natural experience which brings our visitors here. The shops and restaurants support that experience. They don't drive it.”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION B.2 ENSU RE DEVE LOPM ENT PACE MA TCHE S C AP ACITY TO SUP PORT A ND DELIVER EXCE LLE NT EXPERIENCE S – NA TU RA L ENVIRONMEN T

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Continued development potential and having enough infrastructure and resident willingness to accept

more visitors


#

ACTIO N MA IN GOAL TIMING LE A D PA R T N E R $ PROGRE S S T RAC KI NG

1 Town Hall Meeting on the state of Tofino’s infrastructure

Natural Environment

0-6 months

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Complete build-out assessment to help ensure development keeps pace with capacity

Natural Environment

6 months-1 year

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3 Complete Stage 3 Liquid Waste Management Plan

Natural Environment

6 months-1 year

DOT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4 Complete Liquid Waste Capital Works Plan

Natural Environment

1 year- 3 years

DOT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

5 Make a community decision on liquid waste going forward

Natural Environment

1 year- 3 years

DOT ? Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“current infrastructure (roads, parking, water, housing) doesn't support the number of visitors we currently see in the summer”

Survey Participant

“…Tofino is able to stay ahead of the game in terms of protecting the areas that we want to show off (Hot Springs, Meares Island, the beaches, etc...).”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION B.2 ENSU RE DEVE LOPM ENT PACE MA TCHE S C AP ACITY TO SUP PORT A ND DELIVER EXCE LLE NT EXPERIENCE S – VIS ITOR ECON OM Y A ND EXPE RIE NCE

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Continued development potential and having enough infrastructure and resident willingness to accept

more visitors



1

Continue to advocate and explore opportunities to expand airline access to Tofino

Visitor Economy and Experience

0-6 months

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2 Develop Indicators for high quality visitor experiences


0-6 months

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3 Continue visitor surveys for congruence with indicators and targets


6 months-1 year

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4

Identify and solicit funding/sponsorship to leverage existing commitments for fibre optic cable installation


6 months-1 year

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

5 Review and consider improvements to the Tofino Visitor Centre


6 months-1 year

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

6

Evaluate and adjust customer service directions as appropriate with partners


1 year- 3 years

TT DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

7 Implement improvements for the Tofino Visitor Centre


1 year- 3 years

TT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Make it easier for tourists to get here with better airport and highway infrastructure”

Survey Participant

4.8 Average visitor score out of 5 for

Tofino’s overall experience


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION C.1 DEVE LOP EXCE LLE N CE IN CU STOMER SE RV IC E AND VISIT OR EXPE RIE N CE

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Well-developed broad array of tourism experiences, cooperation and collaboration for tourism success

Visitors are most satisfied with their Tofino experience


More and more people looking to past experiences and online for review when considering Tofino


1

Develop a new Ambassador module to deliver to business owners and managers on quality and customer service excellence


6 months-1 year

TLBCC/RES

DOT, TT

$$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Create a Tofino “ expert” list on social media to continue to promote brand quality during the peak seasons


6 months-1 year

TT RES $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3

Develop a business/employee service recognition/award program for excellent service


1 year- 3 years

TLBCC $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“I loved the laid-back and relaxed atmosphere of Tofino and the entire area. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. ”


30% 30% 30%

Percentage of travelers who used previous trips (30%), friends and

relatives (30%) or destination website (30%) as the main source of

trip pre-booking information


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION C.2 UPDA TE MA RKET RESEA RCH TO SU PP ORT TH E MA RKETIN G TO TA RGE T AUD IENCE S W ITH GREATE ST P OTEN TIAL

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Changing travel preferences for aging travelers

Diminished strength of the CDN dollar vs the US

Growth potential from emerging country travel markets



Changing travel preferences for increasingly multicultural markets



Spending is highest by overnight guests from other Canada (non-BC) and the US


ACTIO N MA IN GOAL TIMING LE A D

PA R T N E R $ PROGRE S S T RAC KI NG

1

Update the current market research and marketing plan as soon as critical information becomes available


0-6 months TT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Continue to share research with stakeholders via AGM-style presentations in the Fall


0-6 months TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3 Distribute CTC EQ Toolkit to local business members


6 months-1 year

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4 Re-evaluate the marketing research and plan after 5 years


1 year- 3 years TT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“ Please put more marketing dollars into promoting outside (peak) seasons”

Survey Participant

104 # of Tofino resident survey

comments supporting product development or promotion

activities


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION C.3 DEVE LOP AN D P ROMOTE TOFIN O VA LUE OFFE RIN GS IN THE AP P ROP RIATE SEA SONS

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Capacity to optimize early summer and year round visitation





1

Continue to bring local tourism businesses together to consult on upcoming marketing campaign deliverables


0-6 months

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Develop one value add campaign annually during the off –peak season


0-6 months

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3 Develop a Festival, Events and Animation Strategy(DOT)


6 months-1 year

DOT TT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“…while some of us spend money trying to encourage travellers to visit Tofino year round, … other businesses cut their hours/close down during the Winter”

Survey Participant

“Opportunity for unity between the resorts to develop more marketable packages in the off season in order to attract larger travel providers”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION C.4 IMP ROVING W ORK AND LEA RNING OPP ORTU NIT IE S FROM NOVE M BER TO FE BRUA RY

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Capacity to optimize early summer and year round visitation




1

Develop in demand professional development workshops in the shoulder/offseason

Capacity to Deliver 0-6 months

TLBCC $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2 Deliver components of Ambassador program in the winter

Capacity to Deliver, Visitor Economy and Experience

0-6 months

TLBCC DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3

Develop a contract between appropriate Tofino organizations to implement the Tofino Institute Business Plan

Community Wellbeing, Visitor Economy and Experience, Capacity to Deliver

6 months-1 year

DOT CBT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4

Develop Ambassador program into a program/experience delivered in Tofino

Community Wellbeing, Visitor Economy and Experience

1 year- 3 years

TLBCC DOT $$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

5

Education destination experiences are promoted actively by tourism organizations

Community Wellbeing, Visitor Economy and Experience

1 year- 3 years

TT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“My Vision…Tofino becomes a more interesting place to come; for courses, small workshop type conferences etc. and that the community gets to enjoy access to these”

Survey Participant

“Allows us access to and have more beneficial amenities than a similar town of our size”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION D.1 IM P ROVE LOCA L GOVERN MEN T AND C OM MU NITY SUP P ORT OF LOCA L BUSINE SS


# ACTIO N MA IN GOAL TIMING LE A D PA R T N E R

$ PROGRE S S T RAC KI NG

1

Review opportunities to provide incentives for early business license renewals or alternative renewal dates

Capacity to Deliver

0-6 months

DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

2

Create a communication approach to ensure community understanding of tourism funding sources

Capacity to Deliver

0-6 months

TT/DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

3

Host a local government to business dialogue session (framed by a structure along with open dialogue)

Capacity to Deliver

6 months-1 year

TLBCC DOT $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

4

Host a “Business 101” workshop to provide an overview of business regulatory bylaws “ Regulatory Tradeshow”

Capacity to Deliver

6 months-1 year

TLBCC/DOT

$ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

5

Review and make Tofino’s business regulatory bylaws more user friendly

Capacity to Deliver

1 year- 3 years

DOT TLBCC, TBA

$$

Not Initiated Initiated

Achieved Partial

Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Benefits: RMI funds allow some improvements that also benefit residents”

Survey Participant


Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION D.2 IN C REA SE C OM MU NICA TION A ND DIA LOGU E WITH FIRST NA TIONS C OM MUN ITIE S WITH RE SPEC T TO TOU RISM

SWO T/IN S IGH T S AD DRE S S ED OR EN H A NCED Potential to enhance tourism collaboration with First Nations





1

Co-host cultural tourism workshop with Clayoquot Sound First Nations to engage in dialogue, learn, foundation for cultural tourism

Capacity to Deliver

6 months-1 year

DOT TT $$ Not Initiated Initiated

Achieved Partial

Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

“Opportunity: Integrated economic development plan with surrounding FN communities”

Survey Participant

“Had they been pointed out to me more, I would have enjoyed learning more about the historical/First Nations sites/events”



Our Plan

STRA TE GIC DIREC TION D.3 IMP ROVE UNDERSTANDING A ND C OMMU NIC ATION BETWEE N TOFIN O BUSINE SS SEC TORS



1 Host Tofino business sector profiling and learning luncheons

Capacity to Deliver

0-6 months

TLBCC $ Not


Partial Outcome

Achieved Full

Outcome

Opportunity: “Collaboration between partners - offering packages and tour add ons”

Survey Participant


Evaluating and Adapting

Evaluating and Adapting Monitoring and evaluating progress toward (or away from) the TMP goals is essential to provide transparency, inform decision-making and enable continuous improvement.

Monitoring is the process of gathering data linked to the Tourism Master Plan goals.

Evaluation is the process of reviewing monitored data, gathering insights, assessing progress and refocusing efforts.

Ongoing, consistent and reliable monitoring and evaluation provides the community with a number of essential functions and benefits, including:

Informing decision-making throughout the community;

Informing action planning;

Ensuring transparency and accountability to community stakeholders;

Engaging businesses, residents and visitors in the journey toward the goals by providing meaningful and timely information in an interactive way.

Monitoring, evaluating and reporting should be done at least on an annual basis, and comprise the steps in the diagram.

The indicators help to monitor both the goals and the steps or process to achieve those goals.

Monitoring the steps: Includes tracking whether the actions are being considered, accepted and implemented as discussed. Every action has a ‘progress tracking’ column in the detailed action tables. This tool can be used during the semi-annual check in meetings.

Monitoring the goals: These results will help indicate whether we are working on the right actions, or if we need to adapt our approach. The recommended set of goal indicators (below) is based on the relevant data currently available or available with a minor seed investment.

Existing data sources include organizations such as the Statistics Canada, BC Stats, Destination BC, the Community Energy and Emissions Inventory, and community surveys, which are a great way of collecting unique information for your community. Aside from recommending indicators, we suggest that the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce develop member surveying approaches to support the monitoring of some tourism business outcomes.


Select Indicators

Collect Data

Analyze

Prepare Reports

Communicate

Evaluating and Adapting

TOURI SM MA STE R PL A N GOALS AN D RECOMME ND ED IN DIC A TOR S(2014-2024) N

EED

S TO

SU

PPO

RT

COMMUNITY WELLBEING Tofino is a healthy, resilient, culturally rich

community with appropriate infrastructure and diverse personal and economic opportunities to achieve a high quality of life.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Regional ecosystems are healthy, enhanced by leading

stewardship practices, and celebrated through experiences offered in Tofino’s unique setting.

Community contributions/connections

Economic resiliency and diversity Build connections to protect it Support healthy interactions

Ratio of median home value to median employment* income (BC Assessment/Stats Canada)

Community tourism support - % of residents agreeing that tourism brings more benefits than problems (DOT)

Labourforce breakdown by export industry (tourism, forestry, other) (TLBCC, Stats Canada)

Hectares of parks and natural areas areas in within district boundaries ( DOT, CBT)

Quality of marine water measured by fecal coliform counts (Environment Canada)

Commercial resource use and emissions - energy, water, GHG (Utilities, DOT, CEEI)

% of residential homes with local tax mailing address ( BC Assessment)

# of water based commercial trips annually (Front Counter BC)

% of tourism businesses/staff taking part in the ambassador program (TLBCC)

TOU

RIS

M N

EED

S TO

DEL

IVER

VISITOR ECONOMY AND EXPERIENCE

Tofino provides exceptional visitor experiences, a diversity of offerings and a strong value proposition to visit the area during summer months and throughout the year.

Deliver exceptional attractions, activities and experiences Maintain and optimize peak visitation

periods Grow non-peak periods

Net promoter score (TT) Average length of stay, by season (TT) Room demand estimates ( room nights sold and room revenue) from September to mid-July (TT)

Visitor satisfaction with the experience at key Tofino tourism assets – PRNPR, Beaches (Parks Canada, TT)


TOU

RIS

M

REQ

UIR

ES

CAPACITY TO DELIVER

Tofino has the right resources, capacity and partnerships to deliver on all the tourism goals

Investing in learning Fostering Partnerships Ensuring People and Resources


% of First Nations populations involved in the tourism industry-future consideration (Stats Canada)

Total annual MRDT and RMI funding (DOT)

% of businesses with adequate staffing during the peak season (TLBCC)

% of all businesses’ staff with the organization more than 2 years


Appendices


APPENDIX A TOFINO TOURISM MASTER PLAN – DRAFT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

Tofino is a spectacularly unique destination and community with a tourism vision and goals:

VISION Tourism’s year round contribution to Tofino’s wellbeing is built upon a foundation of exceptional experiences that uplift bodies, minds and spirits while connecting visitors to Tofino’s genuine west coast peoples, eclectic

culture and unique natural places.

GOA LS (2014-2024)

COMMUNI TY WELLBEI NG Tofino is a healthy, resilient, culturally rich community with appropriate infrastructure and diverse personal and economic opportunities to achieve a high quality of life.

NATU R AL ENV IRO NME NT Regional ecosystems are healthy, enhanced by leading stewardship practices, and celebrated through experiences offered in Tofino’s unique setting

VI SIT OR EC ONOM Y AN D EXPER IENCE Tofino provides exceptional visitor experiences, a diversity of offerings and a strong value proposition to visit the area during summer months and throughout the year.

CAP ACI TY TO DEL IVE R Tofino has the right resources, capacity and partnerships to deliver on all tourism goals

Together we can ensure Tofino continues to succeed at community based tourism.

As Partners, we share Tofino’s tourism vision, goals, and recognize the importance of focussing on the strategic directions in the coming years. We commit to helping to achieve those goals through implementation support and actions.

As Partners, we commit to continuing our participation in Tofino’s Tourism Master Plan by:

Continuing our participation with a formal working group and meeting twice a year to help ensure implementation of the plan;

Creating awareness of the vision, goals and directions with respective colleagues, community members, organization members and other tourism stakeholders;

Implementing actions assigned to us in the plan that are within our means;

Agreeing to consider the plan during strategic planning and to align our plans and actions where our organization can have the greatest impact ; and

Reporting progress to respective councils, boards, and members


APPENDIX B TOURISM OFFERINGS AND BUSINESSES

Recreation and Tour Offerings

Name Listing Stunning sport-fishing in protected waters fishing

Atleo River Air Service flightseeing

Black Bear Kayak kayak/canoe tours

Paddle West Kayaking kayak/canoe tours

Remote Passages Sea Kayaking kayak/canoe tours

T'ashii Paddle School CULTURAL CANOE TRIPS kayak/canoe tours

Tofino Sea Kayaking Company kayak/canoe tours

Tofino SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) kayak/canoe tours

World-class sea kayaking; kayak/canoe tours

Marine Adventure Centre multiple

Tofino Paddle Surf multiple

Long Beach Nature Tours multiple

Pacific Rim Navigators multiple

Tofino Paintball other activities

Live To Surf - The Original Tofino Surf Shop surfing/stand up

Pacific Surf School surfing/stand up

Surf Sister surfing/stand up

Tofino Surf Adventures surfing/stand up

Adventure Tofino wildlife viewing

Adventure Tours with Jamie's Whaling Station wildlife viewing

Biggarfish Charters wildlife viewing

Clayoquot Connections Tours wildlife viewing

Clayoquot Ventures Tofino Fishing wildlife viewing

Cleanline Sport Fishing Charters Tofino wildlife viewing

HYMAX CHARTERS Fishing Crabbing Prawning wildlife viewing

Just Birding wildlife viewing

Marina West Motel Marine & Adventure Centre wildlife viewing

Ocean Outfitters Tofino Adventure Company wildlife viewing

Ospray Fishing Charters wildlife viewing

Remote Passages Marine Excursions wildlife viewing

The Whale Centre wildlife viewing

Tofino Fish Guides wildlife viewing

Tofino Ospray Lodge B & B wildlife viewing


Recreation and Tour Offerings

Name Listing Tofino Sport Fishing wildlife viewing

Tofino Water Taxi wildlife viewing

Tonquin Fishing Charters wildlife viewing

Wardo West Fishing Charters wildlife viewing

West Coast Aquatic Safaris wildlife viewing

Parks and Natural Areas

Name Short Description Capacity (Hectares)

Activities

Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

An internationally recognized area that includes terrestrial and marine environments, and extends from the southern boundary of the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to just north of Estevan Point.

60,416 Boating, wildlife viewing, hiking.

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (PRNPR)

PRNPR is made up of parks of three separate regions: Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands, and the West Coast Trail. The entire park encompasses 511 km2 (197 sq mi) of land and ocean. The park is characterized by rugged coasts and lush temperate rainforests. A number of hiking trails exist in the park.

350,000 (of which 83,000

is marine based)

Hiking.

Long Beach The largest and longest beach in PRNPR. Located on Wickaninnish Bay. One of the most popular surfing locations in BC.

2.19 Surfing, beachcombing, walking, bird watching.

Tofino Mudflats Designated a Wildlife Management Area in 1997 the mudflats are a critical wildlife habitat.

2,100 (11 km in length)

Birding watching, wildlife viewing.

Three Rural Areas 1) Islands Rural and is a cluster of islands off the waterfront. 2) centred on MacKenzie Beach Road, 3) the southern portion of the District as identified on Map 1: Land Use.

Birding watching, wildlife viewing.

Tofino Botanical Gardens A network of paths and boardwalks will take you from the Café and Gift shop




Activities

around the flower, herb and kitchen gardens, the duck pond, and Children's Garden into the forest, where clearings have been transformed into a series of pocket gardens, art installations and garden buildings.

Cox Bay Cox Bay is one of the most consistent surfing beaches in the summer months. The beach faces west and picks up smaller summer swells that often elude North Chesterman.

1.5 km in length

Surfing, beachcombing, walking, bird watching.

MacKenzie Beach Gentle bay, limited waves, protected.

Middle Beach

Chesterman Beach The most visited natural area within the District of Tofino. Surfing location for southwest swells.

Jensen’s Bay Parkland approximately 6 acre site lies near an existing stretch of multi use path, adjacent to the residential strata properties of Jensen’s Bay

Wickaninnish Beach Vast stretch of sand, complete with hundreds of weather-bleached driftwood on the edge of golden sand dunes and the ocean's powerful waves. Wickaninnish Beach is situated within Long Beach, in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.


Name Short Description Length

Trails

Multi Use Path (MUP)

The Multi Use Path (MUP) runs from Cox Bay to Tofino. Expect to see walkers, cyclists, joggers, dogs, skateboards, roller skates etc on the path.

6 km

Middle Beach Trail Privately owned trail winds through a resort property, connecting Middle and MacKenzie Beach.




Trails

Tonquin Trail/Tonquin Connector Trail

This is Tofino’s newest trail, winding through ancient rainforest and along the open ocean shoreline. Once the 2 kilometre (1.24 mile) trail is completed, it will connect Tonquin Beach to MacKenzie Beach.

2 km

Harbourfront Walkway

Future plan or already done?

Mountain Bike Trails

Meares Island - Big Tree Trail

The star of this trail, the Hanging Garden Tree, was once considered the largest tree of its kind in Canada, with a circumference of 18.3 metres (60 feet).

3 km

Meares Island - Lone Cone

A prominent landmark in Clayoquot Sound, its looming presence dominates Tofino Harbour. From its summit, Lone Cone provides an impressive 360 degree panorama. All of Clayoquot Sound lies at your feet, and no other view of the area can compare. A trail leads up the south side of the cone. This trail is extremely steep and unrelenting to its 730 metre (2,395 feet) peak, making it one of the most challenging and rewarding trails in Clayoquot Sound.

1 km (mostly vertical)

Flore Island - Wildside Heritage Trail

For centuries, the Ahousaht people used sections of this trail to reach the wild beaches on the west side of Flores Island, a 40 minute boat ride northwest of Tofino. In 1995, under the guidance of the Ahousaht elders, a 16 kilometre (9.94 mile) trail was completed to expand the economic opportunities in Ahousaht traditional territory.

11 km

Vargas Island Vargas Island is a popular Kayak camping destination due to its wonderful location close to Tofino. It has wonderful, wilderness camping for free and a beautiful Plan Your Hiking Trip to Tofino & Ucluelet feeling of remoteness from the world. And if you are lucky you might see whales pass in the distance from Ahous Bay. The relaxing trail from the Tofino side of Vargas Island to Ahous Bay is 3 kilometres. Making this an easy dayhike from Tofino or Ucluelet at just 6 kilometres roundtrip, trailhead to trailhead.

Radar Hill .2km Radar Hill is situated just north of Pacific Rim National Park, between the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. As the site of a historic radar station during World War II, this short, picturesque walk features the Kap'Yong Memorial - in honour of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, which served during the Korean War

0.2 km

Schooner Cove Trail The Schooner Cove Trail is a popular two-kilometre hike in Vancouver Island's Pacific Rim National Park. As a short and relatively easy trail, this scenic hike leads you through lush rainforests and over gentle meandering streams before arriving at a spectacular beachfront area. The walk includes 336 stairs.

2 km

Combers Beach Combers Beach is a beautiful beach area on Vancouver Island that is particularly popular with surfers. The trail to the beach is short but steep, and descends towards a gravelly path from the parking lot.

0.5 km




Trails

Rainforest Trail The scenic Rainforest Trail is one of the most popular hiking trails among locals and visitors in the Tofino-Ucluelet area. The trail has two routes, one on each side of the highway (listed as "Route A" and "Route B" below). The parking lot is located on the west (ocean) side of the highway. The trail includes 731 stairs.

2 km

Bog Trail Consisting entirely of boardwalks, the 0.8-kilometre Bog Trail is a very family-friendly hiking loop that is stroller and wheelchair accessible. The bog, itself, is a unique ecosystem in Pacific Rim National Park, as only a few plant species are able to survive in the acidic soil found here.

0.8 km

South Beach Trail As one of the most scenic hikes in the Tofino area, the South Beach Trail follows along the Pacific Ocean shoreline and offers stunning views of unique, rugged rock formations and foamy waves crashing on the beach. This 1.6-kilometre trail descends through a thick forest and arrives at a sandy beach that features striking rock formations, which help create some memorable (and massive) scenes of wild ocean spray from the sheer force of the oncoming waves.

1.6 km

Nuu Chah Nulth Trail As the longest hiking trail in Pacific Rim National Park, the 3.8-kilometre Nuu Chah Nulth Trail follows a path of raised wooden boardwalks through the dense rainforest towards Florence Beach. Formerly known as the Wickaninnish Trail, the Nuu Chah Nulth Trail begins along the South Beach Trail. Includes 284 stairs.

3.8 km

Willowbrae Trail The 2.8-kilometre Willowbrae Trail is a short hike that follows a wide gravel route before descending down a long wooden staircase to a beautiful, secluded beach area. Although the Willowbrae Trail begins south of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, the trail is still within Pacific Rim National Park.

2.8 km

Halfmoon Bay Trail The 1-kilometre Halfmoon Bay Trail is a short hike that takes you through a lush rainforest before descending a steep set of wooden, cliff-hugging steps that exit onto a scenic and secluded beach area.

1 km



Neighbourhood Parks

Village Green Park Playgrounds, seating, grassy areas, gazebo, tennis courts, basketball courts and skatepark.


Centennial Park Playground, half basketball court, picnic table

Grice Park aka kayak launch, picnic tables, historic anchor, Harbourfront Trail, Hera underwater wreck site

Thirs St Vista Point View spot, banches and picnic tables. Historic anchor

Bert Demeria Memorial Park

Undeveloped park land

Chesterman Beach Park Just over 2 acres of land currently accessed from Lynn Rd,adjacent to Solwood.

Tonquin Park Large park parcel with beach access via wooden bridges, stairs and walkways.

Katie Monks Park

Heritage, arts, and cultural assets

Name Type of Heritage, Arts, or Cultural Assets

Short Description

Eagle Aerie Gallery / Roy Henry Vickers

Art Galleries & Studios

House of Himwitsa Native Art Gallery

Art Galleries & Studios

Reflecting Spirit Gallery Art Galleries & Studios

Shorewind Gallery Art Galleries & Studios

The Village Gallery Art Galleries & Studios

Rubio - Tofino Art Galleries & Studios

Burlwood Studio Art Galleries & Studios

Humanity at Cedar Corner Art Galleries & Studios

Freedom Cove Gardens Art Galleries & Studios

Coastline Art Inc Art Galleries & Studios

Spirit of the Fire Glass Studio Art Galleries & Studios

Tofino Art Glass Art Galleries & Studios

Mark Hobson Gallery Art Galleries & Studios

Tofino Public Market Art Galleries & Studios Weekly market 10 am to 2 pm, May long weekend to the end of September

Tofino heritage buildings Heritage

Tla-o-qui-aht cultural sites Heritage

Archaeological Sites - BC Provincial Heritage Register - Numerous

Heritage

St. Columba Church Heritage 100 years old this year and in excellent condition

Anchors scattered around town (Tonquin Foundation).

Heritage

Harold Monk’s property (The Land Conservancy)

Heritage

District of Tofino building, Heritage


Heritage, arts, and cultural assets

Name Type of Heritage, Arts, or Cultural Assets

Short Description

particularly the theatre; Gary Marks should be a national treasure. Tonquin Foundation’s Maritime Museum

Museum

West Coast Surf Museum Museum

Tofino Community Hall Venues Large open space, kitchen, washrooms and storage/janitor room)

Clayoquot Sound Community Theatre

Venues Presents and/or facilitates a number of plays, weekly movies, performances and events.

Public Library Venues The Tofino branch opened in 1968. Before this, residents of Tofino received their books in wooden crates shipped by boat. The library branch has been in its current location since 2005.

Festivals and Events

Name Short Description Dates

Annual Tofino Skateboard Contest

ArtSplash Visual Arts Show Artshow March

Canada West Paddle Surf Festival

Carving on the Edge festival

Clayoquot Oyster Festival Culinary Arts November

Cold Water Classic Surf Competition

Culture Heritage Festival September

FEAST BC! Culinary Arts May

Jingle Into Christmas Shops open late November

Lantern Festival Family Festival August

Maritime Festival Heritage Festival July

Missoula Childrens Theatre Theatre & Youth February

Monday Movie Nights Film Arts Year round

Pacific Rim Summer Festival Music and Arts Festival

July

Pacific Rim Whale Festival Community Festival

March


Festivals and Events

Name Short Description Dates Queen of the Peak Womens Surf Competition

Surf Competition October

Random Acts of Art Annual Street Art April

Rip Curl Stew Surf Competition June

Saturday Public Market Arts, crafts, foods May - Sept

Shorebird Festival Biridng event May

Surf SUP Festival SUP Festival July

Tofino Box Parade Annual Street Art April

Tofino Food & Wine Festival Culinary Arts June

Tofino International Film Festival Film Arts October

Tofino Legion Fishing Derby Fishing

Tofino Salt Water Classic Fishing Derby Fishing

West Coast Winter Music Festival Music Series - 5 concerts

December-April

Winter Celebration Artisan Festival Craft Market December

Conference and Meeting Facilities Name Short Description Number of

Meeting Rooms

Square Footage

Capacity

Best Western Tin Wis Resort

Vancouver Island Conference Centre features the largest meeting space on Canada's Pacific Rim

3 4000 24, 40 & 160

Long Beach Lodge Resort Meetings, full restaurant and bar 837 30-50

Marina West Motel Our waterfront meeting rooms offer a spectacular views of Clayoquot Sound and are perfect for conferences, meetings, private parties, waterfont barbeques, corporate retreats, focus sessions or special occasions.

2 120

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve - Greenpoint Theatre

Seasonal theatre 1 130 (outdoor)

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve - Kwistis Visitors Centre

Theatre and sun room 1 60 (theatre)

15-20 (sun

room)


Conference and Meeting Facilities Name Short Description Number of

Meeting Rooms

Square Footage

Capacity

Pacific Sands Resorts Outdoor firepit, catering 1 50

St. Columba Church Over 100 years old! 1 80

Tofino Botanical Gardens

Twelve acres of gardens, forest, and shoreline that explore the relationship between culture and nature.

1 30-50 outside

Tofino Community Hall Weddings and other events. Full kitchen.

1 300

Tofino Legion Downstairs

meeting and community events 1 50-75

Tofino Legion Hall Live bands, weddings, events, full bar and kitchen

2 223 standing,

150 sitting

Wickaninnish Community School

Meetings 1

Wickaninnish Inn Chesterman Beach Salal Room & Carving Shed

Art shows, full restaurants and bar. 1 60

Humanity at Cedar Corner

Music, art, meetings, workshops, play 60

Accommodation

Name Accommodation Type

Room Capacity If hostel, number of beds

Adventure Tofino bed & breakfast 3

Black Bear Guesthouse bed & breakfast 3

Brimar B&B bed & breakfast 3

Chesterman Beach B&B bed & breakfast 3

Chesterman House bed & breakfast 3

Gull Cottage B&B bed & breakfast 3

Heron Cottage bed & breakfast 2

Meares Retreat Waterfront B&B bed & breakfast 2

Sauna House B&B bed & breakfast 3

Seafarer's B&B bed & breakfast 2

Botanical Garden Ecolodge bed & breakfast 26-32


Accommodation

Name Accommodation Type

Room Capacity If hostel, number of beds

Cox Bay Resort condo-hotel 40

Ocean Village Beach Resort home vacation rental 51

The Botanical House home vacation rental 6

Sea Star home vacation rental 3

Tofino Inlet Cottages home vacation rental 4 suites and a house

Tofino Inlet Cottages home vacation rental 1 (+4 cabins)

Cathies Beachfront Cottage home vacation rental 3

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort home vacation rental 20

Cobble Wood & Bird Sanctuary Guest House Suites

home vacation rental 5

Gold Coast Retreat home vacation rental 3

Tofino Vacation Rentals home vacation rental 20 suites/townhouses, 7

Cabins, 17 houses

Gordo's Beach House hostel 2

Tofino Travelers Guesthouse hostel

Tofino Trek Inn B&B hostel 3

Whalers on the Point Guesthouse HI Tofino

hostel 60 56

Best Western Tin Wis Resort hotel 85

Long Beach Lodge Resort hotel 41 (+20 cabins)

Middle Beach Lodge hotel 45 (+19 cabins)

Wickaninnish Inn hotel 75

Paddlers Inn inn

Dolphin Motel motel 14

Duffin Cove Resort motel 11 (+2 cabins)

Jamie's Rainforest Inn motel 2 bedroom cabin 30

Marina West Motel motel 63

Schooner Motel motel 18

Tofino Harbourview Motel motel

Tofino Swell Lodge motel 7

Culinary

Name Type of Restaurant

Short Description

Big Daddy's Fish Fry Casual Dining If you like fish & burgers this is the


Culinary


Short Description

place to go in Tofino

Breakers Fresh Food Café Casual Dining Deli style dining

Common Loaf Bake Shop Casual Dining Venue used for art shows, meeting, events.

Driftwood Café on Chesterman Beach Casual Dining Elegant dining experience in a comfortable setting. Our diverse menu includes a variety of Nuu-Chah-Nulth cuisine as well as a traditional selection of West Coast Fare. A full Children's menu is available.

Marina West Motel Casual Dining

Middle Beach Lodge Casual Dining

The Inn at Tough City Casual Dining Workshops, meetings, wedding, art shows, festivals.

Wildside Grill Casual Dining

Caffe Vincente Casual Dining

Darwin's Café at Tofino Botanical Gardens Casual Dining Tofino's organic & natural grocery store + more.

Surf Sisters Coffee & Tea Shops

Calm Water Restaurant Fine Dining

Schooner Restaurant Fine Dining Freshmade Gourmet take-out foods that showcase Vancouver Island farmers.

Shelter Restaurant Fine Dining Seafood, Steaks & Cocktails

SOBO Restaurant Fine Dining Events and films

Spotted Bear Bistro Fine Dining Venue used for art shows, live music, readings, cooking events.

The Great Room at Long Beach Lodge Resort

Fine Dining Spotted Bear Bistro offers upscale classic comfort food with a focus on the abundance of quality products available on Vancouver Island.

The Pointe Restaurant Fine Dining

The Tofitian Food to Go Café

Tacofino Food to Go Outdoor sitting, Food Truck

Chocolate Tofino Food To Go

Dockside Smoked Fish Store Food To Go on-site sushi restaurant and bar

Green Soul Organics Food To Go

RedCan Gourmet Food To Go Enjoy an espresso and locally made treat

Tofino Sea Kayaking Company Food To Go Serving 40 different kinds of premium loose leaf tea

Tofino Tea Bar Food To Go

Trilogy Fish Store Food To Go The freshest seafood. Straight from


Culinary


Short Description

the boat to the kitchen to your plate.

Tofino Coffee Roasting Food to Go Café, craft roaster

Tofino Brewery Food/Drink to Go

Local craft brewery


APPENDIX C VISION TO ACTION OUTCOME ASSESSMENT

DESIRED OUTCOMES The V2A planning structure elaborates on the V2A goals by articulating desired outcome statements to further describe the more specific yet non- prescriptive, outcomes required to achieve the goals. The following desired outcome statements are the ones that best relate to the TMP vision and goals helping to elaborate on what tourism requires, delivers and supports a generation from now.3

- TO

UR

ISM

NEE

DS

TO S

UPP

ORT

- COMMUNI TY WELLBEI NG Community Life

- Citizens are happy, healthy and active, and enjoy a variety of year-round recreation and leisure opportunities and activities that promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

- Residents have access to healthy food and opportunities to grow, harvest and buy local food.

- A diversity of housing forms is available throughout the community, and housing is healthy and affordable for all residents and seasonal employees.

- All local beaches are publicly accessible, and erosion of sensitive beach environments is minimized.

Economic Development

- Tofino has a unique and strong local economy comprised of arts, culture, education, heritage, food offerings, eclectic locally-owned businesses, and water-based industries that include tourism, fishing and aquaculture.

- Tofino’s businesses increasingly source their products and services locally.

- Tofino has become a centre of excellence in learning, research and development, value-added industries, and sustainable eco-tourism activities.

- All Tofino residents have employment that allows them to achieve their personal goals.

- Development goals respect the inherent ecological and fiscal limits to growth within our community and wider bioregion.

- NATU R AL ENV IRO NME NT

- Ecosystems and watersheds are healthy and flourishing, biodiversity is preserved, and wilderness is protected.

- Clayoquot Sound is a thriving marine environment, no longer subject to toxic effluent discharge.

- Tofino residents and visitors enjoy clean air and water, and a dark night sky.

- Old growth features in the town are preserved to reflect the area landscape.

- Greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle travel, the food system, waste and buildings are reduced.

- Tofino is a leader in promoting and adopting green, renewable and sustainable technologies.

- Tofino's tourism amenities and offerings enable visitors to interact with the natural environment with minimal impact.

- Tofino is moving towards a plastic free and zero waste goal.


- A thriving beach stewardship culture keeps beaches and waterfront areas clean, and protects natural features and ecological functions.

- Parks, natural green spaces and greenways are abundant throughout the community and within neighbourhoods, and are interconnected and well-used.

- Homes and neighbourhoods integrate natural areas and systems, use innovative environmental features, and are energy efficient.

- All infrastructure and construction uses more sustainable materials, is economically viable, and is more energy efficient.

3 All the V2A desired outcomes relate to the TMP in some capacity, but these ones are more closely related to the tourism vision and where tourism has the potential for the most direct impact.


- TO

UR

ISM

NEE

DS

TO D

ELIV

ER

- VI SIT OR EC ONOM Y &EX P ERIEN CE - Tofino’s tourism economy is robust and year-round, maximizing the visitor experience while maintaining the community's

eclectic nature and strong social fabric.

Activities, culinary, accommodation and attractions

- Tofino has a unique and strong local economy comprised of arts, culture, education, heritage, food offerings, eclectic locally-owned businesses, and water-based industries that include tourism, fishing and aquaculture.


- Tofino's tourism amenities and offerings enable visitors to interact with the natural environment with minimal impact.

- A thriving beach stewardship culture keeps beaches and waterfront areas clean, and protects natural features and ecological functions.


- Tofino residents and visitors enjoy clean air and water, and a dark night sky.

- Parks, natural green spaces and greenways are abundant throughout the community and within neighbourhoods, and are interconnected and well-used.

- Arts, culture, heritage, natural features and First Nations heritage are appreciated, protected and promoted, contributing to the local economy, community vibrancy, and increased cultural tourism and investment.

- Downtown Tofino is vibrant, with a mixture of residential amenities, commercial uses and a working waterfront.

- Buildings combine Tofino’s eclectic character and west coast design elements at a scale and feel appropriate to its small coastal nature, while protecting natural amenities and viewscapes.

- Accommodation experience?

Infrastructure, services and access

- Excellent communications infrastructure exists throughout the community.

- Sufficient clean water is available to all, and there is a strong culture and practice of water and energy conservation

- Stormwater treatment maximizes the use of natural systems, and wastewater is treated in an environmentally friendly manner.

- Improved pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure and public transportation services within and around Tofino minimize residents’ and visitors’ need to drive.

- Tofino is the transportation hub for Clayoquot Sound and an active participant in marine, road and air access planning, development and management.

- Tofino is prepared to cope with natural disasters.

- Sufficient policing, fire and health services are available to meet the needs of the community

- Access?

TOU

RISM

REQ

UIR

ES

CAP ACI TY TO DELI VE R Partnerships

- There is a strong culture of collaboration, volunteerism and community service, as well as new ways of thinking and doing to seize opportunities and address challenges.

- Strong partnerships with neighbouring communities enhance regional tourism offerings.

- Public spaces and community events promote dialogue, social participation and intellectual development.

People, Skills and Abilities

- All Tofino residents have employment that allows them to achieve their personal goals.

- A diversity of housing forms is available throughout the community, and housing is healthy and affordable for all residents and seasonal employees.


- Everyone in the community has access to learning and education opportunities.

- Funding for tourism?

- Technology systems for tourism?

- Community support?


References

1 District of Tofino 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy 2 BC Resort Community Labour Market Strategic Analysis, 2013 3 District of Tofino 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy 4 Tourism Indicators 2012, prepared for Destination BC by BC stats – January 2014 5 Vancouver Island average portion of BC Room Revenue from 2000-2010 was 17.5%, BC Stats Room Revenue to 2010. 6 Regional Economic Analysis Vancouver Island and Central/Sunshine Coasts: Final Report February 2009 7 Tofino portion of BC room revenue from 2010-2012 was 2.2%, BC Stats Room Revenues 2010-2012 8 Visitor Profile Tofino, Summer 2013 9 State of the Parks Report - Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. 2009 10 2012 In-Market Research Report Vancouver Island, Tourism BC 11 Tourism Industry Association of Canada (2012). The Canadian Tourism Industry: A Special Report. 12 CTC, Tourism Snapshot, January 2013 13 CTC, Tourism Snapshot, November 2013 14 Statistics Canada, International Travel: Advance Information Catalogue no. 66-001-P 15 Cansim Table 427-0001 Number of international travellers entering or returning to Canada, by type of transport, monthly (persons)(1,7)

16 Vancouver Island, Regional Tourism Profile, Destination BC April 2013 17 BC Stats, Tourism Indicators 2012. 18 BC Stats, Tourism Indicators 2012 and BC Ferries Traffic Statistics 19 2012 In-Market Research Report – Vancouver Island, Tourism BC 20 BC Economic Forecast Council, 2013 21 Alberta Budget 2013| Responsible Change, Economic Outlook 2013 22 Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast, November 2013 23 United Way Seniors Vulnerability Report, 2011 24 UNWTO World Tourism Organization (2011). AM Reports Volume 2 'The Power of Youth Travel'. 25 Canada Tourism Commission 2012 Strategy Presentation 26 Tourism Industry Association of Canada (2012). The Canadian Tourism Industry: A Special Report . 27 GO2 BC Resort Community Labour Market Strategic Analysis, 2013 28 Vancouver Island Tourism Labour Market Study, Vancouver Island Tourism HR Steering Committee, 2009 29 Outdoor Participation Report 2013, Outdoor Foundation 30 Aboriginal Tourism Opportunities for Canada U.K., Germany, France CTC, 2007 31 TAMS 2006: U.S. Activity Profile: Aboriginal Cultural Experiences While on Trips, 2006 32 CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION | 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 33 Tofino OCP, 2013


Tofino TOURISM MASTER PLAN

Documents