Tourism and Recreation
With its abundant wildlife, incredible fishing and scenic coastline, Canada's North Pacific Coast of B.C. is a dream destination for people from around the world. People are attracted by activities such as boating, sailing, sports fishing, kayaking, wildlife viewing, cultural tourism, and guided recreation.
Tourism makes a substantial economic contribution to coastal communities within Canada's North Pacific Coast. A study of the economic contribution of outdoor recreation to B.C.’s Central and North Coast and Haida Gwaii, estimated marine activities brought about $55 million annually to the regional economy. These activities included boating, saltwater and freshwater sports fishing, kayaking, hunting, diving, nature study, hiking, and river sports.
The cruise ship industry is also a significant component of tourism on Canada's North Pacific Coast. In 2007, the Port of Prince Rupert hosted 100,000 passengers and 60 large cruise ships. Cruise ships of all sizes venture through Canada's North Pacific Coast, from smaller 'pocket cruises' to huge vessels that can carry over 3000 passengers. Tourists come from all over the world to experience the scenery, the wildlife and the communities of the Pacific North Coast.
To see maps of recreational activities in B.C. waters, visit the Tourism and Recreation pages and Sports Fishing pages of the Marine Atlas of Pacific Canada.
Concerns
There are some negative impacts from the tourism industry that must be addressed in the planning for Canada's North Pacific Coast such as sewage dumped from cruise ships, pressure on species from recreational fishing and behaviour changes in marine mammals as a result of human activities.
Both the tourism and recreation industry are dependent on the relatively intact ecosystems of Canada's North Pacific Coast’s, yet only about 0.8% of the area’s marine environment is protected. Creating a network of Marine Protected Areas in these waters would portect the many natural resources which support the ecotourism and recreation sectors.
Sources:
Chris Joseph, Thomas I. Gunton. (2009) Benefits of Marine Planning: An Assessment of Economic and Environmental Values
