The District of 100 Mile House is looking for input from South Cariboo residents in drafting a new community tourism plan.
There are around 10 eligible communities in BC who qualify for the opportunity presented by Destination BC, with funding support from Pacifican
The purpose of the project is to gain an understanding of tourism in the region and what residents and the tourism industry see as its future.
In an Oct. 30 news release, the district said “We want to work with you to ensure tourism development happens in a way that supports businesses, stakeholders, and residents. We need your help to ensure we chart a path forward that benefits the entire region.”
The municipality aims to gain a better understanding of the current state of tourism in the area and hear from residents and businesses alike what they see as a future vision for tourism development, opportunities to grow and enhance tourism, and barriers/challenges facing the tourism industry.
The tourism industry in the South Cariboo has seen some rough years over the last decade.
At a time when wildfires and the pandemic shut down the region to visitors for several tourist seasons, South Cariboo resorts have seen insurance and property taxes skyrocket over the last few years.
In a story written by the Free Press earlier this year, South Point Resort owner Leanne Sallenback said “resorts are seeing an increase in property taxes, insurance rates, interest rates - and increased operations costs. It is a risk we take on owning these types of businesses, but basic operating costs have gone up immensely in the last few years so a lot of properties are re-evaluating their business strategies and growth plans.”
The situation has led to a decline in the number of privately owned resorts, ranches and campgrounds, and Sallenback predicted this was becoming a trend.
“If the cost to simply keep the doors open continues to rise, I have no doubt you’ll start to see that happen,” she said.
Residents can contribute by filling out an online survey available on the district website from Oct. 30 – Nov. 24, taking part in digital input workshops on Nov. 9th and 16th and through interviews.
For more information contact Joanne Doddridge through the district office at jdoddridge@100milehouse.com or Cassandra Gilmore, Expedition Management Consulting at Cassandra@expeditionconsulting.ca.