|
Revelstoke is unique among
B.C. communities in terms of the quality and range of available tourism
resources, the visual appeal of the downtown core, the variety of
tourism services, and the volume of drive-by traffic. While these
factors suggest that the community is well positioned to develop a
thriving, multi-season tourism industry, this has yet to occur and,
although some operators are doing well, several tourism businesses
remain underutilized.
During the research phase
of this strategy, several issues were identified that need to be
addressed to enhance tourism opportunities in Revelstoke. These are as
follows:
-
While Revelstoke has successfully established
itself as a regional and international winter destination, there is
a need to work toward developing the community as a summer tourism
destination.
-
The majority of the summer tourism activity is
still reliant on stopover traffic from the TCH. The community needs
to develop a strategy to attract more drive by travellers into
Revelstoke.
-
It is critical that tourism operators are able
to provide a consistent, high quality product to visitors in both
the summer and winter seasons.
-
There remains a perception among some tourism
operators that the Chamber of Commerce and local government is doing
very little to promote tourism.
-
The local national parks are an important
tourism product which draw many tourists, particularly Europeans
visitors, to the Revelstoke area. It is critical that the product is
consistent and available to visitors who travel long distances to
experience the National Parks.
-
With the relocation of the Tourism Information
Centre, the Chamber of Commerce has lost a “rent free” location to
deliver the important service of providing information to tourists
during the summer months. The issue of finding funding for an
alternative centre is a critical one.
-
Competition for tourism dollars is increasing
and numerous communities in B.C. are looking to tourism to replace
lost primary sector jobs and employment revenue. While many of these
communities lack Revelstoke’s mix of strengths, they are making a
concerted effort to establish a market profile, to increase
visitation, and to attract investment. This competition will
continue to increase. As a result, it will become more challenging
for communities to attract visitors and establish market share.
|
