8 research outputs found
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Exposure-Investment-Return Continuum in Agritourism
Farm diversification through agri-tourism requires that farmers understand and make complex decisions about the extent of exposure to tourism that they want their farm operation to have and the potential return on investment. To date, the academic literature has provided limited assistance to aid in navigating these decisions. While studies have reported that investments in agri-tourism are correlated to increased revenue potential there is limited evidence of differentiated returns depending on the type of exposure that a farm provides to visitors. This paper introduces an exposure-investment continuum that will allow for future testing by researchers to determine the trade-offs in agri-tourism development
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Addressing the homogeneity dilemma by customizing tourism development supports for rural regions using the typology of tourism dependence
Despite the general tendency to generalize about rural areas, they are not homogenous. Programs to support development in rural areas often tend to assume homogeneity and as such, they are often created in a “one-size fits all” approach for application by communities. This paper advocates for more customized program supports that take into account the specific needs of destinations at all stages of development. The paper presents a typology of tourism dependence that classifies rural communities into three types differentiated on their level of engagement in tourism including tourism desperate, tourism active and tourism saturated communities. The typology was based on a decade of field research within British Columbia and builds on Smith and Krannich’s (1998) hypothesis of tourism dependence and Hunt and Stronza’s (2014) addition of early stages to Butler’s (1989) Tourism Area Lifecycle model. This typology includes a description of each type and proposes a set of supports to enable sustainable tourism development
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The Influence of Tourism and Amenities on Place Attachment and Entrepreneurship in Remote Communities: A Case Study of Tofino, BC
This study was undertaken to provide a better understanding new migrant entrepreneurs and what attracts them to rural and remote communities. Conducted as a case study in Tofino, the study was done using mixed methods including content analysis of place based promotional tools and semi-structured interviews with a sample of new migrant entrepreneurs who had moved to the community within the past 15 years . The study found that although there were no specific place promotion efforts directed at attracting entrepreneurs, businesses were often established as an indirect outcome of promotional efforts aimed at attracting tourists via destination marketing organizations. The entrepreneurs interviewed had not planned to establish a business from the outset; rather, the decision to start their business resulted due to the attractive capacity of the amenities in the community and the place attachment they developed which fueled their desire to remain in the community to experience the quality of life afforded by natural and cultural amenities. These findings provide valuable contributions to the literature as they expand and clarify the influential role of tourism promotion in economic development
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Enhancing Visitors Experiences at Artisan Businesses: A Case Study of the Économusée® Business Model In British Columbia
ÉCONOMUSÉE© is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 in Quebec, Canada which now includes over 70 Artisans from across Canada and Europe. The model promotes the preservation of traditional knowledge and local entrepreneurship by utilizing cultural tourism to showcase artisans and encourage the consumption of locally produced artisanal products. This study was completed in order to provide data on the growth and effectiveness of the ÉCONOMUSÉE program in British Columbia since it was first introduced in 2012. This paper highlights the results of the impact of the model on overall visitor experience. At this point in time, it appears that there are several positive indicators of success for the ÉCONOMUSÉE model. Visitors rated their experience at the sites very positively, particularly due to components of the model such as the boutiques and welcoming areas. Of the sites that were able to provide data on visitor levels, all saw an increase in visitation post- ÉCONOMUSÉE. Visitor experience was extremely positive and there was high repeat visitation levels at sites. This could be an indicator of potential for increased visitation, particularly due to the current reliance on word of mouth marketing. Although it is unclear to what extent visitors are viewing the education or interpretive elements as core to their experience, as the ÉCONOMUSÉE model becomes more familiar in the region, the recognition and value of the interpretive aspects of the business should increase. A little over half of visitors were from outside the region and stayed overnight, with most staying several nights, generating additional economic opportunity for accommodation providers in the region. The evidence provides justification for investment in the model and support for continuing to expand the model within British Columbia and across Canada
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Consuming places through food tourism: Insights on the food artisan sector from BC
tourism industry. This paper describes a study of BC’s food artisan sector including: a definition and description of food artisans, growth in consumer demand and business, distribution mechanisms and markets, contributions to employment, future business plans and challenges to growth. The study found that consumer demand for products has been increasing whereby 80% of artisans indicated increased demand for their products over the past 3 years, Demand was generated from both resident markets (70%) and visitor markets (30%). Similarly, 85% of artisans indicated business growth over the past 3 years and 86% indicated that their future plans were continued growth. Businesses generated 100% of employment income for 48% of the artisans, with another 40% earning at least 50% of their income from their business. Employment generated by the artisan businesses was more likely to be full time and permanent, with little fluctuation in the averages by season. Artisans used a diverse distribution strategy with the top mechanisms being in local shops, farm markets, local grocery stores and restaurants. The top challenges impacting business growth were difficulties in distributing products, marketing, and accessing capital for expansion. The study provides those involved in economic development, food tourism, and business development new insights on the relative importance of the food artisan sector and its role in place making
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Uncovering and Mapping Place Attachment in Small Cities
Understanding the connections that visitors and residents have to places is critically important for tourism development. Aided with this knowledge, authentic experiences can be developed, stories can be uncovered and told, and resident perspectives can be identified. This paper describes a case study to uncover and map place attachment in three small cities in Western Canada. The project was conducted in the cities of Courtenay, Port Alberni and Nanaimo, BC. A one day “walk about” in each community was used to record 1.5 minute videos (n=85) of residents speaking about a place in their downtown core where they felt connected to. These videos were then uploaded to Arc GIS resulting in the first layer of a dynamic map for each community. Findings were analyzed using content analysis and data visualization techniques. Some of the opportunities emerging from this project for tourism researchers include: a) engaging visitors in sharing the places they feel connected to in the communities they travel to, b) creating more dynamic maps of destinations with layers that reveal deeper, more authentic meaning of place, and c) using this new knowledge to position tourism as a critical component in municipal planning and to embed highly valued places within tourism development planning
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Designing systems for community based visitor data: A collaborative case study on Vancouver Island
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Designing systems for community based visitor data: A collaborative case study on Vancouver Island
Nicole Vaugeois is the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development at Vancouver Island University and Co-Director of the World Leisure Centre of Excellence in Sustainability and Innovation. She works collaboratively with others to provide research support to guide the sustainable development of tourism in rural communities.
Dr. Pete Parker has been a faculty member at VIU since 2012 and completed his doctorate in Parks and Tourism from the University of Florida. His research focuses on creating and sustaining healthy individuals, healthy communities and healthy environments in terrestrial and marine settings.
Nichola Evernden has a Bachelor of Tourism Management degree from Vancouver Island University . Her research interests include agritourism, ecotourism, and the visitor experience. She currently works as a researcher for The Sociable Scientists Inc. where her focus has been on developing a model for community-based tourism market research.
Laurel Sliskovic is owner, researcher, and facilitator with The Sociable Scientists Inc. She works with private businesses, public organizations, and special interest groups to promote quality of life, community development, and local tourism. She has 20 years of experience working in the tourism and recreation industries. Oral Presentatio