Bouctouche

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Bouctouche

• The Sustainable Tourism Community Classroom
• Presented to
• The Rural Matters Conference
• Sunday, October 27, 2002

Presented by Harvey Sawler, Senior Tourism
Consultant Tourism Atlantic (ACOA)
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Contents

• Introduction - Who is Tourism Atlantic?
• Sustainable Tourism in Atlantic Canada A Brief
  History
• Identifying Sustainable Tourism Communities
• Bouctouche The Community
• The Emergence of Bouctouche The Project
• Bouctouche Lessons Learned The Program
• The Research/Product/Marketing Continuum
• Bouctouche Lessons Learned Participating
  Communities
• Bouctouche Tomorrow A Continuum of Help

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Who is Tourism Atlantic?

• The only sectoral-based unit within the Atlantic
  Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
• Partner with the Provinces, private sector
  interests and other federal interests
• Provides strategic support to the Atlantic
  tourism industry

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Who is Tourism Atlantic?
Mission

• To provide active leadership
• in the research, development
• and marketing of authentic
• Atlantic tourism products
• that are multi-seasonal,
• sustainable, exportable
• and profitable

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Who is Tourism Atlantic?

• Supports multi-provincial projects such as
• Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership
• Bay of Fundy Product Club
• Acadian Tourism Commission
• Signature Attractions
• Resorts Atlantic
• Atlantic Technology Initiative

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Sustainable Tourism In Atlantic Canada
A Brief History

• Several academic exercises focusing on
  sustainability
• Regional TIAs adopt (with TIAC) the Code of
  Ethics on Sustainable Tourism Practices in Canada
• An increasing awareness amongst operators and
  bureaucracies regarding sustainability
• Little if any actionable effort toward applying
  practices in sustainability and greening

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Identifying Sustainable Tourism Communities

• Tourism Atlantic and the Provinces pursue a
  formal sustainable tourism communities screening
  model
• Consultants Gardner-Pinfold engaged to study and
  recommend methodology
• Study provides formula for identifying
  communities
• Economic attributes
• Social attributes
• Environmental attributes

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Identifying Sustainable Tourism Communities

• Two types of screening models result
• Technical, academic version
• Simpler, more pedestrian version
• ACOA and the Provinces now have a proven,
  reliable tool for use in identifying where
  strategic tourism investments should be made

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Bouctouche
The Community

• Characteristics

• Town of 2,500 people
• Micmac reserve of 100 people
• Bouctouche watershed enveloping 10,700 residents
• Agricultural and fishing history
• Situated on the Acadian Coastal Drive, 30 minutes
  from Moncton

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Bouctouche Lessons Learned
Vision

• To lead as the model coastal
• community of Atlantic Canada
• in developing a dynamic rural
• economy, based on local
• capacity-building, coastal
• management and sound principles
• of sustainable development

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The Emergence of Bouctouche
The Project

• Mid 90s Bouctouche begins planning for the dune
  project, trails, harbour protection and
  enhancement (Best Practices)
• 5-year ecotourism master plan produced
• Bouctouche transitions from a study-riddled
  community to an action community
• The Irving Eco-Centre (Bouctouche Dune) becomes
  the fastest growing attraction in New Brunswick
  history

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The Emergence of Bouctouche
The Project

• Ancillary products and services emerge
• Bouctouche is recognized by Tourism Atlantic as a
  model sustainable tourism community
• Tourism Atlantic proposes a formal curriculum for
  teaching the Bouctouche formula

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Bouctouche Lessons Learned
The Program

• Extensive curriculum developed
• Participation subsidies established through
  Tourism Atlantic
• ACOA Provinces screen communities for
  participation
• Program delivered by Bouctouche Bay Ecotourism
  Inc. to relevant community interests

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Bouctouche Lessons Learned
The Program

• Typically 12 community leaders comprising
  tourism, municipalities, other business and
  environmental interests
• Challenged into a soul-searching exercise to
  produce their own Regional Ecotourism Business
  Development Strategy
• More than just a curriculum its an experience

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Bouctouche Lessons Learned
The Program

• Regional Ecotourism Business Development
  Strategy
• Ecotourism products
• Small business opportunities
• Capital investment strategy
• Ecotourism skills workshops
• Private/public partnerships strategies
• Value added strategies
• Natural Infrastructure Assessment Strategy
• Marketing and Promotion Strategy

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The Research/Product/Marketing Continuum

• Front-End Research
• What does the market want?
• Customer type/profile
• Demographics
• Match customers and product

Few operators employ research
The primary leadership tool for ACOAs tourism
professionals

• Marketing
• Execution of campaign
• Enhancing customer profile through inquiries
• Research to test effectiveness, awareness,
  performance

• Product Development
• Type of product
• Techniques for successful implementation
• Messages for marketing product

Lack of focus on strategic product development
Tendency for operators to focus on marketing only
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Bouctouche Lessons Learned
Participating Communities
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Bouctouche Lessons Learned
Participating Communities
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Bouctouche Tomorrow
A Continuum of Help

• Second Phase Proposed

• Slightly modified curriculum
• Technology-based add-on, connect all participant
  communities and their leaders (chat room, etc.)
• After-care follow-up