This document discusses how tourism development in rural areas differs from urban areas. Rural areas face unique challenges like geography, limited resources, poverty, and population decline. The presenter conducted research over 5 years using mixed methods to understand rural tourism realities in BC. Key findings include the need to embed a rural lens in policymaking, improve support programs for rural capacity and marketing, and prioritize community-based research on models that work best. Moving forward, academics and governments can help rural tourism by challenging assumptions, sharing knowledge, and ensuring rural needs are addressed.

1. So how is development
of tourism in a rural
context different?
Nicole L. Vaugeois
BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and
Sustainable Rural Development
Nicole.vaugeois@viu.ca
Phone 250-753-3245 Local 2772
Vancouver Island University
Canadian Association of Geographers Special
Session: Rural tourism and recreation in Canada,
May 28, 2009, Ottawa

2. Looking ahead
▫ Why a rural lens is needed to advance tourism
development;
▫ Context of BC
▫ Methodology
▫ Insights
 Realities for community leaders and operators
▫ Strategies to improve support programs
▫ Research priorities

3. Proportion of the Canadian population
living in urban regions since 1901

5. What makes rural different?
• Geography shapes our culture –
rural culture has evolved with
tensions and realities that are
different from our dominant
urban population.

7. Conditions impacting rural BC

8. Disconnect
Urbancentrism
Technology
Limited contact

9. Urbancentrism
• Policy and programs
• Education offerings
• Communication

10. Bell cell coverage
northern BC

11. And southern BC

12. And access to
internet

13. Limited contact
• Knowledge and exposure to rural realities is
limited
▫ Policy makers
▫ Urban dwellers

16. Poverty

17. Poverty in rural Canada?
• Indicators from recent Federal study:
“Compared to their urban residents, rural residents
tend to have lower education levels, lower levels of
literacy, lower incomes, fewer job opportunities,
fewer higher paying job opportunities, more
seasonal employment, more housing that is in
need of repairs, relatively poorer health, and
relatively poorer access to health care services.”
Rural Poverty Discussion Paper
http://www.rural.gc.ca/researchreports/pov/poverty-pauvrete_e.phtml

18. Migration

19. Shifting base of human capital
• Young people • Seniors in
moving away ▫ Retirement focus
• Few leaders – ▫ Tax and service
▫ travel required to implications
participate in • Amenity migration
decision making ▫ Values and
▫ Burnout interests?

20. Methods of inquiry
How did arrive at our conclusions?
Over the gate… of course!

21. Grounded theory
• 5 years of field research
through each region of BC
• Mixed methods – in depth
interviews, observation,
journaling, mapping, review of
secondary data, focus groups,
rapid rural assessments and
regional comparison
• Multiple lens

22. Tourism Research Innovation
Project (TRIP) (3 year project)
www.trip-project.ca
PARTNERS
•Vancouver Island University •BC Parks
•Thompson Rivers University •Ministry of Economic Development
•College of New Caledonia •Canadian Rural Secretariat
•University of Northern BC •LINK BC
•College of the Rockies
•Tourism BC Funded in part through the Social
•Ministry of Tourism Culture and the Sciences and Humanities Research
Arts
Council

23. Insights on how the rural
context matters when trying to
advance tourism development

24. Developing tourism in
rural areas IS different
Some opportunities are more
present and some unique barriers
exist…

25. Engagement with government

26. Community capacity

27. Marketing realities

28. Business capacity

29. Product development

30. Engagement with “outsiders”

31. Local support

32. Improving support programs

33. Embed a rural lens in
government
• BC Rural Team
• Rural Secretariat
• Field time
▫ Meetings
▫ Reality checks
• Use of rural residents to give
input and assess policy and
program drafts

34. Research priorities

35. Topics AND approaches
• What models are and are not
working? Why and where? Are
successes in one area
transferable?
• Need more micro level base line
data (supply and demand)
• Role of regional tourism
development – a model that can
address “community based
models”
• More community-based,
participative and long term
research approaches where
local knowledge is utilized

36. Beyond conducting research,
academics can:
• Challenge assumptions
• Build knowledge of rural areas and develop a
rural lens
• Ensure our programs and content reflect rural
realities
• Expose our students to these realities
• Research topics where rural is a key variable
• Conduct collaborative research with those in
rural areas
• Share our knowledge with rural audiences

37. Made in BC approach
BCRIC in Tourism and
Sustainable Rural Development
• Fill knowledge gaps that will enable rural communities to
develop sustainable tourism
▫ Understand realities (trends, product development, capacities etc)
▫ Visitor data
• Collect research to support informed decision making at the
community and regional level
• Develop resources that translate research to practice (how to
manuals, workshops, etc).
• Evaluate development models to improve accountability and
document best practices
• Liaise with policy makers to ensure knowledge is linked to
policy and program development

38. Drivers will be:
Threefold:
1. A research agenda
developed with
guidance from an
advisory committee
(audience is rural
communities)
2. Communities and
regions seeking
knowledge
3. Academic questions
about rural tourism

39. Thank you
Nicole Vaugeois
Nicole.vaugeois@viu.ca
www.trip-project.ca