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New Guide for Rural Tourism Product Development Available Now

Back To News July 25th, 2012

Partners from Thompson Rivers University and the REDTREE Project recently released Beyond the tourism plan: Bringing life to tourism in your rural locale.

The guide is the result of the University-Community Collaboration in Tourism Sector Product and Business Development Project, funded by Western Economic Diversification [WED] Canada with contributions from the Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition and Shuswap Tourism.

The project was commonly known as the REDTREE Project, as the funding was provided to support rural communities affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) infestation and the decaying red trees in their wake.

REDTREE also became the acronym for Rural Economic Development - Tourism Research Education Enhancement, a name that speaks to a dual purpose of building capacity for tourism development and management within rural communities and with students in the TRU Tourism program.

Dr. Rob Hood, Chair of the Tourism Management Department at Thompson Rivers University and Director of the REDTREE Project led the initiative; with contributions from Sydney Johnsen, Coordinator of the REDTREE Project, and Phil McIntyre-Paul, Coordinator of the Shuswap Trail Alliance.A number of TRU tourism management students also contributed to the guide.

The cases presented in the guide offer a unique contribution to supporting tourism product development in small towns and rural areas in British Columbia. It includes observations and considerations for tourism product development such as sustainability, product-market match, collaboration, community tourism planning, business planning, capacity building, success factors for rural tourism, and financial resources.

Communities profiled include Lytton and Lytton First Nation, Princeton, and Shuswap Lake Region. Each features a case study on a tourism product development process in that region. 

 

To obtain a copy of the guide for classroom, community, or business use, click here.

 

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