Tourism Prince Rupert says research it commissioned shows the importance of designing BC ferry systems based on the needs of the tourism industry.
The study by Wave Point Consulting highlights potential for tourism growth and the critical role that BC Ferries can play supporting economic development in Prince Rupert, Haida Gwaii, and other communities.
The report calls on the BC government and BC Ferries to take a number of actions, including extending the peak summer season sailing schedule into June and September to boost capacity, recognizing the critical role BC Ferries plays in the northern BC tourism sector, and providing a five-year service guarantee for northern routes to boost certainty for tourism operators.
“The Tourism sector is vital for sustaining traffic levels and driving growth on BC Ferries North routes. Not only would an enhanced ferry service support an expansion of tourism experiences for travellers to Northern BC but a vibrant Tourism sector in the region could, over the longer term, help BC Ferries meet its passenger targets,” said Scott Farwell, Chair of Tourism Prince Rupert, in a news release.
Farwell says the tourist customer has been missing from government policy decisions regarding BC Ferries Service levels.
A copy of the report and its recommendations can be found at: http://wavepointconsulting.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NorthCoastFerryServiceReportApril232018webcopy.pdf.
