Recreation & Entertainment

1. Recreation & Entertainment Hospitality and Tourism 110

2. Recreation & Entertainment • Projected to be the fastest growing sector by 2015 • Offers some of the most unique work and career opportunities

3. Segments • Attractions • Adventure Tourism and Recreation • Events

4. Attractions

5. Attractions • Attractions are either resource-based (natural) or human-made. • Attractions draw visitors to locations and are the reasons that other services exist. • The more special the attraction, the more visitors it draws.

6. Definitions • Visitor attraction – place, venue or activity that attracts visitors. A fee may or may not be charged. • Natural attractions – beaches of PEI, Rockies, northern lights • Constructed attractions – Confederation Bridge, National Art Gallery (Ottawa)

7. Funding in the Attractions Industry • Public: museums, zoos/aquariums, historic sites, casinos • taxes, admission fees, donations, grants • Non-profit: museums, zoos/aquariums, historic sites • admission fees, donations, grants, memberships • Private: theme parks, amusement parks, carnivals/circuses, theatres, shopping malls • admission fees, food & beverage, merchandise, entertainment, parking

8. Amusement Parks • The trend is to provide a new ride or a new form of entertainment every year • Another trend is to provide people with interactive computer games • Special events at the parks are becoming increasingly important

9. Videos • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/4661-how-roller-coasters-work-video.htm • http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/daily-planet/february-2008/daily-planet-feb-15-2008/#clip17436 • http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/3479985/

10. Adventure Tourism & Recreation

11. Adventure Tourism & Recreation • A major motivator in attracting tourists • An annual growth rate of 15% makes this the fastest growing industry in Canadian tourism • More than 80 different occupations in this sector

12. Parks Canada • Parks Canada and Canadian Heritage are responsible for: • Our national historic sites • Our seven heritage canal systems • Our national battlefields • Our national heritage river systems • All national museums and galleries • Library and Archives Canada • Canadian cultural activities, including television, radio, film, and the arts

13. Crown Land • Much of our Canadian wilderness is owned by the federal or provincial governments – known as Crown Land • Most adventure tourism occurs on Crown land • E.g. province of British Columbia • 92% is provincial Crown land • 1% is federal Crown land • 5% is privately owned • 2% covered by water

14. Adventure Tourism – Three Categories • Hard adventure – involves risk, challenge and strenuous physical exertion, special equipment and prior training • Example: mountain climbing • Soft adventure – less risky, less strenuous and requires little or no preparation • Example: hiking on a trail • Eco-tourism – nature-related experiences that help people appreciate and understand natural resources and the importance of conservation

15. Hard Adventure – West Coast Trail • Open from May 1 to Sept 30 • 75 km walk • Takes 5 – 7 days to complete • Average temp in July 14C • Hikers must provide Parks Canada with an itinerary in case of accident – rescuers may take 24 hours to arrive

16. Ecotourism • One of the most misunderstood and overused terms in the tourism sector • Most ecotourists are more mature, have post-secondary education, prefer longer trips (8 to 14 days) and are willing to pay a higher price • Must ensure that no damage is done to our ecosystems • E.g. low-impact camping, take everything out with you, no picking or taking ‘souvenirs’, etc.

17. Ecotourism • Examples in Canada: • Tours flying into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest , BC • Tracing the early path of European explorers across Davis Strait to Baffin Island • Travelling the coastal waters of the Arctic

18. Ecotourism • Greenwashing – too many tour operators and suppliers using ecotourism to encourage clients yet NOT doing anything to ensure they are being responsible to our ecosystems

19. Outdoor Recreation

20. Winter Sports • Skiing – 35 percent of Canadian population skis during the winter • Types • Track skiing– done on groomed trails • Touring skiing – done on ungroomed trails • Cross-country/Nordic • Downhill/alpine • Heli-skiing • Snowboarding

21. Winter Sports • Dog-sledding • Luge • Snowmobiling • Hockey • Ice skating • Tobogganing • Curling • Ice sailing

22. Spring, Summer & Fall • Hunting and Fishing • Camping • Golf • Tennis • Marine Activities • Walking

23. Tourism’s Impact on the Environment

24. Impact • Tourism is a user and abuser of the environment. • Establishing tourism management practices that limit harm to the environment is becoming a top priority for the tourism sector. • The Great Barrier Reef is a prime example of environmental damage by tourists who knowingly or unknowingly kill the corals by stepping on them or taking them home as souvenirs.

25. Impact • Carrying Capacity – maximum number of people who can use a site without damaging it too much for the next visitors. • Some areas preserve the experience by limiting the number of visitors per year.

26. Environmental Components • Vegetation • Water Quality • Other Pollutants • Wildlife • Coastlines • Mountains • Deserts

27. Canada’s Green Plan

28. Green Plan • Recommends that 12 percent of Canada’s lands be protected space for parks, historic sites and wildlife. • Reduce waste sent to landfill sites by 50% • Redesigning purchasing policies to ensure waste reduction • Collecting and recycling all recyclables • Using environmentally friendly hotel supplies

29. Fairmont Hotels • One of the first chains to ask guests to use their bed linens more than once • Blue recycle boxes have reached 100% compliance • 86% of paper is recycled • 90% of used soap is recycled to local charities and less developed countries • Chateau Montebello uses its own compost as a fertilizer • Royal York donates leftover food to relief agencies in the city

30. Events

31. Events • Important industry because it makes use of: • Accommodations • Food and beverage • Travel services • Recreation and entertainment • Creates jobs (full and part-time) • Every community holds special events

32. Special Events • “A onetime or infrequently occurring event outside the normal program or activities of the sponsoring or organization body. To the customer, a special event is an opportunity for leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choice or beyond everyday experience.”

33. Special Events • Examples: • Olympics and Paralympics • Live 8 Concert • Calgary Stampede • Nova Scotia International Tattoo

34. Festivals • Public celebrations centered on themes of local, regional or national interest • Celebrate jazz, blues, winter, tulips, etc… • Examples: • Folklorama – Winnipeg • Symphony of Fire – Victoria • Pumpkinfest – Port Elgin • Carnaval de Quebec – Quebec City

35. Fairs • Fairs focus on agriculture or history • Agricultural fairs feature livestock, produce, local arts and crafts, carnival rides, food • Examples: • Canadian National Exhibition – Toronto (August) • Royal Winter Fair – Toronto (November)

36. Other Events • Circus – concern for the welfare of circus animals has caused a decline in this type of event • Hallmark Event – bring tourists from around the world and have a huge economic impact on a community • Fundraising Event – people have a chance to enjoy a special activity while supporting a cause

37. Other Events • Civic Events – municipal to global • Canada Day, Remembrance Day, New Year’s Eve • Spectator Sporting Events – can be a large event (Olympics, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl) or a sport that is in a big city (Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Raptors)

38. Conferences, Conventions and Meetings • Association meetings are a) Conventions or b) Conferences • CONVENTIONS – delegates come together to share ideas and to reach agreement • Often has a strong recreational element • CONFERENCES – delegates usually come from a single industry or occupation • Often has a more educational tone

39. Difficulties in holding an event • Finding volunteers • Community businesses and residents who don’t agree with the event • Inadequate planning • Large number of visitors • Damage to the environment • Until well known, difficulty attracting visitors