Sustainable Journeys from Prairies to Pacific

A corridor connects a concentration of similar businesses or institutions together, creating synergies that drive regional economies by leveraging each other’s resources and customers. Collectively, they create greater overall demand for the area and their experiences and give even more reasons for visitors to stay longer and travel through the area.

Destination Canada can play a role in corridor development by facilitating connections and leveraging federal and national partners to encourage engagement and build a more robust network of resources. The cluster and corridor-based approach is informed by theoretical approaches and best-practices from around the globe. For more information, please see the following links:

• Using Cluster-Based Economic Strategy to Minimize Tourism Leakage, UNWTO
• Clusters and the New Economics of Competition, HBS

Destination Canada is funding the development of a strategy, implementation plan, and investment plan for each corridor in the program.

This project will deliver a strategy, implementation and investment plan and focuses on advancing investment readiness for the corridor.

There are four main regions included in the corridor:

• Southern Alberta, including the Káínawa and Pi'ikanni Nations.
• Kootenay Rockies, including the Ktunaxa Nation and more specifically ?aqam and the Yaqan Nukiy First Nations.
• Thompson Okanagan, including the Okanagan Nation and more specifically the Osoyoos, Lower and Upper Similkameen First Nations.
• Vancouver Coast and Mountains.

This project leverages the already existing Destination Development strategies in BC and Alberta and focuses on the investment attraction to have these strategies come to fruition. As well, through this project, inter-provincial collaboration is at the forefront, allowing for synergies and scale that the individual provinces cannot advance on their own.

In partnership with Destination Canada, the Sustainable Journeys from Prairie to Pacific Corridor project was co-led by Travel Alberta and Destination BC.

Destination management organizations (DMOs), local chambers, economic development organizations, and other relevant organizations representing the regions and communities within the corridor are also engaged in the project.

The Sustainable Journeys from Prairie to Pacific Corridor includes several First Nations (as noted earlier); these vital rightsholders, along with other noted Indigenous businesses and community members such as Indigenous Tourism Alberta and Indigenous Tourism BC, were engaged in the project during Phase 1 of the workplan.

The Tourism Corridor Strategy Program was completed in December 2023. Engagement opportunities related to the Sustainable Journeys from Prairie to Pacific Corridor took place from July to September 2023, with the three key deliverables finalized and publicly distributed in May 2024.

Destination Canada contracted the services of industry experts who will co-create strategies and plans with the selected corridors and their stakeholders. Twenty31, a tourism consultancy focused on sustainable tourism and destination development strategy, is leading the provision of services for the Sustainable Journeys from Prairie to Pacific Corridor.

The Implementation Plan identified governance for the implementation of the strategy. Upon completion of the program, Destination Canada cannot fund infrastructure. Destination Canada is now exploring ways to advance and support the work with the corridor team.

Twenty31 had an extensive engagement strategy that included residents, business operators, government and suppliers.

Destination BC’s Invest in Iconics Strategy is a long-term strategy to responsibly increase the benefits of tourism throughout British Columbia through the integration of Place Branding and Destination Development to competitively differentiate BC on the world stage. One of the first compelling route brands to be launched in Fall 2023 is the Rockies to Rainforest. Highway 3 is a key segment of the Rockies to Rainforest journey, along with Highway 1, Highway 5 and Highway 99.

The DC Tourism Corridor Strategy is focused predominantly on the Highway 3 corridor and will be supporting economic development and investment attraction primarily. This Strategy is strictly related to the supply-side of tourism and does not include a branding or marketing component. It is leveraging the great momentum underway for destination development along Highway 3, both in BC and in Alberta.

The work conducted in the context of the Tourism Corridor Strategy helps support new economic opportunities for communities located along Highway 3 and contribute to making this segment of Rockies to Rainforest more resilient and compelling for visitors and investors alike – which supports and aligns with the strategic goals of Invest in Iconics.

In 2019, Destination BC, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports, Indigenous Tourism BC and the tourism regions, completed 19 Destination Development Strategies, including a Strategy for the Highway 3 Corridor. Since then, tremendous progress has been made on the implementation of the Strategy and new partnerships have been formed. The Destination Canada Tourism Corridor Strategy is an opportunity to further support the implementation of the Highway 3 Destination Development Strategy, namely by stimulating investment opportunities, as well as integrating with Travel Alberta and communities along the Alberta portion of the corridor.

The Sustainable Journeys from Prairie to Pacific Corridor project is now at its implementation stage. Corridor partners are leading the implementation with Destination Canada’s support.

To find out more about the implementation of the corridor and whether your project, experience or skills align with it, please contact the dedicated corridor team. Their details are shared under the Team section.