April 17/10 16:13 pm - New BC Mountain Bike Tourism Plan ready for implementation!

Posted by Editoress on 04/17/10
 

British Columbia is poised to become recognized as the most diverse mountain biking tourism destination in the world. The province already has an enviable reputation for mountain biking with internationally recognized resorts, communities, trails, manufacturers, websites, film makers and pro riders. Over the past year, stakeholders from the mountain bike sector have come together to develop a plan for increasing mountain biking visitation to the province through a collaborative marketing strategy developed through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts (MTCA)’s Experiences BC® program . The result has been a new coordinated approach bringing communities and commercial operators together to market BC’s mountain biking experiences to the rest of the world.

“Now that we have a 3 year plan and a clear vision, the next big challenge will be to gain the required investment from communities around the province that have what it takes to be a mountain biking tourism destination” said Martin Littlejohn, Executive Director of the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA). “We have a very unique opportunity to create a successful mountain bike tourism sector for the province. Many of the resources are already in place, however, there is still work to be done to insure that every visitor’s experience is the best it can be”.

The timing is excellent as awareness for BC’s adventure tourism experiences has never been greater thanks to the international exposure that the province received during the 2010 Winter Olympics. There has also been a great deal of progress at the community level in terms of authorization and management of mountain bike trails.

Overseeing the implementation of the plan is a new MBTA board of directors who have been appointed based on their experience, regional representation as well as their involvement in the plan’s development.

2010 Board of Directors – Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA)
Martin Littlejohn - Executive Director, MBTA - Vancouver
Frank Savage – Resort Planner, Resort Municipality of Whistler - Whistler
Todd Pope – Trails Coordinator, District of Squamish - Squamish
Amanda Ridgway – Director, Fernie Mountain Bike Club - Fernie
Phil McIntyre-Paul – Director, Shuswap Trail Alliance/Tourism Faculty, Thompson Rivers University – Salmon Arm
Mark Crowe – Planning Technician, Regional District of Central Kootenay - Nelson
Kevin Eskelin – District Recreation Officer, Nadina/Skeena District, Recreation Sites and Trails BC - Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts - Smithers
Donna Green – Market Researcher/Director, MBTA - Vancouver
Mike Manara – Mountain Biking Manager, Mount Washington Alpine Resort - Courtenay

The complete plan can be found on the MBTA website at www.mbta.ca

The Western Canadian Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA) was formed in 2005. The MBTA’s goal is to have BC recognized for its world class sustainable trails and abundant mountain bike experiences supported by enthusiastic communities and resorts offering high quality services. The MBTA represents registered stakeholders in the mountain bike sector from all regions of the province.

For all inquiries please contact:
Martin Littlejohn
Executive Director,
Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association
604-254-4266
martin@mbta.ca