Vital Conversation on Sustainable Tourism

On April 23, 2019, the District of Tofino (DoT) and the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT)  invited participants to join in a full-day facilitated conversation regarding the stressors, vulnerabilities and opportunities of Tofino’s tourism economy.

Using data from CBT’s 2018 Vital Signs report as a base for discussion, local youth, elders, NGO staff, Indigenous community members, business owners, and DoT staff and Council all came together to talk about strategic planning, decision making and service delivery in the future.

As one of BC’s fourteen Resort Municipalities, the tourism and hospitality sector comprises a significant portion of Tofino’s economic activity and provides livelihoods for many of its residents.

Tourism and efforts to attract visitors to Tofino must be balanced with the needs, goals and aspirations of the community and residents. With an eye on the social and environmental sustainability of Tofino’s tourism economy, the Vital Conversation focused on the experiences of residents and how measures of quality of life can be positively maintained.

To learn more, please check out the video of the event or read the report.