PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation and in collaboration with numerous partners including Parks Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and regional Chambers of Commerce and marketing partnerships, is currently developing a national model for the promotion and identification of sustainable tourism opportunities.

A three year project beginning in September 2006, this is a major initiative to assess and develop the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve area (which includes the Rideau Corridor and Thousand Islands regions) as a location and destination for sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism will integrate the economic, social, cultural and ecological attributes and needs of the region. This project will form the basis of associated projects to identify strengths and opportunities to be used in creating a sustainable and competitive tourism industry. 

According to a definition jointly developed by Parks Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Sustainable Tourism is “tourism which actively fosters appreciation and stewardship of the natural, cultural and historic resources and special places by local residents, the tourism industry, governments and visitors. It is tourism which can be sustained over the long term because it results in a net benefit for the social, economic, natural and cultural environments of the area in which it takes place.”  The effort to bring a net benefit to the social, economic and natural environments is very closely related to the international accounting standard known as the “triple bottom line”. 

There are a number of other projects presently underway in the area which have and will continue to contribute to this project. By collaborating with others, this project will lead to a stronger, more unified industry that leverages its resources more effectively for specific goal achievement that is noticeable to the community it serves.

YEAR ONE

In order to better understand and help develop a sustainable tourism industry, Phase One of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve Sustainable Tourism Project saw completion of a comprehensive inventory of all tourist attractions and businesses in the area.  This included businesses, cultural assets, historical features, natural areas, and other resources for vacationers, businesses and planners in the area. 

The inventory gathering and assessment provides us with valuable information on what is ready, in development, or at a level of operation. The database will continue to grow, be evaluated and will also help determine the strengths, weaknesses, gaps and opportunities in the industry. 

YEAR TWO

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM WORKSHOP SERIES 2008 Click Link Here

The Sustainable Tourism Workshop Series in Phase Two was met with considerable interest and enthusiasm. A sense of value in regional collaborations was created, even across sectors.

Indeed, the project went considerably beyond tourism, and has launched sustainable community development and sustainable community planning in the region. The project has also shown that there is a region that extends beyond the actual designated area of the biosphere reserve which wishes to be engaged in the biosphere project. (Area of Participation Map)

Feedback to this series has been overwhelmingly positive. Attendees have included at some or all of the workshops, all of the region’s mayors, economic development officers and planners. There was active participation from the Ontario Ministries of Culture and Tourism, and from numerous other government agencies, non-profit organizations and businesses across the region.

YEAR THREE

As a result of the workshops, we will now begin to "write the textbook" on the sustainable tourism development workshop. The model or "textbook" will adhere to the Biosphere Reserve’s set of four principles used to guide decision-making in this project:

1. Viability – recognizing the need for economic viability in line with maintaining or improving the region’s natural and historical assets.
2. Voluntary – successful models should be based on voluntary partnerships and networks of government agencies, civil organizations and businesses.
3. Transferability – creating a model that could be applied or copied in other regions of Canada with similar core areas of nature reserves or National/Provincial Parks.
4. Capability – creating a model that will fall within the capabilities of the average community, support environmental and cultural integrity, and be community led and inspired.