IN SKI Canada ‘magazine,. writer
mene Finlay once described Terrace.

“a diamond in the rough yet to be

_ discovered ”

«Jennifer Lewis, executive director of

. the Terrace Tourism Society, couldn’ t

agree more.

' “We are the last undiscovered place:'_

in B.C. We don’t have tour buses lining

‘up on the street. And believe it or not, I

think that’s a bonus. We are an under-
developed tourism destination.”

What Lewis is saying is the city is
steaming with opportunity.

The main reason people visit Ter-'

race is for outdoor adventure, she said,
and many of them require ‘100 per
cent customer service.”

That’s where locals come in and can
benefit.

There are an endless number of op-

portunities for locals to develop tourism.

services and packages they can offer to
tourists —- many of whom are willing to
pay a lot of money, Lewis said.

“Even the simplest thing as being
willing ‘to take someone hiking on a
trail, on a local trail that we all feel safe
on, something that simple that we take
for granted, * “ Lewis said.

She gives the example of successful
programs in Smithers. |

One program has helpers approach
tourists on the street or in campgrounds —

with information about the. city and its
attractions.
More extensive businesses are also
-lacking here, she said."
“Talk to kayakers. They say: it’ Ss
fabulous here, but there are no kayak
_ or canoe guiding companies.”

What Terrace needs is for ‘ young.

entrepreneurial Spirit-type people”
recognize these market openings and
run with them, Lewis said.

‘She sees some of that happening

‘already and hopes the momentum. will - 7"

continue to grow.

The importance of this cannot be
underrated, Lewis adds.

This is the chance to create good
jobs for young people whe want to stay
here, she emphasized. Many are forced
to leave in search of work.

“For young people that want to stay
in this area, we need to invest in their
future,” Lewis said.

But ‘the tourism expert’ acknowl-
edges everything is not as easy as it
sounds. All new business owners face
challenges and those in Terrace may
face more than the usual.

- The mind set of workers here, and
a lack.of infrastructure and transporta-
tion are just a few, according to Lewis.

« People here are focused on mining |

and forestry’ ‘but its slowly changing,
_She said.”

LOCALS may not realize the appeal c of nearby camping and hiking spots

for tourists to the North.

SARAH ARTIS PHOTO

And though Terrace has’an airport,

JORGE Sepulveda of Northern Escape Heli- -Sking admires the fresh powder of the Skeena Mountains asa Relicopter flies to the bottom to wait for him after his descent.

Terrace’s adventure tourism market is r ri

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 6, 2006 - AS

vy “

c

* Stories by Sarah Artis*

Al

| JOHN FORREST PHOTO —

which is more than many northern

communities ‘can say, the number of *

seats on the airplanes limit the number

‘of visitors here. .

So Lewis wants Hawkair and Air.

Canada to start flying bigger planes

(737s) with more capacity to and from

’ Terrace.

_ People who arrive by plane tend to
spend more money than people who
drive,’she said. |
“We need to get people here. We
need to make people aware of ‘Terrace,
make people aware it’s a destination,”
she said.

The sinking of the Queen of the

‘North and its impact on visitor num-

bers make this even more important.
Lewis recognizes other barriers to
opening tourism operations here as

well — especially if a lot of capital and

use of government land is involved.
These can include finding inves-
tors, securing insurance and receiving .
a land use permit from the government
through a lengthy land tenure applica-

HELPFUL RESOURCES - can
@ 16/37 Community Futures offers free advice to Por
> tential new business owners in Terrace Py

© www.eny. gov. be. ca/beparks/info/permit_ overview. |
html has information on outdoor licence permits

LACIE a)

«Terrace Tourism Society now offers’ discounted i in=
Soanyerys aye;

surance'rates to local recreational tourism ‘Operators

tion process. °

But Lewis is adamant they are just
that - Challenges ~ and they. can be

overcome.

Help is available in the community
and elsewhere, and people should take

advantage of it, Lewis said.

to visitors to the area.

DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO

Local experts share their wisdom |

STARTING
TIPS

e Havea |
comprehen-.
‘sive risk

’ management
and business
plan

© Maintain a

long-term

vision’ —

e Don’t expect
to the busi-
ness to make |
money right.
away

¢ Know your

_market

¢ Protect the’
environment
as it is your
number one

asset —

OPPORTUNITIES TO develop
tourism are here, but it takes work to succeed, say
local players already operating in the market.

' Planning is extremely important, said: John

; Forrest, who opened his company Northern Es-
cape Heli- -Skiing two years ago with two partners.

“You can’t go in there thinking it will all be okay.

- That doesn’t happen.”

“] worked in the industry, gained experience
and learned how to run a business,” he said.

All new business owners face hurdles — and es- .

pecially those focused on the outdoors and based
in the north, Forrest said.

Terrace has an airport, which is an advantage
over other smaller communities. And good ski
terrain in all weather conditions, an essential for
his company, is also available here, he said. |

But the city is missing infrastructure.

To cater to his clientele properly, his company
had to develop its own lodge, train ski guides, and
bring in its own chefs. :

A unique challenge for outdoor operators is.

gaining access to land, Forrest continued. Any
person or business who wishes to use government
land for commercial purposes needs to get permis-
sion through a land tenure application process. _

For a hiking company, it can take about two

‘months to develop the proposal, but for a 10-year -

heli-skiing proposal it can take up to three years,
he said. And then it can take up to five months for

- the government to approve the application.

Another barrier is money.
Although Forrest and his partners have in-

vested “significant” capital in their business, they.

“have yet to see any return on it,” he said.

A ‘new company typically takes a few years to

see.a profit.

Heli-skiing: insurance for the year can cost
more than your average car, Forrest said. It can be
tough to get without a comprehensive risk man-
agement plan, which takes time to create.

Forrest has seen many new businesses fail, in-

adventure .

cluding, his first, because they were missing 0 one

- or more of these elements, he said.

“We were dirt-poor ski. bums.”

When starting an outdoors company, one ‘needs |
to. research the idea, develop a product, make a
plan based around financing and marketing, then:
evaluate the plan to see if it’s feasible, he said.

- Fred Seiler, who co-owns Silvertip EcoTours
with Greg Knox, broke new ground when he got
the first bear tour licence in the province,

He agrees with Forrest that there is much to
consider when it comes to adventure companies.

“As tourism operators we need to be more in.
touch with what’s going on in the environment

because that’s what makes us sustainable,”~ he

said, Operators have a responsibility to keep na-
ture “wild’and free” because that is what tourists
want when they come here, he said.

JESSICA Hogg glides along the calm waters of Lakelse Lake. Canoeing. and kayak- .
ing, popular water sports, are just one potentially profitable service not yet offered

And marketing is crucial. because you are com-

peting with companies all over the world, n not Just

‘in Terrace.

“You have to be able. to beat the next guy in
what he’s doing. You have to show why you are
better,” Seiler said.

The seas onality of the industry may ‘also force .
some companies to diversify, he said, adding
that’ s why Silvertip is successful.

‘ Both Forrest and Seiler agree the opportunity
to sell natural wilderness ‘is here, but people need
to be responsible and knowledgeable to take ad-
vantage of it. - i

One new operator who has recently clued in to
the possibilities here is Darryl Tucker, who just

opened a tour booking company called Moun-

‘tains, Rivers, Oceans.

Though he recognizes the challenges he faces,
his biggest barrier.so far has been time, he said.

He’s got so many ideas and not enough time to
implement them.

His new company is not sustainable yet, he
said, but he thinks the momentum will be there in
four to five years and now is the time to invest.

VG