Vancouver Island Nature Tours

I don’t normally flagrantly self-promote on this site. But an incident a couple of weeks ago has prompted me to post something about what tour guides such as myself bring to the table for visitors. This article is aimed at some of the local people who may not appreciate this. And sadly, there seem to be many who don’t.  The incident involved a certain accommodation provider here in Port Alberni. But it could have been any other person such as a gas station attendant, a waiter or waitress, or someone else. In response wrote the email below.

“While I was talking to my guests yesterday, they mentioned that they were chatting to you about their trip with Rainbird Excursions. They mentioned that you had asked why they didn’t just run up there themselves and see the falls. I would like to let you know why people see value in what Rainbird Excursions offers.

First and foremost, I am a story-teller and nature interpreter. Most of my guests travel a long way to get here. Because of this, they have a sincere interest in in the area, its culture, social institutions, economy, government, and natural history. When people are travelling they usually never get an opportunity for lengthy contact with locals who have extensive knowledge in these areas. So it is a treat for them to spend some time with such a person and to be taken to spots where they get some in-depth information. Yes, perhaps they could get much of this by reading in a book or on the net. But you and I both know, it is easier and more interesting to have someone tell you about an area than to just read it.

What I do is called Experiential Tourism.  Here is one definition. “Experiential tourism is the opposite of mass tourism that traditionally focused on package tours and vacations with low levels of personal involvement. Experiential tourism shows rather than describes. It encourages visitors to actively participate in the experience andpromotes activities that draw people outdoors, and into cultures and communities. In this sense it is very personal and individual. Nature tourism, resource-based tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, transformational travel, heritage tourism and other niche areas fit under the umbrella of experiential tourism. Essentially, experiential tourists seek memorable experience.”  The concept has been around quite a while. It has also gained a tremendous amount of popularity. Google “Experiential Tourism” and you will see what I mean.

People who visit from a long way away, don’t know their way around the area . Older visitors fear getting lost. This would take valuable time out of their expensive vacation. Often they rent cars or recreational vehicles. The rental agreement has a clause that prevents them from taking these vehicles on a gravel road. If they want to get off the beaten track to locations away from the rest of the crowd, and experience the true Canadian wilderness they have to find a tour operator who does this sort of thing. Another aspect of this is that people from big cities or from Europe are often afraid to be in the forest by themselves. They appreciate having someone who can tell them that there are no poisonous snakes, or plants on Vancouver island, how to behave should they encounter a bear or a cougar, and anything else that may raise their anxiety level.

Lastly, my guests often have a good deal of disposable income and are quite well educated. These guests worked for very large corporations. One was a marketer for a huge company that builds pumps, and the other works for the second largest accounting firm in the world. So I wouldn’t assume that being thrifty with their money is their first concern. These people are often well-travelled as well. They are looking to learn something from their visit, not just see the sites and have a party. Experiential tourism is a huge world-wide phenomenon. By embracing its concepts and principles, our little town’s tourism industry can only prosper. It is this demographic that we need to target to achieve more success.

I hope, through this note, that you can appreciate the perspective of visitors to Vancouver Island and the role of  tour operators in providing a valuable service to them.

Sincerely,

Sandy McRuer”

Here is a link to some other comments on a similar topic.

Private Tour Guides: Worth it?

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