EverythingVille
Well...
When it comes to international tourism, the 'boost' from the 2010 Olympics, which cost every single family of four in this province $1,800, is less than zero.
Paul Willcocks has the story:
...B.C.’s tourist visits aren’t just flat-lined. They’re declining. The Games impact has been non-existent.
That’s not surprising. How many British Columbians decided to make visit Turin after watching the 2006 Games?
But in selling the public on the Games, the government promised big benefits. It commissioned a study in 2002 that predicted the Games would result in 1.7 million to 2.7 million additional international visitors between 2008 and 2015. That’s at least 200,000 per year...
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So...
The raw numbers are way down.
Which is bad, but some of the flack-hackery could use the recession of 2008-09 deflector spin pseudo-argument.
Which brings us to the real kicker...
The percentage of international visitors to Canada coming to British Columbia as a whole is also down.
And there is absolutely economic/recessional explanation for that.
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Next up....
Turnstiles.
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4 comments:
Footbridges and trails in BC's oldest park, Strathcona, now get repaired and maintained by "guerilla" volunteers working without permission because their demand that the government parks service do its obligation was ignored.
It's the perversity of neo-right ideology that responds to dwindling park visits (because hikers are met with so many "Trail Closed" signs) by installing exorbitant parking meters or neglecting maintenance and eliminating staff. Word of the inevitable emaciation has gotten around and now the park system that was once one of the preeminent outdoor tourist destinations in the world languishes as privateers drool around its boundaries. Just last year timber in protected areas was being eye-balled ostensibly to make up for trees "lost" to the mountain pine beetle. Socreds once planned to commercialized parks to unprecedented levels too but under public licence. The BC Liberal plan is to sell and deploy TKO bankruptcy to favour winning conditions for doing so.
Tell me again why Paul ran away to Latin America, His #1 fan is Curious?
Hey Anon 3:37:
My partner and I are volunteers in Honduras with Cuso International. Check out her blog
http://closer-look.blogspot.com/
Why? It was the right time to try living and contributing in another country, and Cuso provides great opportunities.
Thanks Scotty--
The ratio of PAB-Bots to full-time Park Rangers is most telling in this regard.
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Anon-Above--
Mr. Willcocks is being way, way too modest.
In addition to the fine work with CUSO Paul and Jody have done all kinds of really fantastic and fun stuff.
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