Development Potential

The future potential of crown lands within the study area was based on identifying areas of
high, medium, low priority. These areas can be discovered through the modelling process as well as
the survey and field research stage. A ranking of priority areas is obviously possible once the model
has been completed. From the ranked areas, calculated by the weighted grids of the model, it will be
possible to identify those regions showing a high tourism potential. From this, the client will be able
to assign values and importance designations to certain areas to determine the priority of areas for
future tourist development within the study area. As extensive surveying and stakeholder studies are a
major component of tourism potential modelling, then from these measures priority levels can also be
set by the department using this initial study. To understand the preferences of tourists and encourage
tourism development that caters to the right market there must be detailed user/tourist surveys
completed that expresses the needs, wants, and demographic make-up of the nature tourist user group
who will be taking advantage of those areas identified by the model. Similarly, tourism operator
studies and surveys will also have to be undertaken. This industry-sided research was meant to
identify those operators that exist, the activities and services they offer to tourists, the tourist facilities
that exist, the supporting infrastructure in place (roads, etc.), the use areas for the tourist activites, and
any gaps where tourist operators feel there is room for development and improvement. Significance
was linked to several criteria such as the drawing power of the attraction or tourist activity (does it
have regional, provincial importance), is there a diversity of quality attractions within the area
(tourists prefer diversity), what number of current or potential attractions can the area support, how
resilient the environment is to increased tourist traffic, and do the attractions appeal just to local
tourists or to a national or international market.