B.C.'s Highway 3 selected by Destinations Canada as new tourism corridor

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The highway is one of three tourism corridors identified for development across Canada.

Published Jun 11, 2023 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 1 minute read

The heritage Midway Hotel was sold in March, 2020, to provide housing for workers at its nearby outdoor cannabis facility. Midway is on Highway 3 and stands to benefit from a tourism corridor being developed on that route. Photo by David Carrigg / PNG /jpg

Highway 3, which runs from Hope to the Rocky Mountains along southern B.C., has been selected as one of three new national tourism corridors.

It’s part of a pilot project launched by Destination Canada, called the Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, which seeks to identify and promote routes that have “clusters of tourism assets,” including historical sites, natural landscapes and cultural events.

“As a country, we aim to offer legendary experiences for our guests, but for our tourism sector to grow and truly thrive, we must equally consider the aspirations of communities as hosts,” said Marsha Walden, president and CEO of Destination Canada.

Destination Canada invited applications to the program in early 2023 and three national corridor proposals were selected: One of them was Sustainable Journey from Prairies to Pacific focused on the Highway 3 corridor linking B.C.’s Lower Mainland and southern Alberta.

“The Prairies to Pacific Corridor initiative will support investments in authentic and transformational experiences — along with the necessary infrastructure and amenities — across the route, thereby increasing interactions between residents, visitors, and place; increasing the dollars spent in our communities; and, motivating overnight stays in all seasons, to ensure regenerative benefits that tourism can bring are enjoyed year-round,” said Alison McKay, vice president of destination management at Destination B.C.

The other two proposals receiving support are the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor, which seeks to promote UNESCO-designated sites across the Atlantic region, and the Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network, which aims to develop authentic Indigenous tourism experiences across northern B.C., the Yukon and western Northwest Territories.

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dcarrigg@postmedia.com

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