The Honourable Kevin Falcon meets with Mal-U Recreation & Tourism students

The Honourable Kevin Falcon, Minister of Deregulation and Chair of the BC Resort Taskforce, met with Malaspina University-College recreation and tourism management students, faculty and leaders of B.C.’s tourism industry at the Nanaimo campus Tuesday, January 13, 2004.

The provincial government’s BC Resort Taskforce was formed to hear from existing and proposed resorts, communities, First Nations and the tourism industry to determine what barriers the tourism industry encounters when attempting to expand and develop tourism related businesses.

The goals of the Taskforce are to assist BC’s tourism industry to develop and to make a larger contribution to BC’s economy by enhancing resort development and partnerships in the heartlands of British Columbia and to identify and eliminate barriers to resort development, creation and expansion.

A partnership between the BC Resort Taskforce and Malaspina’s Department of Recreation and Tourism Management was initiated by Linda Beltrano from the Ministry of Economic Development, Small Business and Trade (EDSBT), and Malaspina recreation and tourism professor, Dr. Nicole Vaugeois. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Since November, Malaspina and the Taskforce have been developing ways to further the Taskforce’s goals. 

Last year, the Honourable Kevin Falcon participated with students in Malaspina’s fourth year Resort Management online course. The Minister responded to students’ questions posed online. In addition, the students submitted comments and made recommendations on the BC Resort Taskforce website for inclusion in the consultation stage of the process.

Minister Falcon’s Malaspina meeting on Tuesday is a continuation of the Malaspina – Taskforce partnership involving students, faculty and members of the tourism industry.

Falcon said, “We have an unbelievable opportunity in BC to build a strong sustainable tourism industry that will utilize our incredible scenery and offer untold job opportunities for BC’s students of today and tomorrow.”

Further projects will include tourism-related research projects and collaboration on the development of a Strategic Plan for BC’s tourism industry.

Malaspina president Rich Johnston said, “We wish the BC Resort Taskforce success and we eagerly look forward to the results. A vibrant tourism industry is in everyone’s best interest, and we’re pleased that our students and faculty are able to make a valuable contribution to this goal.”

Dr. Vaugeois said, “Malaspina’s Recreation and Tourism Management department has offered diploma programs in tourism and recreation for over 30 years. In 1998, the department began delivering a four-year Bachelor of Tourism Management degree. Since then, the program has over 100 degree graduates who have been incredibly successful in finding positions, or in starting their own businesses.”