The economic benefits of trail systems in B.C. will soon be better understood, thanks to a study funded by the British Columbia Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
Mountain Biking BC (MBBC) received $715,500 for a Trail Stewardship Enhancement Project and is putting the money to work in trail information kiosks and signage, as well as a community trails impact study. The study will be spearheaded in six pilot communities and then spread throughout the province to member communities that are part of MBBC. Using a mixture of mobile analytic data, focus groups, trail counters and interview intercepts, researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of the economic benefit of trails in the province.
Project manager and Whistlerite Grant Lamont said the pilot study will include Squamish, Golden, Fernie, Kamloops, Vernon and Cumberland.
“I think the main reason why these studies are important for trail communities, which include hikers, bikers and runners, is that data helps governments make land-use decisions. If we can show the numbers of users, where they’re from, and economic value of visitors and local trail-users, we can lobby for more maintenance funding,” Lamont said. “In many communities with tourism pressures on trail networks, it’s the same four people doing everything. This will enable clubs to manage resources better, too.”
Executive director for MBBC, Martin Littlejohn, said with the growth in trail-users since COVID-19, many trail management organizations are feeling the pressure.
“Certainly, in COVID-19, there was a boom in trails and use, and [community groups] capacity was at its limits. That hasn’t changed much, it’s become more complex," he said. "It’s not just people going out to build trails, there’s a lot of administrative burden for volunteers to go through trail-building approval processes, as well as fundraising and maintaining trails."
MBBC aims to help them by representing trail clubs at a provincial level, making a business case for trails in B.C.
“One advocacy challenge has been understanding the impact of trails, how much they’re used, where do people come from, what’s their economic value? There's no clear view on what that really means,” Littlejohn said.
While Squamish has pre-existing economic impact data from studies in 2006 and 2016, Littlejohn said MBBC’s will be the first province-wide study digging up the dirt on trail recreation's economic impact.
“This is a far more comprehensive, bigger in scope and ambitious project. There’s a lot of interest by communities,” he said.
Dr. Farhad Moghimehfar, BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development and professor in the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management at Vancouver Island University, has partnered with MBBC for the study.
“There are multiple ways of gathering data, but the main focus is on mobility analytics data," he said. "Every time we use our cellphone, the apps with active location know exactly where you are. They aggregate that data, combine it with other information they know about you that comes from your telecommunications provider like Rogers or Bell or Telus."
While the data is anonymous and aggregated, it provides Moghimehfar with demographic information, where someone’s from and the time they’ve used a trail.
Another method of data collection is surveys for visitors and locals which will examine attitudes and understanding of local trail systems, constraints and services provided, and benefits to the community.
The final method of data collection Moghimehfar spoke to was interviews and focus groups with community members and trail managers.
“We combine this data with information trail managers keep, including previous surveys, and we have an accurate understanding of what’s happening,” Moghimehfar said.
Data collection will run from February through to September, and then analysis and reporting are the next steps. Because of the high volume of data, the team will produce multiple reports for different stakeholders that suit their needs.
“A lot of our communities across the province are seeking new ways of engaging in economic and social progress," Moghimehfar said. "Resource-based economies are challenged, and they want to seek new ways to collect income for their community. Mountain biking has increased exponentially since COVID-19, so it’s a good time to study trail use and how it benefits the economy."
Editors note, Jan. 30, 2025, 10:00 a.m.: This story was updated to correct the amount of funding allocated to Mountain Biking B.C.
