Parks Canada to Offer More Luxury to Attract Visitors

Camping remains an important part of a tourism industry in North America, with the numbers of campers rising steadily in the recent years. Surprisingly, the same period of time (2007/2008 vs. 2008/2009) has shown a drop in attendance in Canadian National Parks.

This phenomenon can hardly be explained by the recession, as camping offers the most affordable holiday option of all. Other reasons being quoted are the urbanization of Canada and the cultural diversity of its population. It is very true that many Canadians come from cultural backgrounds that have never experienced anything like camping and that some people just can’t imagine spending a weekend without their latte. To entice city dwellers into nature, some parks, like Forillon National Park in Quebec, already offer yurts as the choice of accommodation.

Starting next spring, other parks, including Jasper National Park in the Rocky Mountains, will offer “cottage tents” equipped with floors, furniture, lights, pots and cutlery. All the visitors need are food, blankets and other basic necessities.

Other ideas to keep them coming? More sites with electrical hook-ups, more playgrounds and activities, and my personal favourite: wireless internet.

How about that city folks?

While inviting more city folks into nature without the necessity of “roughing it” is great, let’s not go overboard. Let’s not bring the city with all its electronics into nature.

What is your opinion?