Highway 3 touted as major tourism corridor by Destination Canada

Highway 3 has been chosen by Destination Canada as one of three tourism corridors designed to promote tourism and increase business for operators.

“Corridors have the potential to offer a range of attractions and experiences that are connected by a scenic and convenient route, making them popular amongst visitors who want to explore multiple destinations in a single journey, ultimately benefitting local communities,” says a Destination Canada new release.

Highway 3 is touted as a Sustainable Journey from Prairies to Pacific. The route stretches from Medicine Hat in eastern Alberta to Hope in BC.

“This corridor will integrate the existing key strategies and experience themes in Alberta and British Columbia to produce a collection of potential investment opportunities, as well as infrastructure enhancements to grow demand and manage visitation in the long-term,” the release says.

While it talks about linking the large urban hubs in both provinces, the highway actually falls short of reaching Vancouver and Calgary is about a two hour drive north of Highway 3.

READ MORE: BC’s first trans-provincial highway stalled before it reached the Okanagan

A second corridor is the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor that links 13 UNESCO sites from the Bay of Funday to Red Bay on the Labrador coast.

The Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network will be designed to connect Indigenous tourism sites in Yukon, western Northwest Territories and northern BC.

Now that the corridors have been selected, Destination Canada will spend $250,000 to hire consultants to develop the corridors.

This is the start of a pilot project that sought applications earlier this year then selected the three corridors last week with the goal of accelerating the intentional development of tourism corridors or clusters of tourism assets across Canada. It's hoped the project will be finished by the end of this year.

READ MORE: New time travel video shows Highway 3 from Princeton to Osoyoos in 1966

“With oversight from Destination Canada, the consultant will work the communities, provinces, and territories and will be engaged and consulted throughout the process, ensuring that these deliverables are co-created and address the corridor’s desire for development,” the news release reads. It adds there is no money to pay for infrastructure or marketing once the program is completed.

Destination Canada is a Crown corporation funded by the federal government with its head office in Vancouver.

“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,” Alison McKay, vice-president of destination management for Destination BC, said in the release.

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