Aug 8, 2023 | MBTA Initiatives
Project Overview: The Mountain Bike Tourism Association’s Trail Stewardship Enhancement Project has been awarded funding from the B.C. Destination Development Fund (DDF). The DDF aims to invest in projects that: • Foster distinct and globally competitive destinations • Strengthen a year-round visitor economy • Increase community vibrancy and resident support for tourism; and • Support sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. The project contains two main components: 1) Refreshing or building between 40-60 trail information kiosks to help inform and educate trail users about the local trail network(s) and how to support the local group(s) that maintain them and ultimately provide a more consistent experience for local riders and visitors alike. Communication on signage will be site-specific, including trail information, risk mitigation and maps. This will include implementing the new Provincial Trail Signage Standards which are scheduled for release in fall of 2023. 2) Data collection will provide insights into the work done by trail organizations as well as volume estimates for trail users that will also differentiate between residents and visitors. With limited insight into the full scope of outdoor recreation in the province, this data will enhance our understanding of how widely utilized our trail systems are. For mountain biking groups looking to demonstrate how much their trails contribute to their local communities, collecting trail user data can help clubs to secure additional funding to support their activities and operations. We will be hosting an event in the fall to provide an overview of the program and how it will work. Stay tuned for more information or feel free to email grant@mbta.ca with any questions. Benefits of the Project The trailhead...
Nov 3, 2021 | Industry, MBTA Initiatives, Partners, Trends, Uncategorized
For anyone that missed the State of the MTB Sector Webinar on November 3rd, you can view the Zoom video recording here. The MBTA would like to thank all the presenters for their excellent presentations. Crankworx Events Darren Kinnaird darren@crankworx.com Whistler Mountain Bike Park Wendy Robinson Wrobinson@vailresorts.com IMBA Canada Justin Darbyshire justin@imbacanada.com Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program Patrick Lucas plucas.catalyst@gmail.com Colour the Trails Judy Kasiama judith.kasiama@gmail.com Kootenay Adaptive Sports Association Mike Riediger riedigerm@gmail.com Revelstoke Cycling Association Meghan Tabor meghan.tabor@seerevelstoke.com If you have any follow-up questions about the information presented, please contact the presenter directly or Martin Littlejohn at martin@mbta.ca. If you enjoyed this webinar and would like to see other topics in the future, please take a moment to fill out our webinar topic survey. ...
Oct 19, 2021 | Industry, MBTA Initiatives, Partners
The MBTA is hosting an mtb tourism industry webinar series over the next few months. The first webinar is titled “State of the MTB Sector” and will be held Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021 from 1:00-2:30pm PST. The State of the MTB Sector Webinar will feature a variety of mountain bike focused organizations that are working hard to shape what mountain biking means to BC. Hear how they have overcome many of the challenges from the pandemic and wildfires as well as what they anticipate or have planned for 2022 and beyond. Presenting organizations include Crankworx Events, Canadian Enduro Series, Whistler Mountain Bike Park, IMBA Canada, Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program, Colour the Trails, Kootenay Adaptive, Revelstoke Cycling Association, and others. Click here to register for the State of the MTB Sector webinar on November 3rd @ 1pm PST What topics would you like to hear about or discuss in future webinars? Click here to take our brief...
Apr 26, 2019 | Industry, MBTA Initiatives, Partners, Uncategorized
Notice of an Annual General Meeting for Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA) Tuesday, June 18th, 2019 at 11am PST - via conference call Call in details will be provided to members and partners one week prior to the AGM The AGM is being held for the following purposes: To receive the report of the directors and the accounts for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 To re-elect board members who under the bylaws of the association and, being eligible, are offering themselves for re-election as directors To elect new directors to the association who wish to be nominated – nomination form – nominees must be current partners/members or may also be recognized stakeholders in the mountain biking sector To consider and, if thought fit, pass any resolutions which may be proposed as a special resolution – special resolutions will be advised in advance of the AGM A reminder including the agenda, board vacancies, and further details will be sent to all members approximately one week prior to the meeting date. For more information, please contact Martin Littlejohn at...
Jun 21, 2018 | Industry, MBTA Initiatives, Partners, Trends
Regional economic impact study shows major growth of mountain bike tourism in Sea to Sky Corridor. Vancouver, BC – June 21, 2018 – Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, and North Vancouver receive a significant share of the estimated 9.2 million overnight visitors that come to the Vancouver, Coast and Mountains tourism region each year according to Destination BC’s Regional Tourism Profile. An increasing number of visitors are coming specifically for mountain biking from other parts of BC, Alberta, the US and Overseas. BC has gained legendary status as a mountain biking destination from being featured in countless videos, photographs, and media articles in print and online publications over the past two decades. Mountain biking has transitioned from being a fringe sport into a mainstream recreational activity, following a similar growth pattern as skiing and snowboarding. Mountain biking is being embraced by communities throughout the province who see its value both as a local recreation asset as well as a tourism generator. The Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA), in cooperation with community partners and Destination British Columbia, has released the overall results from the 2016 Sea to Sky Mountain Biking Economic Impact Study. The overall results include a comparison with the previous study completed in 2006 using the same methodology. The results show: Mountain biking visitor expenditures in the Corridor has increased by nearly 100% since the 2006 study, rising from $31.7 million in 2006 to $70.6 million in 2016. The number of jobs supported by mountain bike tourism has grown from 309 in 2006 to an estimated 687 jobs in 2016 with wages totaling $35.9 million. Taxes generated by mountain bike...
Apr 10, 2017 | Industry, MBTA Initiatives, Partners
Revelstoke, BC April 10, 2017 – What do mountain bikers look for in a destination? Great trails, mountain scenery, friendly towns with a passion for outdoor adventure…sounds like Revelstoke! This September 13th to 15th, Revelstoke will host the fourth bi-annual Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium attracting mountain bikers and industry professionals from across the province and beyond. Revelstoke is one of Canada’s most up and coming mountain resort communities, appealing to keen outdoor enthusiasts and extreme sport seekers. Surrounded by the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges, getting out of doors here is mandatory and extremely convenient. “Revelstoke is a great central location in BC, less than 6 hours away from just about anywhere in the province. We are seeing huge growth in our mountain biking sector, and we are beyond thrilled to host the symposium here this year.” – Meghan Tabor, Tourism Revelstoke With recent upgrades to the alpine classic, Frisby Ridge trail, and the brand new jump trail on Boulder, “The Rooster,” delegates will be thrilled with what the community has to offer. Aside from enjoying the incredible riding opportunities, delegates will learn and share their experiences on a variety of issues impacting the mountain bike tourism sector. The main theme for this year’s event is “stewardship”. With the growth of mountain biking in past decade and the anticipated increase in mountain biking visitors to BC in the foreseeable future, the mountain bike sector recognizes the challenges that local trail advocates face in caring for the trails. Finding effective ways to support trail maintenance efforts and increase local capacity is crucial to long term sustainability and success. Tourism Revelstoke,...
