B.C.’s Outdoor Recreation Strategy
Last updated on May 21, 2026B.C.'s Outdoor Recreation Strategy delivers on five priorities to support the Look West Strategy.
- B.C.’s Outdoor Recreation Strategy [PDF]
- B.C.’s Outdoor Recreation Strategy at a Glance [PDF]
- Tourism Sector Action Plan
- Look West Strategy
- Building a stronger B.C. economy, together
- BC Parks
- Recreation Sites and Trails BC
A shared vision for outdoor recreation in B.C.
Shared vision
Our shared vision is a future where outdoor recreation is central to provincial identity, widely valued, accessible, and a meaningful contributor to the well-being and vitality of communities across the province.
Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation. Time spent outside supports physical and mental health, brings people together, and strengthens a sense of belonging. By supporting a diverse range of high-quality recreation opportunities and reducing barriers to participation, we can ensure that everyone across the province can access the experiences that enrich their lives.
Thriving communities are places where people come and stay. They attract and retain residents and bring visitors from around the world. Outdoor recreation is uniquely available to every rural community in B.C. and provides an essential opportunity for those transitioning from traditional resource sectors.
Outdoor recreation also nurtures a shared ethic of stewardship. This vision recognizes and honours the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Peoples hold with the lands and waters where recreation takes place. By caring for these places and respecting their cultural and ecological significance, we help ensure they remain healthy and vibrant.
In this vision, outdoor recreation in British Columbia is supported by a sustainable system that reflects the province’s cultures and communities. People can enjoy meaningful recreation experiences close to home and across the province, informed by Indigenous leadership and local stewardship. With resilient infrastructure, healthy ecosystems, and partners working together to manage growing demand responsibly, outdoor recreation remains a defining part of life in B.C., —now and for generations to come.
B.C.’s Outdoor Recreation Strategy is guided by five priorities: Inspire Action, Deliver Experiences, Invest in Growth, Support People, and Protect What We Love.
Together, these priorities provide a framework for coordinated action across government and the broader recreation sector, enabling effective planning, focused investment, and stronger collaboration.
Our strategy is built on five key priorities
Grow awareness of the value of outdoor recreation
Support the people who make it happen
Strengthen the foundations of a thriving recreation economy
Outdoor recreation begins with stewardship
Inspire action
An empowered and effective coalition of stakeholders, First Nations partners, and industry aligned to support outdoor recreation
What’s next
- Establish a Provincial Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee
- Explore the establishment of a coordinating Office of Outdoor Recreation
- Continue to expand and support the B.C. Outdoor Sector Coalition
- Compliment the coalition by supporting the development of a youth council to include youth perspectives and leadership into provincial planning
A consistent framework to measure, track, and report on the economic value of outdoor recreation
What's next
- Launch the B.C. Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (B.C. ORSA) and publish results annually
- Develop a framework for assessing health-related economic benefits, including reduced healthcare costs and lower demand on health services, with attention to how these benefits are unevenly distributed across populations
A storytelling platform that showcases the value of outdoor recreation
What's next
- Support the outdoor recreation sector in creating a community-powered multi-media hub to share and discover outdoor stories for use in promotion and advocacy
Deliver experiences
A renewed, sustainable service model for BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC
What’s next
- Continue renewal effort already underway by BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC to integrate service delivery and management frameworks across both branches.
A modernized framework for high-value recreation access and resource roads
What’s next
- Advance a coordinated policy, planning and management approach that responds to shifts in forest and industrial recreation road management and is grounded in strong partnerships
- Plan for and secure key lands that enable recreation access such as trailheads, campgrounds, and access routes to ensure long‑term public access in priority areas
A centralized outdoor recreation digital experience for visitors to BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC
What’s next
- Integrate BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC information, inventory and reservations into a single, unified system that makes it easier for people to find, plan and book all types of outdoor experiences
An iconic trails program for B.C.
What’s next
- Explore the creation and implementation of an iconic trails program that identifies priority routes and exceptional trails to coordinate planning and investment for the trails with the greatest potential for community, cultural, and economic impact.
- Position B.C. as a leader in accessible trail-based recreation by investing in accessible and adaptive trail experiences to reduce barriers to participation and diversify accessible recreation opportunities
Invest in growth
Grow outdoor gear and recreation-tech manufacturing in rural communities
What’s next
- Partner with regional economic development organizations, post‑secondary institutions and provincial ministries to leverage funding and support the growth of outdoor‑recreation and gear‑technology innovation.
- Support the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. and academic partners to evaluate the economic potential of the outdoor recreation sector including job creation, business development, and workforce growth
Indigenous-led opportunities in B.C.’s outdoor recreation economy
What’s next
- Advance Indigenous economic development in outdoor recreation through government-to-government collaboration with First Nations, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports and Indigenous Tourism BC to build capacity, Indigenous‑led business development, and advance collaborative projects
Improve and coordinate recreation permitting processes across multiple provincial agencies to increase business certainty and expand opportunities for users
What’s next
- Undertake permitting transformation in BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC by addressing backlog, reducing timelines and making process improvements
- Pilot an Adventure Tourism Hub for permitting to coordinate select commercial recreation authorizations across legislative and agency processes
Support people
Dependable and diverse funding for outdoor recreation organizations
What’s next
- Work with agency and external partners to explore innovative funding approaches for recreation organizations that develop and maintain recreation infrastructure and assets
Indigenous involvement in outdoor recreation
What’s next
- Co‑lead the creation of an Indigenous-focused collaborative group to understand existing strengths, roles, and needs, and to determine how best to enable and support Indigenous leadership in outdoor recreation
Protect what we love
Integrated recreation planning that is community-centred
What’s next
- Develop a community-centred recreation planning framework and tools that reflect local values and diverse users, supports recreation opportunity development, and informs integrated resource planning across regions
Conservation efforts are aligned with responsible recreation use and growth
What’s next
- Collaborate with the federal government, First Nations and partners to ensure recreation values are considered in land-use planning processes, including efforts that increase the amount of land protected or managed for conservation and recreation initiatives, including the goal to protect 30% of B.C. by 2030
A coordinated framework for responsible recreation
What’s next
- Build collaboration with on-site partners and other ministries to further develop guidance and deepen the understanding of responsible recreation
- Expand on current human-wildlife co-existence programs, including bear-safety practices, to support safe recreation and healthy ecosystems
- Collaborate with the BC Parks Foundation, academia and other partner organizations to expand inventory, monitoring, and ecological research
- Strengthen public understanding by using behavioural insights and social science research to improve education and social marketing efforts that help visitors recognize the importance of protected areas and make responsible choices
A provincial visitor-use management framework
What’s next
- Apply visitor use management planning, strategies, and tools to continue to understand and manage the impact of visitors on cultural and ecological values, while maintaining high-quality outdoor recreation experiences
Strengthened outdoor recreation monitoring, compliance, and enforcement
What’s next
- Work with internal, external, and agency partners to support guardian programs
- Expand coordination with natural resource enforcement agencies to focus efforts on high risks to recreation values
For questions or more information, please contact: parkinfo@gov.bc.ca
Photo: Horseback riding: Destination BC/Megan McLellan
Photo: ATV: Kootenay Rockies Tourism/Mitch Winton
Photo: Ice Climber: Northern BC Tourism/Johnie Gall