Nature based tourism in British Columbia: Implications of land tenure policy for small business viability

This thesis is concerned with land tenure and its relation to Nature Based Tourism (NBT). A secure form of land tenure is a critical issue for NBT because of its impact on financial investment opportunities and long term viability of tourism operations.;This thesis identifies several issues that must be addressed to satisfy the concerns of the NBT sector in the Kootenay region, and by extension to British Columbia. Some of the most critical issues identified are overlapping tenures, short cancellation periods, and potential temporary loss of operating area due to external circumstances. The thesis concludes that there are a number of options available for the type of property rights required such as Free Crown Grants and Nominal Rent Tenures. Other opportunities identified include a Commercial Recreation Fund and sources of financial assistance that take an approach to required collateral that is more flexible than that of standard lending institutions.