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Reports and surveys

Visitor use and attendance

  • Almost 90% of British Columbians have used a provincial park at some time
  • About six in 10 residents of British Columbia use a provincial park each year

End-of-year reports

These reports present important information related to BC Parks visitor services for the fiscal year (April 1, to March 31, of any given year).

In 2010-11 BC Parks changed the reporting structure. In the past, reporting occurred in one document, which was entitled BC Parks Year End Report. In 2010-11, the report had been split into two distinct reports:  the BC Parks 2010-11 Statistics Report and the BC Parks 2010-11 Annual Report.

The BC Parks Annual Report provides information on the full breadth of BC Parks’ management activities. The Annual Report tells BC Parks’ success stories, recognizes the work done by staff and our many partners, showcases key projects and facility investments, and discusses challenges and lessons learned. By separating the report into two distinct publications, BC Parks is able to provide more focused accounts of both areas of information and operations.

The BC Parks Statistics Report contains detailed park attendance and revenue tables and graphs, satisfaction survey information and financial tables.

Household survey

2005 Household Survey: Provincial Report

BC Stats, Surveys and Analysis Section (Ministry of Labour and Citizen Services) on behalf of BC Parks, conducted a province-wide telephone survey of 2,000 British Columbians in November 2005.

2001 Household Survey: Planning Future Directions for BC Parks

To better understand British Columbians’ views about the management of provincial parks, BC Parks conducted a province-wide mail survey.

Economic benefits of BC Parks

Parks and protected areas generate substantial economic activity through expenditures by the agency (for example, salaries, capital projects) and even more from the spending by millions of park visitors (on transportation, accommodation, food and beverages and so forth). These expenditures are an important source of economic activity for local areas near parks, particularly in remote regions. All this spending also generates spin-off economic activity, as well as tax revenue for government.

In 2010, BC Parks worked with the Canadian Parks Council to measure the economic benefits of parks and contributed to the report, The Economic Impact of Canada’s National, Provincial and Territorial Parks in 2009 (prepared by The Outspan Group Inc., published July 2011). This report shows that:

  • The $47 million in operating and capital expenditures (excludes amortization) by BC Parks and PFOs led to $394 million in expenditures by visitors. In other words, every one dollar invested in the protected areas system generates $8.42 in visitor spending on food, entertainment, transportation and other goods and services.
  • Provincial park-related spending generated over $28 million in tax revenues (sales and production taxes only, does not include income tax effects), returning 60 per cent of BC Parks’ capital and operating expenditures.
  • The combined economic impact of this spending is a $392 million boost to GDP and over 5,200 full-time jobs.

Research Bulletin: The Economic Impact of Canada’s Parks in 2009 [PDF]