In many places forest management agencies face a significant amount of public opposition due to the impact that timber production can have on the environment. This is particularly true for regions that promote the natural environment to attract business to local communities. Often times this can lead to conflicts between the tourism and forestry industries. This raises the question of how these two industries can be managed to reduce the impact that forestry practices can have on tourism image. Therefore, questions that will be addressed in this research include:
1. What type of impact can the forestry industry have on the tourism image of regions that market the natural environment and activities that take place in these settings?
2. Are certain tourist segments affected differently by the impacts of forestry in regions that market the natural environment and the outdoor activities that take place in these settings?
3. How can forests be managed to ensure that recreation and tourism values are not compromised by other forest interests?
Conflict between the tourism and forestry industries is a common issue in parts of the world where these two sectors contribute to a region’s economy. Therefore, this investigation will be conducted using a comparative case study method. Two regions where conflict between these industries is evident include British Columbia, Canada and Tasmania, Australia, which is why these two regions have been selected for comparison.
Kyle Hilsendager → kylewh@interchange.ubc.ca