Tourism is one of Canada?s largest industries. In 2003, tourism generated $52 billion in revenues (~2% of Canada?s gross domestic product) and was the sixth largest employer of Canadians. Outdoor recreation is a critical component of Canada?s tourism industry. Depending on the season, Canadians and visitors to Canada can pursue a wide range of winter and warm-weather outdoor recreation opportunities including alpine and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, camping, golf, hiking and recreational boating.
A principal determinant in the diversity of outdoor recreation available in Canada is the climate. Climate plays a direct role in defining the length and quality (i.e., overall comfort and enjoyment of outdoor experience) of recreation and tourism seasons and in influencing the level of participation. This direct influence of climate on recreation and tourism is referred to as natural seasonality.
The seasonality and associated economic success of various winter and warm-weather outdoor recreation activities are impacted by inter-annual climate variability, both positively and negatively. Table 1 provides selected examples of how climate variability has impacted the tourism and recreation sector in Canada over the past five years. Given the sensitivity of outdoor recreation in Canada to climate, changes in the natural seasonality of individual recreation
activities brought about by climate change could have
implications for businesses and communities that depend on
these activities for their economic livelihood.
