I’m not a huge fan of tourism as an economic development driver but I do realize there is a place for it in the overall scheme of things.
It’s interesting that the Telegraph Journal is reporting that New Brunswick is a Canadian hotspot for geocaching a growing tourism niche market that has been around for over five years.
I searched the Tourism New Brunswick website and found only one obscure reference to geocaching.
I’m not sure that governments are particularly good at leading sector development activity. It seems to me that if geocaching could mean thousands of nature-based tourists in the province each year plunking down hundreds of dollars each, shouldn’t the Tourism department be all over it? At least as much as promoting a big fake lobster in Shediac?
I have hiked Yellowstone, Jasper, Grand Canyon, and dozens of other natural areas across North America and New Brunswick, while very beautiful, cannot compete with many of those areas for raw beauty. But maybe this little niche of geocaching could end up drawing folks here.
Tourism is a bit like other sectors. You can get in on the front end and win early market share or you can wait and let the whole thing pass you by.