Government Needs To Be Involved

by Doug

Government Needs to Get Involved

The outdoor industry and our government need to embrace change and support efforts to move innovative ideas from concept to reality! Our government must become more involved in helping innovation to get off the ground. This should be mandatory in the Budget 2011. We need creative and innovative solutions to eliminate the deficit and we need the government to help small business with these ideas. TecVana is one such program that offers tremendous upside towards eliminating the deficit.

By simply getting more of our urban population engaged in the great outdoor activities, we can grow a $73.0 billion business to over $137.0 billion annually by year five. And if we could grow the level of participation in recreational fishing back to the levels of the early 90’s, we could drive $47.0 billion back into the Canadian economy in the five years? That’s an astounding $64.0 billion more to the Canadian economy each year. This would result in a job growth of over 800,000 in both urban and rural markets, drive an incremental $7.7 billion in tax revenue, generate an incremental $25.5 billion in retail sales and services and grow domestic tourism to rural communities by 2.3 million (not including international tourism).

Talk about a healthy way to reduce our deficit, prevent program cuts, avoid tax increases, drive the economy and deliver future sustainability for our rural society; all by just having fun in the great outdoors!

A redefined and revitalization of the recreational outdoor industry will be the impetus to drive positive social, economic and cultural changes that include;

• Rural Economic Development
• Creation of a Geo-Tourism Industry
• Aboriginal Community Support and Growth
• Job Creation – in rural and urban markets
• Global Leadership in Bridging the Rural / Urban Divide
• A Healthy Way to Reduce Our Deficit

The TecVana program is about creating a new tourism industry on the backbone of the enabling Information Communication Technology (ICT), social media and digital interactive “real-life” user-created outdoor adventures. It is the way of the future. It is inventing our future.

A recent exercise at Fanshawe College proved that incorporating tangible in-game incentives into digital interactive games can draw people away from their computer and into the real-life experience portrayed in the game; a process called game-driven marketing. The new approach appeals to the lifestyle and needs of our younger generation. More importantly the exercised reinforced the belief that our youth, once empowered, can be the voice of our future; they just need an opportunity to be heard and an incentive to get involved.

It can be done! We need to start now! Please get involved and help us become a world leader in driving positive and lasting change.