ecotourism

Some First Nations on B.C.’s central coast are celebrating now that black bear hunting in their territories is closed to protect the exceptional cream-coloured spirit bears concentrated there.

Hunting guides, hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions on travel keeping foreign customers out of the country, are turning to ecotourism, including wildlife viewing, snowmobiling and guided hikes, to keep their business alive during the pandemic.

The travel industry was sideswiped by COVID-19, and one young Toronto-based sustainability expert sees that as an opportunity to make it greener. But airline emission cuts will have to be part of the rebuild, environmentalists say.