Interest in ecotourism spiking in Sault Ste. Marie

With tourism picking up in and around Sault Ste. Marie, officials are specifically marketing the local eco-tourism industry.

Several tour and guide operators sprung up in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic, while interest in an eco-tourism program at Sault College has also spiked.

Travis Anderson, Sault Ste. Marie's director of tourism, said the city is becoming a popular tourist destination.

"If there's one thing that we have in spades, it's outdoor adventure," said Anderson.

"We're looking forward to another great summer, whether it's people coming up here to go hiking, kayaking, just enjoying the beaches or mountain biking."

Sault College offers a program called Adventure Eco-Tourism, which is designed to prepare entrepreneurs for the tourism industry. Prof. Lawrence Foster said the program is gaining popularity.

"We've definitely seen a spike in enrolment," said Foster.

"And what we're also seeing is that the people coming into the program are more mature. They're in their 40s, some of them in their 50s, and they want a little change from the hustle and bustle of big city life."

Thrive Tours, a self-described eco-cultural tourism company, launched in Sault Ste. Marie last year. The owners said they strive to make their canoe and hiking tours environmentally friendly.

"We choose to have our tours being with zero gas or zero fuel," said co-owner, Brad Robinson.

"We either are doing human-powered and or something that doesn't require gasoline, such as electric power."

"When we start, we talk about how we don't litter, and if we see something, we always pick it up," said co-owner Amanda Cora.

"I'm always carrying a garbage bag with me. We're making that a big point to leave it better than we found it."

Robinson and Cora said the pandemic may have reminded people of the positive mental and physical impacts of getting outside, which in turn, may also be leading to a great appreciation of the environment.