The founders of Legacy are all former tourism owner/operators of some of the most successful tourism businesses of their kind in Canada. Legacy staff know the realities of running a world-class tourism operation in both tough and prosperous times. A resort owned and operated by a Legacy founder was chosen by Conde Nast as the best family resort and eco-restort in North America. Another of our properties was designated as one of the most iconic tourism offerings in Canada being one of the first “Signature Experiences” chosen by Destination Canada. Another operated a wildlife viewing experience named one of the top 10 in the world while a fourth created one of the top six modern golf courses in Canada.
Key factors why you should choose the Legacy Tourism
Group to assist with your next tourism project
84
Tourism Projects
Globally
Since 2013, Legacy has completed over 84 tourism projects with various Indigenous Nations, entrepreneurs, provincial governments and regional municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
70%
Wilderness-Based
Experiences
Of these, 70% were wilderness-based experiences provided in remote settings that often combined authentic Indigenous cultural experiences with outdoor adventure pursuits.
Legacy Tourism
The Founders
Combined 400 Years
Tourism Management Consultants
As tourism management consultants, it is the combined 400 years of on the ground experience our members collectively share that sets our team apart. Our Food and Beverage Director has been an Executive Chef at a five-star property, our Chief Financial Officer owned his own accounting firm which worked with many tourism clients that he later sold to KPMG, our PR specialist has been contracted by both Destination Canada, Jordan Tourism Board N.A. and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and our marketers have worked with some of the best-known resorts and hotels around the world. All of this is to say that we create feasibility reports and business plans that are written to be implemented – not sit on a shelf to collect dust. We are best known for our integrity and values, and our realistic approach to creating sustainable and resilient tourism experiences.
The majority of the projects we have worked on involve significant public engagement with leadership, management and the community. We recognize and respect the need to ensure that our work reflects the values and desires of our clients and the communities they represent. Engagement sessions are held in an informal but professional manner ensuring that the folks we are working with feel comfortable sharing their ideas and leave feeling that their passions and concerns have been communicated and respected fully.
Creation of Jobs
Return to Community
At Legacy we believe that “Return to Community” is as important as the “Return on Investment”. The creation of healthy and meaningful jobs where members are proud of their position and feel a true ownership in the business is an absolute priority. In the case of our Indigenous clients we understand that the guest experience needs to authentically represent and respect the culture, heritage and values of that specific Nation while also respecting the land itself.
We understand the world of federal and provincial bureaucracies and their funding agencies. Legacy founders currently work at the treaty table as well as previously managed an Indigenous economic development department and have raised millions of dollars from public and private agencies for tourism projects.
The Legacy team adheres to strict project management practices and project controls. As a result, we have earned a reputation for delivering high quality projects on time and within budget.
Over the past 30 years the Legacy team has built up a proprietary list of some of the best international and domestic travel trade agents and wholesalers. These strong relationships provide Legacy clients with a significant advantage when it comes time to take their product to market, often decreasing the time it takes to validate the experience and begin booking sales.
Legacy members currently provide marketing and public relations services on contract to Destination Canada, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and Jordan Tourism N.A. as well as many of Canada’s Signature Experiences and hotels. Legacy is also a qualified supplier to Destination BC and Travel Alberta for strategic planning and project implementation. As such, we are extremely fluent in current issues facing the industry including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights and access to the most current research allow us to provide insightful and pragmatic advice to our clients regarding the most current COVID data and visitation forecasts.
Tourism operations that Legacy founders owned and operated as well as the projects we currently work on revolve around the construction and operation of camps and resorts in very remote locations. From the stormy West Coast of B.C. to the frigid North Yukon and western Northwest Territories to the west coast of Hudson’s Bay, we understand the challenges (and costs) of building in these remote areas and what it takes to create an experience that will attract guests from around the world. We also understand that this work must leave the smallest environmental footprint possible. Due to this expertise in remote tourism infrastructure, the Province of Alberta chose Legacy Tourism to review and recommend “comfort camping” infrastructure options for all of Alberta’s provincial parks. This work won the 2019 North American Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals planning award.
We have been involved in assisting with the financing of many of our clients’ businesses. The business plans we complete are considered “finance-ready” and include projections that traditional lenders and public agencies appreciate for being both conservative and based on real-world experiences. We are also often tasked by our clients with existing tourism experiences to improve their profitability and conversion ratio.
