The provincial NDP is taking aim at the Liberal tourism record on the heels of a new strategy announced by Premier Christy Clark on Oct. 25.
While the ambitious goals set by the Liberals before the Olympic Games have failed to fully materialize, the government has blamed the economy.
"There's no question that things changed in 2008," Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell said. "The economic environment that we've seen the last two or three years has impacted us. I'm not particularly hung up on that. I acknowledge that we have a new reality that we have to deal with."
The new Liberal tourism strategy breaks down the sector into what the government has described as six key areas, including winter sports, conventions, Aboriginal tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism and touring.
At present only the winter sports strategy is complete, topped off with the province's push to attract spenders from new markets like China and India.
What the strategy will mean for the Sunshine Coast remains to be seen.
"Eco-tourism, adventure tourism and touring I think have enormous potential for the Sunshine Coast," Bell said. "We just need to market it effectively."
On the other side of the assembly is NDP tourism critic and Vancouver - West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert.
For Herbert, there's no doubt that the changes in the world economy have played a role in declining tourism. Despite that, he said he feels the changed condition to be a lacklustre excuse for the B.C. sector's struggles.
"I think all jurisdictions across Canada, indeed the world, have been affected by the economic meltdown. That being said, we were the Olympic host destination. So you would think we would be doing better than the rest of Canada, not worse," he said.
The NDP's main sticking point on the issue is their claim that tourism in the province has declined in 2011 compared to 2009 levels, something they say is inexcusable after hosting the Games.
He added that the government's new direction of promoting co-operation with industry partners is merely a regression back to the days of Tourism B.C., an entity he said had more direct ties to the industry before it was brought into the government fold in 2009.
With regards to the Sunshine Coast, Herbert said the biggest need is for more promotion within B.C. itself.
"Letting British Columbians know about the great wonders in our own back yard," he explained, pointing to the tendency of residents to head south before exploring areas like the Coast. "There's just not as much knowledge in the Lower Mainland as there should be."
But Sunshine Coast Tourism president Celia Robben isn't as convinced. She said the revenues from hotels and other large accommodations have increased on the Coast by 10 per cent each year since 2006.
"It shows that we've got a product and people have still been coming," she said.
The new tourism plan has targeted a five per cent annual growth rate that should see the industry reach levels of around $18 billion by 2016.
