BC Parks (Canada) is inviting British Columbia residents to take part in redesigning its online services as the journey of people who want to experience outdoor activities starts online.
According to a report, participants can be part of the redesign, which will result in an inclusive and user-friendly online experience on bcparks.ca. The primary goal of the revamp is to enhance the online reservation system by adding more features.
Feedback can be provided through the test site available at beta.bcparks.ca.
“More people every year are getting out and connecting with nature and green space in our beautiful BC Parks. It’s key to our health and well-being,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“We’ve engaged with people over the past two years, and we’ve heard the call for improvements to the reservation service and the need to build a more reliable, easy-to-use service system,” Heyman added.
Launching on March 21, the new reservation system will be accessible through BC Parks‘ website.
It will contain key features like more flexible search options to find and book a campsite, maps, calendars, and lists of available sites for quicker navigation, saved booking preferences and locations within customer accounts, and as many as five large photos per campsite.
Campers can reserve a site at most campgrounds up to two months before their desired arrival date.
Reservations for groups open on March 24 throughout the rest of the year, and reservations for the well-known Bowron Lake Canoe Tour will begin in April, with reservations available between May through September.
“We live in a province where people have a deep appreciation for parks and the environment,” said Kelly Greene, parliamentary secretary for Environment.
We are all looking forward to another summer of camping and outdoor recreation, and demand for campsites in popular locations will continue to be high. The improved website and reservation system will make the B.C. camping experience even better,” Greene said.
The new BC Parks test site is in operation and offers a glimpse at the design process and enhancements which are being implemented. The new features and content can be found on the website over the next few months. People can also sign-up to be part of future focus groups to help inform the future of all BC Parks‘ digital products and services.
“Power To Be believes that nature should be accessible for all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, so we are thrilled to participate with BC Parks in the redesign of their digital services to support a more user-friendly experience across all their online products and platforms,” said Carinna Kenigsberg, director of programs and impact, Power To Be.
By directly removing barriers for people to learn about, recreate in and go camping in nature, this work – which in its design was inviting to those with a variety of lived experiences – moves forward inclusion and access in our shared provincial parks in a meaningful way,” Kenigsberg said.
BC Parks has more than 10,000 day-use and overnight accommodation options. They range from day-use permits, camping permits, parking permits, campsites, backcountry permits, an elite canoe circuit, picnic shelters, backcountry cabins, and a yurt.
The demand for reservations has increased by more than 200% over the past decade.