Surroundings and Snow: Ecosystem services related risks and opportunities at Canadian Mountain Holidays

Abstract: Humanity has a complex relationship with the natural world. One aspect of this relationship is that of dependence on the services that the natural world provides. Commonly referred to as ecosystem services, these are services such as the provisioning of freshwater, timber, and medicines, the regulation of climate, and the maintenance of air quality. This relationship is especially important in the business realm, as most businesses are either directly or indirectly dependent on ecosystem service for their business offerings. This study explores such dependence in the form of business opportunities and risks associated with ecosystem services in Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), a well-established heli-skiing outfit operating out of British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being embedded in the natural world, this study revealed that CMH is dependent on a number of ecosystem services in order to provide their core business offering. Based on concepts established by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, this study uses the Corporate Ecosystem Service Review as an analytical framework to identify priority ecosystem services and their associated risks and opportunities within CMH’s main business offering. The implications of using the Corporate Ecosystem Services Review within the broader tourism context are also discussed.