The Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia is committed to a strong and stable guide outfitting industry in British Columbia that offers the highest quality wilderness experiences and professional standards in North America. The Association is committed to the promotion and practice of wise conservation management and use of all natural resources.
The GOABC represents the majority of guide outfitters in British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories. The Association has eight local Associations in BC. Each local Association has an Executive and a Standards and Ethics Committee. The main provincial body (GOABC) holds its annual meeting in late March or early April each year, and in the last few years the annual affair has been held in Victoria, the province's capital city. In addition to workshops and meetings on various wildlife-related issues, the three-day event now includes an auction/fundraiser on the third day that draws hunters and outdoor enthusiasts from all over North America.
Our Mission Statement
The mission of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) is to be the leader among guide outfitting associations in the areas of governance and organizational performance while ensuring legal and ethical integrity. The GOABC promotes guide outfitting to government and within our communities. We help market the Canadian northwest as the premier hunting destination and endorse the responsible, sustainable and ethical use of the wildlife resource. We encourage our members to honour a Code of Conduct and follow best practices to ensure the highest quality wilderness experiences for hunting clients.
Our Economic Contribution
The guide outfitting industry in British Columbia generates about $116 million of economic activity each year. Dollars generated by guide outfitting are new dollars being injected into the economy, making them even more valuable in economic terms than dollars already in circulation.
More than 2,000 people, including about 1,000 assistant guides, are directly employed in the industry, along with many others who benefit from the industry working in sporting goods stores, grocery stores, service stations, hotels, motels and restaurants.
More than 5,000 hunters come to British Columbia each year spending on average more per day per capita than any other visitor to our province. Several thousand other outdoor enthusiasts come to fish and camp.
The guide outfitting industry contributes between $2 million and $3 million each year to the government in license and tag fees, surcharges and royalties, and millions of other dollars in general taxes.
Operating from an office location in Surrey BC, the Association services the needs of its members in all areas of the province and in the two territories. GOABC provides liability insurance for all of its members as well as marketing assistance to reach the North American and European markets. GOABC publishes Mountain Hunter, an attractive, professionally produced quarterly publication that is mailed worldwide to past, present and potential clients. The Association liaises with government on issues such as regulatory processes, harvest allocations, Indian land claims and treaties, access management, and land use conflicts. GOABC also works closely with the BC Wildlife Federation and other organizations in the interests of conservation and effective wildlife management.