BC’s Visitor Centres Receive Funding for Community-Based Experience Enhancement, Supporting Compelling Reasons for People to Explore BC

The traveller journey has evolved in recent years, and visitors are increasingly seeking engaging experiences that are immersive, community-centric, sustainable, and inclusive. To encourage visitors to travel further, stay longer, adopt responsible travel behaviours, and connect meaningfully while exploring British Columbia, Destination BC is providing 20 community Visitor Centres with funding through the Visitor Experience Enhancement Grant for Visitor Services.

The projects, deeply rooted in service delivery and creating long-term benefits for communities, include a diverse range of initiatives aimed at enhancing the visitor experience both within the Visitor Centre and throughout the community. The projects encourage interactions between visitors and locals, supporting community members with telling stories about local culture, history, and heritage and providing opportunity for learning and enhanced understanding of Indigenous culture and connections to the land. The initiatives also support visitors with navigation tools like signage, maps, and technology. This inspires visitors to keep coming back to discover more of the incredible places and experiences BC has to offer, strengthening travel appeal in all regions and seasons.

The Visitor Experience Enhancement Grant for Visitor Services is an application-based pilot program, providing $526,000 to 20 community Visitor Centres who are part of BC’s Visitor Services Network. Communities receiving funding, are: Cache Creek, Chase, Clearwater, Cortes Island, Dawson Creek, Duncan, Fernie, Fort Nelson, Gold River, Golden, Hedley, Kitimat, McBride, Mission, New Hazelton, Sicamous, Sointula, Valemount, Whistler, and Williams Lake.​

Scheduled for completion by summer 2025, these projects play an important role in sustainably growing tourism across all regions and seasons while contributing benefits for communities, local economies, and residents.

Visitor Centres serve as essential hubs for offering accurate, insightful, and timely travel information to those seeking to explore communities and enjoy enriching tourism activities in BC. In an average year, community Visitor Centres throughout the province collectively assist over 2.9 million visitors, at their physical locations, virtually, and other locations or events throughout the community. Visitor Centre staff play an integral role in elevating the visitor experience by providing personalized guidance that promotes local businesses and encourages spending, contributing to the tourism economy through their dedication to thoughtfully sharing authentic tourism experiences and products. Learn more about the Network Program, here: https://www.destinationbc.ca/what-we-do/destination-management/visitor-services/

This application-based pilot program helps Visitor Centres in BC align with Destination BC’s Invest in Iconics Strategy, transforming the way BC is seen through the eyes of travellers around the world.

See backgrounder for a list of community participants and projects.

Quotes: 

Hon. Lana Popham, BC Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport

“By supporting Visitor Centre community-based projects, we are enriching the visitor experience and helping people connect to the destinations they visit. When visitors understand more about the places they visit, they want to come back time and time again, which benefits communities and the tourism economy all year round.”

Alison McKay, Vice President, Destination Management, Destination BC

“These projects will have a transformative impact on Visitor Centres as they strive to elevate their approach to visitor services delivery, helping to provide compelling reasons to explore BC by delivering remarkable experiences that encourage visitors to recommend and return to BC as a destination of choice.”

About Destination BC:

Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a Provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC’s tourism industry through a combination of global marketing, destination development, industry learning, cooperative community-based programs, and visitor servicing. Destination BC’s programs help to improve the visitor experience, support businesses and communities across the province, and strengthen BC’s worldwide reputation as a destination of choice. For more information about Destination BC’s programs and services, please visit: http://www.DestinationBC.ca/

For additional information, please contact:

Destination BC Media Relations

Email: [email protected]