Emergency Preparedness Week: Tools and Resources for BC’s Tourism Industry

Emergencies and unexpected events can disrupt travel, impact visitor experiences, and put pressure on communities and businesses. Through planning & mitigation, response, and recovery, keeping industry partners and travellers informed is essential – not only for safety, but for preserving BC’s long-held reputation as a safe, trusted, and welcoming destination of choice. 

Emergency Preparedness Week (May 4–10) is an opportunity to refresh your plans, engage your team, and explore tools that can help you protect your business/organization and support the visitors and communities you serve. 

Behind the Work: About the BC Tourism Emergency Management Committee 

In BC, we have a dedicated group of tourism industry and government partners – the Tourism Emergency Management Committee (TEMC) – who work collaboratively to support the safety of visitors, the viability of tourism businesses, and our reputation as a safe and welcoming destination in a provincial or multi-regional emergency preparedness and response.  

The TEMC have established a robust BC Emergency Management Framework that provides resources for the four pillars of emergency management: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response & Recovery. We encourage you to review the Framework to better understand how this structure supports you – and how your organization fits within it. 

The TEMC is co-chaired by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and the Tourism Industry Association of BC, and includes Destination BC, the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat, Indigenous Tourism BC, the BC Destination Management Organization Association, and the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. 

Explore Key Resources on Our Emergency Preparedness Hub 

Clear, timely communication before and during an emergency can help keep visitors safe, reduce economic disruption, and protect communities’ long-term reputations. Whether dealing with wildfires, floods, or other disruptions, having an emergency communications plan – and knowing where to access the latest guidance and official information – is critical. 

Destination BC has compiled a selection of ready-to-use tools to support tourism industry partners in their preparedness and response efforts. Visit the Emergency Preparedness Hub to access tools such as: 

• Emergency Communications Checklists & Plan Templates 

• Emergency Messaging Guidance (*updated Spring 2025) 

• PreparedBC Resources for Businesses 

• Downloadable Social Media Graphics