Strengthening BC’s Visitor Economy: How Destination BC Supports Visitor Services
Tourism is a leading industry in British Columbia, generating billions in annual revenue. From creating jobs to supporting local businesses, tourism strengthens community well-being and development while delivering memorable visitor experiences.
The visitor economy in the province is powered by the millions of people who choose to explore BC, supported by the visitor services that help shape their experiences. Their journeys are made possible through the trip information they receive through visitor services: where to go, what to do, how to stay informed, and how to connect meaningfully with local communities. These services create touchpoints, enhance the visitor experience, and ensure tourism provides lasting benefits for people and places throughout BC.
Why Visitor Services Matter
Visitor services are a vital part of BC’s $22.1 billion tourism economy, generating economic benefits for businesses and communities. They provide practical information and support while also creating connections that inspire travellers to stay longer, explore further, and return again. By making visitors feel welcomed and supported, these services build BC’s reputation as a destination of choice.
At the heart of this work is Destination BC’s Visitor Services team, which manages the Visitor Services Network Program (VSNP) and oversees a range of related initiatives that help visitors connect with people, places, and experiences in BC.
Managing the Visitor Services Network Program
Destination BC’s VSNP is a long-standing, province-wide initiative that supports the delivery of exceptional visitor experiences through consistent, high-quality visitor servicing. Established in 1986, the current program is comprised of 135 community-led Visitor Centres located in every region of the province. These centres are often the first point of contact for visitors and play a primary role in delivering reliable information, local expertise, and personalized trip planning support.
Depending on the community, Visitor Centres may be operated by a range of organizations including Community and Regional Destination Management Organizations (CDMOs and RDMOs), arts and culture groups, chambers of commerce, and in some cases, various levels of government, including First Nations.
Through the VSNP, Destination BC equips Visitor Centres with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed, delivering direct supports and benefits such as:
- Training and Development: A growing suite of workshops, webinars, and learning modules builds the skills of Visitor Centre managers and Tourism Visitor Information Counsellors. With training in customer service, product knowledge, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA), and mental health, and more, the program builds confident and responsive tourism professionals who are prepared to meet the needs of today’s travellers.
- Engagement Opportunities: Year-round, Network managers take part in engagement opportunities that enable them to build relationships with Destination BC, industry partners, and each other. Through a biennial full Network conference, regional meetings, bi-annual engagement calls, and a Buddy Program, members are kept informed of provincial priorities while receiving tools and knowledge to strengthen local operations.
- Guidance: Delivering support to communities and organizations looking to establish or formalize visitor services. Guidance covers delivery options and best practices tailored to each community’s situation and capacity, along with information on funding opportunities and resources to support staffing.
- Visitor Statistics: Members of the VSNP have access to a platform that reveals the story behind their visitors. These insights help shape operations within the centres, guide local businesses on visitor needs and inquiries, and demonstrate the broader value Visitor Centres bring to their communities.
- Signage: Working collaboratively with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit to deliver consistent highway signage, ensuring Visitor Centres are easy for travellers to find and access.
- Emergency Communication: Supporting the distribution of emergency communications, ensuring information from official sources is shared with VSNP members across the province.
- Grants: Since 2022, more than $1.2 million in grant funding has been distributed to enhance the visitor experience through the Indigenous Learning & Projects Grant for Visitor Services and the Visitor Experience Enhancement Grant for Visitor Services. Together, these investments support education, experience development, and initiatives that connect visitors more meaningfully with communities. Projects that have received grant funding include:
- Collaboration: A defining benefit of the VSNP is its strong culture of sharing. Collaboration between large urban centres and remote communities enables small organizations with limited resources to access the expertise, knowledge, and support of a province-wide network.
Services Offered at Visitor Centres: Serving Millions Every Year
In 2024, Visitor Centres around the province served over 2.2 million people in person at their physical locations and around their community, as well as through email, over social media, and by phone. This represents a 5% increase from 2023.
As a key source of relevant and timely travel information, Visitor Centres play an essential role in ensuring destinations keep pace with the convenience, speed, and channel availability expected by today’s travellers, while still providing personalized and meaningful support swiftly and seamlessly. They are deeply rooted in local communities, working in partnership with tourism operators, cultural organizations, and other community partners to extend the benefits of tourism.
Visitor Centres provide visitor services in many ways, from personalized trip planning and tailored recommendations to providing maps, guides, and brochures that help travellers navigate communities and regions. More than information hubs, they are a welcoming place for visitors looking for a chance to rest, recharge, and learn more about their surroundings. Many centres assist with reservations and bookings for accommodations, tours, transportation, and attractions, and share information about local events, festivals, markets, performances, and Indigenous cultural experiences. They also extend their support through digital channels to ensure travellers have access to timely information wherever they are. They play an important role in accessibility and inclusivity by offering multilingual resources, guidance on accessible attractions, and up-to-date safety information such as weather conditions, road closures, and wildfire advisories.
Through these services, Visitor Centres connect travellers with the people, places, and experiences that make BC unique, and many also serve as attractions themselves, offering interpretive displays that deepen visitors’ understanding of the history and culture within each community.
Direct Visitor Engagement
By managing customer relations through the contact us webpage on HelloBC.com, the Visitor Services team responds to hundreds of inquiries each year from both travel agents outside BC and travellers seeking information about communities, routes, transportation schedules, travel itineraries, and trip planning. Whether planning ahead or already in BC, many visitors start with only a general idea of their trip, and the Visitor Services team responds to their inquiries to provide guidance that helps them understand the province’s geography, distances, and travel times. These interactions help visitors feel confident and supported before and during their trip.
The Team Behind the Work
Destination BC’s Visitor Services team is led by Monique Willis, Manager of Visitor Services, and includes Jasmine Wong, Coordinator, Visitor Services, and Karen Oszvath, Industry Online Programs Coordinator. Together, they are dedicated to ensuring that visitor services remain a strong, consistent, and collaborative part of the tourism ecosystem in BC.
