Destination BC at the 2026 UBCM Convention: what local governments told us about tourism
Destination BC attended the 2026 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention on September 16 and 17, hosting a trade show booth and opening a panel session on tourism and economic development. Over two days, the Destination BC team spoke with local government leaders from across British Columbia about how tourism supports community budgets, businesses, and services.
The UBCM Convention is the annual gathering where local government and First Nations members in British Columbia work through key policy issues and connect with other orders of government. It draws more than 2,000 decision-makers, influencers, and provincial government representatives.
Why does Destination BC attend the UBCM Convention?
Destination BC attends UBCM because local government decisions shape how tourism works in a community. Municipal leaders and local government staff influence land use planning, destination development, permitting, and local investment, all of which affect how communities experience and benefit from the visitor economy.
The convention is one of the few opportunities each year to speak directly with that audience about what tourism contributes to communities and how Destination BC can support local tourism and economic development goals.
How does tourism spending support local governments?
Tourism spending moves through a local economy in three steps, and Destination BC used an interactive display at UBCM to show delegates how that chain works:
| Step | Where the money goes |
| 1. Travellers spend | Accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, shopping, and attractions and events |
| 2. Local businesses benefit | Job creation, salaries and wages, business improvements, year-round services, and tax revenue |
| 3. Local governments reinvest | Community programs, education, healthcare, transportation and infrastructure, and technology |
Delegates drew a capsule from a light-up capsule machine, found a sticker naming one piece of that chain, and added it to a shared wall. By the end of the second day, more than 250 stickers were on the wall.
Infrastructure and transportation drew the most interest, prompting conversations about how tourism connects to many areas of municipal work that are not usually filed under tourism.
Alongside the wall, Destination BC shared resident sentiment research and value of tourism data, including take-away stats cards for delegates to bring back to their communities.
What was the Attracting Investment panel about?
Ali McKay, Vice President of Destination Management at Destination BC, opened “Attracting Investment: Working with Tourism Organizations,” a UBCM convention session on tourism as a partner in local economic development.
The panel featured representatives from the City of Nanaimo, Destinations International, the Town of Smithers, the City of Victoria, Destination Greater Victoria, and the City of Kamloops. Speakers from rural, mid-sized, and urban communities shared examples of partnerships that are strengthening local businesses, attracting investment and talent, activating downtowns, and supporting community vibrancy through economic change.
The common thread across all three community sizes: tourism is often overlooked as a strategic economic development partner, and the communities seeing results are the ones that treat it as one.
What did Destination BC hear from local governments at UBCM 2026?
Four themes came through consistently across two days of conversations:
- Tourism readiness varies widely between communities. Communities have different priorities, challenges, and capacity. Effective support depends on understanding local needs and connecting each community with the right programs and resources at the right time.
- Municipal cost pressures are limiting economic development capacity. Budget pressure is affecting how much local governments can advance tourism and economic development work, even where the interest is strong.
- Perspectives differ within a single community. Elected officials from the same community often brought different views on tourism priorities, a useful reminder that local engagement takes more than one conversation.
- Awareness of available support is lower than interest in it. Many local government representatives described Destination BC as a trusted source of expertise while also saying they were not aware of the full range of programs already available to them.
What tourism support is available to local governments in British Columbia?
Destination BC offers programs, research, and planning support that local governments and community partners can use, including:
- Destination development planning, to help communities set a long-term direction for tourism growth and management.
- Co-operative marketing partnerships, to extend the reach of local and regional marketing.
- Community and tourism business resources, including practical tools and training.
- Research, including visitor spending data, value of tourism figures, and resident sentiment findings that communities can use in their own planning and decision-making.
If a community is working through how tourism fits into local economic development plans, the Destination BC team is available to help.
