BC Businesses Shine at 2018 Canadian Tourism Awards

VANCOUVER–BC’s tourism industry had a night to remember at the Canadian Tourism Awards, presented Wednesday in Gatineau, Quebec. The awards, presented annually by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and the Toronto Star, recognize success, leadership, and innovation in Canada’s visitor economy.

Sweeping up five awards for tourism excellence, a group of BC’s outstanding tourism businesses were recognized for going above and beyond to offer travellers superior tourism experiences in our province. These life-changing experiences contribute to the success of BC’s visitor economy, which generates approximately $15.7 billion in revenue for the greater BC economy.

This year’s BC winners are:

Accent Inns – Vancouver
Air Canada Business of the Year Award
The Business of the Year Award is presented to a tourism business that exemplifies industry best practices in all aspects of its operations, and is an example of all-round business excellence in the tourism industry.

The Paisley Notebook – Kelowna 
Restaurants Canada & Diversey Culinary Tourism Experience Award
The Culinary Tourism Experience Award recognizes an organization or business that delivers an authentic consumer experience showcasing Canadian food and beverage.

Quaaout Lodge & Talking Rock Golf Course – Chase 
ITAC Indigenous Cultural Tourism Award
The Indigenous Cultural Tourism Award recognizes an Aboriginal tourism business that has demonstrated a commitment to the development, promotion and delivery of an authentic, innovative and enriched Aboriginal cultural tourism visitor experience.  The recipient will have demonstrated a commitment to authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism as a key aspect of encouraging and promoting tourism growth in their region.

Cities in Sync – Tourism Victoria, in partnership with Tourism Saskatoon and Destination St. John’s
Marriott Hotels of Canada Innovator of the Year Award
The Innovator of the Year Award is presented to the tourism business or organization that develops the most innovative new tourism product, service or process, or the most innovative new approach to an existing tourism product, service or process that positively impacts the tourism business or the tourism industry as a whole.

“Pacific. Authentic.” – Tourism Richmond 
Accor Hotels Marketing Campaign of the Year Award
The Marketing Campaign of the Year Award is presented to the organization that has devised and implemented the year’s most outstanding tourism marketing campaign or initiative.  Nominations may be presented in this category for audio, video, print campaigns or digital including social media or any combination thereof (i.e. a multi-media campaign).

In addition to these awards, two members of the industry were also recognized by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada for their outstanding service to and impact on the industry. The Honourable Nancy Greene Raine was inducted to the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame, and Nancy Stibbard, Owner and CEO of the Capilano Group, received the Canadian Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Tourism Awards.

Quotes:
Marsha Walden, CEO, Destination BC
“Year over year, we’ve seen exciting growth in the visitor economy, and this year was no exception. From quality guest service to exciting new partnerships and innovative marketing tools, BC is providing visitors with remarkable experiences that contribute to the collective success of our industry. It is so inspiring to see the high calibre of work being done across the province to make British Columbia a leader in tourism and share our wonderful province with the world. Congratulations to all the winners on behalf of Destination British Columbia.”

Lisa Beare, Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Responsible for Sport & Multiculturalism
“On behalf of the provincial government, I would like to extend my congratulations to the BC winners of the Canadian Tourism Awards. The unforgettable experiences you are delivering to visitors help B.C. compete on the global stage, and the ongoing success of tourism creates jobs, supports small businesses, and contributes to a thriving economy for our province. Congratulations on an excellent year.”

Value of Tourism
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. In Canada, every $100 million in tourism spending generates approximately $69 million in economic spin-offs, and 1,373 new jobs. In British Columbia, tourism is one of the most important industries to our economic wellbeing and future prosperity, representing over 17 billion dollars in annual revenue and over 133,000 jobs. Since 2014, the provincial visitor economy has been growing at over 5 per cent per year – almost twice the rate of the BC economy as a whole. In total, over 5.7 million international overnight visitors came to BC in 2017, showing a 3.3 per cent year-over-year growth.

About Destination BC:
Destination BC is an industry-led Crown corporation that works collaboratively with tourism stakeholders across the province to coordinate marketing at the international, provincial, regional and local levels. For more information about Destination BC’s programs and services, please visit:  www.DestinationBC.ca

Media Contact:
Destination BC, Media Relations
Email: Media.Relations@DestinationBC.ca