#GreenMeansGo: Welcome to Tourism Week 2022

Our industry once again has the green light to regain its top spot as a GDP contributor and quality-of-life creator for BC residents. We’d like to welcome everyone to Tourism Week 2022 with one message: #GreenMeansGo! (Okay, let’s call it two… we want to share that #BCTourism Counts, too.)

Tourism remains vital to British Columbia – not only for its ability to generate huge economic activity, but also for providing social, cultural and environmental benefits, and showcasing our values as a province. Tourism collectively points to goals of destination stewardship, with sustainability, reconciliation, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility embedded in the experience of BC travel. And these aren’t just benefits of tourism… these are the reasons people from BC, Canada and around the world come to visit British Columbia.

The message of #GreenMeansGo is about letting every person know that we are returning to the skies, waves and open road (again and again) and reinvigorating our lives, culture, and businesses through a return to a vibrant tourism industry and economy. It’s about remembering what we love about our home, how proud we are to share what it means to us, and how we encourage others to come experience it for themselves.

So how does #GreenMeansGo work? Here’s an example. To residents and visitors alike, Stanley Park is known for its seawall, beaches, and forest trails—a reconnection to nature and to the beauty of life. Let’s imagine the green canopy of Stanley Park, one of the most beloved places in British Columbia. To those that visit, Stanley Park means a breath of fresh air, a satisfying meal overlooking the water, an inspiring story from a First Nation guide or a stunning sunset that soothes. It provides recreation and supports well being. That’s why we go there! Stanley Park receives 8 million visitors annually, and considering the spin off economic benefits of those visitors, we know those visitors contribute economically, too.

This year, Destination BC along with destinations, landmarks, attractions, venues, and hotels in BC will be lighting up in green from May 29 to June 4 as part of a national #GreenMeansGo campaign to raise awareness of the tourism industry’s economic, social, and cultural importance in Canada. We invite you to join us in welcoming the world with green lights, meaningful engagement, and, most importantly… a desire to GO!

The Tourism Week 2022 Industry Toolkit provides information and resources for BC’s tourism industry. Celebrate by using the Toolkit! Available here.

Fast facts:

• British Columbia’s tourism industry generated revenue of $22.3 billion in 2019, an increase of 5.8% over 2018, and a 67.8% increase from 2009.
• In 2019, British Columbia’s tourism industry employed 130,300 people. This means that tourism provided a job for roughly 1 out of every 16 people employed in the province.
• In 2019, tourism contributed more to GDP than any other primary resource industry. (Tourism: $7.4B, mining: $5.0B, oil & gas: $4.8B, forestry & logging: $1.6B, and agriculture & fishing: $3.3B.)
• Tourism has been a key economic driver and one of BC’s competitive strengths in the world economy.
• Tourism strengthens international perceptions of British Columbia, which has positive impacts on trade and investment, international education, and immigration.
• Most tourism businesses buy goods locally, hire locally, and retain their profits locally. The economic impact is and will continue to be significant.