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Destination BC Directions: July 15, 2022
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Khutzeymateen Lodge in Khutzeymateen/K'tzim-a-deen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary (Northern BC Tourism/Shayd Johnson).
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Visit our Invest in Iconics Strategy webpage to learn more.
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Invest in Iconics Brand Strategy: The Foundation of a Brand
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Place Branding is a key component of the Invest in Iconics Strategy, providing a way to connect people and place identity with visitor relevance and appeal, and inspire the world’s travellers to visit, for years to come. One element of place branding—brand strategy—is the foundation of a brand which guides and inspires how a brand is represented to the world, and how we position travel experiences to our audiences. Learn more about the elements of brand strategy, and how future brands that support the Invest in Iconics Strategy will be rooted in the values and goals of BC’s spectacular destinations.
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Co-op Marketing Program Highlight - Cruise the Crowsnest: Scenic Highway 3
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The Destination BC Open Pool Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program (the Co-op Program) is an application-based program that provides co-operative, consumer-focused marketing and promotion support to Community Consortiums, Sector Organizations, or approved Individual or Paired Communities in BC. Using Co-op Program funding, the Crowsnest Tourism Alliance promotes travel on Scenic Highway 3. Led by Destination Osoyoos, the Similkameen Valley Planning Society, Similkameen Independent Wine Growers Association and Boundary Country Tourism, the Cruise the Crowsnest initiative highlights the history, communities, activities and tourism opportunities that await travellers to this key corridor between BC and Alberta.
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Cruise the Crowsnest on BC’s Scenic Highway 3 this Season (Photo by the Crowsnest Tourism Alliance).
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The playbook will be updated annually as platforms evolve and new features become available.
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New Visitor Services Digital and Social Media Playbook
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In an ongoing effort to support efforts of the Visitor Services Network, we have created a new Visitor Services Digital and Social Media Playbook. This document was developed to guide our Visitor Centre Network members through optimizing key platforms that they use to connect with visitors digitally, including websites, Google My Business, TripAdvisor, HelloBC, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Emergency Preparedness for BC's Tourism Industry
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Emergencies can happen at any time, and seasonal transitions can put us at even greater risk of major weather events such as flooding and wildfires. With weather warming and a high season of travel underway, now is a timely opportunity to review emergency preparedness resources. Destination BC has a page dedicated to these resources, including preparedness guides, key agencies, and newly updated messaging & action guidance with shareable responsible travel graphics.
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Visit our social channels on Twitter and LinkedIn over the next few weeks for more resources and tips on emergency preparedness.
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Learn more about the biggest takeaways from our work in 2021 (Destination BC/@miraecampbell).
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Reflecting British Columbians in the Super, Natural, British Columbia Brand®
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Last year, we partnered with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) subject matter experts and learned more about the experiences of our employees, especially equity-deserving groups, and how their experiences differ due to societal inequities that have shaped behaviour, processes, and systems. We’ve learned that there is much more we can do to ensure we are authentically representing British Columbians in our marketing and programs.
A key takeaway from our work in 2021 was gaining understanding that each person and culture experiences BC differently, and we need to ensure we apply an ethnorelative lens to our inclusive marketing work. Even more important is how diversity of lived experiences is integral to our brand strategy, from content and advertising, to how we work with content curators. We need to go deep rather than wide, to reflect and resonate with equity-deserving communities.
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204,412 international visitors arrived to BC in April 2022
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Destination BC’s latest International Visitor Arrivals figures show that 204,412 international visitors arrived to BC in April 2022 including 144,611 overnight visitors from the United States and 10,215 visitors from Mexico.
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This report summarizes customs entries to BC on a monthly basis.
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This report is released every month to track BC residents' tourism opinions and intentions, and watch how results trend over time.
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BC Residents more open to welcoming visitors from elsewhere in BC
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Destination BC’s latest Resident Perception report shows that the percentage of BC residents who are concerned about welcoming visitors from elsewhere in BC is down -5 points to 23%.
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Pledge to follow the Camper’s Code by trip planning, knowing & staying within your limits, & packing essential items such as a flashlight, first aid kit, extra food, water & clothing.
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British Columbians Encouraged to Celebrate Parks Day, Follow Camper’s Code
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As British Columbians join other Canadians in celebrating Parks Day on Saturday, July 16, 2022, BC Parks is encouraging everyone to take the pledge to follow the Camper’s Code to help ensure parks continue offering people enjoyable opportunities to connect with nature. A national day of recognition, Parks Day is a time to reflect on the importance of parks and to appreciate how they support health and well-being, maintain healthy ecosystems, and provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals.
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BC Parks Day-Use Pass Program Continues in Three Popular Parks
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The free BC Parks day-use pass program will continue in three popular provincial parks this summer to maintain a balance between growing numbers of visitors and conserving the natural environment. As of June 17, 2022, people accessing Golden Ears Park, Joffre Lakes Park and three trailheads at Garibaldi Park during peak hours will need to obtain a free day-use pass. The passes are available online and can be reserved at 7 am, two days prior to the planned visit here.
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During the next 3 years, BC Parks is investing to expand opportunities for outdoor recreation by adding new campsites & trails & upgrading facilities.
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Applications will be evaluated starting Tuesday July 13 and awarded funding until the $25M program budget is expended.
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Province Provides Update on Wildfire Season, Latest Seasonal Outlook
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British Columbians can expect a transition to warmer and dryer conditions in July, signalling an increase in overall wildfire risk and fire danger ratings as the season progresses. As shown in the BC Wildfire Service’s latest seasonal outlook, current wildfire activity is minimal and concentrated in the northern half of the province, where recent rainfall has been minimal.
To help protect British Columbians from wildfires, applications are open for $25 million for community projects that reduce the risk of wildfires. The Province is providing the funding to the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). FESBC is welcoming applications from any society that has an interest in mitigating land-based wildfire hazards within the context of the program. The projects must all relate to wildfire risk reduction on provincial Crown land. Some tourism stakeholders that might be able to take advantage of this include ski hills, mountain bike trail societies, and campgrounds on or adjacent to Crown land.
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BC’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan Continues with Fall Boosters
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British Columbians can look ahead to their next COVID-19 vaccine dose with the Province announcing a fall booster program as the next step in its COVID-19 immunization plan. Although people are advised to wait until the fall to receive their booster, those under 70 who got their last shot six months or more ago and who feel they have unique or special circumstances, can make an appointment for a second booster through the call centre.
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COVID-19 vaccinations are available in participating pharmacies and health authority clinics throughout the province.
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The project will provide high-quality and low-cost transportation for tens of thousands of people throughout Surrey and Langley.
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Improved Transit, Surrey Langley SkyTrain Plans
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The first rapid transit project south of the Fraser River in 30 years reached a new milestone with the release of the business case and formal approval of provincial funding for the project. Work on the project is underway, including utility relocations and road widening. With the business case approved and provincial funding in place, the procurement process for major construction will begin this summer. The project includes eight new stations and three new bus exchanges, and, once completed, the travel time from Langley City Centre to King George SkyTrain Station in Surrey will be approximately 22 minutes.
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Kelowna International Airport to Use Mass Timber in Terminal Expansion
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People travelling through the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) will benefit from an expansion and upgrade of the terminal, which will use mass timber through the Province's Mass Timber Demonstration Program. The Airport Terminal Building Expansion project is anticipated to break ground in 2023 and will receive funding through the program, which has supported the advancement of mass timber in several projects throughout BC.
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The use of prefabricated mass-timber panels will reduce construction time and will result in less construction traffic to the site.
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Mandatory random testing continues at land border points of entry, with no changes.
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Government of Canada Re-Establishes Mandatory Random COVID-19 Testing for Air Travellers
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Mandatory random testing will resume as of July 19, 2022, for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. All testing for air travellers, for both those who qualify as fully vaccinated and partially or unvaccinated people, will be completed outside of airports, either via an in-person appointment at select testing provider locations and pharmacies, or a virtual appointment for a self-swab test. Moving testing outside of airports will support testing for travellers arriving by air while still being able to monitor and quickly respond to new variants of concern, or changes to the epidemiological situation.
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Our Learning Centre provides access to resources and tools, best practices, workshops, and training programs for BC’s tourism industry.
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Facebook Crossposting 101: Share Your Video
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Want to get more views, reach and engagement on your Facebook videos? Learn more about how to take advantage of Facebook’s Crossposting feature in this short article. Crossposting is a way to share your videos across multiple Facebook Pages and allows industry partners (DMOs, sector organizations etc.) to share your videos with their followers.
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Have a question about crossposting? Email Destination BC’s social media team at [email protected] (Unsplash).
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Earlier this year, the Tofino Resort + Marina debuted a new experience, the West Coast Floating Sauna (Time Magazine).
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Tofino Named One of the Top 50 Destinations in the World by Time Magazine
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Time Magazine recently called Tofino, BC, one of the best places to visit in 2022, largely because of its scenic views, access to outdoor activities, and luxury resorts. The longstanding magazine highlighted Tofino's ample wildlife tours, trails, and sandy beaches as just a few reasons to visit the community. The magazine also pointed to the opening of a new walking and cycling path in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which connects to Tofino. The nearly $51 million trail opened in late June and spans 25 kilometres.
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The Canadian Red Cross Launches Support to Small Businesses and Not-for-Profits Program
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The Canadian Red Cross is committed to supporting affected individuals and communities impacted by the November 2021 floods and extreme weather event in BC. Eligible small business owners and not-for-profit organizations who were directly impacted by the floods and extreme weather event, and who meet the minimum requirements may apply for $5,000 in funding.
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Small business owners and not-for-profit organizations can apply online until September 30, 2022 (The Canadian Red Cross).
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With this designation, Prince of Whales has committed to offsetting at least 110% of their GHG emissions annually (Destination Vancouver/Prince of Whales Whale Watching).
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Prince of Whales Becomes Designated Climate Positive Company
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Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures has become a Climate Positive designated marine adventure company, enhancing their ongoing commitment to sustainability. A Climate Positive designated company must commit to offsetting their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 110% and find ways to further reduce their outputs on an annual basis. The company has partnered with Vancouver-based Ostrom Climate to certify their carbon offsets and Victoria’s Synergy Enterprises to develop an emissions reduction, monitoring, and reporting program.
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YVR and ITBC Announce Indigenous Tourism Training Grant Recipients
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Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) and YVR announced the award of Indigenous Tourism Training Grants to two YVR partners, Salmon ‘n’ Bannock On The Fly and Musqueam Art Store. Through these grants, Indigenous Tourism BC will support coordinating and delivering a suite of 11 industry-standard tourism training courses. The two programs will help a minimum of 14 Indigenous students each and cover all training costs, including living allowance. The programs are customized to the needs of the two grant recipients and funded by the Province of BC as part of the Indigenous Labour Training Program.
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The grant will be used to provide merchandising and marketing training for artisans, frontline and SuperHost Training for Musqueam Art Store retail clerks at YVR (ITBC).
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Upcoming Webinars from Small Business BC
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Small Business BC provides practical business webinars and online education to develop business skills and strategy.
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Destination BC has partnered with Small Business BC to offer free access for tourism business stakeholders across the province to online education supporting COVID-19 recovery. Upcoming webinars include "Social Media for Small Business" (July 27) and "Going Digital Series: Payment Solutions for Your Business" (July 28, Aug 25). To access the webinars free of charge, register online using coupon code DBC3034.
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Take the survey before July 20 at 5:00 pm!
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BCHA Seeking Input from Accommodators Across BC
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As the voice of BC's accommodation sector, the British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) is looking to hear from BC's provincial accommodation community to understand how they can better serve you. They are conducting an accommodation engagement survey that is the first of its kind for their association. The survey is open to all accommodation providers in BC and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
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Tourism Kamloops Releases New Brand Video
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Tourism Kamloops released a new brand video that showcases their community, people, and city. Situated at the junction of the North and South Thompson Rivers in the Thompson Valley, Kamloops is the second largest city in the BC Interior with a backyard of rolling grasslands, sandstone slot canyons, hoodoos, and sagebrush. Locals take advantage of Kamloops’ desert climate by fishing from shore, mountain biking through Pineview Valley, and hiking from early spring to late fall in Lac Du Bois Provincial Park.
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Watch the full brand video on YouTube!
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The funding will assist up to 10 local Travel Penticton member businesses in obtaining their Rainbow Registered accreditation (Visit Penticton).
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Travel Penticton Looking to Increase the Amount of Rainbow Registered Businesses in BC
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Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) in collaboration with Tourism HR Canada, launched the Rainbow Registered LGBT+ Friendly Accreditation Program. The program standards focus on four key areas, including policies and practices, training, commitment to inclusive leadership, and a culture of inclusivity. Travel Penticton and the Penticton Visitor Centre recently received the Rainbow Registered accreditation. They are one of 10 accredited businesses in BC, and one of only 3 in the Okanagan Valley, but would like to see that number continue to grow. To support this growth, Travel Penticton is providing funding for Penticton tourism and hospitality businesses to support inclusive tourism.
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go2HR Summer Heat Tips for Employers
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With higher temperatures starting to settle in for summer, it's important to be aware of the effects heat can have on employees and actions that can be taken to prevent heat stress. go2HR has put together a TLC Heat Kit item list to help employers assemble the hot weather essentials for their staff!
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If you have any questions regarding workplace health and safety, contact go2HR via email: [email protected] (Rocky Mountaineer/Noel Hendrickson).
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Any Canadian tourism-related product, business, association, initiative, or service that occurred from July 31, 2021 to July 31, 2022 is eligible.
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Canadian Tourism Awards Presented by TIAC
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The Canadian Tourism Awards are presented annually by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) to recognize success, leadership, and innovation in Canada's tourism industry, and to reward those people, places, organizations, and events that have gone above and beyond to offer travellers superior tourism experiences in Canada. TIAC’s 2022 Canadian Tourism Awards will take place on November 23 at the Westin Ottawa and will be presented in 9 categories. The nomination deadline is July 31, 2022.
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