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Destination BC Directions: October 21, 2022
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Hikers on the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park in fall with golden larch trees (Destination BC/Kristi Nicholson).
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Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program Webinar Recording Now Available
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Destination BC’s Co-op Marketing team hosted a funding information webinar earlier this month to share information about the updated Program Guidelines and tips for the upcoming application intake. This 36 minute recording provides a program overview, reviews eligible applicants and activities, describes the funding model (including the matching funding contribution), and explains the funding application process. The application deadline for the Co-op Program is November 30 at 4:30pm. Got questions? Email: coop@destinationbc.ca. Learn more about the Co-op Marketing Program here.
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We're Hiring - Apply to Join the Destination BC Team!
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We're actively hiring for two full-time permanent positions:
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Manager, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (VCM): As part of our Destination Management Division, this position plays a strategic role in driving and influencing stakeholder engagement with Destination BC’s programs and services in the VCM tourism region. Apply here by Oct 24!
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Salesforce Business Analyst: Is dedicated to ensuring that we are maximizing efficiency and capitalizing on the full features and benefits of the Sales Cloud CRM system based on diverse user needs. Apply here by Oct 24!
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Visit our Career Opportunities webpage to learn more (Destination BC/Albert Normandin).
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Read the cover story online!
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BC Takes the Front Cover of Escape in Australia
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Media recognition and relationships led by Destination BC's overseas team in Australia has resulted in BC securing the front cover of News Corp Escape’s entire travel section. Escape has over 6 million readers combining print and digital and is inserted into The Sunday Mail-QLD, The Herald Sun-VIC, The Sunday Telegraph-NSW and many other papers across the country. The editors of the publication connected with Destination BC's Australia team to secure information on what’s new, how BC aligns with nature, and Indigenous tourism offerings.
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Media Hype for BC in Australia
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Destination BC’s overseas team in Australia recently aligned with the Find Yourself Here campaign, arranging for tier one journalists to experience The BC Effect by visiting BC through a visiting journalist program (VJP) with flight support from Destination Canada. The VJP resulted in exceptional coverage for the province! Initial coverage from the VJP was released in July 2022 when Q Weekender published a double page print spread on the Kootenay Rockies.
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Visit our website and read the pdf version of the print cover story!
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The “Spark” Program supports businesses and entrepreneurs in bringing new tourism experiences to life, benefitting visitors, local communities, and residents.
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New Program Aims to "Spark" Innovative Tourism Ideas in Northern BC
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Destination BC has partnered with the Tourism Innovation Lab and tourism partners to launch the “Spark” Mentorships & Grants Program in Northern BC. The program will match selected applicants with a tourism mentor, provide a $3,000 grant and additional partner support to help take their new tourism ideas to the next level of development. The goal is to find, foster and support new tourism ideas, experiences and partnerships that will enhance current offerings, address gaps or challenges, motivate travel and longer stays, and increase year-round visits.
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Emergency Preparedness Resources for Tourism Operators
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When fall rain eventually returns to BC after prolonged dry weather, preparedness for potential flooding will be important to ensure businesses, communities and people are protected against flood-related risks. Emergencies like wildfires and flooding can impact travel, visitors, and businesses at any time, and potentially influence those who may be planning a trip to our province. Tourism operators are a vital source of information and direction for visitors during emergencies. Understanding the risks for your region will ensure your disaster planning is effective. Visit our emergency preparedness webpage for step-by-step guides, templates and tools outlining how tourism businesses can prepare their staff for a fast and effective response during an emergency.
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The webpage offers a range of resources to help you prepare for emergencies, gather up-to-date information, and help visitors plan their travel.
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Celebrate Small Business Week in BC by visiting our Learning Centre and learn something new! (BC Gov Flickr)
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Thank You Small Tourism Businesses in BC!
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October 16-22 is Small Business Week in BC and an opportunity to celebrate all of the incredible small tourism businesses across the province! Small tourism businesses are an integral part of BC's economy, providing meaningful employment opportunities to British Columbians while helping to sustain regional communities. This week, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the small tourism business owners and entrepreneurs in BC for their hard work, adaptability, and delivery of valuable products and services to communities, visitors, and British Columbians. Through our partnership with Small Business BC, we offer a range of FREE tools and resources via our Learning Centre to support tourism businesses in building back stronger.
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Congratulations Harbour Air on Serving BC's Coast for 40 Years!
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Harbour Air has been flying float planes for four decades and the entire Destination BC team would like to extend a big congratulations to all the Habour Air staff on this incredible milestone! What started in 1982 with two pilots, two seaplanes, and a dream to revolutionize the aviation industry has grown into one of the world’s largest all-seaplane airlines in the world, flying over 500,000 passengers a year. Over the past 40 years Harbour Air has grown from a 2 to 40+ aircraft fleet, expanded to 14 scheduled locations (including the start of international service!), increased from 2 pilots to over 400 team members, and made history becoming the world’s first fully carbon neutral airline and launching the world’s first electric aircraft.
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Congratulations on 40 amazing years! (Harbour Air)
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Mass timber will be featured as part of the construction to reduce the building's carbon footprint (BC Gov Flickr).
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Province Boosts Support for New Vancouver Art Gallery
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The Government of British Columbia is investing an additional $50 million to build a new home for the Vancouver Art Gallery, protecting and supporting the expansion of a cultural and tourism icon in BC. The new Vancouver Art Gallery will be a multifaceted facility featuring an Indigenous community space, theatre, library and research centre, artist studios, child care, restaurants, and retail space. The project is expected to generate 1,000 permanent jobs in the tourism sector. The new gallery will be the first Passive House art gallery in North America and will be the most environmentally sustainable art museum in Canada.
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The Government of BC is Helping Communities Prepare for Flooding
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The Province is taking action to keep people and communities safe in the event of flooding. Emergency Management BC (EMBC) asks that residents take precautions to ensure personal safety, including developing a household/business plan, putting together emergency kits, connecting with neighbours and learning about the local government emergency response plan for their area.
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This year, EMBC expanded its use of Alert Ready to issue broadcast intrusive alerts on behalf of communities to warn British Columbians of imminent threats due to flooding.
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More accessibility information has been integrated into the new reservation service.
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2022 Season Sets BC Parks Reservation Record
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A record number of people made reservations for campsites, day-use passes, backcountry permits, cabins and picnic shelters in provincial parks this season. More than 317,000 reservations were made on the new BC Parks reservation service for the 2022 season, for an increase of 26.5% since 2019. The new reservation service, launched in March 2022 and is part of a broader, ongoing redesign of BC Parks’ digital services to improve visitors' experiences from computer to campground.
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Economic Development Funding & Grants
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Wondering what funding sources are offered by the Province of BC? Find financial support for your economic development initiatives by easily searching the free online database. There are a number of funding sources that tourism industry stakeholders (businesses, regions, communities, and sectors) may consider and the database is a great tool to explore available options.
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Search the database today!
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531,967 international visitors arrived to BC in July 2022
Destination BC’s latest International Visitor Arrivals figures show that 531,967 international visitors arrived to BC in July 2022 including 362,884 overnight visitors from the United States and 28,833 visitors from the United Kingdom.
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This monthly publication summarizes customs entries data to British Columbia and Canada from selected markets of origin.
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The dashboard is best viewed on a desktop device.
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Destination BC's Tourism Industry Dashboard
Destination BC’s tourism industry dashboard shows that BC’s average revenue per available room in August was $219, a +10.3% increase over 2019.
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This funding is provided through the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund (Government of Canada).
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Government of Canada Announces $1.2 Million in Funding to Enhance Tourism Experiences Across BC
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In celebration of Small Business Week, the Government of Canada has announced $1.2 million in PacifiCan funding for 11 projects led by small businesses in BC that will enhance tourism experiences across the province! The investments will help these small businesses with recovery efforts and provide new experiences for visitors and residents. From funding new festivals, supporting old favorites and providing tourists with new ways to experience BC, PacifiCan strives to ensure small businesses grow stronger than ever.
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Canada Digital Adoption Program
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As consumers increasingly move online to shop, it’s essential for small businesses to develop e-commerce capabilities to remain competitive. As part of the Canada Digital Adoption Program, a $4 billion investment to help small and medium-sized businesses get online with new digital tools, the Government of Canada has two streams to support small businesses across the country. They have partnered with Small Business BC and Digital Main Street to deliver the Grow Your Business Online grant. Eligible businesses will receive a micro-grant of up to $2,400 to help with costs related to adopting e-commerce, with support provided from a network of E-commerce Advisors. They also support the Boost Your Business Technology grant which offers support to eligible businesses who want to adopt new digital technologies.
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Learn more about eligibility criteria and apply online.
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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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The more mindful we are in trying to understand the experience of having a disability, the more we can help break down social stigmas (Destination BC/Jordan Dyck).
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What Does it Mean to be Disability Aware?
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It’s important to see the person, not the disability. Being disability aware means taking a look at your current perceptions about people with disabilities and being more mindful of how you think and act around them. Here are a few things to be mindful of when assisting those with varying abilities.
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The article describes BC as stunningly beautiful and a great place to enjoy outdoor adventures like hiking, cycling, or kayaking on Okanagan Lake (Destination BC/Unoaked Photography).
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Vogue Magazine Recently Named BC's Okanagan Valley a Must-Visit Wine Region!
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Vogue Magazine recently named BC's Okanagan Valley a must-visit wine region! According to vogue.com, the Okanagan Valley ranked as one of the 12 underrated wine regions to visit this fall. The article highlights the region as a producer of world-class wines. The stunning natural beauty of the Okanagan is attracting top winemakers from France, New Zealand, and South Africa, helping to generate greater awareness of the area and entice wine lovers to visit and #explorebc.
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Workplace Accessibility Grant Funding Available for Small Businesses
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The Workplace Accessibility Grant from Small Business BC provides support to small business employers in BC by providing direct financial assistance towards creating an accessible work environment for persons with disabilities. Eligible businesses can apply for funding for projects up to $2,500 that improve workplace accessibility in the business, while addressing and removing barriers in the workplace for people with disabilities.
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The grant will be administered until April 30, 2023 on a first-come first-serve basis for businesses and projects that meet the required eligibility criteria.
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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 "Market Research 2: Surveys and Focus Groups" (Nov 2) and "Find Your Next Great Hire with SmartMove" (Nov 17). To access the webinars free of charge, register online using coupon code DBC3034.
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The resgistration deadline is Oct 24 by 5:00 pm!
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Join YVR's Annual Address on Oct 27 - The Future of Growth and Connection
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As travel and aviation build back from the impacts of the global pandemic, YVR is focused on the future. Join Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO at Vancouver Airport Authority, in YVR's Annual Address to learn more about how YVR is growing and how the airport's many points of connection are supporting our local businesses and communities now and for years to come.
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Join The Invasive-Wise Tourism Program
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BC’s tourism industry relies on the province’s amazing biodiversity and variety of healthy, natural landscapes. Invasive species damage ecosystems, landscapes and native wildlife – the very things that draw visitors here. Tourism operators are key partners in preventing the spread of invasive species. The Invasive-Wise Tourism program with the Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC) was developed to support tourism operators in adopting simple best management practices to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species, protect BC’s biodiversity and tourism industry. Marina and tourism operators across BC are being invited to join the program! In addition to receiving FREE training, support, and resources, becoming an Invasive-Wise Tourism partner is a great way for businesses to stand out.
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Take action to protect BC’s natural areas by adopting Invasive-Wise tourism practices!
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