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Directions: News from Destination BC
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Red Goat Lodge on Eddontenajon Lake outside of Iskut (Northern BC Tourism/Andrew Strain).
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Our team and BC tourism sellers attended the 46th annual Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) in Quebec City from May 30 to June 2, 2023. Hosted by Destination Canada and Tourism Industry Association Canada (TIAC), RVC is the country’s largest marketplace for Canadian tourism products and North America and Overseas Travel Trade. This annual event brings together tour operators and wholesalers from Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America, who are eager to discover new products and itineraries for BC and Canada through pre-arranged appointments with tourism sellers. This year’s event saw over 1500 delegates, including 488 Canadian tourism sellers, 395 buyers and 24 travel media, all from 23 countries.
BC's strong presence was undeniable, with the largest delegation at the show including 92 BC tourism sellers. The interest in BC's tourism offerings was truly remarkable! Our team and the BC tourism seller delegation were kept busy throughout the marketplace, engaging with tour operators and wholesalers from around the world.
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Many thanks to Bonjour Quebec for hosting this year’s event, and we look forward to seeing everyone next year in Edmonton for RVC 2024.
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Ski vacations are a key driver of winter tourism revenue for BC, helping to support tourism businesses and communities through the winter (Destination BC/Steve Ogle).
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We've Launched our 2023 Ski Marketing Campaign in Australia
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Running now through July, the You, Elevated campaign taps into the raw emotion and powerful moments that skiing delivers, enticing Australian skiers to elevate their sense of self in BC’s mountains during the 2023-24 season. With paid and owned tactics running in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and surrounding areas, You, Elevated will showcase the vast and varied mountains of BC, world-class resort skiing with spectacular scenery, staggering vertical, and consistent snow conditions – pillars of the BC ski experience that set us apart from the competition. It will also highlight the unique mountain culture throughout the province, where vibrant ski towns and resorts are immersed in unspoilt nature, and boast a variety of winter fun that appeals to this market.
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Update from our Destination Development Team
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From May 8th to May 10th, our Destination Development (DD) team welcomed DD and Stewardship partners for two and half days of learning, sharing, and networking in Vancouver. The gathering covered a range of topics including an overview of our new DEIA Strategy, brand updates, residents perceptions of tourism, regional initiatives, Indigenous tourism, a presentation from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, and more! Through strong collaboration with these partners, we are evolving and enhancing our shared commitment to priority areas including destination development planning, investment, project implementation, partner engagement, and other initiatives. Our team and partners left with a revitalized sense of collaboration, innovative ideas, and key takeaways that will enhance our collective efforts in creating a strong and sustainable future for BC’s tourism industry.
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We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the partners who joined us this May and we look forward to next year!
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This press trip example showcases the multi-faceted work Sunshine Coast Tourism is leading to support Indigenous tourism in the VCM region (Destination BC/Andrew Strain).
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Sunshine Coast Press Trip
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Our Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (VCM) team recently supported a press trip to the Sunshine Coast in collaboration with Sunshine Coast Tourism and other partners including Talaysay Tours, Sunshine Coast Air, tems swiya Museum, Red Cedar Woman, and Aupe Studio. The trip garnered participation and coverage from top outlets, including the Toronto Star and Canadian Geographic. Four journalists participated in the trip, including an Indigenous writer who was on her first-ever press trip and travel story assignment. Sunshine Coast Tourism played a lead role in facilitating the partnerships and crafting the itinerary, while the VCM team successfully pitched and secured media coverage. The goal of the press trip was to provide a platform for Indigenous tourism businesses to share their stories.
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Sponsorship at Business Laureates of BC 2023 Hall of Fame Gala Dinner & Induction Ceremonies
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Our team, Destination Vancouver, and Destination Canada sponsored a table at the Junior Achievement of British Columbia's (JABC) annual Business Laureates of BC Hall of Fame Gala Dinner and Induction Ceremonies on May 30, 2023. We were thrilled to have an incredible group of talented students sit at our sponsored table. The dinner honoured accomplished business leaders in BC whose efforts have shaped our province and created a positive legacy for future generations. 100% of the net proceeds from this event support the efforts of JABC in delivering high-quality education programs free-of-charge to thousands of students across BC.
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Events like this inspire the next generation of tourism leaders and ignite passion for how they can build our future though sustainable tourism practices that showcase the cultural, social, and economic benefits of tourism.
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Download our new spring/summer responsible travel infographics for sharing with your networks on social media.
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Updated Spring/Summer Emergency Messaging Now Available!
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Visit our website to access the latest Emergency Messaging Guidance and learn more about official emergency information resources for BC as well as suggested messaging, infographics/visuals, and actions for BC’s tourism industry partners during emergencies. We've compiled resources and tips to help tourism businesses navigate questions, mitigate visitor concerns, and proactively manage perceptions during emergencies.
Step-by-step guides are available for download to help prepare tourism businesses and their staff for emergencies, with templates and tools to help operators easily plan a fast and effective response.
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Province Strengthens Parks Protection, Nature Conservation
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The Province is contributing $10 million to the BC Parks Foundation to help strengthen the long-term protection of BC’s natural beauty and provide more opportunities for everyone to connect with nature. Established in 2017 through an initial $10-million grant from the Province, the BC Parks Foundation is independent of government and serves as the official charitable partner of BC Parks.
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The Province is working to conserve and protect 30% of BC’s land base by 2030.
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Clean Coast, Clean Waters is part of the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan.
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BC’s Largest Coastline Cleanup Gets Major Funding Boost
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The Province is helping protect and restore BC’s marine environment with further investment in the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund. Projects funded through this program have removed derelict vessels and cleaned up marine debris from more than 4,600 kilometres of shoreline, while creating more than 1,700 well-paying jobs. The government is also developing BC’s first Coastal Marine Strategy to govern and plan for securing vast marine ecosystems and blue economy in the long term. The strategy guides improved stewardship of coastal marine environments, advances reconciliation with First Nations, and fosters coastal community resilience.
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Stronger Local Emergency Response, Recovery Keeps People Safer
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More than 100 local governments and First Nations will benefit from provincial funding to support and enhance the work of local emergency operations centres. Nearly $3 million through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) will go to local governments and First Nations throughout B.C. and will assist in purchasing and installing equipment and supplies to maintain or improve emergency operations centres as well as training and exercises to increase capacity.
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Emergency operations centres are an essential part of emergency response, where representatives come together to co-ordinate actions and resources, and support people responding on the ground.
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In 2023, improvements range from installing new lighting and signage, updating playground equipment, increasing accessibility and improving rest area facilities, grounds and picnic areas.
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Rest Stop Upgrades Improve Travel for Truck Drivers, Motorists
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Upgrades and enhancements to key highway rest areas are planned for the summer as part of a multi-year plan to improve safety, accessibility and other amenities along BC’s highways. The Province is supporting improvements at rest areas through a new $100-million Safety Rest Area Improvement Program over the next nine years. Of that, $28 million will be spent over the next three years to support the trucking industry and other travellers.
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Government of Canada Supports the Chinese Canadian Museum
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The Government of Canada has announced funding for renovations to the Chinese Canadian Museum in the Wing Sang Building, the oldest building in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Once completed, this will create more than 21,000 square feet of modernized operational museum space. Canadian Heritage has also provided funding for the museum’s inaugural exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act. The exhibition will present key themes and learnings about the Act, highlight personal connections through stories of individuals and families who lived through that time, and explore elements of the Act and its devastating impact on the Chinese community.
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Funding for the Chinese Canadian Museum supports an essential space to honour, celebrate, and preserve Chinese-Canadian culture.
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Visit our Research webpage for data on resident perceptions of tourism, industry performance, market research and more.
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The Value of Tourism
Here are some fast facts highlighting the power of tourism in BC:
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The tourism industry paid $3.5 billion in wages and salaries in 2021, a +25.3% increase over
2020.
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There are over 16,600 tourism-related businesses in BC. These businesses employ over 84,400 people in the province, a +24.8% increase over 2020.
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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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One simple step today can make a difference in how effectively you respond to and recover from an emergency.
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Prepared BC: Guide for Tourism Operators
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With templates and tools that build off the guide, this document is designed to help tourism operators easily plan a fast and effective response to emergencies.
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Destination Canada Launches New Tourism Corridor Strategy
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Destination Canada has launched their new Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, which aims to accelerate intentional destination development. This program will benefit the communities and destinations involved, and also bolster Canada’s overall competitiveness by giving visitors more reasons to travel to new regions across the country.
For 2023, this pilot program will support three projects: The Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor, The Sustainable Journey from Prairies to Pacific, and The Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network.
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Sustainable Journey from Prairies to Pacific: This corridor will integrate the existing key strategies and experience themes in Alberta and BC to produce a collection of potential investment opportunities, and infrastructure enhancements to grow demand and manage visitation in the long-term.
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Since its launch in 2021, the Camper’s Code has seen over 2,500 take the online pledge to camp responsibly and follow the nine rules of the Camper’s Code.
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New Camper's Code Animation Series
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The Camper’s Code is celebrating two years with a new animation campaign! The campaign will feature an animation video series that encourages campers to pledge to follow the Camper’s Code, to camp responsibly as a result, and to encourage their fellow campers to do the same. Follow the Camper’s Code Instagram and Facebook accounts to watch the new animations rollout, one video per week, over the next few weeks.
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YVR introduces Beyond Accessibility
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During National AccessAbility week, Vancouver International Airport - YVR launched Beyond Accessibility, a comprehensive three-year Accessibility Plan that builds upon YVR’s long-standing work to provide a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible travel experience for people of all abilities. The plan follows the seven focus areas of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) and outlines what YVR has achieved, what it learned from consulting with the public, and areas for improvement, including continuing to enhance terminal facilities, communications technology, support programs, and procurement practices.
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Changing demographics, combined with an increasingly active community of people with disabilities, continues to inspire the team at YVR to create and deliver more inclusive terminal facilities and services for travellers.
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