|
|
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Newsletter –
Summer 2025 Edition
|
|
|
Beautiful views along the Fraser River. (Indigenous Tourism BC/
Cheam Fishing Village)
|
|
Visit the new ETF website, a hub for trail maps, planning tools, and project resources.
|
|
“Experience the Fraser” Launches New Industry Resource
|
|
The new Experience the Fraser (ETF) website launched recently, offering an interactive hub for tourism organizations, government agencies, and CDMO partners along the Fraser Corridor. Led by VCM and the ETF Project Team, the platform serves as a comprehensive resource to support development and promotion of the ETF initiative.
|
|
|
|
|
Key features include a detailed map of the interim Canyon to Coast Trail—the ETF’s greenway component—as well as standalone pages for each participating community. Users will also find in-depth community reports with signage inventories, recommended locations, and project suggestions, along with GIS and planning tools to aid implementation efforts. The site is designed to support collaborative growth and strategic trail development across the region.
|
|
|
|
|
Fraser Valley tourism partners reinforced their commitment to working together.
|
|
VCM Shares Tourism and Trail Progress with Fraser Valley Regional District Board
|
|
VCM’s Dayna Miller and Tourism Ch’illiwack’s Allison Colthorp presented to the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) Board last week, providing updates on behalf of the Fraser Valley Destination Management Council (FVDMC), which was formed in 2020 under VCM leadership.
The presentation focused on the value of tourism, the importance of destination development, and the collaborative efforts behind Experience the Fraser (ETF)—including the newly completed 34-kilometre Ch’illiwack section of the Canyon to Coast Trail.
|
|
|
|
|
Several community organizations attended the meeting in support, including:
-
City of Maple Ridge
-
Tourism Langley
-
Tourism Abbotsford
-
Tourism Harrison River Valley
-
Tourism Hope, Cascades & Canyons
The VCM team also toured trail sites in Ch’illiwack, where recent upgrades include new kiosks, extended pathways, improved parking, and enhanced visitor amenities.
|
|
|
|
BC Tourism FC Playbook Now Available
|
|
Destination BC is pleased to share the new BC Tourism FC Playbook, developed by the BC Tourism Football Club in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. This first edition provides practical resources to help BC’s tourism sector navigate change, strengthen collaboration, and build long-term resilience. It offers a strategic framework for tourism businesses, communities, and organizations across the province, featuring insights on key trends shaping the visitor economy, guidance to enhancing BC’s tourism competitiveness, and more. The Playbook will be updated as new information and community engagement opportunities emerge. Follow the BC Tourism Football Club’s website for the latest news and updates.
|
|
|
Like a football club, BC Tourism FC champions collective action, a shared vision, and the power of playing as one team.
|
|
|
|
|
Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, Halfmoon Bay. (Destination BC/
Dolf Vermeulen)
|
|
Now Open: Fourth Intake of the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program
|
|
The Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) is accepting applications for its 2025–2026 intake. Administered by the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth, the program provides annual grant funding to support rural communities across BC in developing resilient, sustainable, and inclusive local economies. The application deadline is Oct. 31, 2025. Funding decisions will be announced in spring 2026.
|
|
|
|
|
Grants Available Through the Green Municipal Fund
|
|
Is your community ready to upgrade infrastructure, launch clean energy initiatives, or build climate-resilient, affordable housing? The Green Municipal Fund—a program of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)—helps turn those goals into reality. The fund covers up to 80% of eligible project costs for planning, studies, and pilot projects. Loans are available for capital projects, with most recipients receiving an additional grant of up to 15% of their loan amount.
|
|
|
The Green Municipal Fund helps Canadian municipalities of all sizes invest in a more resilient future. (Destination BC/Hubert Kang)
|
|
|
|
BC TOURISM CLIMATE RESILIENCY INITIATIVE (bctcri)
|
Sub-regional and Sector Sustainability & Resiliency Survey Reports Now Available
|
|
Sub-provincial and sector reports from the first-ever Tourism Climate Adaptation and Environmental Sustainability Business Survey have been developed where sufficient participation allowed for meaningful analysis.
These reports enable tourism businesses to benchmark their sustainability and climate adaptation efforts against the provincial average.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact the Destination BC Research & Analytics team to participate in the 2025 Resident Perceptions of Tourism Survey. (Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova)
|
|
Partnership Opportunities Available for 2025–2026 Resident Perceptions of Tourism Survey
|
|
Destination BC is inviting Regional and City Destination Management Organizations (RDMOs and CDMOs) to participate in the 2025–2026 Resident Perceptions of Tourism Research Survey, scheduled for fall 2025. This research is an opportunity for RDMOs and CDMOs to gain valuable insights into how residents perceive economic, social/cultural, environmental, and job/career impacts, as well as awareness of Indigenous tourism experiences and businesses within their communities.
Deadlines to participate in the three opportunities available are Aug. 1 and Aug. 29. Contact the Destination BC Research & Analytics team to learn how to participate in this valuable research.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
