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Directions: News from Destination BC
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Ski touring next to Hudson Bay Mountain in the Smithers backcountry, BC.
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The entire Destination BC team extends a warm welcome to Andrea, Brad, Jessie, Evangeline, Patrick, and Xander and expresses gratitude for their support, as well as the continued support from all other TMC members, in making valuable contributions to our organization and BC’s tourism industry.
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Destination BC Welcomes New Tourism Marketing Committee Members
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Destination BC is pleased to welcome six new members to the Tourism Marketing Committee (TMC) effective January 1, 2026.
Andrea Miller is the founder of PaddleBC and serves as the Marketing Director for Destination Castlegar. Brad Parsell is the Regional Destination Management Organization CEO for Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association. Evangeline Clifton is the Economic Development Officer for Heiltsuk Tribal Council. Jessie Olsen is the Director of Economic & Community Development with the District of Tumbler Ridge. Patrick Gill is Senior Director, Global Marketing at Armstrong Collective, where he leads global marketing strategy for Rocky Mountaineer. Xander France is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Hullo Ferries.
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Join Us! Destination BC Industry Call – Working with the Travel Trade, February 10
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What would it mean for your business – or your community – if you had more predictable bookings earlier in the year, and from the right kinds of visitors? For many BC tourism operators, working with the travel trade can help build steady, longer-term demand and support sustainable growth.
On February 10, Destination BC is hosting a 60-minute webinar for BC tourism industry partners that are new to the travel trade world or looking to better understand how it works.
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This call is ideal for tourism businesses that have not worked with travel trade before, are curious about how travel trade works and whether it could be a fit, want to better understand how international visitors discover and book experiences in BC, and are looking for clear, beginner friendly guidance (no jargon required).
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Hear perspectives from buyers and sellers who took part in the program, sharing what they learned, why the experience was valuable, and what they’re excited to explore next as they dive deeper into travel trade.
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BC Accelerator Program: Helping BC Tourism Businesses Grow Through Travel Trade
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In October 2025, Destination BC hosted the BC Accelerator Program: a pilot initiative designed to help tourism businesses across British Columbia expand their global reach by strengthening their understanding of, and connections within, the international travel trade ecosystem.
This 2-minute video features insights on Destination BC’s role in supporting industry through travel trade and why it remains one of the most powerful ways to connect BC tourism experiences with high-value international markets.
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Milestone Moment: First Leisure Tour Group from China Returns to BC After Five-Year Pause
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On December 24, 2025, a group of 15 travellers from Shenzhen, China, departed for a 10-day, 7-night itinerary in British Columbia, marking the first official leisure group tour from mainland China to Canada in five years. Their arrival highlights a pivotal moment in the recovery of international travel, following China’s reinstatement of Approved Destination Status (ADS) for Canada in early November.
The group’s journey included visits to Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria, offering a rich mix of natural beauty and cultural exploration. Most of the travellers were part of multi-generational families, reflecting a growing interest in immersive, intergenerational travel experiences.
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The return of Chinese group travel to Canada has generated widespread media interest in both markets. Outlets such as Phoenix TV, People’s Daily, and CCTV News have reported on the milestone, highlighting British Columbia’s role in Canada’s reopening to Chinese outbound tourism.
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Destination BC also hosted a hands-on “New Brand Product Co-Creation Workshop” in Beijing on December 11. The workshop provided a collaborative space for 36 leading China-based travel trade professionals to gain deeper insight into the new brands and explore practical product development opportunities.
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Destination BC Launches New Iconic Brands in China with High-Impact Trade Campaign
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On November 26, Destination BC China officially launched British Columbia’s new Iconic destination brands in the China market through a dynamic, multi-channel campaign. Designed to deepen travel trade engagement, the campaign marked a pivotal step in expanding BC’s visibility and product alignment in one of its key international markets.
The campaign kicked off with an exclusive livestream event tailored to China’s travel trade audience. Hosted on a dedicated WeChat video channel, the event featured immersive storytelling by two well-known Chinese travel influencers, each representing one of the two brand audience segments: the Refined Globetrotters and the Outdoor Explorers.
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Destination BC Partners with Hit Documentary Series to Spotlight Squamish in China
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Destination BC China has partnered with the wildly popular outdoor documentary series Exploring the Unknown with Wang Yibo (Season 2) to showcase Squamish to millions of viewers across China and beyond. The collaboration is part of a strategic content campaign designed to amplify BC’s adventure travel experiences and cultural relevance in one of the province’s most important international markets.
Hosted by Wang Yibo – a top Chinese actor, singer, and cultural icon with an enormous fanbase – Exploring the Unknown is co-produced by Tencent Video and Warner Bros. Discovery. Season 2 premiered exclusively on Tencent Video on November 28, 2025. The series quickly broke records: within 30 minutes of launch, it topped multiple popularity charts and surpassed 100 million views within eight hours.
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This initiative illustrates how Destination BC is strategically partnering with major media entities to spotlight BC destinations in ways that resonate deeply with global audiences. By tapping into high-profile content and influencer partnerships, Destination BC continues to expand its global brand presence and position British Columbia as a premier destination for adventure travel.
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In the month of November 2025, we tracked 84 pieces of coverage for destinations in the province with an estimated 2.76 million combined views.
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Travel Media Coverage: November 2025
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Destination BC has a well-developed program to work with travel media – journalists or outlets who specialize in telling travel and lifestyle stories – to create exposure for BC as a destination of choice. Travel media relations is an essential marketing channel to tell our brand story, build awareness, and encourage travellers to visit BC.
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Stay Winter Ready: Explore BC Tourism Emergency Resources
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As communities across BC welcome winter visitors, it’s a timely moment to revisit the emergency communication and preparedness tools available to our industry. The emergency preparedness page on DestinationBC.ca is organized to help you quickly find what you need, when you need it. Resources include: templates, checklists, and planning tools, guidance for real-time responses, trusted information sources, and reccomended mobile apps.
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Destination BC has created a series of seasonal graphics and preparedness tips that can be downloaded and shared across your channels. These visuals help remind visitors to travel responsibly and stay informed, especially during high-risk weather conditions.
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Prepare for FIFA World Cup 2026™ with BC Tourism FC's Strategic Playbook
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Are you ready for the FIFA World Cup 2026™? BC Tourism FC has shared the official BC Tourism FC Playbook—a vital tool to help tourism partners engage authentically and effectively with this global event. The playbook offers strategic messaging aligned with the BC Tourism FC strategy for FIFA World Cup 2026™, brand and compliance guidelines, creative activation ideas, and essential resources like match schedules and terminology guides.
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Unlock BC’s tourism potential during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ with the new BC Tourism FC Playbook.
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There were 6.2 million skier visits in BC in the 2023-24 ski season, slightly higher than the five-year average of skier visits of 6.1 million (2019–20 to 2023–24)
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Ski Tourism Sector Profile
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The downhill ski and snowboard tourism sector in British Columbia is internationally renowned, anchored by 13 destination mountain resorts. In 2022-2023, ski areas in BC contributed $2.15 billion in direct revenues to community and provincial economies. Learn more about the ski sector's impact on BC tourism in this 2025 profile.
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Destination Development Strategy: Rainforest to Rockies
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The Rainforest to Rockies Destination Development Strategy outlines how to bring the Rainforest to Rockies to life on the ground for visitors, the industry, and communities. With emphasis on the three focus areas identified in the Iconics Destination Development Framework, encounters, experiences, and touchpoints, it serves to help the brand succeed on the ground through guiding the development of an enhanced visitor experience. It identifies experience development opportunities aligned to deliver on the brand positioning and sets out key priorities to make that happen.
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The Invest in Iconics Strategy is a long-term plan to sustainably grow tourism revenue in British Columbia by developing globally compelling travel routes and place brands.
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BC’s Ease of Doing Business Initiative Feedback Will Drive Changes for Small Business Success
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The Province has received more than 260 submissions through the Ease of Doing Business initiative, and is reviewing and acting on recommendations to foster a business environment that supports good jobs and economic growth.
Launched on June 5, 2025, the Ease of Doing Business initiative invited businesses to share challenges and ideas with government through the EaseBiz BC submission portal.
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BC seeking public input on proposed hunting regulation updates
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Every two years, the Province reviews hunting and trapping regulations to support sustainable wildlife management and respect First Nations’ harvest rights, as well as balance conservation with economic and recreational opportunities. Public engagement on the proposed 2026-28 hunting and trapping regulations is open until February 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific time).
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The Golden Stroll invites exploration, reflection, and responsible recreation, offering a meaningful way to connect with the heart of Golden.
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Golden Stroll: A Journey Through Story and Place
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Tourism Golden has launched the Golden Stroll, a self-guided interpretive walking tour designed to deepen visitor connection with the town’s history, culture, and natural beauty. Featuring 23 narrated short videos, the tour brings Golden’s modern development, community spirit, recreation, Indigenous culture, and environment to life with each story told by local narrators.
Visitors can follow two separate routes along the Rotary Trail, stopping at touchpoints marked with QR codes that unlock site-specific videos. Whether it’s a view, sound, or scent, each location offers a sensory and storytelling experience. The trail also encourages interaction with locals, adding a layer of community engagement. The Tourism Golden app supports the experience with a GPS-enabled map and itinerary, helping visitors navigate the trail and explore nearby features, no matter where they begin.
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Early Bird Registration Open:
BC Tourism Industry Conference
March 4-6, 2026
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The 2026 BC Tourism Industry Conference, taking place at the Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, will celebrate the transformative power of tourism. Destination BC will be presenting our new three year strategy to support tourism in BC.
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IMPACT® Summit Victoria
January 25-28, 2026
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IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference is taking place at the Victoria Conference Centre. Presented by Destination Greater Victoria and in part by Destination BC, the event brings together industry, government, and community leaders to advance sustainable tourism. The name “IMPACT” reflects tourism’s dual role as both a key economic driver and a force with significant environmental, social, and cultural influence.
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