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Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
August 2026 Newsletter
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A trio of kayakers in Squamish. (Paddle BC/Reuben Krabbe) |
Have You Registered For the VCM Industry Forum? |
Registration is filling quickly for the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (VCM) Industry Forum on October 15 in North Vancouver.
This complimentary event brings together tourism businesses, Indigenous tourism partners, Community Destination Management Organizations (CDMOs), and local governments from across the region for a day of learning, connection, and collaboration.
This year's theme, Tourism Forward: Building Partnerships, Creating Impact. From Vision to Stronger Destinations, will discuss tourism trends, Indigenous tourism, sustainability, innovation, and investment attraction. |
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Register today for the VCM Industry Forum. |
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The updated regional profile includes newly released data from BC Stats. |
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New Tourism Data for the VCM Region |
Looking for the latest tourism insights to support your planning and decision-making?
Destination BC has released an updated Regional Tourism Profile for the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains tourism region, featuring newly available 2024 data and key economic indicators.
The profile provides a current snapshot of tourism activity and trends and can help tourism businesses, Indigenous tourism partners, Community Destination Management Organizations (CDMOs), and local governments inform destination development, investment, and business planning. |
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Apply to Join Destination BC’s Tourism Marketing Committee |
Destination BC is seeking applications for its Tourism Marketing Committee, which provides strategic advice to Destination BC’s Board and executive team on tourism marketing and destination management priorities across the province.
There is a unique opportunity for two representatives from the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region to join the committee for the 2027–2029 term.
This is a chance to bring regional perspectives to provincial discussions and help influence the future direction of BC’s tourism industry.
Applications close September 29, 2026, at 5 p.m. PT. |
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Help shape BC’s tourism future: apply to join Destination BC’s Tourism Marketing Committee. |
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All smiles on the court: CITAP+’s Shan Tseng and VCM’s Heather McGillivray give wheelchair basketball a try at the Richmond Olympic Oval. |
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Building Tourism Connections with CITAP+ |
The VCM team participated in the CITAP+ Hidi Nishi Summer Event, connecting with travel trade professionals who help influence travel decisions and build awareness of BC destinations.
The event included a marketplace and a sports-focused networking day, including the opportunity to play wheelchair basketball. Para athletes shared how participation from able-bodied players helps grow the sport by creating more teams and opportunities for competition.
These industry connections help strengthen future opportunities to attract visitors and showcase the diverse experiences available.
To learn more about Travel Media Relations and Travel Trade activities in the region, contact [email protected] |
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New insights can help your business plan for a changing climate. (Kari Medig) |
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New Climate Resiliency Insights for BC’s Tourism Industry |
Did you know that four in 10 tourism businesses (39%) were impacted by a natural hazard in 2025, with 16% closing for at least one day?
New reporting from the BC Tourism Climate Resiliency Initiative (BCTCRI) offers a snapshot of how BC’s tourism industry is building resilience and preparing for a changing climate. More than 300 tourism businesses contributed, sharing insights into sustainability, climate preparedness, and long-term planning.
Three new reports are now available to help tourism businesses and industry partners identify opportunities and plan for a more resilient future. |
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New Campaign Shows Love for Squamish Trails |
Tourism Squamish and the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) have launched "For the Love of Trails," encouraging visitors and locals to contribute directly to trail maintenance and stewardship. Throughout the summer, Tourism Squamish will match up to $10,000 in donations, doubling the impact of contributions while supporting the trails that are an important part of both the visitor experience and local quality of life. |
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"For the Love of Trails" encourages riders to help care for Squamish’s trail network. (Hubert Kang) |
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Pointhouse Suites puts sustainability into practice on the Sunshine Coast. (Pointhouse Suites website) |
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Sustainability Highlight: Pointhouse Suites on Sargeant Bay |
Pointhouse Suites on Sargeant Bay provides a practical example of how tourism businesses can make sustainability part of everyday operations. The GreenStep Gold-certified property invested in a new heat pump and hot water system that reduced energy use in one building by approximately 40%, alongside smart heating and lighting controls and digital guest guides.
Pointhouse Suites also supports local conservation through the Sargeant Bay Society and designed its new Lido Spa around the natural landscape, showing how practical changes can reduce impacts, strengthen connections to place, and enhance the guest experience. |
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New Changemaker Video Spotlights Reuse Whistler |
Tourism Whistler’s latest Changemaker Series video highlights Reuse Whistler and its community-wide effort to replace single-use coffee cups with reusable alternatives.
Hosted by Whistler local and climate advocate Mike Douglas, the series shares practical examples of sustainability in action across the community. Reuse Whistler is the seventh Changemaker featured, offering inspiration for tourism businesses looking to reduce waste and embrace more sustainable practices. |
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Reuse Whistler shows how community-wide action can help reduce single-use waste. |
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Help Share Real-Time Stories from Across BC |
Destination BC's new BC Tourism Partner Social Toolkit provides ready-to-use messaging, templates, practical tactics, and resources to help tourism partners share verified, real-time updates on current conditions and visitor experiences. As communities across BC continue to welcome visitors, timely and accurate information is essential to supporting tourism recovery.
By using the toolkit and amplifying local stories, you can help build traveller confidence, support informed travel decisions, and showcase the many destinations and experiences that are open and ready to welcome visitors. |
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Destination BC's BC Tourism Partner Social Toolkit provides ready-to-use resources to help partners support tourism recovery through verified, real-time visitor communications. |
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Preparation can make a big difference when emergencies occur. |
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Five Ways to Prepare Your Business for Emergencies |
When emergencies occur, tourism businesses play an important role in helping visitors stay safe and informed. Destination BC recommends five practical actions:
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Download and promote the Alertable app.
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Share information from official sources only.
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Make visitor safety your top priority.
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Communicate proactively with guests about local conditions.
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Stay connected to your local tourism network.
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New Toolkit Helps Businesses Connect with Film Industry Opportunities |
A new Filming Toolkit for Businesses from the BC Film Commission can help tourism businesses and other organizations understand how to work with film and television productions operating in British Columbia.
Designed for businesses outside the screen industry, the toolkit explains how productions purchase goods and services, outlines the vendor process, and offers practical tips for becoming production-ready.
Film and television productions generate economic benefits for communities while also showcasing BC to global audiences, helping inspire future travel and raise awareness of destinations across the province. |
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Learn how your business can tap into opportunities from BC’s film and television industry. |
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Find funding opportunities to help move your next tourism project forward.
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Find Funding for Your Tourism Business or Organization |
Looking for funding to support your next project? Destination Canada has partnered with Fundica to offer a free funding search tool that helps tourism businesses, organizations, and communities identify relevant government and private-sector funding opportunities across Canada.
The platform matches users with funding programs based on their needs, making it easier to discover potential sources of support for business growth, destination development, workforce initiatives, and more. |
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Funding Available for Local Festivals and Cultural Events |
Organizations planning festivals that celebrate local arts, heritage, and culture may be eligible for funding through the Government of Canada's Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program.
The Local Festivals component supports recurring events that showcase local artists, artisans, heritage performers, cultural specialists, and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultural carriers. Eligible festivals can apply for up to $200,000 to cover eligible expenses.
The next application deadline is October 15, 2026 for festivals starting between July 1 and August 31, 2027. |
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Planning a local festival? Funding of up to $200,000 may be available. |
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Celebrate the waterways that shape BC’s communities and visitor experiences. |
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Celebrate and Showcase Your Community on BC Rivers Day |
Communities across British Columbia are invited to take part in the 46th Annual BC Rivers Day on September 27. Whether you're organizing a shoreline cleanup, guided paddle, restoration project, interpretive walk, community celebration, or educational event, BC Rivers Day offers an opportunity to connect residents and visitors with local waterways.
By registering your event, you can increase its visibility and help showcase the natural assets that make your community a great place to visit. |
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Visit a New Exhibition Celebrating Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Culture and Teachings |
Visit “Gifts to Be Shared, Protected and Carried Forward,” a feature exhibition at MONOVA: Museum & Archives of North Vancouver that highlights the culture, artistry, teachings, and stories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
Led by Chief Dr. Janice George, the exhibition looks at the connections between past, present, and future through Sḵwx̱wú7mesh knowledge, traditions, and practices. Visitors are invited to engage with stories and perspectives that continue to shape relationships with these lands and waters today.
The exhibition is open until March 2027. |
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Experience Sḵwx̱wú7mesh culture, artistry, teachings, and stories at MONOVA. (Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association) |
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Belle Acres Farmstand is one of the stops featured on the new Pemberton Farm Stand Tour. (Tourism Pemberton) |
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Experience Pemberton's Farm-Gate Flavours on a New Self-Guided Tour |
Recently launched by Tourism Pemberton, the Pemberton Farm Stand Tour invites visitors to connect with local farmers, makers, and producers through a self-guided journey.
Along the way, visitors can find freshly harvested produce, hand-picked flowers, pasture-raised meats, handcrafted goods, and other farm-gate offerings while meeting the people behind them.
Set against the backdrop of Pemberton's towering peaks and fertile farmland, the tour offers a way to support local businesses and experience the vibrant food culture. |
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