Emergency Preparedness

 

Emergency Resources for BC’s Tourism Industry

Emergencies can impact travel, visitors, and businesses at any time, and potentially influence those who may be planning a trip to our province.

Share information from official sources only, and consult the resources below to help you prepare and respond to emergencies.

destination bc resources

Emergency Messaging Guidance (UPDATED October 2023):

  • This document outlines official emergency information resources for British Columbia, as well as suggested messaging, visuals, and actions for BC’s tourism industry during emergencies. It can help tourism businesses navigate questions, mitigate visitor concerns, and proactively manage perceptions during emergencies.

Water Conservation Tourism Industry Toolkit (August 2023):

  • This document includes official resources, and suggested actions & messaging for BC tourism industry partners to help champion responsible water usage.

Tourism Emergency Management Framework 

  • A unified structure on behalf of the Tourism Emergency Management Committee to support the safety of visitors, the viability of tourism businesses, and our reputation as a safe and welcoming destination in a provincial or multi-regional emergency preparedness and response.
    • *Tip: Access and download tourism industry communications modules & responsible travel infographics here.

Know Before You Go

  • This page on HelloBC.com is regularly updated and serves as a one-stop shop for visitors looking to access key information resources such as those noted below.

 

additional resources

PreparedBC: Tourism Resources

Step-by-step guides to prepare tourism businesses and their staff for emergencies, with templates and tools to help operators easily plan a fast and effective response.

BC Economic Development Association

Insurance Bureau of Canada

  • The Bureau can provide answers for individuals and businesses with insurance questions and concerns by calling 1 844 2-ASK-IBC (1 844 227-5422) Monday to Friday from 7AM to 4PM PST.

Emergency Info BC

Drive BC

  • Information about road closures, major events, and transportation delays.
  • Twitter: @DriveBC
  • Website: www.drivebc.com/

Transportation BC

River Forecast Centre

Environment Canada Weather Alerts

Capital Region Tsunami Information portal

Avalanche Canada

  • Information and tutorials about avalanche terrain, conditions and danger scales, and trip planning tools for safety.
  • Twitter: @avalancheca
  • Website: avalanche.ca/cac

Great British Columbia Shakeout

BC Wildfire Service

Air Quality

  • Smoke conditions across the province can change hourly. Check the Air Quality Health Index for real-time updates from across BC.

Emergency Support Services

Red Cross

AdventureSmart

Parks and Recreation Sites (Warnings and Closures)

  • BC Parks: Information regarding Provincial campgrounds and park closures, including parks affected by BC wildfires and parks affected by freshet/flooding.
  • Recreation Sites and Trails: Alerts, closures, and warnings regarding BC’s rustic campsites and recreational trails.

What Tourism Business Owners Can Do:

  • Share these resources with your staff and follow key social media accounts for the latest news.
  • Help your guests:
    • If your business is located in an impacted area, provide your current customers and future reservations with regular updates, by directing them to official information sources.
    • If your business is not impacted directly, help your current guests plan the rest of their trip to areas that are safe and open for business (your local visitor centre has a wealth of information on places to stay and things to do).
    • If your business is not impacted directly, be proactive with future reservations—let your customers know it’s business as usual and you are looking forward to hosting them. British Columbia is a very large province and sometimes our out-of-province guests can get confused by geographically misleading information.
  • Have a plan—use the PreparedBC: Tourism Resources to prepare for emergencies and to identify potential hazards.

Northern BC Tourism/Andrew Strain

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