Emergencies can impact travel, visitors, and businesses at any time, and potentially influence those who may be planning a trip to our province.
TIMELY NEWS:
Fall 2022: As we prepare to experience fall rains after prolonged dry weather, the Government of BC is taking action to keep British Columbians and visitors safe in the event of flooding. Read this news release to learn more about the actions being taken this fall to support people, communities, and businesses.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed
During times of stress and uncertainty, it is important to share information from official sources only. There are a variety of resources available to help you prepare for emergencies, gather up-to-date information, and help visitors plan their travel.
destination bc resources
Emergency Messaging Guidance (updated November 2022): 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.
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.
Tourism Emergency Management Framework (led by the Tourism Emergency Management Committee): this framework provides provides a unified structure to support tourism partners and visitors on matters related to the four pillars of emergency management, specifically mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It also supports the Province of British Columbia’s comprehensive emergency management plans by strengthening integration and consideration of visitors and the visitor economy before, during and after an emergency event.
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.
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
Information about emergencies in BC, including evacuation orders and alerts.
Analyses snow pack, assesses seasonal water supply and flood risk, and predicts flows in BC’s rivers and streams. It produces a range of bulletins, maps, and warnings to inform emergency managers and the public about current and upcoming streamflow conditions.
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.
