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The Value of Tourism

The Value of Tourism

This Value of Tourism Presentation Toolkit has been created as a template for all tourism industry professionals to use when presenting and communicating the value of tourism in British Columbia to various audiences such government officials, community groups, and other interested parties.

The content covers areas such as the tourism industry’s structure, key performance indicators, contribution to quality of life, workforce, culture, DEIA, reconciliation, sustainability, and other components to help inform and educate your stakeholders on why our sector is so vital to British Columbia.

British Columbia’s visitor economy contributes to our high quality of life by supporting arts, cultural, sports and historical assets, festivals and events, cuisine and wine experiences, parks and recreation venues, among others. Many studies have also shown that tourism brings big international benefits through trade and investment, education and immigration.

However, tourism’s voice is often unheard by decision-makers when setting policy, developing framework for investment, or introducing major economic initiatives. Similarly, today’s graduating students do not consider tourism as a primary career choice yet the opportunities and benefits are virtually unmatched.

The COVID-19 crisis has challenged BC’s tourism industry in ways we couldn’t have imagined, just a few years ago. Before the pandemic, tourism was one of the fastest growing industries in the world, and BC was no exception. TIABC and its industry partners work diligently to strengthen our collective voice to fully capture the opportunities ahead and address the obstacles hampering industry recovery and growth. Our goal is to foster a climate that strengthens our industry and encourages investment in tourism infrastructure, products and marketing. We also strive to motivate more people to pursue a career in tourism.

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

During the last week of each September, Canada observes National Truth and Reconciliation Week, culminating on September 30th with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR).

Tourism businesses and organizations can advance reconciliation by promoting understanding, respect, and meaningful engagement with Indigenous cultures by collaborating with Indigenous communities to accurately represent their history, traditions, and cultures in tourism experiences, supporting Indigenous-owned businesses and promoting employment opportunities, educating visitors and staff about the history and current issues facing Indigenous peoples, establishing a long-term partnership with communities, and highlighting and promoting Indigenous-led experiences.

September 30th also coincides with Orange Shirt Day and goes far beyond simply wearing orange in solidarity - it is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”.

Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) encourages everyone to look for an event in your area and "step forward as an active witness to ensure, through thorough and honest education, that this never happens again." 

TIABC encourages all British Columbians to wear orange on September 30th and honour the thousands of survivors of residential schools.

By taking these steps, we can all contribute to understanding, healing, and a more equitable relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Postcards from BC 📬

Wish you were here from Kat Craats, Marketing Manager for Wildplay Element Parks, in Squamish! 🌲🧗‍♀️
At a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade breakfast meeting, TIABC CEO Walt Judas met up with Rocky Mountaineer President & CEO Tristan Armstrong, as well as VIA Rail President & CEO Mario Peloquin who outlined his railway's 2030 strategy aimed at increasing passenger rail service across Canada. 

Within the next five years, VIA Rail will update much of its fleet with new equipment to replace railcars that are up to 77 years old.

While the federal government has invested some $3 billion in VIA Rail over the past five years, it pales in comparison to Europe's $87 billion and $69 billion the United States is investing in rail service and infrastructure in the coming years.

VIA Rail onboards and delivers a combined 30,000 passengers annually in British Columbia with targets to increase the numbers, particularly as new railcars come into service.
BC TIC 2025 Sponsorship Opportunities

Our sponsors are critical to what makes the BC Tourism Industry Conference a consistent success. Aside from helping to offset the costs of staging this event, sponsors deliver benefits to delegates that help grow their businesses, as well as BC’s visitor economy as a whole.

If your company is keen to connect with tourism leaders and stakeholders throughout British Columbia and Canada, we encourage you to partner with us for the 2025 BC Tourism Industry Conference.

If you have a unique sponsorship idea that you would like to explore, please contact us. We offer the flexibility to customize packages to meet your unique business objectives. Packages are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Vancouver.

Contact us at: info@bctourismconference.ca
2024 TIABC Election Toolkit 

Just in time for the 2024 provincial election campaign that is about to begin, TIABC has produced a valuable toolkit for your use. The toolkit provides a wealth of resources to better inform you of the current political landscape, what the implications for tourism may be, and how to engage with politicians and candidates.

The election toolkit also addresses the value of tourism to British Columbia and informs on what the tourism and hospitality priorities are. 

The comprehensive toolkit expands on these areas by providing recommended questions to ask candidates, for example: "How does your party view tourism as an industry and government priority relative to other sectors of British Columbia’s economy?"

Please download the 2024 TIABC Election Toolkit below, share it with your members and your stakeholders, educate on the value of tourism and inform candidates on today's issues facing our sector. Feel free to send TIABC additional questions that can be added.

Download the toolkit through link in bio! 👆
Postcards from BC 📬 

Wish you were here from Joe Baker, Dean of Okanagan College School of Business, at Okanagan Stables in Lake Country.