TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – June 13, 2025

GUEST CEO MESSAGE
TIABC DIRECTOR NICOLE FORD, VP Communications, Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations, Armstrong Collective (Rocky Mountaineer)

Last week, I presented to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services on behalf of TIABC. This presentation was part of the Committee’s province-wide public consultations on the next (2026) provincial budget. I had five minutes to share recommendations (which is not much time) on behalf of the tourism industry, and to provide context as to why our recommendations are so important to the long-term viability of our sector.

In consultation with TIABC’s CEO Walt Judas, we opted to focus on two priorities: a) increased funding for Destination British Columbia (DBC) to advance their marketing and destination development efforts: b) funding to support emergency management in the province.

Destination BC is responsible for marketing British Columbia to travellers from around the world, as well as to Canadians and BC residents to encourage them to experience every region of the province. DBC also provides leadership for expanding BC’s tourism products and experiences, so that our province remains a desirable destination for visitors worldwide.

Destination BC plays a critical role in maximizing long-term, sustainable growth for the tourism industry, yet its budget has been stagnant for more than 10 years. In fact, when you consider inflation, its budget has fallen behind by 20% since 2019. This reduces DBC’s buying power and our ability as a province to effectively compete in the international marketplace. TIABC recommends an immediate funding boost of, at minimum, 10% so DBC can market, develop, and support the tourism industry as the economic driver it is.

Shifting the focus to emergency management, we all know too well how BC communities are forced to navigate a range of crises each year including wildfires, drought, flooding, and other weather-related disasters. These emergencies often happen in tourism-dependent communities. We continually see tourism operators step up during these crises to provide residents, visitors, and first responders with accommodation, food, transportation, and other services, all while their own businesses are taking a significant hit from the same emergency. Our industry needs ongoing and secured funding to ensure our businesses and organizations can prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.

There are two specific funding recommendations to strengthen the tourism industry’s emergency preparedness and response efforts. First, TIABC recommends a commitment of $500,000 annually to fund permanent emergency management personnel in each of BC’s tourism regions. This funding will support the execution of emergency plans, training, and response that is critically needed for our industry and the communities we serve.

TIABC’s second emergency funding recommendation is a commitment of up to $1 million annually to restart and expand a reservation platform to connect evacuees with hotels and other accommodation providers during a major crisis. There was an important project recently discontinued by the government, which was a long overdue pilot that utilizes a digital platform to show where available rooms are during a crisis. Unfortunately, there is no backup plan other than a manual process that has proven to be ineffective when hundreds, if not thousands of people need somewhere to stay.

This funding will restart the project and allow the platform to be expanded to more of the province. You can read a letter on importance of this platform written to The Honourable Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, which was signed by several industry partners, including BC Hotel Association, BC Regional Tourism Secretariat, Tourism Prince George, Tourism Kamloops, Tourism Kelowna, and TIABC.

Five minutes and two recommendations are not nearly enough to highlight the economic, social, and cultural benefits the tourism industry brings this province, and how the Province of BC needs to invest in this vital sector. On behalf of TIABC, thank you to the Standing Committee for the opportunity to present. We appreciate the invitation to participate in the consultation process and the willingness to hear from the tourism industry.

Nicole Ford

Director, TIABC