TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – October 10, 2025

The first time I experienced live theatre was on my honeymoon in London, England. My wife and I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express which was all the rage at the time, largely because the artists performed on roller skates.

Since then I’ve seen Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Billy Elliot, and a few other musicals, as well as a handful of ballet and symphony orchestra performances. As cultured as I may appear, I’m not a regular consumer or patron of the arts but value the sector’s importance to the vitality of a community, as well as recognize its symbiotic relationship with tourism.

To that end, I was grateful that representatives from the arts community attended some of our round table sessions with key stakeholders in the Thompson Okanagan region this week. In Kamloops I discovered that the city has had its own symphony orchestra (KSO) for nearly 50 years…although one could argue it’s not home grown since all but one of its 36 musicians live in other cities and even provinces.

So when the KSO performs for five consecutive evenings at the Alliance Church, the musicians travel to Kamloops, stay in hotels, eat in local restaurants, and spend money on various pursuits in and around Canada’s tournament capital. Ironically it’s the musicians themselves that contribute more to the local visitor economy than visitors who attend the performances.

However, given rising costs for marketing, travel, wages, venue rental, and other expenses, the KSO’s financial model is not sustainable without additional government grant money or the generosity of benefactors, both of which are unlikely in a soft economy.

The rising cost of doing business was a familiar refrain at each of our roundtable sessions in Penticton, Kelowna, Kamloops and Valemount. Operators cited government policies as a contributing factor to higher costs and lower profit margins including mandatory paid sick days, the employer health tax, the multitude of permits required for events and several other layers of fees that are spiralling out of control. For example, one producer said she required 52 separate permits for the same event spread over four communities, some costing as much as $250.00.

Because TIABC’s lobbying and advocacy work is directed toward local, provincial and federal governments, we were keen to hear about policies or regulations that need to be changed, eliminated or introduced to create a better business climate for tourism in British Columbia.

Not surprisingly, business owners, DMOs, post-secondary educators, and sector association directors referenced everything from inter-provincial trade barriers, permitting delays, lack of government resources, and antiquated regulations, to data gaps, the lack of transportation options for many communities, and astronomical insurance rates, among other issues.

The aforementioned problems are even more acute in rural communities given the dearth of government services, resources and infrastructure to support small businesses. I have no doubt we’ll hear a similar refrain when we meet with stakeholders in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast and Northern BC regions next week. The candid conversations and information we receive at these critical roundtables will help to inform TIABC’s policy priorities and lobbying efforts for the remainder of 2025 and into next year.

In the meantime, after learning of the KSO’s plight, I feel compelled to attend more concerts and performances around the province when the opportunity arises. The arts and culture sector is a vital component of every community and deserves support, even from casual fans like me.

By the way, I’m planning to surprise my wife on our 40th wedding anniversary next year by taking her to see Starlight Express, which is still playing in London’s West End. Shhhh.

Walt Judas

CEO, TIABC