Call To Action

The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) is commemorating Tourism Week in Canada (through June 6) by issuing a call to action for all BC tourism stakeholders to connect with local and provincial government representatives to both remind them of how important the tourism industry is economically, socially and environmentally, and to enlist their help in spreading that message to constituents.

Although the tourism industry is expected to enjoy another record year in parts of British Columbia, officials say the sector is often overlooked as a significant economic contributor to the provincial economy.

“Tourism is vital to the economy of our province. It provides jobs, encourages investment, generates business opportunities and creates benefits for both residents and visitors alike,” said TIABC chair, Jim Humphrey. “As the tourism industry continues to grow and mature, it further provides an opportunity for new entrepreneurs, post-secondary students and others to pursue careers and become leaders in this important business sector.”

According to Destination British Columbia, US and international overnight customs entries, as well as the provincial average daily rate and occupancy for hotels were all up in first quarter 2015 over last year. Similarly, Tourism Vancouver, the largest city destination marketing organization in the province, projects a 2.9% increase in overnight visitors this year compared to last.

Other highlights include:

• The BC Tourism Industry Conference is returning this fall. With strong support from Destination BC and other industry partners, TIABC looks forward to hosting the industry Oct. 19-21 in Vancouver. (http://www.bctourismconference.ca)
• TIABC continued its membership growth trend with increasing support shown in all three categories of membership: tourism businesses, tourism industry associations and destination marketing organizations (DMOs), doubling the number of DMOs from 16 to 30. It also added two new sector associations and 13 additional businesses, welcoming back some former members while also introducing several new ones. (http://www.tiabc.ca/tiabc-membership)
• TIABC recently appointed a new CEO, Walt Judas, who was warmly welcomed by members and professional colleagues throughout the tourism industry.