Destination BC's DEIA Strategy
Destination BC is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. We worked with subject matter experts on the creation of this people-focused DEIA Strategy.
This is a long-term Strategy that acts as our foundation towards becoming a more equitable and inclusive organization and inspiring change across the tourism industry.
To submit feedback regarding our DEIA Strategy,
please contact us at deia@DestinationBC.ca
Building a Better World, Together
British Columbia’s beauty, strength, and identity are deeply rooted in Indigenous history, culture, and traditions, and the diversity of people living here today. People differ in race, ethnicity, culture, gender, identity, ability—among others—and this is what makes us individually and collectively unique.
Destination BC understands that we have a responsibility to ensure everything we do is equitable and inclusive, and we recognize that we can champion diversity, amplify the voices of all people living in BC, and more authentically connect people, places, and experiences.
Tourism is one of the most diverse industries in the world, and changing systemic inequalities will take all of us working together—our employees, suppliers, partners, tourism communities, and the tourism industry as a whole. We have a great opportunity to better authentically represent communities in BC, understand how others encounter the world, and ensure tourism experiences are safe, accessible, and inclusive for everyone, and we will all be better for it.
Our Areas of Focus
We want to shape meaningful change within our organization and across the tourism industry through our work. Our areas of focus include three core themes. Each theme is supported by clear goals and actions that touch every part of our organization and will require all employees to develop and apply diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility knowledge, skills, and behaviours to their work. Progress will be measured throughout the year to hold our organization accountable for the change we seek to achieve.
An Inclusive Workplace
Destination BC openly embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and we are proud to share that our organization is Rainbow Registered® – an accreditation given to 2SLGBTQI+ friendly spaces. Becoming Rainbow Registered signifies an ongoing commitment and effort to provide a warm and accepting experience for 2SLGBTQI+ employees and consumers through progressive policies and practices.
We’re Listening, Learning, and Taking Action
Learn more about the concrete actions we’ve taken to create a more just and equitable workforce and improve our policies, processes, and programs.
Well-being
Accessibility
Marketing and Partnerships
Growth and
Well-being
RECRUITMENT & HIRING
- We established an Accessibility and Inclusion Committee (AIC), in compliance with the Accessible British Columbia Act and to support our work towards a more accessible and inclusive tourism industry.
- We continued to deliver on our three-year Accessible Tourism Strategic Framework & Action Plan, and forged relationships with a number of disability subject matter experts to help inform our work towards supporting a more accessible tourism industry. Experts include Spinal Cord Injury BC, Rick Hansen Foundation, Community Living BC, Inclusion BC, CNIB, Autism BC and others.
- We continued our outreach to tourism businesses and encouraged them to add mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, sensory or general accessibility information in their HelloBC.com listings. Over 900 tourism businesses have listed accessibility attributes.
- We created an Accessible Tourism section on our Learning Centre with a number of resources to help tourism businesses towards being accessible and inclusive for all employees and travellers.
- We developed an employee accessibility action plan.
- Through this plan we have reviewed our accommodations policy and procedure and now have a roadmap to improve the employee experience.
- We’ve created inclusive and accessible meetings, presentations, and events guides for our employees.
What We’re Doing Next
Dismantling discrimination within processes, systems, and language, and unlearning attitudes or behaviours needs to be thoughtful and intentional. We understand that this process of change will take time, and we are committed to implementing our learnings around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) into everything we do, and sharing these learnings with our industry partners.
Through to 2025, we are focused on implementing the actions outlined within our three-year DEIA strategy. This strategy sets our vision to be a more inclusive organization, with clear accountability for change. Destination BC will be deeply exploring possibilities, with more expressions of bridging and empathy.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Tourism
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Get in Touch
To find out more about Destination BC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility efforts,
or to submit feedback regarding our DEIA Strategy, contact us at deia@DestinationBC.ca
