Industry Support Areas
The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team supports industry partners in a number of ways.
There are eight Destination BC program areas which the VCM team implements in the region. These are the same program areas and deliverables which the five Regional Destination Management Organizations (RDMOs) fulfill in their respective tourism regions via a Service Agreement with Destination BC.
The VCM team also leads several activities outside of Destination BC’s programs. These regionally-specific projects are used to elevate community aspirations based on community planning.
Destination Development
Destination Development focuses on the supply side of tourism by creating compelling products, experiences, quality infrastructure, and remarkable services to attract visitors and entice repeat visitation. The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Sustainability Council and Destination Management Councils for four of the planning areas in the region were created to advance community collaboration, dispersion tactics, projects, priorities, and other opportunities
Industry Development
Industry Development provides learning programs and resources that support BC’s small and medium-sized tourism businesses in their efforts to deliver outstanding guest experiences, effective marketing, and tangible business results. This includes developing new experiences and enhancing the industry’s digital capabilities.
Destination BC’s Learning Centre provides access to resources and tools, best practices, workshops, training programs, and insights for BC’s tourism industry. Topics include everything from experience development to digital marketing.
Travel Trade
Travel Trade remains a key way to reach consumers in overseas markets. This includes online travel agents, receptive tour operators, tour operators, wholesalers, and travel agents. The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team acts as a Destination BC resource by addressing all travel trade inquiries, providing FAM experiences for key travel trade partners, attending trade shows on behalf of the region, participating in receptive tour operator sales calls and training, and providing partner education and training.
Travel Media
Travel Media is a cost-effective way to build destination awareness and to encourage travellers to visit the province. The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team supports Destination BC by working with writers, social media influencers, editors and broadcasters to create travel-focused stories in the province’s top markets. This includes pitching story ideas, providing press trip experiences for qualified media, attending travel media trade shows, and conducting partner education and training.
Social Media & Content Development
Destination BC’s in-house Global Content team creates and curates content which is designed to inspire, educate, or entertain our target audiences. The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team assists by producing regional-specific consumer content, supporting Destination BC’s campaigns and always-on content through quarterly content planning and production cycles, amplifying the BC Content Hub and providing social media influencer and ambassador support.
Iconics – Place Branding
Destination BC’s Invest in Iconics Strategy is a long-term strategy to increase tourism revenue and visitation to British Columbia using Place Branding (marketing).
For Place Branding, the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team is participating in the development of the brand strategy, brand identity and creative strategy for the routes and places in the region which have been identified by Destination BC in the planning process.
Iconics – Destination Development
The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team is supporting Destination BC’s efforts by participating in planning meetings for this Destination BC initiative.
Stewardship & Indigenous Tourism
The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team is currently leading destination stewardship-related projects and initiatives and will also be supporting the implementation of the actions identified in Destination BC’s Destination Stewardship Action Plan, which is currently under development.
The team is also prioritizing supporting the development of Indigenous Tourism by increasing our understanding of First Nations communities and partners’ aspirations around tourism. The goal is to connect partners to opportunities and resources when it’s appropriate or feasible.
Regional Specific Activities
In addition to the implementation of Destination BC’s programs, the team is also responsible for regional specific activities to meet the needs of partners.
Some of these activities include:
- Regional management, communications, hosting partner events, community presentations, etc.;
- Working to support First Nation communities through a variety of programs;
- Working to support municipalities, regional districts, destination marketing and management organizations through a variety of programs, including grant writing support;
- Supporting partners with tourism emergency management response;
- Working on strategic labour initiatives through a partnership with go2HR;
- Conducting accessibility assessments of tourism businesses through a partnership with Spinal Cord Injury BC.
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