Destination BC’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

The Black Lives Matter movement has inspired powerful conversations within our organisation, and we have been humbled through this initial period of introspection.

Over the past few weeks, we have been reflecting on how Destination BC plays a role in dismantling racial barriers that block social and economic equity, and we recognize that only a sustained and focused effort will lead to progress. We promised to listen, and we have. We’re hearing from employees, the industry, and you.

We understand that we need to do much more to become the tourism industry leader we aspire to be, and we will. To do this right, we need to take a thoughtful approach in defining and setting actions to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organisation and in all aspects of our work.

We are committed to carefully examining the following areas:

What We Do: We are an organisation that is entrusted to share and support all that is beautiful about our province – its places and its people. Destination BC plays a significant role in shaping peoples’ perceptions of British Columbia, both residents and visitors alike. We have a responsibility to listen to and to engage our diverse communities, and ensure they are represented in all that we do in support of a truly inclusive society.

• Action: We will engage external expertise to help us see ourselves through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will review our work in how we share the transformative power of BC to the world — from marketing and media, to destination development and visitor servicing — and we will continue to grow sustainable social, cultural, environmental, and economic benefits for all British Columbians. We will examine where unintentional barriers may exist, and how they may be resolved.

How We Do Our Work: The culture and actions of an organisation are the responsibility of everyone within it, and we need to learn, grow, and change together.

• Action: As an organisation, we will engage the full spectrum of diversity in our workforce and our workplace to be more inclusive. Change starts from within. To understand where change is needed, we will review the composition of our workforce and our business processes to see where we can improve. We will be reviewing our business processes related to branding and brand leadership, partner engagement, recruitment, talent development, procurement, and overall decision-making.

Who We Work With: How we work internally will change how we work externally. It is essential that we deliver on our promises to our people, our partners, and our audiences, and that our brand values are congruent with our diversity, equity, and inclusion values.

• Action: We will determine what our expectations and outcomes need to be as they relate to our relationships with suppliers and partners, and what this will mean for our industry. We acknowledge that this may change our way of doing business from this point on.

Together, we will continue to listen, learn, and stand up to all forms of racial prejudice. Our work is underway, and I look forward to sharing more about our commitment with you in the future.