Congrats to the BC Tourism & Hospitality Awards Finalists

Kudos to the finalists for the BC Tourism & Hospitality Awards! The awards celebrate the province’s most exceptional leaders and positive change-makers.

Finalists from the VCM region include:

• Klahoose Wilderness Resort (Indigenous Operator or Experience)
• Gooseneck Hospitality ​​​​​​(Employees First)
• Lan Do from Banh Mi Tres Bon (Businesswoman of the Year)
• Sarah Vallely from OPUS Hotel Vancouver (Businesswoman of the Year)

• Rambo First Blood presented by Tourism Hope, Cascades & Canyons (Remarkable Experience)
•  Beyond the Haunting Investigations (Innovation)
• Tourism Ch’illiwack (Professional Excellence)
• John Rae, Resort Municipality of Whistler & Karen Goodwin, Tourism Whistler (Community Contribution & Impact)
• Sport Surrey, City of Surrey (Access & Inclusion)
• BC Bird Trail (Access & Inclusion)

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Federal Funding Announced for District of Kent and Mission

Nearly $100,000 of federal funding is going towards two key projects in the Fraser Valley: the development of an active transportation plan in the District of Kent, and advancing a section of the Experience the Fraser (ETF) trail in Mission. When complete, the Experience the Fraser project will connect communities along the Fraser River with over 550 kilometres of trails and blueways. 

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VCM Sustainability Corner:
Spotlight on Ch’illiwack

We’d like to spotlight the work that Tourism Ch’illiwack is doing to showcase locals who are involved in stewardship in a very hands-on way. Their new “Meet the Protectors” video campaign will feature three residents who are deeply connected to the land and waters and are doing what they can to care for them. This new series is part of Tourism Ch’illiwack’s strategic plan to invite visitors to responsibly visit the area’s urban and natural attractions. 

WATCH THE TRAILER →

Travel Media Relations & Travel Trade Update

VCM attended IMM North America in January with a full schedule of appointments with  US and Canadian travel writers and editors. In February, the team represented VCM at the in-person return of Explore BC. Product updates were presented to 40 travel trade and industry partners by the six regions, six city DMOs and Indigenous Tourism BC. For more information about VCM’s travel media relations and travel trade activities, or to share story ideas and new product updates, contact Heather McGillivray at [email protected].

Coverage is Rolling in from Winter Press Trips to VCM

Destination BC’s team in Australia has been busy pitching leading Australian and New Zealand media outlets! This winter, Destination BC and partners supported 11 media visits, including ski and winter wonderland FAMs. The VCM region was featured in four of these trips, hosting titles such as The Weekend Australian Magazine, Escape and The Australian Travel + Luxury. Recent coverage includes a story by Anabel Dean from Traveller/The Melbourne Age, whose weekly readership is 382,000.  

See the coverage →

Provincial Grants Available For Fairs, Festivals and Events – Deadline Approaching!

The Province of BC recently announced $30 million is available to support BC-based events. In recognition of how difficult these past three years have been, the funding is meant to help fairs, festivals and events re-establish themselves. Events held between April 1, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2024 are eligible for funding, and applications are being accepted until Friday, March 3.  

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Register Now! Webinar: What You Need to Know About Recruiting and Retaining Staff

go2HR and VCM invite tourism industry partners from the VCM region to join this special webinar on March 28 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am (PST). We've heard from many tourism employers that recruiting and retaining staff can be difficult. In this free webinar, we'll share practical advice and resources for attracting and keeping employees. There will also be a chance for employers to ask questions. 

REGISTER HERE →

Limited Space Available: Register for the Tourism Digital Academy Program in its Flexible New Format!

A new spring intake (March 21 – May 10) of Destination BC’s Tourism Digital Academy is now open! Register for the free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses that want to build their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level. Designed for business owners or marketing team members, this comprehensive program provides actionable guidance that will help build a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing, and analytics.

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Free Sessions Help Tourism Businesses Address Labour Shortages

Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB) is offering free sessions across BC to help businesses with recruitment efforts. The sessions focus on recruiting francophone staff to help face the labour shortage currently impacting the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as tips for using marketing tactics to reach qualified candidates and navigating immigration and work permits. The Vancouver session will take place on March 22. For more information, contact Stéphanie Wetterwald at [email protected] or 604-732-3534.

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Free, Customized Energy-Saving Advice Available

FortisBC is offering free, customized energy-saving advice to small and medium-sized businesses. A 1:1 consultation is available where you can learn more about rebates (including how to apply for retroactive ones), discover free or low-cost tips to reduce energy use, and get support in getting quotes from contractors. 

REQUEST A CONSULTATION →