Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC)

BC's private camping sector gathered in Manning Park this week for the BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association (BCLCA) annual Ideas Forum. TIABC's Walt Judas (pictured with BCLCA's Joss Penny) was on hand to provide an advocacy update and hear from operators on issues affecting their businesses. While the camping sector in BC remains strong overall, the 2024 season was considered to be uneven vis-a-vis key performance indicators such as occupancy and revenue. Some regions were on par or up compared with 2023 while others experienced a decline by as much as 10% due to the threat of wildfires, inflation and other factors. British Columbia boasts some 615 private campgrounds, resorts and RV parks that attract guests from all over the world. The sector remains optimistic that 2025 will be a good year barring any major crisis. #BCLodging #Campgrounds #Year2025 #TravelBC

Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) held its AGM & Indigenous Tourism Gathering in downtown Vancouver this week. ITBC Chair Brenda Baptiste, who also serves as a TIABC director, presided over the event, attended by some 150 delegates including Walt Judas, pictured with ITBC Chief Marketing & Development Officer, Paula Amos. ITBC's mission is to provide support to all its respected stakeholders in experience development, training, funding access, networking opportunities, marketing programs, and current industry research. The organization gained some 227 new stakeholders over the past year and has increased its staff complement to 25 to help achieve its key objectives. ITBC also launched its new 25-year vision for Indigenous tourism in BC. #BC #Tourism #IndigenousTourism

TIABC CEO Walt Judas, BCHA's Ingrid Jarrett, DBC's Josie Heisig, Destination Vancouver's Michael Drake and Vancouver Deputy Mayor Mike Klassen were among the speakers honouring some 800 frontline workers at the recent Vancouver Tourism Awards Gala masterfully emceed by Fast Signs Paul LeBlanc at the JW Marriott Parq Hotel. The Gala annually celebrates both monthly winners throughout the year, as well as all nominees. This year's featured speaker was BC Paralympian Josh Dueck who won a silver medal in skiing for Canada at both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Paralympics. His message of passion, perseverance and possibility earned him a standing ovation. Huge kudos to Peggie Terry, the Board of Directors and the entire Vancouver Tourism Awards team for another outstanding gala. 📷: Rhonda Dent #TourismAwards #FrontlineHeroes #Inspiration

Ready to gain the latest insights and engage with fellow tourism professionals? 💼 Don't miss out on the 2025 BC Tourism Industry Conference! The program overview and exciting details are now live on our website. Mark your calendars for March 5-7, 2025, and stay tuned for updates on keynote speakers, engaging sessions, networking opportunities, and more. Details here 🔗 https://bit.ly/2HAiPWT. We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver next year! #BC #Tourism #BCTourism #Conference

TIABC’s Walt Judas, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA)’s Ellen Walker-Matthews and Travel Penticton’s Thom Tischik connected at the opening reception of the TOTA Summit in Vernon this week. Walt was one of the Summit speakers and spoke about the new political landscape in BC following last week’s provincial election. At the TOTA AGM on Tuesday, TIABC Director Sandra Oldfield was elected as TOTA’s new board chair. #TOTASummit #Networking #Vernon

🍽️ DMO Strategies for Sustainable Food Practices in Tourism & Hospitality Join Ben Liegey, MBA, founder and CEO of BetterTable™ who will be delivering an engaging webinar on effective DMO strategies for implementing sustainable food practices in the hotel and restaurant industry. Learn first hand in a panel discussion how RDMO’s CDMO’s and industry leaders are developing best practices and innovative approaches while working to support their stakeholders on their regenerative journey. 📅 Date: Tuesday, November 5 🕛 Time: 12:00 pm (PT), virtual event 🗣️ Panelists: - Ellen Walker-Matthews, CEO, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association - Nancy Small, CDME, CEO, Tourism Richmond - Julia Canton, Sustainability Manager, Huntington Hotel & Suites This webinar is a joint partnership between the BCDMOA and TIABC. Learn more and register here:https://bit.ly/3YFszY0 #SustainableTourism #DMOStrategies #BCDMOA #TIABC #BetterTable

TIABC CEO Walt Judas presented to delegates at the Kootenay Rockies Summit in Nelson where he spoke about what the final election results will mean for the tourism sector in BC. He also moderated a panel discussion on emergency management featuring BCHA's Ingrid Jarrett, HatchComms' Kate Colley, and Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association's Corrine Bundschuh. The Kootenay Rockies region represents about 10% of British Columbia's annual tourism revenues. #Tourism #EmergingLeaders #KootenayRockiesSummit

CEO Walt Judas spoke about TIABC's advocacy priorities at the Northern BC Tourism Association (NBCTA) Summit in Prince George this week. It was the first in-person NBCTA conference in five years and attracted close to 100 delegates including Smithers tourism operator Al McCreary who is the past president of ABLE BC. Delegates heard from several speakers on topics ranging from tourism crisis communications preparedness and sustainability, to AI and trail building with Indigenous partners. The Summit continues through Thursday with sessions on place making, innovation and marketing.

Fresh from the studio! 🎙️ Dive into Episode #30 of TIABC's Voice of Tourism podcast featuring Amy Thacker, the dynamic CEO of Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism . Listen as Amy delves into her impressive career journey, her commitment to sustainable tourism, and the current challenges faced by business owners in her region. Don't miss out on this insightful conversation! 🎧 Listen today: https://spoti.fi/3BXV8ar #tourism #CaribooChilcotinCoast #podcast #BC

Sponsorship Opportunities 🎉 Our sponsors are critical to what makes the BC Tourism Industry Conference a consistent success. Aside from helping to offset the costs of staging this event, sponsors deliver benefits to delegates that help grow their businesses, as well as BC’s visitor economy as a whole. If your company is keen to connect with tourism leaders and stakeholders throughout British Columbia and Canada, we encourage you to partner with us for the 2025 BC Tourism Industry Conference. If you have a unique sponsorship idea that you would like to explore, please contact us. We offer the flexibility to customize packages to meet your unique business objectives. Packages are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Vancouver. Contact us at: info@bctourismconference.ca Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3zwJ7Yu