Listed on Council agenda as correspondence item 9.a
Ref: 112526 Date: APR 26 2016
Dear Mayor:
As you know, approximately 18 million overnight visitors vacation in British Columbia (BC) each year, contributing over $14 billion in revenue annually to the provincial economy. Tourism touches every part of our province and has become one of BC's leading business sectors.
The BC visitor economy comprises more than 19,200 tourism-related businesses that employ more than 127,000 people. To celebrate Tourism Week and acknowledge the operators, employees, suppliers, destination marketing organizations and other stakeholders who contribute to the industry, we are inviting mayors from every community to become official tourism ambassadors for a day on Monday, May 30, 2016.
This initiative is part of a concerted effort to showcase local tourism products and experiences, and demonstrate that tourism matters to residents in communities across the province.
We encourage you to select a local visitor centre, major attraction, resort, gift shop, transit hub or another high-profile location to work alongside staff and volunteers to meet with and service visitors to your community for one hour that day. You may also want to consider a promotion for visitors and locals that includes prizes such as attraction tickets or giveaways such as pins, coffee or items that represent your region.
To engage local media as part of the initiative, the Tourism Industry Association of BC has developed a template with key messaging on the BC visitor economy. You will need to augment the release with information about your community's tourism services, attractions, amenities, development plans, key performance indicators and other news on the benefits your local visitor economy generates for citizens.
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Signatures of Shirley Bond and Walt Judas
We sincerely hope that you will be a part of this unique and exciting endeavour. Thank you for helping to build tourism into one of BC's leading and sustainable industries, and for supporting Tourism Week, May 29 to June 4, 2016.
Sincerely,
Shirley Bond Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour
Walt Judas Chief Executive Officer Tourism Industry Association of BC
Attachments
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Page 56–59
NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK – MAY 29 TO JUNE 4, 2016
Tourism – By the Numbers
Globally, tourism accounts for 1 out of every 11 jobs and generates US$1.5 trillion in exports.
In Canada, tourism generated $88.5 billion in economic activity and fostered 628,000 jobs in 2013.
Tourism in BC contributed $7.1 billion in GDP in 2014 to the provincial economy, a 4.5% increase over 2013. Tourism GDP grew more rapidly than that of the whole B.C. economy, which grew 2.8% in 2014.
In 2014, the BC tourism industry generated $14.6 billion in revenue, a 5.1% increase over 2013, and a 37.7% increase from 2004.
In 2014, tourism contributed more to GDP than the forestry, agriculture and fish primary resource industries.
In 2014, 127,500 people were employed in BC tourism-related businesses, a 2.2% increase over 2013 and an 18.4% increase since 2004. BC is home to over 19,000 tourism businesses.
A total of 4.9 million international visitors came to B.C. in 2015 – 359, 750 more people compared to 2014, up 7.9% over 2014.
British Columbia experienced increases in visitation from all markets in 2015.
Tourism is a growing industry - there has been an increase in visitors, in number of businesses and number of people employed in tourism.
Tourism has the ability to connect different parts of a community, relying on the cooperation of local government, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations and private citizens alike. Working together to offer a positive experience to visitors usually includes steps to beautify a community and often leads to increased community pride.
Tourism and economic development go hand in hand. Tourism depends upon and grows the same essential ingredients that make our communities desirable. Things like quality of life and extended infrastructure. Tourism talks the same talk with economic development efforts to attract investment, stimulate jobs, draw new residents and showcase our region to others. Tourism links directly to sectors and industries such as agriculture, construction and transportation.
Size/importance/economic value of tourism to .
#BCTourismMatters (please share this hashtag to help us build interest in our online conversations)
Follow TIABC on social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter) and share Tourism Week stories.
Visit the TIABC website – www.TIABC.ca - for more information on the tourism industry, our advocacy efforts and our communications.
The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) advocates for the interests of British Columbia's $14 billion+ visitor economy. As a not-for-profit trade association, TIABC works collaboratively with its members – private sector tourism businesses, industry associations and destination marketing organizations – to ensure the best working environment for a competitive tourism industry.
Please see the following page for a sample News Release for your community to use to promote National Tourism Week.
