March 11, 2022
The British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network (BCTRN) has been recognized with a 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Award in the category of Community Contribution & Impact.
The 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Awards recognize and celebrate excellence, leadership, and innovation within British Columbia’s tourism and hospitality industry, showcasing the province’s most exceptional leaders and positive change-makers. See the full list of winners.
“We are honoured to have served B.C. tourism businesses and communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and support their survival,” said Anthony Everett, President & CEO, Tourism Vancouver Island and Chair, British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat. “This program was designed by the tourism industry for the tourism industry, utilizing our sector’s specialized understanding of our own needs to guide the recovery of B.C.’s visitor economy.”
Evolving from a program initiated by Tourism Vancouver Island shortly after the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network is a long-term resiliency program led by the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS), providing B.C. tourism businesses with meaningful, one-on-one support to navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, adapt, and work towards eventual recovery.
The British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network has helped 2,033 tourism businesses to date, including 158 Indigenous-owned, 440 women-owned, and six youth-owned businesses in communities spanning the province. 1,333 participants have successfully secured aid from government relief programs and an estimated 3,694 jobs have been preserved.
“By working together across the province, the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat is maximizing our collective expertise and resources, and leveraging the local knowledge and long-standing relationships we’ve held with stakeholders in our five regions for over 50 years,” said Ellen Walker-Matthews, CEO, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, and Treasurer, British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat. “The British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network provided a vehicle for us to work together like never before and allowed the development of infrastructure that can be repurposed into managing other crises, but also future partnerships for the betterment of B.C.’s tourism industry.”
The British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat is a partnership between five of B.C.’s not-for-profit Regional Destination Management Organizations (RDMO), including: Tourism Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association (CCCTA), Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association (KRTA), and Northern British Columbia Tourism Association (NBCTA).
The British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat gratefully acknowledges funding for the British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network from Island Coastal Economic Trust and Western Economic Diversification Canada, and support from numerous additional partners.
The 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Awards were announced and presented at an awards gala on Thursday, March 10, 2022, as part of the 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference hosted by the Tourism Industry Association of BC and British Columbia Hotel Association.
"The Tourism Resiliency Program was designed to support tourism operators in a deeply meaningful way when it was needed the most. We are incredibly proud of the resiliency, tenacity, and grit of the tourism sector as demonstrated throughout the pandemic and their trust in us to assist them in navigating the challenges of the pandemic. I'd like to acknowledge the tremendous effort our entire team at NBCTA and our regional partners across the Province for contributing to the success of this program" - Clint Fraser, CEO, Northern BC Tourism Association
Northern BC Highlights
• 256 businesses helped
• 25 average points of contact per business
• 43 actionable marketing strategies
• 113 businesses provided with digital support
• 42 one-on-one expert sessions
• 1 recruitment playbook
About the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS)
The British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat is a partnership between five of B.C.’s not-for-profit Regional Destination Management Organizations (RDMO), including: Tourism Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association (CCCTA), Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association (KRTA), and Northern British Columbia Tourism Association (NBCTA). The BC Tourism Resiliency Network is a long-term resiliency program providing BC tourism businesses with meaningful, one-on-one support to navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, adapt, and work towards eventual recovery.
Learn more at TourismResiliency.ca.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jennifer Moore, Business Resiliency Specialist
Northern BC Tourism Association
250-262-2714
