Access & Inclusion - Travel Northern BC

Welcoming Every Traveller

Northern BC Tourism Association (NBCTA) supports businesses and communities in creating inclusive and welcoming spaces where all visitors feel valued. By incorporating universal design, operators can open their doors to a wider audience, strengthening both customer loyalty and community prosperity through increased new and returning visitors.

Northern BC Tourism Accessibility Strategy

The Accessibility and Inclusion Tourism Strategy and Accessibility and Inclusion Tactical Plan will serve as an important resource to create awareness, advocacy and ultimately action in an integrated and coordinated approach with multiple partners across Northern BC.

Strategy coming soon!

Need To Know Stats

25% of British Columbians (over 926,000 people over the age of 15) live with an identified disability
88% of people with disabilities take annual vacations
$165 Billion was spent by Canadians with disabilities (14% of the total consumer marketing in 2017)
26% of American adults live with a disability and spend $17.3 Billion USD annually on travel and vacations
Globally 1.3 billion people live with disabilities and make up $1.2 trillion USD in buying power
BC’s ageing population indicates that the number of people with disabilities is likely to increase in the next decade
60% of travellers with disabilities use the internet as their main source of travel planning
71% of customers with accessibility needs abandon websites that are difficult to use

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Accessibility
& Inclusion Tips

Marketing

Promote all accessible features in your marketing materials and website.

Training

Train staff on how to be welcoming and respectful to all your customers with disabilities.

Business Preparations

Prepare your business by removing, reducing, and preventing accessibility barriers in your facilities.

Accessibility Resource Hub

Accessibility
Improvment Project Funding

Through funding provided by PacifiCan, the Northern BC Tourism Association is able to offer funding to support accessibility improvements.

This funding, 50% of project costs up to $5,000 for each application, is designed to assist tourism operators with their accessibility improvement. These improvements can be physical or program delivery improvements to their operations that address accessibility for those with mobility, sensory, or neuro-diverse disabilities, with a goal of delivering more accessible and inclusive experiences for visitors.

This program is currently fully subscribed and you can read all about the enhancement projects below!

Accessibility Enhancement Fund Recipients

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Lori Slater, Northern BC Tourism Association’s Access and Inclusion Team Member is here to help! Lori is well known for community development and sports tourism and she has advocated for over 15 years for access and inclusion across Northern BC. She does accessibility and inclusion audits for outdoor spaces and businesses.

If you are interested in having your business added to the list for an audit, please contact Lori at lori@nbctourism.com

Acess & Inclusion News

Featuring initiatives that improve accessibility and foster inclusivity, these stories highlight efforts to make northern BC a welcoming destination for all travellers.

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