Whereas tourism provides great value to the provincial economy as it is one of the largest employers and largest small business generators; And whereas the impacts of climate change have created hardship in numerous tourism destinations throughout the province; And whereas the hardship is prolonged in rural destinations as the economy is slower to renew than in urban destinations: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the provincial government provide financial investments to local governments to identify how to diversify tourism in impacted communities throughout British Columbia.
Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Extreme weather events like flooding and wildfires are becoming more prevalent, affecting travel and tourism businesses throughout the province. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport works closely with the B.C. tourism industry to keep people safe, ensure tourism businesses are prepared and resilient, and maintain the Provinces reputation as a safe and welcoming destination. This includes mitigation and preparedness work before an emergency, coordination of tourism resources supporting response, and assessing needs for recovery. This work helps mitigate the economic impacts of emergencies on tourism as the sector is better prepared and more resilient. The ministry continues to work with the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation JEDI to ensure businesses have tools and guidance to be better prepared to respond and recover. JEDI is the ministry responsible for economic recovery following emergency events in the province, working with the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. The ministry also supports communities and the economy by continuing to support destination events and festivals that help attract people back to communities throughout BC following extreme weather events. Destination British Columbia DBC supports a strong and competitive future for BC tourism through global marketing, destination development, industry learning, cooperative community-based programs, and visitor services. When feasible, and often in partnership with other organizations, DBC may also support recovery efforts across the sector, to encourage visitation back to impacted areas once it is safe to do so. Tourism is an incredibly resilient sector, and it has immense potential for growth. The ministry will continue to engage with tourism partners and explore the sectors evolving needs to support renewal of the industry and help achieve better outcomes for communities and the visitor economy.