2025 BC Tourism Industry Conference Recap

The 2025 BC Tourism Industry Conference, organized by the Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC), was held last week in Vancouver, BC. Over 460 delegates from around the province attended, ready to tackle issues and discuss opportunities for the industry under the theme 'Tourism For All - Embracing the Journey.'

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^{Pictured (left to right): Walt Judas, CEO TIABC; Darby Svendsen, Social Media & Content, Tourism Kelowna; Lisanne Ballantyne, President & CEO, Tourism Kelowna. Photo credit: Vision Photography}

The conference's keynote and plenary sessions featured key updates and presentations from industry associations and partners, including Skift Advisory and Indigenous Tourism British Columbia (ITBC). Destination British Columbia (DBC) presented Powering Tourism's Potential: Strategies for 2025 and Beyond, outlining its strategic priorities for the coming year, with a strong focus on implementing the Iconics brand strategies. His Excellency John Concannon, Ambassador of Ireland, joined DBC to discuss the Wild Atlantic Way, which served as inspiration for the Iconics initiative. DBC also introduced the refreshed Super, Natural British Columbia brand.

While discussions around tariffs and U.S. relations were a common theme, a key takeaway was the strong domestic and international sentiment toward travel to and within Canada. This presents a significant opportunity for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and industry partners to collaborate in welcoming travellers to British Columbia. The message is clear: we are open for business.

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^{Shaping Province-Wide Legacies from Major Events Panel. Photo credit: Vision Photography}

Beyond the keynotes and plenaries, in-depth breakout sessions explored a range of topics, including mental health in the industry, leveraging Destination Canada's traveller segments, culinary tourism, major events, destination stewardship, and more. Tourism Kelowna President & CEO, Lisanne Ballantyne, provided insight on Kelowna's successes with respect to hosting major events—like the recent 2025 Montana's Brier—as part of a panel session, Shaping Province-Wide Legacies from Major Events.

In addition to the professional development sessions, some of BC's top tourism talent was honoured at the annual BC Tourism Industry Awards. Our organization was one of three finalists in the Professional Excellence category. We congratulate our fellow category nominee, Tourism Fernie, who took home the Professional Excellence award, and all of this year's award winners. We were honoured to be nominated alongside so many deserving nominees.

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^{Photo credit: Vision Photography}

Key Takeaways

Here are some key takeaways from some of the keynote and plenary sessions our team attended:

DBC's Refreshed Brand: DBC unveiled its updated brand, aligning with Destination Canada’s Outdoor Explorers and Refined Globe Trotters traveller segments. The new campaign, "Let The Outside In," carries the message, "We bring people and nature closer together," reinforcing British Columbia’s connection to the outdoors.
Iconics Strategy Launch: DBC introduced two new Iconics routes in 2024—Rainforest to Rockies (Vancouver Coast & Mountains & Thompson Okanagan) and The Great Wilderness Route (Northern BC)—to encourage geographical dispersion. The final Iconics route, including the Okanagan Valley, will be revealed on June 4.
Sustainability, Inclusion, and Indigenous Reconciliation as Priorities: These key themes were embedded in every session and will be central to future tourism grants, funding, and development initiatives to foster responsible, community-focused tourism.
Culinary Tourism on the Rise: The Investigative Eater is an emerging traveller segment seeking authentic, sustainable, and locally inspired food experiences, driving demand for immersive culinary tourism. This is of particular interest for our region, in light of Kelowna's recent application to become Canada's first UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
Hands-On, Sustainable Food Experiences in Demand: Travellers increasingly seek experiences that connect them to local and Indigenous food traditions, requiring strong industry collaboration and storytelling.
Sustainable Tourism Must Align with Community Values: Success in sustainable tourism depends on integrating initiatives that benefit both visitors and residents while reflecting local priorities.
Marketing Through Emotional Storytelling: Understanding why people travel, rather than just targeting specific demographics, helps create more compelling, value-driven marketing campaigns.
British Columbia is Open for Business: Despite ongoing discussions about tariffs and U.S. relations, both Canadian and international interest in visiting Canada remains high, presenting a strong opportunity for DMOs and industry partners to work together in welcoming travellers.