National Tourism Week (NTW)—led by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), in partnership with Destination Canada—encourages industry members and partners to come together to celebrate tourism, which is vital to the national economy and to the social and cultural fabric of communities across the nation.  This year, NTW kicks off on Monday, April 20, and runs until Friday, April 24. 


Canada: Powered by Tourism

NTW's continuing theme, Canada: Powered by Tourism, underscores that tourism is a cornerstone of the Canadian economy. TIAC notes that by participating, you help ensure Canadians, visitors, and all levels of Canadian government recognize the power of tourism as:

  • a major economic driver,
  • a source of community vitality across the country,
  • a connector through meetings, events, sport tourism, and business travel,
  • an export sector that brings international spending into Canada,
  • a contributor to unity, shared identity, pride, and culture (especially Indigenous-led tourism), and
  • a reason for Canadians to support Canadian communities through the Travel in Canada Pledge.


Why Tourism Matters: By the Numbers

As noted on the TIAC website:

  • 1 in 10 Canadian jobs is supported by the tourism sector.
  • $130+ billion in annual economic activity is generated by tourism.
  • 2,750+ Indigenous-led businesses and organizations across Canada.

According to Destination BC's 2024 Value of Tourism Snapshot:

  • Tourism generated $23 billion in revenue, up 4.2% from 2023. 
  • Tourism GDP reached nearly $8.0 billion in real (inflation-adjusted) terms, a 4.5% increase year over year.  
  • Tourism continues to contribute more to provincial GDP than several traditional resource sectors, including forestry and logging ($1.6 billion), agriculture and fishing ($3.0 billion), mining ($4.9 billion), and oil and gas ($5.2 billion), in real GDP terms. 

Further, Tourism Kelowna's 2022-23 Economic Impact Survey found that tourism in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan generates:

  • $2.4 billion in total economic output.
  • $1.2 billion in total GDP.
  • 12,360 total jobs.
  • $598 million in total wages. 

The survey also found that the sector contributes $226 million to municipal ($19 million), provincial ($67 million), and federal ($141 million) taxes.


Structure of Tourism Week 2026

TIAC has created daily topics that will be showcased during the week, which can be used by partners across the industry to create aligned content:

  • Monday | Economic Powerhouse: Sets national importance immediately.
  • Tuesday | Local Impact & Community Vitality: Grounds the story in local realities.
  • Wednesday | Connection: Tourism brings people together (meetings, events, sport).
  • Thursday | Travel in Canada Pledge + Unity: Motivates Canadians to pledge travel in Canada and frames tourism as a builder of unity and shared identity (especially Indigenous-led tourism).
  • Friday | Culture & Pride: Capstone celebrating Canada’s natural and historic places, Indigenous communities, national heritage, and the pride that comes from protecting and experiencing them.


How to Get Involved

In addition to taking part in the daily themes suggested by TIAC, you could also consider the following ideas to showcase your business during the week:

  • Upload a 20- to 30-second video showcasing the importance of tourism and its contribution to the community, as well as highlighting the unique travel experiences available.
  • Showcase the work of a long-standing team member, welcome new faces, or give a shout-out to those who have made a difference over the past year.
  • Share a quote or testimonial from a customer or supplier.
  • Share uplifting stories or interesting tidbits about your business to further connect with visitors and locals.
  • Take photos of other tourism activities in the region that you can share (attractions, tourism employees, visitor centre, welcome signage, etc.)

You can access TIAC's NTW Toolkit here. Stay tuned to the Tourism Industry Association of BC and Destination BC websites and online channels for the 2026 Tourism Week in British Columbia Toolkit and resources. 

When sharing content on social media, be sure to include the following hashtags:

  • #PoweredbyTourism
  • #NationalTourismWeek
  • #BCTourismCounts
  • #exploreKelowna / #meetinKelowna

You can also follow TIAC, TIABC, and Destination BC through their corporate channels on social media:

Share, like, and retweet content from these channels and Tourism Kelowna's LinkedIn page to help spread the word about Tourism Week. We look forward to celebrating with our industry partners near and far!