In mid-September, as part of the province’s StrongerBC Economic Recovery Plan, an 11-person Tourism Task Force, made up of leaders from within the industry, was assembled to provide recommendations on how to allocate the $50 million in recovery funding and on how to remain competitive as an industry beyond recovery. On December 9, the Tourism Task Force presented its final report, The Future of Travel: Positioning B.C. to Accelerate Recovery and Growth, to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport.
Through a variety of research methods, including a literature review, roundtable discussions, and presentations from experts, the task force summarized its recommendations into three parts:
- Allocate Emergency Funding now for Businesses and the Workforce
- Accelerate Growth and Enhance Sustainability
- Inform a Renewed Strategic Framework
Within each of these sections, further recommendations were outlined, including increased funding for the industry, including specific funding for Indigenous tourism, as well as the establishment of an emergency fund, implementing a more innovative approach so travel restrictions can be lifted, and deferring or relieving businesses of fixed costs.
In the long term, the task force recommended that the strategic framework for the industry must be updated and tested through a post-COVID lens, so that the industry can bounce back and start to grow again as quickly as possible.
The full version of the report is available on the Government of BC website.
