Tourism Research

This page includes summary statistics that describe the importance of the tourism sector in British Columbia. It also includes sources for tourism data and statistics. 

Value of Tourism 

Tourism provides great value to the provincial economy. Consisting mainly of small businesses, the tourism sector is one of the largest employers in B.C.

The 2022 economic value of tourism to jobs, businesses and the provincial economy included the following:

• Tourism businesses employed 154,366 people.
• There were 16,910 tourism businesses in operation.
• Tourism generated $18.5 billion in revenue.
• Tourism contributed $2.2 billion in provincial taxes.
• Tourism contributed $7.2 billion (2.4%) to the provincial economy, as measured through gross domestic product (in 2017 constant dollars).

Tourism also has value for communities across B.C.:

• Most tourism businesses (92%) are small businesses (i.e., those employing less than 50 employees) that participate in and directly contribute to their local community economies.
• Nearly half (40%) of tourism businesses in the province are located outside the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region. The Vancouver Island (16%) and Thompson Okanagan (13%) Tourism Regions have the most tourism businesses outside the Lower Mainland.

For more information on the Value of Tourism please visit Destination BC's website here. 

This section will provide you with links to research on various aspects of the tourism industry. Use it to inform your business plans, tourism development projects and marketing activities.

Destination BC (DBC) Tourism Research and Statistics

DBC is industry's source for tourism data and statistics.  Explore DBC's latest statistical reports on:

Tourism Industry Performance

• Industry Performance includes current and historical tourism indicators for Canada, B.C., the six tourism regions of B.C., and some municipal information.
  • The Tourism Industry Dashboard comprises key tourism statistics including customs entries data, provincial room revenue, commercial restaurant receipts, provincial and regional occupancy and average daily room rates, visitor centres, regional airports, ferries, and conference centres. The Tourism Indicators data tables are published monthly.
  • The International Visitor Arrivals publication summarizes customs entries data to B.C. and Canada from selected markets of origin. The International Visitor Arrivals includes information for both the particular month and the year to-date.

Tourism Research by Region

• Research by Region includes various research publications and reports that can be attributed to one of B.C.'s six regions:
  • Vancouver, Coast and Mountains
  • Vancouver Island
  • Thompson Okanagan
  • Northern BC
  • Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
  • Kootenay Rockies

Tourism Research by Market

• Research by Market includes various research publications and reports relevant to B.C.’s major global markets:
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia Pacific

Tourism Research by Activity

• Research by Activity includes various research reports and publications relevant to various visitor activities in B.C.:
  • Land-based activities
  • Water-based activities

British Columbian Resident Research

• British Columbian Resident Research page includes market monitoring and reports relevant to BC residents’ perspectives on COVID-19 and the tourism industry.

Other Canadian Tourism Research Sources

• BC Stats tourism industry statistics
• Destination Canada industry trends and outlooks
• Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council labour market information
• Statistics Canada a variety of travel and tourism statistics
• Go2HR tourism and hospitality employment tracker
• Destination BC COVID-19 research insights