Tourism Research

Last updated on February 20, 2025

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

Value of tourism

Tourism is a key driver of the provincial economy. Despite consisting mainly of small businesses, the tourism sector is one of the largest employers in B.C., significantly contributing to economic growth and community well-being.

The 2023 economic value of tourism to jobs, businesses and the provincial economy included the following:

Tourism businesses employed over 125,700 people, 7.9% higher than 2022.
The tourism industry paid $5.9 billion in wages and salaries, 11.8% higher than 2022.
There were 16,860 tourism businesses in operation, a slight 0.3% decrease from 2022.
Tourism generated $22.1 billion in revenue, 12.4% higher than 2022.
Tourism contributed $9.7 billion (3.1%) to the provincial gross domestic product (GDP), 9.6% higher than 2022. This contribution was greater than all other primary resource industries in 2023. Tourism contributed more than mining ($5.3 billion), oil and gas extraction ($4.6 billion), agriculture and fishing ($3.1 billion), and forestry and logging ($1.7 billion).

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

Most tourism businesses (92%) are small businesses (employing less than 50 employees) that directly contribute to their local community economies.
Nearly half (40%) of tourism businesses in the province are located outside the Vancouver, Coast and 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 documents 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 tourism research and statistics

Destination BC is industry's primary source for tourism data and statistics. Explore their 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 I ndustry Dashboard comprises key tourism statistics including customs entries data, provincial room revenue, commercial restaurant receipts, provincial and regional occupancy and average daily room rates, and data related to visitor centres, regional airports, ferries, and conference centres. Tables in the Dashboard are updated 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 by month and year to-date.

Sustainability and climate adaptation data framework

Project three of the B.C. Tourism Climate Resiliency Initiative is focused on developing and implementing a sustainability and climate adaptation data framework that encourages industry alignment with policies and practices, common metrics, and data collection methods in the areas of sustainability and climate adaptation.