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Tourism Research and Resources

Last updated on July 23, 2026

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. There are also a number of different resources presented on this page available to support B.C.'s tourism sector.

On this page

Value of tourism 

Tourism is one of B.C.'s most dynamic industries and a key driver for 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 2024 economic value of tourism to jobs, businesses and the provincial economy included the following:

  • Tourism businesses provided over 113,000 direct jobs, up 1.5% from 2023, and when indirect and induced jobs are included that number increases to almost 163,000 full-time jobs.
  • The tourism industry paid $5 billion in wages and salaries, 6.4% higher than 2023.
  • There were 16,925 tourism businesses in operation, a slight 0.4% increase from 2023.
  • Tourism generated $23 billion in gross revenue, 4.2% higher than 2023.
  • The sector contributed nearly $8 billion (2017$) to the provincial gross domestic product (GDP), 4.5% higher than 2023. This contribution was more than forestry and logging ($1.6 billion), agriculture and fishing ($3 billion), mining ($4.9 billion), and oil and gas ($5.2 billion) sectors.

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 (12%) Tourism Regions have the most tourism businesses outside the Lower Mainland.

For a snapshot graphic of the 2024 Value of Tourism please visit Destination BC's website here. 

To download updated tourism data files, visit the BC Stats Data Catalogue 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 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, 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 was 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.

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.

British Columbian resident research

Other Canadian tourism research sources

Tourism resources

Destination British Columbia has resources and opportunities available to assist you in growing and developing tourism in your region.

  • Learning Centre: find free resources and tools, featured articles, videos, guides, and templates.
  • Visitor Services Network: There are 134 community-owned Visitor Centres throughout British Columbia that make up the Visitor Services Network Program. 

In addition, Go2HR offers SuperHost® Customer Service Training workshops for those employed in the service and hospitality industries.

The Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy - preparing for climate change strengthens the sector’s ability to respond to extreme events like wildfires, flooding and heatwaves, as well as more gradual changes like water shortages and sea level rise.

Tourism Investment Attraction Guide  

The Look West: Tourism Sector Action Plan focuses on attracting investment, streamlining approvals, and strengthening partnerships. These actions give investors more certainty and help projects move forward faster. Building on this work, the Tourism Investment Attraction Guidance for Communities brings together key information, best practices, and resources to help communities attract tourism investment and support sustainable tourism growth in B.C.  

Tourism Emergency Management Committee (TEMC) 

Tourism Emergency Management is based on the principle that emergency management is a shared responsibility and is a collaborative approach through which the B.C. tourism industry works together, guided by the four pillars of emergency management - mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Based on the B.C. Tourism Emergency Management Framework (2022, PDF, 1.57 MB), the Tourism Emergency Management Committee (TEMC) was established to: 

  • Provide a coordinated provincial approach to tourism emergency management, recognizing the growing frequency and severity of disasters and their impacts on visitors, tourism businesses, and destinations. 
  • Improve collaboration among tourism and emergency management partners, ensuring tourism considerations are integrated into B.C.’s broader emergency management system.  
  • Support the safety and well-being of visitors during emergencies by coordinating planning, communications, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts across the tourism sector. 
  • Strengthen the resilience of B.C.’s tourism industry, helping businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from events such as wildfires, floods, extreme weather, and other disruptions.  
  • Protect B.C.’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination while reducing long-term economic impacts on the visitor economy following emergency events. 

The TEMC was established to help ensure: 

  • Safety of visitors in B.C. 
  • Viability of tourism businesses 
  • Reputation of B.C. as a safe and welcoming destination 
  • TEMC created a Tourism Emergency Management Framework (PDF, 1.57 MB) that supports four emergency management pillars: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. 

Download a one-page version of the framework (PDF, 140 KB). 

TEMC includes representatives from government as well as the tourism industry, including: 

  • Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport 
  • Tourism Industry Association of BC 
  • Destination BC 
  • Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness 
  • Regional Destination Management Organizations 
  • B.C. Destination Management Organization Association 
  • Indigenous Tourism BC 
  • Tourism industry members can find resources and tools to support emergency preparedness and response here. 

Tourism industry members can find resources and tools to support emergency preparedness and response here.  

Visitors looking for information to support trip planning should visit Destination BC's Know Before You Go page for the latest updates and resources. 

Farm tourism in B.C.  

Farmers interested in diversifying their farm offerings by providing tourism experiences can now access information on where to start. A Farm Tourism Guide (PDF, 371KB) is now available to help farmers navigate farm tourism requirements.     

The guide provides farmers with high-level information to assist with:   

  • Determining the different levels of participation in farm diversification    
  • Understanding the regulatory landscape    
  • Exploring the opportunities and benefits of farm diversification   
  • Navigating to additional supports and resources available online    

Farm tourism can enhance economic viability and resiliency by expanding marketing and advertising reach, attracting new customers, engaging with the community, increasing farm sales, and providing supplementary income, particularly in the off season.      

Conversations on the future of tourism in British Columbia 

Weather events and the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the tourism industry over the past several years. This created a desire among industry leaders and the Province to reflect, reimagine and think strategically about the future of tourism. 

Recommendations outlined in the December 2020  Tourism Task Force report,  as well as Budget consultations in 2021 and 2022, highlighted the need for a thoughtful review of the policies, programs and investments that support tourism.. 

Targeted conversations with tourism stakeholders 

From fall 2022 through spring 2023, the Ministry led a series of targeted  discussions with tourism partners across the province to explore the future of tourism in British Columbia. These conversations provided valuable insights into the opportunities, challenges and priorities facing the sector, and helped the Province to better understand what is needed to support a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable tourism industry over the long term. 

Report on what we heard 

The Report on What We Heard  reflects input from more than 170 tourism partners representing over 150 organizations from across British Columbia and reinforced the importance of ongoing collaboration between government and industry. 

From engagement to action  

The insights and perspectives gathered through the Future of Tourism conversations helped shape B.C.'s Tourism Sector Action Plan, which outlines the Provincial roadmap to advancing a competitive, resilient and sustainable visitor economy that benefits communities, businesses and visitors throughout the province. 

Value of Tourism

Check out Destination BC's Value of Tourism Snapshot, highlighting the economic value of tourism in B.C.