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BCHA Announces 2025 Award Finalists
2025/03/05

The British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) has announced the finalists for its 2025 Awards of Excellence. These awards recognize the achievements of British Columbia’s hospitality professionals and businesses, highlighting their dedication to excellence, innovation and service. Winners will be celebrated at the Awards Gala on April 23, as part of the 2025 BCHA Summit, taking place at The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver. “The 2025 BCHA Awards of Excellence finalists are an inspiration to us all,” said Paul Hawes, president and…
ITBC Reveals New Designation
2025/02/24

Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) has launched a new Indigenous-Owned designation and a refresh of the existing Authentic Indigenous designation. Honouring quality and authenticity, both designations promote Indigenous tourism businesses across British Columbia, ensuring travellers can identify and engage with cultural experiences and businesses in a meaningful way. The new Indigenous-Owned designation is granted to tourism businesses that are at least 51 per cent owned and operated by Indigenous individuals or organizations. More than 300 Indigenous-owned tourism businesses have received…
New Canada Tourism Index Tool Released
2025/02/24

Destination Canada has released a first-of-its-kind measurement tool that looks beyond traditional metrics like visitor spending and arrivals to assess the comprehensive benefits tourism brings to Canadians. Tourism’s Wealth & Wellbeing Index highlights the sector’s role in empowering communities, preserving culture, protecting Canada’s natural assets, and driving economic growth – demonstrating tourism’s potential to empower local economies while enhancing Canada’s global competitiveness. Long-term growth in tourism depends on balancing economic gains with essential elements like employment, infrastructure, and transformative experiences and the…
Salmon Arm Launches DMO
2025/02/21

The City of Salmon Arm has launched its new Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) in partnership with Salmon Arm Economic Development Society’s (SAEDS) Municipal and Regional District Tax Program (MRDT). This initiative marks the beginning of a collaborative, two-year pilot program focused on visitor attraction to Salmon Arm. “Tourism is a priority sector within Salmon Arm’s economy. SAEDS is pleased to collaborate on this new chapter focused on advancing Salmon Arm’s visitor economy. We’re confident this project will elevate the…
U.S. News Reveals the 2025 Best Hotels
2025/02/21

U.S. News & World Report has released its 15th annual rankings of the best hotels around the world. The rankings include 31,000 hotels across more than 400 destinations. “Travelers are seeking unique and memorable experiences, cultural authenticity, savory cuisine, comfortable yet lavish accommodations, excellent amenities – and so much more,” said Zach Watson, senior travel editor at U.S. News. “With many hotel options to choose from – and numerous components factoring in to determine which hotels are exceptional – the U.S. News…
New Executive Chef for Fairmont Empress
2025/02/21

Fairmont Empress has announced its new executive chef Isabel Chung, who oversees all creative and strategic culinary initiatives at the historic hotel. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, chef Chung joins an elite circle of female chefs leading Fairmont properties worldwide. Chef Chung brings a wealth of experience and a passion for culinary excellence to Fairmont Empress. She began her culinary journey in 2001 at Delta Bow Valley in Calgary, Alberta, and has since held prestigious positions…
YVR Passenger Traffic Soars in 2024
2025/02/20

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) recorded the second-highest passenger count in its history, with 26.2 million travellers passing through the airport in 2024. This five per cent increase over the previous year’s 24.9 million travellers is a testament to YVR’s domestic and international connectivity, and continuous work with airlines and tourism and business organizations to strengthen its position as a global hub. YVR has surpassed the 26 million milestone only once before — in 2019, welcoming 26.3 million travellers. In…
Chef Clement Chan Joins Westin Wall Centre
2025/02/07

Clement Chan has been appointed executive chef of The Apron at The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport. Chan, a seasoned culinary professional with nearly two decades of experience, brings innovation and leadership to the hotel’s dining program. Chan is a celebrated figure in Canada’s culinary scene. A National Chef of the Year and member of Culinary Team Canada, he has represented the country at global competitions like the World Culinary Olympics.. His skills have also been showcased on television through…
Marriott Names New Montreal General Managers
2025/02/07

Marriott International announced two new appointments in Montreal: Bertil Fabre as area general manager in Montreal and Catherine Velie as general manager of the Montreal Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel. Fabre will oversee Residence Inn by Marriott Montreal Downtown, Delta Montreal Hotel, Montreal Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel, Delta Trois-Rivières Hotel, while continuing as general manager for Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel. His journey in hospitality began in France and brought him to Montreal in 1988. With a rich career spanning…
TO Visitors Spent a Record $8.8 Billion
2025/02/06

Tourism drove $8.8 billion into Toronto’s economy last year, the highest level of visitor spending ever recorded in the city, according to the year-end report Toronto’s Visitor Economy: 2024 Market Performance Highlights published by Destination Toronto. The 9 million overnight visitors to Toronto are the most since the pandemic, though still 600,000 fewer than the number of visitors welcomed in 2019. “Toronto’s visitor economy is proving once again to be an engine for the city, drawing almost 9 billion dollars of new money into our economy from across Canada,…

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