Destination BC Accessibility Plans & Resources
Destination BC has a long term Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategy to inspire change across the tourism industry.
The strategy includes three core themes:
Barrier Free and Inclusive Policies, Processes, and Programs
A Culture of Belonging
An Inclusive and Accessible Tourism Industry
An inclusive and accessible tourism industry means eliminating and preventing barriers to ensure greater opportunities for equity deserving groups. This work spans well beyond the built environment and includes employment and marketing efforts, and begins by creating awareness.
HelloBC.com Business Listings & Features
Destination BC’s trip planning website, HelloBC.com, has business listings with mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, sensory or general accessibility information.
BC tourism businesses can add accessible attributes to their listing at any time. This is helpful so people planning a trip can easily find and add appropriate services/experiences to their itinerary.
Learning Centre Resources & Tools
Destination BC’s Learning Centre has resources and tools to help tourism companies provide accessible and inclusive experiences for all employees and travellers.
Accessibility & Inclusion Committee (AIC)
In June 2023, Destination BC formed an Accessibility & Inclusion Committee (AIC), in compliance with the Accessible British Columbia Act and to support its work towards a more accessible and inclusive tourism industry.
TOTA's Access & Inclusion Liaison, Sonja Gaudet, is part of Destination BC's inaugural Accessibility & Inclusion Committee (AIC), along with Beverly Wright in Kelowna and other people from around BC. The appointed roles are for up to a three-year term beginning September 1, 2023.
The committee will support Destination BC to work towards a more accessible and inclusive tourism industry by providing recommendations and advice towards reducing barriers regarding its programs and policies relating to tourism marketing, development, and management.