Destination Development

Ensuring a sustainable future for all

2025 Business Sprint

Our partnership with Indigenous Tourism BC

About us

Destination development

Where strategy influences accountability

Destination Vancouver is committed to take an active role in our efforts to balance the environmental, social, cultural and economic contribution of tourism to the wellbeing of our communities. We are dedicated to setting the standards for our team & our industry to foster shared values aligned with our communities. We will share and promote destination values with visitors to ensure their visit has contributed to their wellbeing and the wellbeing of the city.

OUR PARTNERS

Strategic partnerships
driving success

Destination management organizations

We work with other destination management organizations at the regional, provincial, and national level.

Tourism partners

Collectively, our tourism partners work to maintain high tourism standards, ensure efficient transportation, preserve natural attractions, and promote sustainable practices.

Community economic development organizations

Various business improvement associations in Vancouver provide services to expand local businesses, work towards strategic infrastructure, and enhance communities.

Commercial partners

Our commercial partners are centred around promoting and enhancing the restaurant industry in Vancouver, creating opportunities for communities to engage with culinary experiences.

Strategic partners

These partners enrich Vancouver’s economic and cultural landscape by driving tourism through major events, supporting local businesses, and fostering innovation with partnerships.

Policy & advocacy partners

These partners support key decision makers, implement and uphold legislation and policies, and advocate for BC’s visitor economy and accommodation industry.

Members

Our 800+ members are established businesses looking to further tourism in Vancouver through networking opportunities and tourism insights.

Memberships

We partner with industry-leading organizations to provide membership opportunities to advance sustainable tourism and enhance the business events industry in Vancouver.

OUR PARTNERS

Championing a
sustainable city

Environmental

Vancouver has measured it's corporate greenhouse gas emissions since the benchmark year of 2016. We have set a target and a plan to keep emissions below 50% of the 2016 levels by 2030. We work with our partners to improve air quality, value potable water and material resources using circular economy principles.

Social & cultural

Destination Vancouver seeks a tourism economy that supports the social and cultural wellbeing of our communities. For example, partnerships with the Chinatown Foundation and Indigenous Tourism BC to create opportunities for cultural tourism.

Economic

We support tourism-related economic efforts, including hotel demand and development. Our engagement spans across key councils such as the Hotel Development Taskforce, Metro Vancouver Destination Development Council, and Metro Vancouver Hotel Working Group.

Committed to
positive evolution

The GDS-Index benchmarks destination sustainability performance and improvement.

The 2023 GDS-Index measures 60+ indicators across the four categories represented in this graph. Overall, Vancouver ranked 26% higher than the average North American destination, and 8% higher than that of Eastern Europe.