INVEST IN ICONICS STRATEGY

ENGAGEMENT

ITBC has conducted several virtual engagement sessions across the province, engaging ITBC stakeholders, Indigenous tourism experts, and partners. As a result, graphic recordings have been created to capture visually the insights shared from each region.

We encourage stakeholders to review the summary graphic and explore regional visuals by clicking on the map. Please take note of the thematic summaries to ensure they resonate with your perspectives.

PLACE BRANDING

Place Branding is creating a unique identity for a location to inspire travellers and residents by highlighting its distinct qualities.

As mandated by the First Nations Leadership Council, ITBC drives respectful and effective engagement with ITBC Stakeholders and other Indigenous businesses on place and route brands. This ensures sustainable growth that honours Indigenous cultures, protocols, and territories in British Columbia.

The province boasts stunning and rugged landscapes. As stewards of these lands and waters, Indigenous People have a deep, culturally rooted connection to the environment. Indigenous tourism offers residents and visitors a chance to appreciate the diversity of Indigenous Peoples in BC and engage in rich cultural experiences. 

The Iconic experiences will be promoted and elevated by leveraging the established awareness of the Super, Natural British Columbia brand.

Through the Iconics, Indigenous values and cultures will be more infused into the Super, Natural British Columbia brand. We continue to work towards addressing the following:

Growing tourism in rural areas in the peak season,

Extending the tourism season in mature destinations and 

Helping international overseas visitors understand the vast geography of BC and the diversity of experiences offered here.

DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

Tourism encompasses more than branding and marketing; it involves factors like connectivity, infrastructure, experience design, workforce development, industry growth, visitor management, and overall destination and asset management on the supply and demand sides.

Destination Development enhances a location’s tourism potential through strategic planning, infrastructure improvements, and community involvement to create attractive travel destinations. It focuses on enhancing tourism offerings, infrastructure, and services to attract visitors.

This strategy focuses on creating tourism experiences that are not only respectful and authentic but also sustainable. This means meaningfully engaging with Indigenous communities, listening to their needs and aspirations, and working collaboratively to create opportunities that benefit everyone involved. This approach ensures that destination development contributes positively to the well-being of the local economy by creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and fostering economic resilience.

Explore how Destination BC works with various partners by clicking through each region.

Destination BC has launched the first two Iconics initiatives: Rainforest to Rockies and The Great Wilderness.

The Rainforest to Rockies journey takes travellers from Vancouver on the Pacific Coast to the Canadian Rockies. This route covers most of the southern part of the province and offers diverse landscapes. Travellers can explore BC by road, rail, or trail, creating their own adventures and discovering natural wonders along the way.

The second iconic place brand, The Great Wilderness, highlights the northernmost area of British Columbia. It spans from the Coast Mountains in the west to the Alberta border in the east and from Highway 16 to the Yukon border in the north. This region features vast landscapes and diverse wildlife, inviting travellers to experience the remote beauty of northern BC.

These initiatives showcase BC’s stunning landscapes and provide opportunities for Indigenous-owned businesses to promote their culture and services along these iconic routes.

To read more about the launch details and activities, visit:

Rainforest to Rockies

The Great Wilderness

FAQs

How will this benefit my community and/or business?

This initiative offers numerous benefits, including an enhanced tourism network, new partnerships, and opportunities. It empowers Indigenous people to tell their own stories in their own way, building awareness of the rich diversity of Indigenous cultures in BC. Importantly, it ensures that Indigenous Peoples are visible and celebrated in their own territories.

How will this align with and enhance existing local tourism strategies?

The Iconics is designed to complement the efforts of City Destination Marketing Organizations, Regional Destination Management Organizations, and individual stakeholder marketing campaigns. It aims to create globally compelling brands focused on place branding in the short term and destination development in the long term.

Will ITBC be engaging with all First Nations in the province?

ITBC, as mandated by the First Nations Leadership Council, represents Indigenous tourism interests in British Columbia. While our primary focus is on stakeholders associated with our organization and active in the tourism industry, we aim to support a diverse range of stakeholders. This includes those who are market-ready and communities beginning to explore tourism as an economic opportunity. Many of our stakeholders are connected to BC First Nations communities, and we are dedicated to fostering meaningful engagement within the scope of our mandate.

How will UNDRIP be integrated into this initiative?

The BC government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in the fall of 2019, requiring all government ministries to align their service plans with this important legal instrument. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport is committed to this alignment. We will embrace UNDRIP as our guiding framework, ensuring that all our work with partners respects and upholds the rights of Indigenous Peoples, fostering collaboration and positive outcomes.

Does engagement mean a duty to consult?

ITBC has received a legal opinion regarding our role in this project. Our engagement with specific stakeholders is focused on collaboration and support. We will not engage in activities that could impact rights and title, so the duty to consult is not anticipated to be a factor in our involvement with the Invest in Iconics project.

GET INVOLVED

For further inquiries, please contact ITBC Iconics Project Lead Jordie Johnson at J[email protected].

You can also stay up-to-date with the latest Iconics news by visiting the Iconics website regularly. 

PARTNERS