New Name, New Mandate For Tourism Vancouver
Tourism Vancouver entered its 119th year with a new name and new mandate following its recent annual general meeting.
The Vancouver tourism association’s board of directors and senior leadership team announced the changes during the AGM, with President and CEO Royce Chwin unveiling the adoption of a new name, Destination Vancouver, with a mandate founded on core pillars of destination development and destination promotion.
Robyn McVicker, Destination Vancouver Board Chair, said that: “An expanded focus, which includes destination development in addition to promotion, will enable and support a stronger, more resilient sector, post-pandemic.”
And McVicker continued: “The evolution of the organization is designed to better support members and Vancouver communities, and the name is more representative of the many partners working together to strengthen Vancouver’s position globally.”
Royce Chwin, President & CEO of Destination Vancouver, said that: “There is no denying that the past 16 months have been exceptionally challenging for our members, and for everyone involved in the visitor economy. The pandemic handed us an opportunity to reflect on our purpose, work and values.”
Chwin continued: “As outlined in our 2021 Business Sprint, our goal has been to build a stronger, more resilient tourism industry, that represents a ‘triple bottom line’ which takes into account the needs of people and the planet, while still remaining profitable. We believe the path that we’re committed to now will ensure we achieve that goal.”
Destination Vancouver’s new mandate will see the association ‘support Vancouver’s tourism industry in developing their experiences, and promote Vancouver in national, US and international markets.’
The role of Destination Vancouver will be to help all relevant partners contribute to a common goal of building destination competitiveness, managed growth, and social responsibility.
Destination Promotion is fundamental to the many services the organization has been providing to members for over 100 years and includes such support as gathering and sharing business intelligence; attracting lifestyle, business and major events to the city; and leveraging regional, national and international collaboration to grow awareness and inspire visitation.
Destination Development ensures continued advocacy for members, and supports policy, planning, and capacity building efforts for the destination. Initiatives will focus on sustainability and resilience: prioritizing environmental stewardship in ways which protect the future of communities; and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: creating conditions that ensure everyone feels welcome to contribute, participate, and benefit from Vancouver’s visitor economy.
The process to arrive at the new mandate and expanded focus included a variety of external and internal engagement. Members and community stakeholders provided input through a robust survey, participation in focus groups, and individual interviews.
