General Emergency Messaging

Safety

• As of August 8, a State of Provincial Emergency is in effect in British Columbia. 

• The immediate priority is protecting lives, supporting evacuees, and supporting emergency response efforts. 

• Travellers should follow all evacuation orders, alerts, road closures, and guidance from emergency officials. 

• Always check official information sources, including Emergency Info BC, DriveBC, and the BC Wildfire Service before and during travel. 

• If an area is under evacuation order or alert, avoid non-essential travel to that community. 

• We want to thank the first responders, emergency management personnel, local governments, First Nations, volunteers, tourism and hospitality workers, and the many community organizations working tirelessly to support response and recovery efforts. 

• We also recognize the significant efforts underway to support evacuees and keep residents, visitors, and emergency personnel informed and safe. 

• Communities across the province continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience, generosity, and care during a challenging time. 

• Tourism and hospitality businesses across affected communities are working alongside local governments, emergency responders, volunteers, and residents to support evacuees and emergency personnel.  

• With the priority of keeping people safe, it’s prudent for the Province to have space available to protect people if they are asked to evacuate their community. 

• The Province continues to work with the tourism and hospitality sector to secure accommodations for evacuees and emergency responders. Government has secured more than 1,000 hotel rooms in the Okanagan, with additional rooms being added as they become available. 

• All rooms that are block-booked by the Province through this process will be paid for. 

• The entire Provincial Government thank the tourism and hospitality industry for their continued support during this challenging time. 

• Seeing countless examples of tourism businesses helping however they can, including:  

• Food trucks providing free meals to evacuees at reception centres. 

• Free pizza, water, and other essential supplies being delivered to evacuees. 

• Daily meals being provided at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre. 

• Hotels helping connect evacuees with donated goods and community support. 

• Penticton Pet Resort donating pet supplies for displaced families and their pets. 

• Paynter's Fruit Market opening its property to evacuees and their dogs 24 hours a day and providing access to fresh produce. 

• Derrick’s Steak House in Kelowna is partnering with Mamas for Mamas, with a burger by donation, with proceeds going to support evacuees. And any evacuee can eat for free.  

• Service clubs and community groups delivering sandwiches and meals to evacuees. 

• Tourism businesses extending discounts and support to people displaced by the wildfires. 

Key message: Tourism and hospitality is more than an industry right now. Businesses and employees are part of these communities and are doing everything they can to help people affected by the wildfires. 

British Columbia is a very large province

• British Columbia is one of the largest and most geographically diverse provinces in Canada. 

• Conditions can differ dramatically between communities. 

• Travellers should look at the specific destination they plan to visit rather than assuming conditions are the same everywhere. 

• BC's tourism industry plays an important role in helping travellers understand where incidents are occurring, where it remains safe to travel, and where to find official information. 

• Residents and visitors alike can check-in with one of over 130 community visitor centres around the province. Visitor services teams can provide travel and accommodation suggestions. https://www.supernaturalbc.com/practical-tips/visitor-information-services/

Key message: Check the status of your specific destination, not generalizations about the province as a whole. Get guidance from a visitor centre. Travel smart. 

Most destinations remain open and welcoming visitors

• There is currently no province-wide travel ban in British Columbia. 

• As re-iterated by Minister Greene during the August 11 media briefing: while some communities are focused on emergency response and recovery, most destinations remain open and ready to welcome visitors. 

• Travellers with flexible plans may wish to consider alternative destinations if their original plans are affected. 

• More than 130 visitor centres throughout British Columbia can help travellers understand local conditions, identify alternate destinations, and adjust travel plans if necessary. 

• Residents and visitors can check in with local visitor centres for travel advice, accommodation assistance, and real-time information. 

Key message: Most of British Columbia remains open, welcoming, and ready to receive visitors. 

If your plans are affected, talk to your travel providers first

• For travellers wanting to know about their options should a trip not be able to take place, they should contact the accommodation provider, tour operator, attraction, transportation provider, or other business they booked with directly to discuss their options. 

• Policies vary between businesses and circumstances. 

• Credit card providers may also have their own protections or policies that may apply. 

• Consumers with questions about their rights can contact Consumer Protection BC. 

Key message: The first conversation should always be with the business you've booked with. 

Rebook if you need/can

• If travel plans cannot go ahead because of wildfire impacts, travellers are encouraged to consider rebooking rather than cancelling whenever possible. 

• Many tourism businesses in affected communities will need support once it is safe to welcome visitors again. 

• Rebooking helps support local businesses, employees, and communities during recovery. 

• Visitors should work directly with tourism businesses to explore available options and future travel dates. 

Key message: If now isn't the right time to visit, consider coming back when communities are ready to welcome visitors again. 

GEOGRAPHIC SCALE & KEY MARKET EQUIVALENCIES

Use these verified scale facts and home-country travel equivalencies across international and domestic markets: 

Verified Scale Facts

• UK: The United Kingdom fits inside British Columbia nearly 4 times. 

• Germany: BC is 2.6 times the size of Germany. 

• US: BC is larger than Washington, Oregon, and California combined. BC is 2.2 times the size of California and 1.35 times the size of Texas (roughly equal to Texas and Oregon combined). 

• Europe: BC is larger than France and Germany combined. 

• Mexico: BC is roughly half the size of Mexico. 

• Canada: You could fit all four Atlantic provinces inside British Columbia, with room to spare! British Columbia is about 1.75 times larger than Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador combined 

• BC's tourism industry is committed to helping visitors make informed travel decisions and exploring safely and responsibly. The safety of residents, emergency services crews and travellers is paramount. 

• BC’s tourism industry plays an important role, providing people with official information sources and geographical context, helping travellers understand where incidents are occurring, how large the province is, correcting misinformation when needed, and ensuring visitors and residents know where to find the latest official information before and during their travels. 

• BC is a very large and geographically diverse province. Wildfire activity in one area does not necessarily affect travel to or around other areas of the province.  

• While people are being asked to avoid non-essential travel to areas under evacuation order and alert, right now, there are many tourism destinations and businesses around BC that are open and eager to welcome visitors. Check official resources for the latest information (Drive BC, BC Wildfire and Emergency Info BC.) 

• Accommodations are also available for those who need to evacuate, and for crews working on the fires. Please contact Emergency Social Services or check with your local visitor centre.  

• BC’s Tourism Emergency Management Committee is working closely with government and emergency leads around the province to facilitate the sharing of information with BC’s tourism industry partners.  

• As of Saturday, August 8, a State of Provincial Emergency has been declared in BC. 

• A State of Provincial Emergency (SOPE) declaration enables emergency services and first responders to access the tools and resources required to protect communities and support the emergency response. 

• The priority continues to be protecting lives and supporting rescue efforts. BC’s Tourism Emergency Management Committee is receiving regular updates from Government and will continue to use their collective platforms to share updates with BC’s tourism industry partners. 

• The Province continues to source available accommodations for evacuees and emergency responders. The BC Hotel and BC Lodging and Campground Associations are supporting efforts to help source available accommodations.

• Right now, there are no province-wide travel restrictions in place, but government is asking everyone to avoid non-essential travel to Summerland, Penticton, and other communities under evacuation orders and alerts. This will help people and emergency crews on the move. 

• Monitor official information sources regularly before and during travel, including DriveBC, Emergency Info BC, and the BC Wildfire Service on social media. 

• Important: Resident and visitors alike can check-in with one of over 130 community visitor centres around the province. Visitor services teams can provide travel and accommodation suggestions for visitors and residents alike. We urge all travellers to follow all local guidance, road closures, and area restrictions, and stay informed throughout their trip. https://www.supernaturalbc.com/practical-tips/visitor-information-services/

• Build flexibility into travel plans and have alternate routes or destinations in mind. Check out Know Before You Go information, alternate itineraries, and emergency alerts on https://www.supernaturalbc.com/practical-tips/know-before-you-go/

• Contact the businesses you have reservations with and ask them to help you confirm that your plans can still go ahead as scheduled or adjust your plans to another area of the province or another time.  If you are already in the province and need support with changing plans, contact a local visitor centre. The staff can help you make alternate arrangements. 

• Download the Alertable app and enable notifications for geographically relevant emergency updates (Android and Apple IOS)

• Sharing responsible travel messaging and real-time updates through social media and visitor communications.

  • Resources are found here and updated continuously: https://www.destinationbc.ca/what-we-do/destination-management/emergency-preparedness/

• Working closely with community and regional partners, tourism businesses and sector groups, BC’s Tourism Emergency Management Committee to share accurate and timely travel information. Maintaining regular communication with BC’s Visitor Centre Network to understand what travellers need on the ground and respond accordingly. Visitor Centres are an especially important part of BC’s tourism support network during disruptions or emergencies. 

• Across the province, Visitor Centre teams provide both in-person and digital support to travellers, helping visitors navigate changing conditions, identify alternative destinations and experiences, assist with rebooking accommodations or activities, and provide local, real-time travel advice. That kind of support can make a significant difference in helping travellers continue their trip safely and confidently, even when plans need to shift unexpectedly. 

• Ensure your local visitor centre has your operating and key contact information.