The latest news and information for members.
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*Enews will be on hiatus next week, resuming January 3, 2024
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As we bid farewell to a year of extraordinary achievements in tourism, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Team Vancouver. As an industry, we’ve witnessed remarkable accomplishments this year and made great strides in rebuilding our visitor economy to $8.5 billion. From hosting high-profile events like the Laver Cup, the Port of Vancouver achieving its biggest cruise season ever, a near record number of citywides and business events, innovative new marketing campaigns launched in new markets, through to building new airline routes to and from YVR, these big successes are made possible because everyone at Team Vancouver does their part.
Thank you, to those who continue to exceed expectations, greet visitors with a smile, and find ways to make their experiences unique and special. We are only as successful as the millions of interactions visitors experience every day and boy, did we knock it out of the park. To our many partners, thank you for your continued collaboration. We are grateful to have such a strong community of organizations who share a similar purpose in transforming our communities and our visitors through the power of travel.
As we look towards 2024, let’s carry this momentum forward with the same enthusiasm and commitment. There are many opportunities still to build on and I’m confident that, together, we’ll continue to reach new heights. Thank you, Team Vancouver, for your passion, dedication, and brilliance.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year.
Royce Chwin,
President and CEO
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS
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From Dec 25 to 31, there are no meetings in the books from our CRM. Contact Winter Music Festival is listed as the last event of this year at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Dec 27 - 28.
As we head into the holiday season next week, we are seeing an increase in total hotel bookings, but a decrease in air bookings from all markets.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS
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Member Services Review: YTD Update
On January 15, we will be conducting an online survey for members to share their feedback on the MSR project. Your opinion is highly valued and will provide us with guidance on how the future of the organization could evolve to best support tourism. As a refresher – Destination Vancouver is undergoing a review of its current membership, benefits and Board governance model. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the options and feasibility of making changes to better serve the needs of Vancouver as a destination.
The three phases in this project are: assessment, development, implementation. We have completed the assessment phase, which includes engaging with various communities within the tourism industry via focus groups and 1:1 discussions, and we’re now at a critical juncture of the development phase, where we will begin developing recommendations and options for how the organization could evolve.
Thank you again to everyone who has participated in this process. We’ve received valuable input from Team Vancouver, which include community partners, members, local tourism businesses, and more. For additional opportunities to engage in this process or any other inquiries, please feel free to contact Lucas Pavan or Cristina Hernandez.
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Membership Satisfaction Survey – 2023 Winter Pulse Check
A reminder to participate in the Membership Satisfaction Survey – 2023 Winter Pulse Check. Your feedback is an important tool for us to understand how well Destination Vancouver is supporting your organization's business needs. The survey should take approximately five minutes to complete and the results will continue to guide us in our planning and prioritization of key actions. Thank you in advance for your time and valuable feedback.
To take the survey, please refer to the individual survey link that was sent to members via email last week.
Closing date: Friday, Dec 22,12pm
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BUSINESS RESOURCES & ADVOCACY
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BC Tourism Industry Conference 2024
‘Shaping Our Future Together' is the theme of the BC Tourism Industry Conference in 2024. The conference offers 'knowledge and skills' workshops, and delegates will be able to apply their learnings within their own professional setting. The goal is that in partnership, all elements of British Columbia's tourism industry will align to help the sector meet the challenges ahead, but also create an environment to build back better than ever. Register with early bird rates before January 17, 2024 and save $100 here.
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Be part of Vancouver's journey in becoming a zero-waste city
The City of Vancouver together with FoodMesh are embarking on a project to establish baseline knowledge of how organizations are currently managing food they are unable to serve or sell. This work will help the City design programs to support Vancouver's 2040 Zero Waste goals. You are invited to share your insights by completing this short survey. If you prefer to provide input over the phone instead, you can book a quick call with the FoodMesh team. FoodMesh will be giving out $25 Tim Hortons gift cards to the first 10 people who complete a survey or phone call.
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Destination Vancouver Events
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Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2024
This year, we've hit record numbers with over 380 participating restaurants and more than 25 culinary events. There will be collaborative dinners, brunch crawls, an art experience, and of course, returning classics like Street Food City and more.
Key Dates:
Dec 4 – Event tickets go on sale here
Jan 9 – Reservations open and menus available at dineoutvancouver.com
Jan 17 – Dine Out Vancouver Festival begins – dig in!
Jan 20 - 28 – Street Food City
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Tickets for Vancouver World Chef Exchange now available
The eighth annual Vancouver World Chef Exchange returns January 17 to February 4, bringing award-winning chefs from global culinary hubs to a selection of MICHELIN recognized restaurants in Vancouver for a series of four collaborative dinners, featuring flavours from London, Ho Chi Minh City, and Oakland. See here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Thank you for making our 32nd Holiday Luncheon a success
Thank you for celebrating with us at our traditional Holiday Luncheon last Wednesday at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The event was a complete success, and we owe it all to you. This was our 32nd luncheon and over 800 guests enjoyed turkey carving, live entertainment, a Mr. and Mrs. Claus cocktail reception, and a 50/50 draw that was held in support of the BC Hospitality Foundation.
To see all Santa’s photos click here, they can be downloaded for free.
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MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
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Raise a guilty hand if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet. If that’s you, don’t panic. Vancouver has plenty of shopping centres and retail districts where you can find a gift for everyone on your list. As well, there are plenty of stellar experiences in town that you can purchase for those giftees who already have everything.
12 Family-Friendly Adventures Around Vancouver This Winter
Keep the whole family entertained this winter with fun activities like sledding, skating, hiking, museums, rock climbing, and more.
Savour All the Tasty Events at Dine Out Vancouver Festival
The countdown to Canada’s largest food and drink celebration is on as Dine Out Vancouver Festival (DOVF) returns with more restaurants than ever before from January 17 to February 4. This season, diners can enjoy 19 days of feasting and fun, perfect for both visitors and locals alike as a great way to celebrate Vancouver’s world-renowned culinary scene while showing your support for local eateries.
Where to Fulfill Your 2024 New Year’s Resolutions in Vancouver
With the New Year approaching, you may be setting goals to make 2024 bigger and better than ever. With Vancouver’s natural surroundings and diverse urban offerings, fulfilling your resolutions will be doable and enjoyable.
Where to Go Sledding and Snow-Tubing Near Vancouver in Winter 2023/24
While it rarely snows in the city, Vancouver’s mountains are a great place to go sledding. Here are our picks for the best places to go sledding, tobogganing, and snow-tubing near Vancouver in winter 2023/24.
Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Vancouver
It’s time to start thinking about where and how to ring in the new year. There are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Vancouver, from dance parties to live comedy, rooftop celebrations, and wining and dining. There’s a fun NYE option for every style or mood.
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BUSINESS EVENTS & IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES
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Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Annual Convening Leaders
January 7-10, 2024 | San Diego
The 2024 program is designed to relay key insights, lessons learned, and actions you can take to position your business for long-term success. Vancouver in an annual partner with PCMA. Jackie Kavcak, Dave Gazley, Meghan Feldstein, Idy Wong, Matthew Eng will be leading this initiative on behalf of Destination Vancouver.
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Life Sciences BC’s Holiday Party
Last week, Morgan Da Rocha from the Destination Vancouver MIND Program attended Life Sciences BC’s Holiday Party at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. Having recently welcomed Life Sciences BC to our MIND Partnerships Network, this was an excellent way to further connect with experts and advocates in the industry.
As members of Life Sciences BC, our team aims to further Vancouver as a life sciences hub, supported through purposeful meetings and events. Exciting things are to come, as we continue our collaboration towards the economic development and growth of Vancouver’s life sciences sector in the new year!
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We're Hiring!
Is someone you know looking for a career in a destination management and destination promotion organization? Destination Vancouver wants to meet dynamic, ambitious, collaborative and fun individuals to join our high performing team.
Current Positions:
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