TIABC and tourismo launch Tourism Counts, putting tourism’s economic footprint on the map in every BC riding

New joint initiative makes tourism’s local contribution more visible and strengthens the case for policies and investment that support its growth

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) and tourismo are launching Tourism Counts, a free, non-partisan interactive platform that reveals tourism-related businesses and estimated employment across all 93 provincial ridings just in time for the provincial election on October 24.

A joint initiative combining TIABC’s industry advocacy with tourismo’s data and technology expertise, Tourism Counts gives elected officials, candidates, residents and tourism operators an accessible way to explore tourism-related business activity and estimated employment in their communities.

The launch marks a step forward in TIABC’s commitment to introducing new tools and resources that help provincial decision-makers understand tourism’s contribution and establish the policies, infrastructure and supports needed to actively grow the industry.

“Tourism is BC’s economic superpower, and we need the policies, infrastructure and investment to match its potential,” says Amber Papou, CEO of TIABC. “Through our partnership with tourismo, we’re giving decision-makers a new way to understand tourism’s footprint in their own riding. Tourism Counts is a step forward in our advocacy: making local evidence more accessible so we can build the support our industry needs to grow.”

In 2024, tourism contributed nearly $8 billion in real GDP to British Columbia, more than the forestry, oil and gas, or mining sectors individually. With more than 163,000 full-time jobs supported by the sector, tourism is a major source of livelihoods and economic opportunity across the province.

“Behind these numbers are people building careers and families making their lives in our communities,” says Heather MacDonald, President of Gibbons Whistler and a TIABC board director. “We can create opportunities for people to grow with us, but their ability to stay also depends on housing and living costs. Tourism Counts helps make that local contribution visible, and shows why tourism needs to be part of decisions about workforce housing, infrastructure and our communities’ future.”

“Tourism Counts shows what’s possible when tourism data intelligence and our powerful agentic destination management platform come together around a shared industry priority,” says Chris Nohr, CEO of tourismo. “Working with TIABC, we’ve built a foundation we can keep developing as new data becomes available and the industry’s needs evolve. Our goal is to help turn evidence into understanding, and understanding into decisions that support tourism’s growth.”

TIABC is calling on all political parties and candidates to give tourism a meaningful place in their economic priorities, with Tourism Counts providing a new resource to inform those discussions throughout the election and beyond.

“An industry of this scale deserves a central place in the conversation about BC’s prosperity,” says Papou. “Our goal is to turn greater understanding into deliberate action that helps tourism businesses and communities thrive.”

Tourism Counts is available at: https://tiabc.ca/tourismcounts.

About TIABC

For 50 years, TIABC has been the voice of British Columbia's tourism industry. We advocate for the businesses, destinations, communities, and people who keep B.C.'s visitor economy moving. From policy and government relations to industry partnerships and member support, TIABC works to make sure tourism is recognized for what it is: one of B.C.'s most powerful economic drivers.

About tourismo

tourismo combines their agentic destination management platform with hands-on tourism expertise to help place-based organizations develop and market their regions, strengthen their visitor economies and measure their impact. Canadian-owned and operated, with data hosted in Canada, tourismo’s mission is to help build thriving, resilient visitor economies that deliver positive outcomes to communities and better travel experiences for the visitor.

Vanessa Arrate
CIPR Communications
vanessa@ciprcommunications.com