Emergency Resources for BC’s Tourism Industry

Stay Safe, Stay Informed

During times of stress and uncertainty, it is important to share information from official sources only. There are a variety of resources available to help you prepare for emergencies, gather up-to-date information and help visitors plan their travel.

PreparedBC: Tourism Resources

• Step-by-step guides to prepare businesses and their staff for emergencies, with templates and tools to help operators easily plan a fast and effective response.
• Guide for Tourism Operators
• Emergency Plan for Tourism Operators

Emergency Info BC

• Information about emergencies in BC, including evacuation orders and alerts.
• Twitter: @EmergencyInfoBC

Drive BC

• Information about road closures, major events and transportation delays.
• Twitter: @DriveBC

BC Parks

• Information regarding Provincial campgrounds and park closures.
• http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/

Recreation Sites and Trails

• Alerts, closures and warnings regarding BC’s rustic campsites and recreational trails.
• http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/camping-hiking/sites-trails/alerts

Emergency Social Services

• Information regarding emergency reception centres and assistance.

Red Cross

• Evacuees can register with the Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582.
• Twitter: @RedCrossBC

Wildfire-Related Resources

BC Wildfire Resources for Small Business

• Resources for small businesses impacted by BC Wildfires.

The BC Wildfire Service

• Interactive map of all active wildfires across the province.
• Twitter: @BCGovFireInfo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo/
• Campfire bans, restrictions and forest use

Air Quality Information

• Check the BC Ministry of Environment website for updates on the Air Quality Health Index.

What Business Owners Can Do When Emergencies Arise:

• Share these resources with your staff and follow key social media accounts for the latest news.
• Help your guests:
  • If your business is located in an area impacted by an emergency, provide your current customers and future reservations with regular updates by directing them to official information sources.
  • If your business is not impacted directly, help your current guests plan the rest of their trip to areas that are safe and open for business (your local visitor centre has a wealth of information on places to stay and things to do).
  • If your business is not impacted directly, be proactive with future reservations—let your customers know it’s business as usual and you are looking forward to hosting them. British Columbia is a very large province and sometimes our out-of-province guests can get confused by geographically misleading information.
• Have a plan—use the PreparedBC: Tourism Resources to prepare for emergencies and to identify potential hazards.

What Destination BC will do:

• Destination BC’s consumer marketing, travel and mainstream media and public relations efforts will continue to promote the entire province, adapting to the needs of each region/community, by placing focus on areas that are not currently impacted by emergencies, and supporting impacted areas once the emergency is over and recovery has begun.