Editor's note: This interview took place on June 9, before the Dryden Creek wildfire started.
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport for British Columbia,, was in town on a tour of the Sea to Sky Corridor from June 4 to June 6.
The 麻豆社国产 caught up with him by phone after the tour to discuss all things tourism and a bit about the film industry.
What follows is a version of that conversation edited for length and clarity.
Q: How was your visit to the corridor? Locally, you stopped at the 麻豆社国产Adventure Centre, correct?
A: Yes, it was wonderful. We also got to visit the Britannia Mine Museum. That, of course, was great. I hadn't been in years, and I'm so glad we got in because, wow, it's a stunner, that's for sure.
Q: You also visited Whistler. In terms of our history with tourism, it's a newer focus for us, and it hasn't been easy for some local folks, just juggling how popular some of our favourite spots have become, for example. Can you speak to that balancing act, and also the importance of tourism economically?
A: I think it can be a challenge, especially given that a lot of the traffic folks might see are people from Vancouver, people like me who love coming up to Shannon Falls, or to hike the Stawamus Chief.
It is also locals who are using these resources in bigger numbers, because there are a lot more folks living in the area than there used to be, too. That will increase the pressure. You know, as Whistler has developed, as Pemberton, as 麻豆社国产developed. Of course, there's going to be more pressure on the great secret campsite or river system, but I think that's why we have to work hard to improve our infrastructure, support our park system. Make sure that trails and those systems get the attention, but also that we support our private sector partners who do adventure tourism in the backcountry as well, to maintain the backcountry trails or mountain bike trails and those kinds of things. The message I always try to bring is what's good for locals is good for tourism. And so if we can remember the locals here, we also benefit tourists. If you build it for tourists, the locals don't like it, and the tourists don't like it.
And, maybe this is just me being in downtown Vancouver, but I've always known that the weekend is going to be busier on the Seawall than it will be during the midweek. So, you know, there are adjustments we might have to make. But it also means that our restaurants are open year-round, instead of places that have to close half the year. I think it's good to have tourism as an option for the economy.
I also think obviously there's a need for more hotel space in the region. That's an issue in many jurisdictions now, because investors found it more lucrative to build condominiums than hotels. So that's an issue to work on, for sure.
Q: Some residents have raised concerns that while the province promotes tourism in this region, there isn’t enough infrastructure support—such as rangers in the parks—to manage increased visitor numbers. We don’t have enough infrastructure to keep all the trails clean and keep things updated or enough people monitoring and enforcing things. That is part of the frustration.
A: We've seen that all over the province, especially post-COVID, as a lot of folks shifted their behaviours and went outdoors, which was great, but many of them did not have the training and knowledge about how to look after the outdoors. So, something that we did was partner with tourism providers in the region, including Tourism Squamish, for the Don't Love It To Death campaign, which was a way of educating the public. And I think we need to do more of that.
Q: Switching gears, people here are certainly feeling the tariff uncertainty with the current U.S. president. Can you speak to that, and the role of tourism can play there?
A: I think this year is looking like it will be one of our better years for tourism, and people just touring their own town and province.
I think we have a huge opportunity. We just have to find ways to ensure that people are welcomed. Americans still need to know that they are welcome to visit us, because they are one of our best markets. Our fight isn't with them individually. I think that's one worry I've heard from some tour operators, which is how visitors from the U.S. will be treated. We need to be clear, they're still welcome. They provide a lot of resources to help fund their education and our nurses and hospitals, with their choice to visit here.
Q: Under your umbrella is Indigenous tourism, which has increased. There are some great 麻豆社国产Nation entrepreneurs here who've started up businesses in the last few years. Can you speak to that?
A: One thing we know is that people want to know where they're visiting, and that's not just the name of the place, but the geography and the people who live there. And obviously, that includes, and needs to include, Indigenous Peoples' history since time immemorial. Indigenous Tourism B.C. is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism economy.
Q: In all of the ministers' mandate letters, Premier David Eby notes how important good wages and good jobs are. But, from what I see, tourism jobs don't seem to have the highest wages. Can you speak to that, and where you'd like to see these jobs head?
A: What I've seen, and it's been a change in the tourism industry, is a strength and understanding of the need to pay good wages to attract staff. And so certainly in Whistler and Squamish, you're making quite a bit more than minimum wage at these jobs, because otherwise they just can't get employees. I certainly was impressed by Whistler's approach to workforce housing and working incredibly hard to develop and deliver more affordable housing so people can actually live where they work, compared to, say, Aspen. It's an incredible accomplishment to have that many people who work in Whistler actually be able to live in Whistler. But you know, I know that still, there are a ton of stories of folks who struggle with housing affordability, and that's one of the challenges.
I think I'd also say, too, that a lot of tourism jobs are stepping stones. In many cases, they're the first job before moving into other jobs, whether or not it's in the tourism industry or anywhere.
I also always say to employers, if you pay people a little better, employees put in a bit more, and they're more likely to stick with you. And I think that's true for tourism as well.
Q: Pivoting again, you have a history with the film industry. It has been hurting, and there are worries about the future. Can you speak to that?
A: It's been a challenge. I think the last couple of years, with the strike in the U.S., with a real pullback in investments from the streamers, from the big studios, many people in the film industry have been struggling for work, and getting by on small projects. But I think we've started to see a turnaround in B.C., I believe the increase in tax competitiveness that we brought forward in the most recent budget has helped. We've had a whole bunch more of our biggest customers agree to film here, so Last of Us Season 3, Shogun Season 2, for example. We've got a number of big productions that are coming or just about to or just about to begin production, but I think the tariff threat from President Donald Trump obviously worries everybody.
It's really hard to say how his tariff threat would be achievable under international law in any sense, but that doesn't mean that they might not try anyway. But again, from what the major studios have told us so far, they're proceeding as if nothing's happened, as if these threats don't mean anything.
Q: With the state of the U.S., particularly for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, do you think we may get more of that tourism? Are we marketing that we are a safer place?
A: Yeah, we've heard that, even with doctor and nurse recruitment, there's in particular renewed interest from LGBTQ people from the U.S. to come here. And we're also seeing it from conferences, where international delegates might face issues with the border in the States, for example, and where some film companies might have a star who just doesn't want to be in the States right now, for whatever reason; they're rerouting and directing to B.C.
B.C. seems like a pretty safe haven to be, and I think we want to make sure people understand that we are welcoming and that we are doing what we can to be a safe jurisdiction. While there are some in our political environment who want to roll back the clock, the B.C. government is not one of them, and we will stand for human rights and equality.
