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What is Tourism?


Tourism is a dynamic and competitive industry that requires the ability to adapt constantly to customers' changing needs and desires, as the customer’s satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly the focus of tourism businesses.

Tourism encompasses:

Outbound Tourism

Inbound Tourism

Domestic Tourism

Tourism Sectors
There are different ways to measure the size of the tourism industry, as tourism does not conform to the usual ways that industries are defined, such as manufacturing, forestry and other industries. Tourism constitutes a wide variety of sectors that provide diverse products and services to visitors. However, these businesses also provide products and services to local residents.

The tourism and hospitality industry in British Columbia employs 274,000 people on a full year equivalent basis, in diverse sectors such as transportation, travel services, recreation and entertainment, accommodation and food and beverage services. The industry represents approximately 12% of the total BC workforce. Of these 274,000 workers, approximately half (127,500) are employed directly as the result of the $14.6 billion in tourism revenue in the province each year.

When describing the “tourism industry,” go2HR includes all 274,000 workers, because this is the number of people who need to be recruited and trained to support the businesses that serve both tourists and local residents. Economic reports may focus more on the 127,500 jobs created by direct tourism spending for different purposes. Both figures are correct.


