Kevan Bracewell & TIABC promote conservation through tourism in British Columbia. The goal is to make BC tourism a sustainable industry.
At a glance…
- The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) is a not-for-profit trade association that advocates for BC’s visitor economy.
- As TIABC positions BC tourism as a leading, sustainable industry, the association contributes to conservation-minded policies and projects that preserve the environment.
- Kevan Bracewell was a founding member of TIABC’s precursor, COTA, in 1993. Today Kevan continues to support the initiatives of TIABC that foster sustainable land management.
- TIABC has united members over their common interests. As they work together to preserve the heritage and environment of BC, both essential for tourism, this increased collaboration strengthens their influence in important policy decisions.
What is the TIABC?
The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) is a not-for-profit trade association that advocates for the visitor economy of BC. Originally called the Council of Tourism Associations (COTA), this organization was created in 1993 by Kevan Bracewell and other founding members to unite the tourism industry over common interests. While COTA is now known as the TIABC, what remains unchanged is the organization’s focus on establishing BC tourism as a leading, sustainable industry. The TIABC does this by increasing collaboration between industry associations, destination marketing organizations, private sector tourism businesses, residents, and the government. This increased cooperation allows TIABC to advocate for policy decisions that align with its research findings and the common goals of involved parties.
Why Kevan supports the TIABC…
As part of its three year strategic plan, the TIABC has outlined four key goals:
- Advocacy & Policy Development
- Membership & Strategic Alliances
- Strategic Communications & Government Relations
- Operational Sustainability & Excellence
In line with its priority of operational sustainability and excellence, the TIABC has recognized its need to foster industry-wide support of conservation-minded research projects and educational initiatives. The TIABC hopes to establish sustainable tourism decisions and land management as the industry standard for BC tourism. In this way, the environment and the very resources that encourage tourism will thrive for years to come.
How Kevan contributes to the TIABC…
In addition to laying the foundation for the TIABC, as one of the founding members of its precursor COTA, Kevan Bracewell continues to invest in the organization. Drawing upon nearly three decades of experience as a wilderness tourism operator and lobbier for responsible land management, Kevan Bracewell helps move the policies and decisions of the TIABC towards its goal of creating a sustainable industry. Kevan does this by contributing a principle-driven approach to land management discussions and adhering to the current land management policies that were established to safeguard the wilderness of British Columbia.
As a result of his time in the wilderness, Kevan Bracewell also understands the value of considering all the variables and thinking through every decision. This perspective has become especially valuable as the TIABC works to unify the sometimes disparate interests of individual tourism sectors. By considering all of the variables and giving significant thought to the impact of new policies on each major sector, the TIABC will be able to achieve its goal of uniting individual interests for the common good of the visitor economy and environment in BC.
What Kevan’s contribution has made possible…
By contributing his time and expertise, Kevan Bracewell has helped the association and its individual members adhere to their guiding principles of sustainability and excellence, as it applies to wilderness tourism and land management decisions.
Next steps…
The TIABC is making steady progress within the areas of focus for its three-year strategy. To learn more about the TIABC and its current projects, click here. http://www.tiabc.ca/
Learn more about Kevan Bracewell’s work:
Chilcotin Holidays, Wilderness Stewardship Foundation, Stewardship Foundation, Trails to Empowerment, Chilcotin Ark Institute, Wilderness Training Academy, Community Mill