Tourism Ch’illiwack is just getting started in creating a “wow” destination for visitors.
Almost half way through its five-year strategic plan, Tourism Ch’illiwack is working toward the recovery and rebounding of the local tourism economy.
“This year is what I call the first year of normalcy in tourism, and what I mean by that is the effects of COVID have slowed down,” said Allison Colthorp, executive director of Tourism Ch’illiwack.
For the 2024 season they are anticipating an increase in leisure travel, and business travel, as well as more visitors heading to Chilliwack for special events like sports, and weddings.
‘Tourism Ch’illiwack’ is the official destination management organization for the City of Chilliwack, as well as FVRD Area E and H, and the Cultus Lake Park Board. Much of their marketing efforts are directed at drawing visitors from Metro Vancouver, Washington State, and Alberta.
In 2018, the tourism organization underwent rebranding with the subtle addition of an accent to: “Tourism Ch’illiwack,” in recognition of being located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Ts’elxwéyeqw and Pelho’lhxw Tribes of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples.
With the goal that destination development with their partners be undertaken in the “right way,” they made a point of looking at growth through an Indigenous lens, as well as through the lens of inclusivity, and sustainable tourism, Colthorp said. These ideas are in their ‘Protecting this Gift’ plan, which dovetails with Tourism Ch’illiwack’s five-year strategic plan 2022-27, and the Sí:yá:ya Yóyes: Living Tourism Action Plan.
“It’s a matter of looking at how growth is impacting communities, and looking to work with them in collaboration,” Colthorp said.
It’s about the “long game.”
Tourism Ch’illiwack has embraced the concept of ‘regenerative tourism’ where visitors consciously leave a place better than they found it. They might feel compelled to pick up some carelessly dropped litter in a beautiful setting, or take extra precautions to make sure a campfire has been thoroughly extinguished.
It’s a notion of the visitor treading more lightly and responsibly on the land, whether hiking, biking, dike walking or otherwise soaking up the natural beauty of the area.
Shifting to what’s on the work plan for the coming year, and the next two years, they’ll be conducting a needs assessment of tourism and community.
“We’ll meet with groups and stakeholders to take a dive into identifying the gaps, and how to contribute positively to the community, and tourism at the same time,” she said.
Colthorp mentioned that there is a bright spot on the future hotel-room horizon.
“We are happy to see a new 150-room hotel coming to Chilliwack in 2025,” she said.
The foundation of a new building is starting to take shape at the construction site near Lickman Road, and Industrial Way.
Chilliwack has been struggling with a high-occupancy rate in its hotels for the past three years. Visitors seeking a room for the night tend to spill over into Abbotsford hotels for sporting events, conferences and weddings, since the Chilliwack occupancy rate is so high.
“So we have high hopes that things are moving along,” Colthorp said about the new hotel.
Another project is the quest for a new destination event that would allow Chilliwack to really shine.
“We’re looking for a homegrown event to draw people during the shoulder season,” Colthorp said.
With a return to normalcy, more unique events will definitely be on the way.
“We’re seeing a rise of niche market events.”
In the short-term Tourism Ch’illiwack will be undertaking an AI business assessment to see if the new technology can improve its efficiency as an organization, and to track performance in terms of sustainability, for example.
“Going forward the vision is that everyone is going in the right direction, and in a good way,” Colthorp said.
To see this story as it ran in our special section on April 26, 2024 see our e-edition here: Chilliwack in Progress