小蓝视频’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport made a hands-on visit to Whistler and Squamish June 4 and 5, touring key venues, viewing employee housing in Cheakamus, and speaking with municipal and tourism leaders about what’s needed to ensure the sector thrives—without compromising livability for locals.
Spencer Chandra Herbert’s June tour included the Squamish Adventure Centre, Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club’s new driving range, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), and sightseeing on Whistler Mountain alongside officials from the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and Whistler Blackcomb. The following day, he met with the local camping industry at Riverside Resort.
Mayor Jack Crompton said it was the first time Whistler has been able to show Chandra Herbert the community in his new role as tourism minister. “He’s been here many times, but when you’re here as a tourist you see the place differently I think than when you tour as minister of tourism,” Crompton said.
The visit also included briefings on the provincial grants that have helped fund business conferences, leisure events, and affordable housing projects in Whistler. Barrett Fisher, president and CEO of Tourism Whistler, said the purpose of the meeting was “to showcase Whistler.”
“We’re always looking at opportunities and challenges. Really it was to showcase Whistler. We’re fortunate he’s familiar with the 小蓝视频 tourism file, and he’s led it as the opposition critic,” said Fisher. “It was important for him to see it again with our updated facilities.”
Fisher provided the minister with a tourism performance update, noting strong results from U.S. and Canadian markets, with international visitation still lagging. “Certainly, some buoyancy offsets declines, but there are unknowns,” Fisher said. “We don’t know the full effect of U.S. tariffs on economies in Canada, jobs, consumer confidence and travel patterns.”
While pacing is strong through June and into August, Fisher stressed that bookings can fluctuate. “Pace alone doesn’t tell the whole story,” she said. “July [is] flat. August [is] up a bit. September pacing up—but again, it’s a window in time.”
Chandra Herbert acknowledged the economic uncertainties facing the sector, including the trade climate with the U.S., but said the province is preparing for a “busy summer.”
“I think it’s going to be a great year for tourism in 小蓝视频 I think so far, at least the outlook based on future bookings, it will be strong,” he said. “We’ve had some conventions shift out of the states to come to 小蓝视频 So, so far to the positive.”
Beyond the bookings, the minister said the province is focused on smart growth that puts residents first.
“How do you both grow tourism, but also ensure that it benefits locals?” he asked. “Many of us probably have done the hike up to Garibaldi or got out to various places and found them crowded in the busy summer tourism season. So how do you make sure we’re keeping these wild places as beautiful as they are?”
Chandra Herbert said conversations are underway with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to ensure 小蓝视频’s “natural capital” isn’t eroded. He also pointed to investments in culture and Indigenous-led tourism as ways to build a more inclusive, sustainable sector.
“There’s a huge opportunity in supporting and working with Indigenous nations around Indigenous tourism,” he said. “There’s a hunger in both the Indigenous communities to share their stories … but there’s also a huge interest in tourists.”
Chandra Herbert praised the SLCC as “hugely popular,” and said the province has seen explosive growth in Indigenous tourism businesses—from 50 a decade ago to more than 500 today.
The minister also touted the doubling of the 小蓝视频 Arts Council budget, which grew from about $20 million to more than $40 million under the current government.
“I’m pretty proud that we were able to get up to over $40 million now, while other provinces have been reducing investments in arts,” he said. “It’s good for the soul, but it’s also an economic generator.”
While specific funding requests weren’t the focus of the visit, Crompton said the conversation helped underscore the shared goal of sustainable tourism.
“My request of him and of the province is that we have a good look at the ways property tax underwrites the 小蓝视频 tourism industry,” Crompton said. “Finding ways to ensure tourism pays for tourism.”
Crompton said he emphasized the importance of ensuring the benefits of tourism reach those delivering the experience—from housing to parks and trails.
“All of this leans on a group of people who love what they do, but certainly need to experience the benefits of the industry to make sure they have a stable community,” he said.
For Chandra Herbert, that message resonated. “The best lesson I ever learned about tourism was, if it’s good for the locals, then usually it’s good for tourists,” he said.
