What a month! Mandatory testing requirements are rapidly disappearing enabling more friction free travel between countries. FIFA World Cup 2026 has been formally announced, and the bid for 2030 is taking shape. I was able to attend the sold out gala for Meeting Planners International (MPI) atop Grouse Mountain last week, and optimism is in the air as the recovery of this industry continues to accelerate.

Looking ahead to the busy summer season, there are certainly concerns over lack of staff, continuing supply chain issues, lengthy airport security line-ups, and another year of Carmageddon (lack of rental cars) all of which will affect the visitor experience.

Despite these challenges we see tremendous opportunities for Burnaby with its outstanding access to transit and outdoor experiences as well as unique and accessible outdoor experiences, shopping and neighbourhood restaurants. We encourage you to share any opportunities or challenges your organization is facing this summer so that we can integrate that messaging into our social media and paid advertising campaigns over the course of the summer.

The team at Tourism Burnaby has been very busy the last few months attracting tournaments, events and meetings to the City and we look forward to sharing some big announcements over the next few months.

As always, please reach out to me at any time if you think there is an area of focus, or some assistance that Tourism Burnaby can offer you.