When I think of my childhood, I think of airplanes and packed suitcases, I think of Sunday dinners with family discussions about stocks in the airline or trips we should be taking when us kids have time off.My whole childhood was very connected to aviation and gave me a love for travel that can not be replaced even in a pandemic. 

In the last two days the Liberal government announced that they would be discontinuing flights from Mexico and the Caribbean until at least the end of April and while it was met by relief by most, including my own family, there are reservations that I have and that anyone connected to the tourism industry would be having right now. 

This is just another jab at an industry that has been completely gutted since the start of the pandemic, without much to extremely delayed help from the government. 

While the new restrictions are understandable with the new variants and just the general fear of the virus being brought in from another country, there has been little compassion for this industry. There has been little sympathy, little financial help and it has been mainly left up to these tourism sectors to figure it out on their own.

While I cannot make a direct impact on aviation and the scorn they have been receiving over COVID (even though there is only a 2% chance of contracting the virus while travelling), I can promote (like I usually do) tourism in our city. 

So that is what I plan on doing today, so here are some ways that you can support the tourism industry in BC right now. 

Explore Virtually and Support Attractions: Just like many other businesses, tourism industries have turned to virtual spaces to still connect with their audiences. Museums and art galleries are a big part of the tourism sector and offer virtual tours and discounted rates. Many other attractions around the city such as Capilano Suspension Bridge and Blodel Conservatory, that heavily rely on tourists are now looking for locals to come. 

So if there are local attractions you have been meaning to try out, research them! Find out if they are still open and if they are offering deals. This is a great way to explore the city and be able to see these attractions without mass crowds and having to wait to capture the perfect photo. 

Researching these places and planning day trips will give you things to look forward to in the future. 

This doesn’t just have to apply to places in BC, explore spaces around the world virtually and make lists of all the places you want to visit in person when that is once again not just permitted but encouraged. 

This might make some super sad that they can not go on vacation right now, but it will get you excited for the prospect of someday and you can plan your perfect European vacation from home. You can find all the ins and outs of a country, the hidden gems, (that’s of course they don’t go under… trying not to be cynical), and ways you can vacation there for cheap. 

Aviation is going to need all the help once this pandemic is over and this is a free way to start drumming up business now. 

Support Local Restaurants: This has been ingrained in us since the beginning of the pandemic and for good reason. Local businesses, especially bars and restaurants have always been heavily impacted by tourism. Being cut off from tourists on top of locals not having as much disposable income and going out less and less. But if you are craving to explore the world, restaurants are the way to go. 

Ethnic restaurants are a great to explore different cultures without leaving your bubble. Vancouver has a diverse array of cuisines, you can find anything you have been wanting to try. Hungarian? Check! First Nations? Check! They even have mixed fusion restaurants like Vietnamese Italian. 

Think about all the places you want to visit and find authentic restaurants in your area, it’ll be like a slice of travelling without actually leaving. 

Also, take a peek at Curiocity Vancouver’s restaurant bingo if you need a little inspiration about what to eat and where to go, you could find your new favourite spot. 

Support Local Hotels: (This will be when we are able to explore more through our province.) I have said it before and I’ll say it again that we are so lucky to live in a province so vast and beautiful.

We have the option to travel to a desert, the mountains to oceans all in a few hours and there are so many bucket list spots that people not from here can only dream of visiting, like Victoria, Kelowna, Whistler, Tofino and of course Vancouver. Making it for us the ultimate playground of exploration, especially while we have nowhere else to go. 

So book some overnight trips, make the most of our beautiful province by taking to the road and truly exploring the old fashioned way. There are fantastic deals for hotels right now and you can book a head for a summer trip. It’ll help them stay a float and you have something to look forward to.   

Social Media: This can go hand in hand with supporting local. Sharing, commenting and liking posts on pages for restaurants, stores, local attractions, and even the tourism landing pages for a city can really help to promote them. 

You may not think you are doing much by liking their page or tagging someone in a post, but you doing that could lead to that company having new business, and maybe you can not afford to go out for dinner right now but someone on your friends list probably can. 

There is little we can do right now but if you’re a travel enthusiast like me remember to help tourism in your area… and pray to the travelling Gods we will be able to explore new places again soon!