What is Tourism Emergency Preparedness?

The initiative includes a dedicated project website featuring original research and a searchable resource library that will serve as a national hub for emergency preparedness tools, guidance, best practices, and resilience planning resources.

The current phase of the project is informed by extensive research and stakeholder engagement activities, including:

• Environmental scan and gap analysis of existing emergency management resources;
• National Tourism Resilience Survey conducted in April 2026;
• Discussion forums and roundtables with tourism SMEs, sector associations, and Indigenous tourism and community leaders, facilitated in partnership with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada;
• Training and workforce review led by Tourism HR Canada; and
• Development of an Emergency READI Roadmap outlining next steps toward a future industry designation program.

The initiative places a strong emphasis on engagement and collaboration with Indigenous tourism operators, organizations, and communities. Indigenous perspectives and participation have been vital to the success of this initiative and are fundamental to ensuring that emergency management frameworks, resources, and tools are community-informed and culturally responsive.

By combining primary research, case study interviews, industry consultations, and stakeholder engagement activities, the initiative’s findings and tools are both data-driven and grounded in lived experience.

Our goal is to create practical, accessible tools that support tourism businesses, organizations, and communities across Canada. We encourage ongoing participation and collaboration, including suggestions for additional resources and tools that could strengthen the sector’s preparedness and resilience over time.

TIAC is actively exploring future phases of the initiative in collaboration with ISED and other sector partners.