Tourism

Richmond is a bustling urban centre of almost 220,000 people only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver. The city is home to Vancouver International Airport, Canada’s second busiest airport, and offers visitors a pacific authentic experience where culture and character converge. Diverse, year-round multicultural attractions include the Richmond Night Market,  Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, and the “public artworks”.

Most international travellers to Richmond come from the United States, and the most significant overseas market is Asia, which represents a quarter of all overseas visitors to Richmond.

As a 2010 Olympic host city, Richmond received world-wide exposure to 3 billion people, as well as significant infrastructure investments such as the $178 million Richmond Olympic Oval and $2 billion rapid transit Canada Line which connects Richmond to YVR and downtown Vancouver. Infrastructure, existing business capacity, trade networks, and government supports help position the tourism industry as one of Richmond’s key growth sectors.

What’s New

Versante Hotel a finalist for two BC hotel awards

Canada tourism employment set to surpass pre-pandemic level in 2024

Richmond restaurant owner to inspire female chefs at regional event

Richmond Night Market back in business with full scale reopening

Dive into Richmond’s Steveston Spot Prawn & Seafood Celebration

Company Profile

	Tourism Richmond is funded primarily by a hotel accommodation tax and undertakes destination marketing, visitor experience development and visitor servicing activities to increase tourism revenues to the community and businesses. Tourism Richmond provides visitor assistance, undertakes co-op marketing campaigns, builds and markets the Richmond brand, and provides industry education.
	Steveston Village This quaint fishing village at the mouth of the Fraser River was voted #1 Metro Vancouver neighbourhood out of 192 in 2020. In 1960, it was declared a heritage zone where you can visit many historic site such as the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. This village is a tourist hot spot offering premium and casual dining experience emphasizing on fresh local seafood, unique local boutique stores and a beautiful promenade along the water. Steveston Village is also a popular filming location for tv shows such as Once Upon A Time.
	Bike the Dyke is a beautiful 13.5km trail along the River Road with mountain, river and wildlife views. It is a mostly unpaved trail that leads you to Steveston Village. There are 15 points of interest along the way with many break opportunities for resting and photos. Budget 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the entire trail.
	Richmond Olympic Experience The Oval was built in 2010 as the speed skating stadium for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The Olympic Experience allows tourists and locals can relive the greatest moments in Canada’s sports history, and experience the thrill of competition firsthand in our interactive simulators such as shot put, sport climbing, archery and the balance beam. The Richmond Olympic Experience is the first member of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Museums Network to be located in North America.
	Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is a gaming and entertainment operator with operations across Canada and in the U.S. including 10 casinos, 5 racetracks, 2 show theatres and various associated food and beverage and entertainment facilities. The Great Canadian Gaming Corporation has 750 employees in Richmond at its headquarters and the River Rock Casino Resort property, which includes a 4-diamond hotel and conference centre, restaurants, casino and a 1000 seat show theatre.
	Richmond Hotels 25 hotels can be found in Richmond within 10 minutes from the Vancouver International Airport under various well-known brands such as Fairmont, Starwood, Sandman, InterContinental and Executive Hotels & Resorts. Two hotels are located right at the airport: the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel with 392, 4-diamond rooms and the Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport with 188 rooms. Newest addition, Versante Hotel, was named New Business of the Year in 2022.
	Canada CYTS Travel Services Inc. is the second largest travel company in China. Richmond was selected as the location for its first office outside of China, offering receptor tour operator services in Canada for both high end and special tour groups from China.
	Pacific Coastal Airlines is a privately-owned, family run regional airline headquartered in Richmond at YVR. Pacific Coastal Airlines has over 275 employees, has 13 bases across B.C. and a fleet of 26 aircraft, including 9 float planes, flying to 17 airports to and from the coastal and interior regions of B.C. In 2013, they were the recipients of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce Business Leadership Award.
	JTB International (Canada) Ltd., a subsidiary of JTB, the largest full service travel management company in Japan, provides services to inbound tours and independent travelers from Japan. It has a desk location at Vancouver International Airport as well as an office in Richmond, where over 100 employees are based.
	Harbour Air Seaplanes With over 30 years in business and more than 50 aircraft, Harbour Air and Westcoast Air have become the largest all-seaplane company in the world. Services now include frequent flights connecting Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Richmond, Sechelt, Comox and the Gulf Islands along with a wide selection of scenic adventure tours and private charters. In 2022, Harbour Air was awarded Large Business of the Year at the 45th Business Excellence Award.
	Helijet International Inc. From a single helicopter and one route, Helijet has grown into a publicly traded company based in Richmond. With operations in Richmond, Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii, Helijet’s fleet of medium and large helicopters, as well as medically-equipped & corporate Learjet, is maintained, flown and administered by a dedicated crew of over 100 employees. in 2021, Helijet was certified as a YVR Climate Smart Business.
	International Stage Lines Lines has been headquartered in Richmond and serving the Metro Vancouver area since 1978. It provides charter coach services for corporate travel, airport transfers, schools and sports teams and tour groups to various destinations such as Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria, and Seattle. International Stage Lines employs 85 people in its offices and maintenance facilities.
	Lulu Island Winery, a family-owned winery, uses grapes from the Okanagan and berries from the Fraser Valley to produce a wide array of table wines, fruit wines and ice wines. One of the largest wineries, it operates out of a 22,000 square foot facility in Richmond featuring multiple tasting rooms and event space. The company exports most of its products to Japan, Korea and China.
	Richmond Night Market Founded in 2000, operated by Firework Productions Ltd. and running annually from May until October, the Richmond Night Market is one of the largest summer festivals in Metro Vancouver. The Market showcases local family-friend entertainment, over 100 food vendors serving a variety of international, predominantly Asian, street food and desserts, as well as over 250 merchandise booths. The Night Market is currently located conveniently by the Bridgeport Canada Line Station.
	Cal-San Enterprises Ltd. is a family-owned blueberry and cranberry farming and processing operation headquartered in Richmond that owns and operates the fruit winery Sanduz Estate Wines. Sanduz is the largest fruit (non-grape) winery in BC and received the Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s New Business of the Year Award in 2007.

Search our Business Directory for a complete listing of all Tourism companies in Richmond.

Workforce & Research

Workforce

go2hr is the tourism industry’s source for all things human resources. Workers and employers will find compensation research, foreign worker hiring information, industry health & safety resources, industry training programs, legal resources and a free job board. 

Multiple college certificate, diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate degree programs exist throughout the province, including the following.

• Vancouver Community College 
• Capilano University
• BCIT Tourism Management
• Canadian Tourism College
• Thompson Rivers University Tourism Management
• Royal Roads Tourism & Hospitality Management

Incentives

To search a database of grants, loans or financing programs relating to Tourism businesses, available from all levels of government, visit The Funding Portal. Some of the programs most beneficial to this sector are outlined below. 

Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture offers market research for tourism operators, as well as information on funding sources and business development resources.

Destination British Columbia has a number of resources and opportunities available to help grow the tourism industry throughout the province. Tourism operators can access marketing initiatives, market research, training guides and other programs.

Destination Canada provides intelligence, tools and resources that help the Canadian tourism industry reach international markets.

Small Business Venture Capital Program Tourism is one of the five business activities which qualify under the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation’s Small Business Venture Capital Program. Through the program investors can claim a 30% tax credit on investments made in Eligible Small Businesses, up to a maximum of $60,000 per year. 

Sport Hosting Incentive Grant Program provides funding to assist provincial, national and international sport organizations host their sporting events and meetings in Richmond. Funding is also available at the Provincial and Federal Government levels. 

Tourism Richmond is funded primarily by a hotel tax added to visitors’ accommodation bills and undertakes destination marketing and visitor servicing activities to increase tourism revenues to the community and businesses. Tourism Richmond runs a visitor centre, undertakes co-op marketing campaigns, builds and markets the Richmond brand, and provides industry education. 

Temporary Work Visas for Foreign Workers allows tourism employers to hire foreign workers under these temporary working visas through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Provincial Nominee Program accelerates the Permanent Resident application process for workers who want to settle in B.C. permanently. It allows nominees to apply for Permanent Resident status through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) under the fast-tracked Provincial Nominee stream. Tourism is one of 3 key industry sectors chosen to allow entry level and semi-skilled workers to access this program.

Use our Funding Portal to search a database of all grants, loans and financing available to Tourism businesses.

Industry Networks

Featured Industry Partner:
Tourism Richmond