Love Your Local: 3 Canadian Destinations to Visit This Summer

Tofino, British Columbia

With a focus on supporting the ocean and local wildlife, Tofino boasts a variety of ecohotels and initiatives that encourage travellers to connect with nature. As the surfing capital of Canada, Tofino puts a focus on keeping its beaches and ocean clean by hosting beach cleanups and encouraging travellers not to use single-use plastics in the area.

The restriction of single-use plastic is nothing unusual to Canadians—particularly those in Tofino, since it became the first municipality in British Columbia to ban single-use plastic utensils in 2022, in addition to already-banned single-use items like plastic bags. Similarly, they placed restrictions on beach fires to limit the environmental impacts and keep the air clean.

In 2024, Tourism Tofino became a Biosphere Committed Destination with the Responsible Tourism Institute, which recognizes areas that align with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The commitment highlights their sustainability efforts and helps to distinguish Tofino as a destination of choice for tourists who are seeking sustainable experiences and allows Tourism Tofino to go on to seek a Tourism Biosphere Certification.

Edmonton, Alberta

In the summer of 2021, Edmonton became the first city in western Canada to join the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, a global index that tracks environmental sustainability in a bid to become a more attractive tourism destination. Since then Edmonton has heightened its focus on environmentally friendly options in the city and surrounding areas. 

As the fourth most sustainable destination in North America, Edmonton has an abundance of sustainable initiatives to enjoy—ranging from sustainable eats, shopping, activities, transportation, and hotel stays.

Not only for tourists, Edmonton has put a focus on being greener overall, with projects like Canada’s largest rooftop solar installation, an urban park that’s 22 times the size of Central Park, and one of the first fully carbon neutral neighbourhoods in Canada.

Kelowna, British Columbia

Kelowna has long felt the effects of climate change—with flooding in the spring and dry summers that have contributed to wildfires and droughts, the transition to sustainability was a natural one for the western city. With a dedication to sustainability, the Thompson Okanagan Region became the first certified Biosphere destination in North America.

Biosphere is a certification by the Responsible Tourism Institute that is aligned with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. With Kelowna receiving the designation, a collection of businesses around the area have also joined the pledge towards sustainability. 

Tourism boards in the area urge visitors to tour Kelowna responsibly to not further contribute to climate change. To do so, Kelowna Tourism encourages travellers to use reusable water bottles and shopping bags, discover local foods, learn about Kelowna’s Indigenous roots, visit businesses that have made the commitment to the Biosphere Adhesion Program, and refrain from idling your vehicle.