Early-bird registration ends May 10th

April 29, 2016

Voice of the BC Tourism Industry

Chair's Message

"To reach a port, we must set sail...sail, not tie at anchor...sail not drift." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

As a 30-year veteran of the Canadian Navy, I can relate to President Roosevelt's comments, especially in the context of TIABC's role in navigating through various issues that impact tourism.

Most recently, we supported our colleagues at Tourism Golden as they worked with operators, community leaders, associations and politicians to ensure that the highly popular activity of river rafting would continue on the lower Kicking Horse River (see the story below or TIABC's letter to CP Rail in the Members-only section of our website).

Although it's tempting to suggest the wind is at our backs as we tackle these problems, there are storms brewing that our board and staff are working hard to address. They include, but are not limited to, the sharing economy, labour shortages, land use and other issues we'll discuss with delegates in the Town Hall portion of TIABC's upcoming AGM and Summit at Sun Peaks.

I'm pleased to say we have an excellent program that will appeal to operators, DMOs, sectors, government and other stakeholders. Now all we need is for you to register (if you haven't already) and invite your professional colleagues from within your organization, membership or community.

If you're interested in supporting the Summit through sponsorship, please contact the office after you've looked at the sponsorship package on our website. In the meantime, watch for more Summit updates via TIABC's e-newsletter, Facebook page, Twitter account and website.

See you at Sun Peaks next month.

Jim Humphrey

CEO

Win a Rocky Mountaineer Vacation

- a trip for two aboard the Rocky Mountaineer !

This amazing two-day, all-daylight rail journey (valued at $4,598.00 Cdn.) includes:

A trip for two adults on the First Passage to the West route, or Journey Through the Clouds route. Travel eastbound or westbound onboard the Rocky Mountaineer in GoldLeaf Service;
Fully domed windows that give you unparalleled panoramic views from the custom-designed GoldLeaf, bi-level dome coach;
Comfortable, spacious, fully reclining seats with interactive and captivating storytelling along with personalized service from Rocky Mountaineer hosts;
Hot gourmet breakfast and lunch prepared by talented GoldLeaf Service chefs, served in the elegant GoldLeaf Service dining room onboard the train both days;
Complimentary alcoholic beverages and gourmet snacks onboard;
Overnight hotel accommodation at the end of day one in Kamloops; and
Rail station transfers.

Terms and conditions:

Trip must be taken during the 2017 season and is non-transferable. Cash equivalent will not be substituted for the grand prize. To be eligible, the w inner must be a fully paid Summit delegate and in attendance at the closing lunch on May 26th when his or her name is drawn .

To register, visit: www.tiabc.ca/tiabc-agm-summit.

Early-bird Registration Ends May 10th

TIABC AGM & Summit

Early-bird registration is now open for TIABC's AGM & Summit, May 24-26 at Sun Peaks. More details on sessions and speakers are available on www.tiabc.ca/tiabc-agm-summit.

For sponsorship opportunities and complete event details, click here.

In partnership with:

Agenda Highlights Include:

Sector Roundtable with 10 sectors representing tourism businesses from across BC

Presentation by Keith Henry, Aboriginal Tourism Canada

Town Hall with TIABC, TIAC, Destination BC and Destination Canada

Three Concurrent Sessions:

1) For DMOs, Economic Development Officers, Community Officials

Film Induced Tourism: Best Practices & Lessons for BC

2) For Sectors

How Do Your Sector Issues and Priorities Line Up With Government Priorities?

3) For Businesses and Operators

Succession Planning on How To Transition Your Business to the Next Generation of Tourism Leaders?

And more!

Visit www.tiabc.ca/tiabc-agm-summit for all the details.

TIABC Welcomes New, and Renewing, Members

TIABC is pleased to renew the membership of Western Financial Group Western Financial Group - a diversified insurance company serving more than 800,000 customers across Western Canada.

TIABC is pleased to welcome TasteFull Excursions, a Kamloops-based company specializing in Wine Tasting Tours of the Thompson Shuswap region and beyond. When you attend our AGM & Summit, TasteFull Excursions is available for airport shuttles. Visit our website for more details.

If you are not yet a member of TIABC and would like to join or learn more about membership, please visit our membership section or contact our team

TIABC & TIAC Welcome First New Members to Plus TIAC Program

TIABC and TIAC are pleased to welcome the first two new members of the Plus TIAC program. Left Coast Insights , a boutique consulting firm specializing in tourism research, planning, and development joined TIABC recently and took advantage of the discounted TIAC membership. As well, TasteFull Excursions, a Kamloops-based company specializing in Wine Tasting Tours of the Thompson Shuswap region and beyond, also joined TIABC and became a Plus TIAC member. Thank you to both organizations for your support of tourism advocacy provincially and federally!

Many small and medium-sized tourism businesses don't belong to associations because they don't know which group to join or don't see the value in membership. The Tourism Industry of British Columbia (TIABC) is partnering with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) to offer a two-year pilot program designed for brand new, never before members of both organizations. This targeted initiative for small businesses will provide a special affiliated TIAC membership when a new TIABC small business membership is purchased.

Through this first-time offering small businesses will be engaged at both the provincial and national level, accessing industry experts who are navigating the red tape and government challenges in both Victoria and Ottawa. Through joint membership with TIABC and TIAC, small businesses can connect to Canada's tourism leaders and add their voice to the thousands of other businesses across the country advocating for the success of the BC and Canadian visitor economy.

For more information on the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) affiliated membership, please visit tiac.travel/Plus_TIAC

If you are not yet a member of TIABC and would like to join or learn more about membership, please visit our membership section or contact our team

Rafting Dispute Resolved in Golden

Canadian Pacific and local white water rafting stakeholders have agreed to a resolution to keep the Lower Canyon portion of the Kicking Horse River open. The details of that resolution are still being finalized, but it will allow for rafting on the Lower Canyon when the rafting season begins next month, while maintaining CP Rail's commitment to safety along its rail corridor.

The agreement from CP represents a significant turnaround from their previous stance regarding the issue, with the company stating that there was no solution that could be found as recently as last month. TIABC was one of many supporters who wrote to CP Rail on this issue and encouraging a compromise.

The Golden Star newspaper reported on the support that Golden received from many stakeholders on this issue. Public support to keep access to this portion of the river open has been immense, from local stakeholders and politicians to a letter of support from Senator Nancy Greene. " I have to particularly thank Minister Shirley Bond and Minister Todd Stone for their assistance to the community," said Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald. "The level of support that we have received from these ministers and their staff has been exceptional. The province will be an integral part of the long-term solution in the years ahead. Their commitment to ensuring the viability of this important tourism product, and the tremendous economic benefit it brings to our region, is very clear, and for that we are grateful."

In previous summers, rafters have had to cross railway tracks at an unmarked crossing in order to access the Lower Canyon portion of the Kicking Horse River. This portion of the river is seen as the crown jewel of Golden's rafting industry, bringing in thousands of tourists every year.

A planned "Save the Lower Canyon" rally on April 30 will now be a celebration of the river and the industry's importance to Golden.

TIABC congratulates all the rafting companies and the entire tourism industry in Golden! #BCTourismMatters

SUMMIT 2016:

two-day conference and marketplace for private liquor industry professionals and hoteliers

SUMMIT 2016 is the first event of its kind in BC, bringing together hospitality industry thought leaders to share perspectives, insights, and strategies on a fast-changing and dynamic industry. You won't want to miss out!

Where: Delta Grand Okanagan Resort & Conference Centre (1310 Water Street, Kelowna)

When: Monday, May 9 and Tuesday, May 10, 2016

What: SUMMIT 2016 will attract 100s of private liquor industry professionals and hoteliers from across the province for a two-day conference and marketplace. This event offers the hospitality industry a unique opportunity to capitalize on its strength in numbers and come together as one of BC's most important economic drivers.

Offering key insights and new strategies for success, highlights of the conference include: focused
workshops, educational seminars, networking events, and 35+ exhibitors. Download the conference
program here.

Research

2015 Year-in-Review

Air capacity to YVR was over 12.5 million seats - an increase of 6.4% over 2014.
Domestic flights accounted for over 50% of capacity (6.6 million).
Flights from Asia/Pacific made up nearly 2 million of the total.
Tourism Indicators: 2015 Year-in-Review is now available on Destination BC website.

BC Custom Entry Highlights for February 2016

Significant increase in US overnight entries, up 20.1% compared to February 2015
Year-to-date US overnight entries are up 16.7%
Overnight visitors from Asia Pacific increased 7.5%
Total International overnight visitors are up 16.2% compared to February 2015 and up 15.3% year to date.

Nearly 100 Percent of Attendees Would Recommend Vancouver!

In January 2016, close to 4,000 meeting professionals and industry partners from around the world congregated in Vancouver for Convening Leaders, the Professional Convention Management Association's (PCMA) annual professional development and networking conference. Vancouver's hospitality industry pulled out all the stops. The post-event survey completed by attending delegates indicates the city's stunning setting, state-of-the-art convention facilities, and highly skilled and creative hospitality community exceeded expectations.

Survey Highlights:

98 percent of attendees were either very satisfied (82 percent) or satisfied (17 percent) with the overall destination experience
99 percent of attendees would recommend Vancouver to clients or colleagues as a meetings destination
100 percent of attendees were either very satisfied or satisfied with the Vancouver Convention Centre as a meeting venue

For more details visit:

www.vancouverconventioncentre.com/news

In This Issue

Chair's Message

TIABC News

Industry News

Research

Calendar of Events

AGM & Summit

May 24 - 26

Registration is open!

Click here to register