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Voice of the BC Tourism Industry
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Chair's Message
With our AGM and Summit now in the rear-view mirror, TIABC's board is looking forward to tackling a host of other priorities as we head into the last half of 2016.
Planning is already underway for the BC Tourism Industry Conference that takes place in Victoria next February. We expect upwards of 700 delegates to join us for presentations, workshops, networking and key meetings with provincial and federal government officials.
More importantly, TIABC's Policy, as well as Membership & Communications' committees are hard at work on issues and opportunities including, but not limited to, the sharing economy, labour policy, TIAC Plus, #BC Tourism Matters and a whole host of other initiatives.
In closing, I am delighted to welcome both Robyn Cyr of Shuswap Tourism and Alroy Chan of Rocky Mountaineer to the TIABC board. At the same time, I would like to recognize the tremendous contribution of Capilano University's Jacqueline Clarke and Westcoast Sightseeing's Stuart Coventry for their service on the TIABC board over the past few years. Both will be missed.
I wish you a healthy and prosperous summer tourism season.
Jim Humphrey
Chair
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TIABC Welcomes Five New Members
TIABC is pleased to welcome several new organizations to our membership:
Renewals for most members will be upcoming in July. Please watch your emails for a reminder notice.
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TIABC Proposes UBCM Workshop on STRs
TIABC has submitted a proposal to UBCM's convention committee to host a workshop on policy implications and impacts of short-term rentals (STRs) on communities throughout British Columbia.
As several regions grapple with an acute shortage of affordable monthly rental accommodation, the problem also extends to the workforce where communities are having difficulty attracting and/or retaining employees due to lack of housing options.
Panellists for the proposed workshop will include two resort community mayors, a DMO, a local chamber and two associations including TIABC.
Participants will present measured approaches to determine real impacts, examples of process to gain better management of inventory, and highlight some of the other issues that need to be addressed locally, provincially and federally.
UBCM will make their decision on proposals on July 29th.
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#TellTC about your experiences as a passenger in Canada
Thursday June 16 at 3:30pm PDT
TIABC just learned of this event and wanted to share it with BC tourism stakeholders:
An online discussion on the theme of "The Passenger" will be held onFacebook Live on June 16, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) where the Minister will be inviting Canadians to discuss issues affecting passengers.
Use #TellTC to share your experiences as a passenger. "Like" the Transport and Infrastructure in Canada Facebook page to receive a notification.
Background:
On April 27, 2016, the Minister of Transport launched an engagement process with Canadians, stakeholders, and provinces and territories, to take place over the course of spring and summer 2016, in order to hear views and discuss ideas that will inform the development of a long-term agenda for transportation in Canada.
This process will define what the transportation system should aspire to be in the next 20 to 30 years. Further, it will identify the priority areas for action over the short- to medium-term that will position the system to support economic growth, a healthier environment and Canada's competitiveness in global markets.
As part of this process, the Minister will host a series of roundtables with industry key players, system users, academia and thinkers, and Indigenous groups across Canada.
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Small Tourism Communities Encouraged to
Apply for
Infrastructure Funding
Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities recently announced improvements to the
Building Canada Fund
to provide small municipalities the opportunity to seek support for local tourism projects. This is a great opportunity for small communities with bright ideas to show off their tourism attractions!
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Applications Now Open for Training Funds
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| L to R: Small Business BC CEO George Hunter, Hon. Coralee Oakes, Hon. Shirley Bond, and GoatSocial Founder Terence Sawtell |
Thanks to a new partnership between the Ministry of Small Business and Small Business BC - small business owners can now receive one-on-one expert assistance to help them successfully access training funds from the Canada-B.C. Job Grant program and develop skills training plans to support the growth of their businesses.
- Small Business BC's Canada-B.C. Job Grant advisors will provide help to small businesses navigating complex processes, making it faster and easier to access supports saving them time and money.
- Business owners can apply to the Canada-B.C. Job Grant to cover two-thirds of the costs of skills training for new or current employees to a maximum of $10,000 for each employee trained per fiscal year.
- In addition, employers may qualify for up to 100% of costs if the training results in the company hiring a person who was unemployed, up to a maximum of $15,000 for each future employee.
- Applications are now open for training that starts on or before Sept. 30, 2016.
- Contact Small Business BC for further information: http://smallbusinessbc.ca/contact-us/
For more information, view the news release:
Video from press announcement:
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Send Us Your News Clippings
TIABC needs your help to keep our industry informed of tourism news stories around the province. Send your news clippings to [email protected] and access our website to stay up to date.
Some recent examples include:
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Destination Osoyoos Appoints New Executive Director
Destination Osoyoos recently announced the appointment of Kelley Glazer as the organization's new
Executive Director.
Glazer has more than 20 years' experience in tourism leadership and business development. In her new role, she will work with the Destination Osoyoos board and funders to ensure the success of their strategic goals, and oversee the society's operations as it promotes the local tourism industry.
"I am extremely excited about the growth opportunities that Osoyoos has to offer to existing and new small businesses," said Glazer, who comes to Osoyoos from Victoria, BC. "I am thrilled with my appointment, and look forward to meeting all of the stakeholders in the community and becoming an engaged citizen of Osoyoos."
Glazer's experience is multi-faceted and includes collaboration with First Nations, provincial and municipal organizations. As principal at Victoria, BC's KG Consulting, her clients have included Northern Interior Health, Tourism Cowichan, Arrowleaf Entertainment, Poets Cove Resort, Travelodge, Pacific Sky Aviation and Link BC.
"The recent recognition that Osoyoos has received for its Snowbird marketing campaign within the Economic Development and Tourism communities of British Columbia is a great building block to continue Osoyoos' success as a thriving resort community," Glazer said.
Congratulations Kelly!
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#BCTourismMatters
Tourism Vernon recently announced that the economic impact of the tourism industry in Vernon came to a whopping $123.3 million in 2015, over $16 million more than the $107.1 million achieved in 2014.
The City of Vernon recently received December's MRDT (Municipal and Regional District Tax), with numbers showing a growth of 15.1% in hotel tax collected in the city over 2014, and 77.1% since their first full year of collection just five years ago in 2011. While collected through the accommodation sector, MRDT is a key performance indicator that tourism in Vernon definitely on the rise.
The good news doesn't end there: for five years in a row, Vernon has had the fastest growing room revenue in the Thompson Okanagan outpacing all other major cities in the region. Vernon even surpassed Whistler and Victoria in terms of growth in room revenue percentage change.
In 2015, the Squamish Visitor Centre welcomed 59,200 visitors, a 30% increase over the prior year. In partnership with local operators, Tourism Squamish grew MRDT receipts by 21% and increased the hotel occupancy rate by 9% for an annual occupancy average of 64% in 2015. Efforts were focused on increasing visitation midweek and throughout the winter season.
"Our community has enjoyed five consecutive years of tourism growth as evidenced by increased room nights, increased traffic at the Visitor Centre, and a 64% growth in contributions since 2010 to the provincial tax mechanism that directly funds local tourism marketing, programs and projects," said Mayor Heintzman.
Tell us your story of how tourism is impacting your business, your community, your career.
Check out the Power of Tourism Story section of the TIABC website:
www.tiabc.ca/advocacy-policy-development/bctourismmatters/power-of-tourism-story
#BCTourismMatters
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Research
International Visitor Arrivals Provincial Comparison
Tourism Indicators
Custom Entries
March 2016 custom entries saw large increases from several markets. Overall international overnight entries to
BC increased 19.6%, Mexico increased 66.8%, Australia was up 10.2% and US overnights were up 26.0% over 2015! The International Visitor Arrivals publication summarizes custom entries data to British Columbia and Canada from selected markets of origin. See all international visitor arrivals information on the Destination BC website:
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Travel Markets Outlook: National Focus,
Spring 2016
This report is a forecast of tourism activity in Canada, the provinces, and Yukon plus the outlook for domestic, United States, and key overseas markets such as Europe and Asia. Travel prices are examined, including costs of travel (air, rail, and car), accommodation, food and beverages, as well as recreation and entertainment.
Highlights include:
- Domestic overnight travel by Canadians is projected to increase by 2.1 per cent this year due to low gas prices and a Canadian dollar still trading below US$0.80.
- British Columbia's strong provincial economy is once again expected to help boost tourism activity this year. Overnight visits to the province are expected to rise by 3.6 per cent this year, helped by solid gains in domestic and international travel markets.
Travel Markets Outlook: Metropolitan Focus, Spring 2016
This report offers an in-depth analysis and forecast for tourism activity in Canada and in nine major metropolitan areas. The report also provides an outlook for domestic, United States, and key overseas markets such as Europe and Asia.
Highlights include:
- Vancouver will enjoy another solid year of growth in both domestic and international visitors. Increased air capacity from Asia will help boost overseas visits by 5.6 per cent in 2016 while pleasure travel to the city will benefit from hosting the World Rugby Sevens Tournament and from a strong cruise season.
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In This Issue
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Chair's Message
TIABC News
Industry News
Research
Calendar of Events
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Calendar of Events
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June 22, 2016
September 26-30, 2016
October 4-6, 2016
October 4-5, 2016
Visit TIABC's
Event Calendar for more events. Tell us about your event and we will add it to the list.
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