Voice of the BC Tourism Industry
Kokanee Salmon spawning - Kootenay Rockies. Photo: Gina Bégin
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Chair's Message
As mentioned in previous newsletters, TIABC coordinated a workshop on short-term rentals (STRs) as part of UBCM in Victoria. The session
attracted dozens of mayors and councilors and featured a panel including TIABC CEO Walt Judas, BCHA CEO James Chase, Nelson Mayor Deb Kozak, Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne, Revelstoke Chamber Executive Director Jamie Mayes, and Tourism Victoria CEO Paul Nursey (also TIABC Board member). You can access the presentation slides from this session by
clicking
here.
The crux of the issue is that employees cannot find adequate and affordable housing in many communities due to the proliferation of STRs. Consequently, tourism operators are left scrambling to fill important roles, as well as provide adequate service to guests without burning out or losing their staff.
During the convention, delegates unanimously passed Resolution A4 which essentially committed UBCM to work with the province
through the Ministry of Community, Sport and
Cultural Development, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Small Business, and the Ministry of Finance to establish regulations for short term accommodation that address taxation fairness and compliance to
permit an equitable competitive environment between all short term accommodation providers (e.g. hotels, motels).
In a separate session attended by various cabinet ministers (including Hon. Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs,
Tourism
& Skills Training), Mayors Josie Osborne of Tofino and Al Raine of Sun Peaks secured a commitment by Finance Minister Mike de Jong to meet and discuss solutions to STR issues, including the suggestion to eliminate tax regulation 78(1)b that exempts proprietors of less than four rooms from paying the provincial sales tax and MRDT. The current regulation prevents platforms such as FlipKey and Airbnb from collecting the requisite taxes on STRs and submitting them to government.
If this issue matters to your community, we encourage you to write your local MLA as well as discuss it with your city officials. We need to press for changes to local and provincial regulations, as well as enforcement.
For the record, TIABC's policy on STRs states (among other things):
PST and MRDT should be collected at source by the booking platform and remitted to the province. The booking platform shall also collect and disclose all such STR data required by the municipality and/or Province to properly monitor and govern th
ese transactions and their adherence to local bylaws and legislation.
On another note, one of our goals as a board is to meet in different BC locations when possible. Next week, TIABC's board is convening in the Thompson Okanagan, thanks to the hospitality of Nancy Cameron and her team at Tourism Kelowna. We're looking forward to it.
Jim Humphrey
Chair
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BC Tourism Industry Conference
Call for Presenters
Are you considered to be an expert in your subject area?
Do your peers recognize you as an innovator?
A leader in your industry?
Do you have business tips and best practices that should be shared?
The BC Tourism Industry Conference is looking for new ideas, new speakers and innovative concepts for our education program. We are interested in topics that fall into the following categories:
- Innovation Matters
- People Matter
- Marketing Matters
- Advocacy Matters
- Tourism Development Matters
New for 2017!!!
This year, for the first time, TIABC will be reaching out to the tourism community for feedback on the presentation submissions. Tourism stakeholders will have the opportunity to vote for those presentations that they believe would be the most interesting and engaging in each of the subject categories listed above.
Final decisions on the program will be based on a combination of the voting results (40% weight) and the input of the BCTIC Program Committee (60% weight).
How To Submit
Deadline for submissions is October 21, 2016
For more information, please contact Nora Cumming at 250.382.3303 ext 204 or at
[email protected]
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TIABC Survey - we need your input!
Although 2016 has been another record-setting year for tourism in many parts of British Columbia, many operators and communities are dealing with issues such as labour shortages, transportation access, affordable housing and other challenges that have prevented growth.
As we move toward 2017 and the impending provincial election,
TIABC will introduce an election kit for members and stakeholders to use to ask local candidates their party's plans and positions on a variety of issues.
To that end, we
are keen to learn from you the priorities
that government and industry need to address to ensure British Columbia's visitor economy remains vibrant and sustainable.
Please take a few moments to complete our survey via the link below. Thank you.
To access the survey, click here.
#BCTourismMatters
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TIABC PARTNERS WITH GREEN TOURISM CANADA TO OFFER DISCOUNTS TO MEMBERS
As British Columbia's visitor economy continues to prioritize environmental sustainability, TIABC and Green Tourism Canada have partnered to offer members a discount in annual fees for certification and other benefits.
Current TIABC members are entitled to receive a $100 discount on annual Green Tourism fees in addition to the following:
- Access to the online Green Tourism Members Community and Forum, set to be launched this winter (value of $99+/year).
- Access to the online Green Tourism self-check assessment tool set to be launched in the new year (does not result in certification).
As one of the first sustainable tourism certification programs in the world, Green Tourism has always been a leader in making it easy for businesses and travellers to make a difference. Green Tourism has remained one of the most sought after eco-labels because each member receives a one-on-one assessment and expert advice from a trained sustainability assessor who reviews everything from energy efficiency to food sources.
Visit the Members-Only section of TIABC's website to view more information on the program and retrieve the code for the $100 discount on annual program fees.
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October is Small Business Month - nominate a small tourism business today!
14th Annual Small Business BC Awards
Small Business BC has officially opened nominations and voting for this year's Small Business BC Awards. This is the largest small business awards competition in the province. Last year, 71 communities across BC participated. Nominations and voting are open between October 1 and November 30.
Small Business Month Free Services Plan
Small Business BC has partnered with the Province of British Columbia to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners in BC with FREE access to over 30 seminars, webinars and Ask the Expert sessions happening during Small Business Month.
MyBizDay Series
Small
Business
Month in October. They will be followed by the
MyBizDay Metro Vancouver
and
MyBizDay Vancouver Island
events in November. These events feature workshops, exhibits and networking connect entrepreneurs with helpful tools and resources to start and grow their business. Tell your community about these great FREE events by liking and sharing recent posts on
Twitter
,
Facebook
and
LinkedIn
. The hashtag is #MyBizDay.
The public and small business community is encouraged to join Small Business BC on the MyBizDay tour. For more information or to register, visit http://sbbc.co/mybizday2016.
TIABC stakeholders can get $10 off tickets to any MyBizDay event with the promo code COMMUNITY.
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Electronic Travel Authorization Update
New entry requirement now in effect:
Visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including
dual citizens, and
Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an eTA.
The leniency period that allows travellers to board their flight without an eTA ends November 9.
For guests who inquire about where to apply for an eTA, direct them to:
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Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association
Appoints New Executive Director
The board of the
Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association
is pleased to announce that Jennifer Busmann has been appointed to the role of Executive Director, effective January 2017.
Jennifer has a long and successful history of working in the BC wine industry, particularly in the Oliver Osoyoos region, in guest services roles at NK'MIP Cellars and Stoneboat Vineyards. Most recently she held a management position at Spirit Ridge at NK'MIP Resort.
Her talents in both the wine and tourism industries perfectly position her to direct all strategic activity for the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association.
Tony Munday will continue to lead Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association activity, supported by Jennifer, over the next three months before retiring from the role at the end of the year. This will include attending the 2016 Canadian Tourism Awards where the Half Corked Marathon is a finalist in the Event of the Year category.
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Ride Sourcing in B.C. - Stakeholder Engagement Summary Released by Minister Fassbender
Over the last several months, Minister Stone (Transportation and Infrastructure) and Minister Fassbender (
Community, Sport and Cultural Development
and Minister Responsible for TransLink) met with a number of stakeholders across the province to discuss the challenges and opportunities of ride sourcing in British Columbia's passenger transportation sector.
Through these consultations they heard a range of valuable comments and recommendations that are reflected in a
Stakeholder Engagement Summary. Please note that the themes and recommendations outlined in this report reflect the views of those who provided feedback, and do not reflect a provincial position.
If you have any comments on the findings of this consultation, please email them to:
[email protected].
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2016 International Aboriginal Tourism Conference
Building Effective Partnerships for Aboriginal Tourism
Join Aboriginal tourism operators from across Canada and around the world for three days of sharing best practices and networking in Membertou, Novo Scotia for 2016 IATC.
Panel discussion, breakout sessions, keynote presentations and local cultural experiences make this an industry event not to be missed.
December 12-14, 2016
Register today!
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Seeks 4 Seasonal
Full-time Positions
A
dventureSmart is a national outreach program focusing on outdoor safety education designed to promote personal preparedness, encourage safe outdoor activities and lifestyles concentrating on search & rescue prevention. Teams will be working closely with the BC Search & Rescue Association, the 80 SAR groups and 2500 volunteer members increasing awareness to help reduce the number and severity of incidents in the province. One 2 member team will work out of Burnaby and the second team will be based in Kelowna. Teams travel throughout the province providing educational sessions at schools, camps, ski hills and community events, in addition to increasing awareness through traditional and social media streams. These sessions consist of packaged programs such as the Snow Safety Education Program and Hug a Tree & Survive Program presented at schools, ski hills and community groups.
Team members must be willing to travel and work flexible hours including weekends. Some trips will require 3 to 5 days on the road with vehicle, travel costs, accommodation and meals provided. Successful candidates will have experience with public presentation, be enthusiastic and have extensive winter outdoor recreation experience. Must be 19 years of age or older, be fully licensed with a valid B.C. driver's license and provide a driver's abstract.
Work term:
November 14, 2016 - March 10, 2017
Salary: $850 per week
Forward resume & cover letter to address or e-mail below by
Friday, October 21, 2016, 4:30 p.m.
Specify which location you are applying for.
BC & Yukon Branch
#112 - 3989 Henning Dr. Burnaby, BC V5C 6N5 Telephone:
604.299.5450
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TIABC on the Road
TIABC staff and board members have been on the road attending industry events in recent weeks.
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| Jon Montgomery shared his Gold Medal with the attendees of the Northern BC Tourism Summit |
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L to R:
Wendy
van
Puymbroeck - Kootenay Rockies Tourism; Deanne Steven, Tourism Rossland;
Jikke Gyorki, Tourism Fernie; and
Kathy Cooper, Kootenay Rockies Tourism
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#BCTourismMatters
During Kate and William's visit, correspondents broke out the superlatives to describe stunning natural backdrops. The visit by Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, included many serious and solemn moments, including their interactions with Indigenous peoples, as well as meeting young people dealing with mental health issues and immigrants settling into their new country. It was also one long tourism campaign. Correspondents from Britain and around the world exhausted a thesaurus of superlatives describing the scenery.
Read more:
Tourism Kamloops Sets New Direction
Tourism Kamloops' Board of Directors has approved the organization's new 5-year strategic plan. Beginning
July 1, 2017
, Tourism Kamloops will execute the plan in alignment with the recent approval of the Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT) renewal and the approved increase to the MRDT
from
2% to 3%.
"This plan is the result of extensive consultation and collaboration with tourism industry stakeholders. The engagement process resulted in a proactive, focused and results-driven framework addressing five key strategic platforms of performance - Innovation, Sustainability, Brand, Community & Stakeholders and Experience," explained Beverley DeSantis, Tourism Kamloops CEO. "Kamloops stands out amongst competing destinations. Our strategic plan ensures that Kamloops elevates its distinct position and offers visitors exactly what they are seeking in a vacation experience."
Tourism is a necessary economic driver for Kamloops and Tourism Kamloops' strategic plan will benefit the entire community. Priorities within the plan emphasize the importance of building local ambassadorship, identifying opportunities for exceptional tourism experiences, developing a compelling brand that will resonate with visitors, empowering and elevating industry partners, and using dynamic marketing strategies to deliver the destination's brand.
Tourism Kamloops will be hosting a Stakeholder Forum to
unveil
the plan on Tuesday, October 18th from
3pm - 5pm
at the Coast Kamloops Hotel. This forum is open to the public and all tourism stakeholders. Please RSVP attendance by clicking
here
or by calling
250.372.8000
.
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Research
International tourist arrivals up 4% in the first half of 2016
International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 4% between January and June 2016 compared to the same period last year. Destinations worldwide received 561 million international tourists (overnight visitors), 21 million more than in 2015, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
Canada's July 2016 visitation numbers up 12.8%
In July 2016, Canada greeted 2,875,708 overnight visitors from DC's 11 international markets, up 12.8% year-over-year, marking the fourth month this year of double-digit expansion. Year-to-date overnight arrivals from DC's 11 international markets have grown 11.3% to 9.91 million visitors in 2016.
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In This Issue
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Chair's Message
Industry News
#BCTourismMatters
Calendar of Events
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Calendar of Events
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October
October 19-20, 2016
October 25-26, 2016
BC Liquor Conference
November 29-30, 2016
February 22-24, 2017
Victoria, BC
BCHA / ABLE BC
April 3 & 4, 2017
Victoria, BC
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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