The Voice of the BC Tourism Industry
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Mountain biking in Revelstoke
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CEO's Message
Two topics of interest as we transition into the busiest tourism month
of the y
ear for
most communities:
To begin with, I had a very good conversation with highly regarded,
long-time NDP MLA
and
T
ourism Critic, Spe
ncer Chandra Herbert earlier this week. As usual
he was i
n good spirits
and extremely excited about his party having formed
government for the first time in 16 years.
And even though the Premier's mandate letter to the new Minister of
Tourism, Arts &
Culture contained only two tourism directives
, Spencer
reassured me that he and his colleagues
are very bullish about British
Columbia's
visitor economy and will provide the support necessary
to sustain and build our
industry for the foreseeable future.
Spencer is also committed to helping Minister Beare get up to speed on the issues and opportunities that our industry faces now and in the years ahead. I'm told the new Minister is keen to learn the portfolio and excited to be part of such a thriving and important business sector.
In the meantime, we're preparing for our first briefing with Minister Beare to discuss various priorities. As well, we have also invited her to attend our AGM and Summit in October where she will have the opportunity to address and meet with tourism operators, sectors and educators from around the province.
The second topic has to do with the wildfire situation in parts of the province. While it may be tempting for me to point out the flaws in some of the decisions being made by key stakeholders, or the misinformation being conveyed through multiple mainstream and social media channels, it serves no purpose and does not solve any of the primary concerns of tourism operators during this critical time.
Instead, I'd rather provide encouragement to the many people in our industry that have been working behind the scenes virtually round the clock to do what's best for those affected and for our industry in general. At the risk of missing someone (& asking forgiveness), a shout-out to the operators who have taken in evacuees at great expense to their businesses; to the regional and community DMOs who have been the conduits between operators, visitors and government in assisting on the ground and with factual information to convey to present and prospective visitors; to B.C. Parks, Emergency Management (& Info) B.C., Drive B.C., Destination B.C., the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Recreation Sites & Trails B.C., and many others for also providing guidance and information and helping to solve problems on behalf of multiple industry sectors.
There are many lessons to be learned from this year's wildfire season...deliberations best saved for another day. In the meantime, the "
Know before you go" mantra needs to be preached louder than ever, accompanied by the message that '
Much of B.C. is still open to welcoming visitors from Canada, the USA and other parts of the world'.
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TIABC Call for Nominations and Notice of 2017 AGM
TIABC Seeking Six Candidates for the Board of Directors
For the 2017-2019 term we are seeking six (6) candidates for the TIABC board:
- From the DMO category one (1) is required for a two-year term
- From the Sector Association category two (2) are required for a two-year term
- From the Business Membership category three (3) are required for a two-year term
As per the bylaws, the Tourism Industry Association of BC requests that all nominations from members be received 45 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. All nominations for director positions therefore, must be received on or before August 29, 2017.
The TIABC Board Nomination form can be downloaded
here
.
Notice of 2017 AGM
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Tourism Industry Association of BC will be held at the following date and location:
When: Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 9:00am
Where: Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport Hotel - 3099 Corvette Way, Richmond, BC V6X 4K3
The meeting is called for the purposes of:
- To receive the financial statements of the Association for the fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2016
- To approve the minutes of the May 25, 2016 AGM
- To approve and consider six amendments to the TIABC Bylaws
- To elect six (6) directors (see above for nomination form)
AGM packages, including Board nominees, will be available at the AGM.
To view the Notice of AGM, including six proposed bylaw amendments, being sent to all TIABC members,
click here .
AGM event registration opening in August 2017.
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TIABC Summit 2017 Taking Shape
This one-day Summit is bringing together the following industry partners:
We look forward to seeing you there.
Summit Agenda
:
8:15 a.m. - registration opens
9:00 a.m. - TIABC and AtBC AGMs
10:00 a.m. - Break
10:30 a.m. - Town Hall featuring TIAC, Aboriginal Tourism Canada, Destination Canada
12 noon - Lunch and Keynote Speaker (Hon. Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture
INVITED)
2pm - Break
2:15 to 3:15 p.m. -
MPs on the Hotseat featuring
John Aldag (Liberal), Blake Richards (Conservative) and Gord Johns (NDP)
3:15 to 4:15 p.m. - Destination Development update by Destination B.C.
4:30 p.m. - Wrap-up
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BC Wildfires Key Messaging and Industry Updates
TIABC has created a special page on our
website to share information and key messaging on the BC wildfires situation:
Stay Safe, Stay Informed 
During times of stress and uncertainty, it is important to share information from official sources only. There are a variety of resources available to help you prepare for emergencies, gather up-to-date information and help visitors plan their travel.
Please feel free to share wildfire impacts on your business or region with TIABC at [email protected]
Kamloops is Open for Business
 With a fantastic start to the peak tourism season, the sudden wildfire situation has certainly caused much unease, discerning news coverage and a perception that the entire province has been affected by these tragic events. Our hearts go out to those that have been directly affected and hope for a speedy return to their communities.
Kamloops continues to shine. The generosity, unwavering support and welcoming spirit remain at the forefront of our daily efforts and we commend our community and our tourism industry partners for all of that you have extended to those most in need.
PM Justin Trudeau Attended Red Cross Fundraiser in Revelstoke
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Canadian government would match all donations to the Red Cross to support those affected by B.C. wildfires.
"We'll be providing financial support to help with the recovery effort," he told the crowd of more than a thousand in Revelstoke. "British Columbia has provided funding so the Canadian Red Cross can help evacuess and we're following their lead by making a contribution that matches the amount the Canadian Red Cross is spending on direct support to those evacuated from their homes here in B.C."
Trudeau arrived in Revelstoke to much fanfare. It was the first visit to the community by a sitting Prime Minister since his father Pierre Trudeau made a brief stop in 1982.
www.saobserver.net/news/justin-trudeau-visits-revelstoke-to-encourage-donations-to-red-cross
#BCTourismMatters
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BC Wildfires - Economic Impact Surveys
The organizations are seeking to collect information regarding the economic impact of the current wildfire situation on tourism businesses throughout the three regions. The goal is to provide the provincial government with a comprehensive overview of the effects on businesses both in directly affected and unaffected areas. In order to best communicate our collective voice, CCCTA, KRTA and TOTA are inviting all stakeholders and communities to bring their own experience to the table by completing a short survey.
Please share to encourage all tourism stakeholders to participate.
KRTA survey:
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Download TIABC's PSA
Four Steps to Enjoying British Columbia
TIABC has developed a new public service announcement (PSA) that can be utilized by all tourism operators and sectors to remind residents and visitors of the importance of four simple steps for enjoying our beautiful province:
TIABC encourages you to print the PSA and post it in prominent places at your tourism business.
Let's protect our industry because
#BCTourismMatters.
Don't forget to share other partner resources such as:
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Numbers You Need To Know
PNWER Value of Travel & Tourism
 The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (
PNWER) is a statutory public/private non-profit created in 1991 by the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
During the recent PNWER Summit in Portland Oregon, Tourism Victoria CEO Paul Nursey presented the Value of Travel & Tourism figures for Canada:
BC Tourism Indicators
In May 2017, passenger volume to YVR increased by 9.1% compared to last year. The provincial average daily room rate has increased by 4.8% compared to 2016. For other tourism indicators, visit:
Over 1.7M travellers came to Canada in May 2017, bringing the total arrivals from Jan - May 2017 to 5.9M!
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#BCTourismMatters
Coquihalla Highway Improvements
 Construction is looking good on the new eastbound Box Canyon chain up area just below the snowshed on the Coquihalla Highway. Last winter
Canada West Ski Areas Association reported that the chain up area would be expanded significantly to hold up to 80 semi trucks. The highway alignment is being shifted west to allow for the space and full washrooms are being installed. More space will make it easier for skiers to travel in winter by reducing the number of commercial trucks blocking lanes on snowshed hill. The new Box Canyon area allows more trucks to chain up below the snowshed and off the highway. Thank you Ministry of Transportation!
YLW Breaks Passenger Records for the Month of June
Kelowna International Airport (YLW) passenger numbers continue to climb, breaking monthly records for 2017.
YLW broke records for the month of June again after welcoming 143,008 passengers compared
with 135,069 passengers for the month last year...a 5.9% increase.
Currently, the monthly record for passengers remains at 173,504 in March of this year, making it the month to beat.
Tourism Vancouver and Destination BC in Top 10 Most Popular Overseas DMO Accounts on WeChat
 Tourism Vancouver and Destination BC's WeChat social media accounts in China are in the top 10 in terms of popularity of overseas destination marketing organization accounts. WeChat is a Chinese
social media application (
instant messaging, commerce and
payment services) that has over 938 million active users, mainly in China. This ranking of DMOs and PMOs was tracked by Dragon Trail, a China-focused digital marketing agency.
The results are for the week of June 19-25th. The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership is way out in front, but Tourism Vancouver is working to close the gap.
Destination BC Hosted Toronto Star Writer Liz Beddall, Who Wrote a Fun Article on Osoyoos' Half-Corked Marathon
 B.C.'s Half Corked Marathon features quirky costumes, live music and of course, great wine. T
housands head to the Okanagan Valley for an 18-kilometre fun run flowing with reds, whites and rosés.
Amid the fertile greenery of the vineyards, there is a quiet elegance that only premier wine country can boast. A curious bee brushes against a nearby leaf, a singular cloud floats overhead against the open sky, and a woman dressed in hot pants accessorized with a rainbow tutu and fairy wings runs by, followed by a 6-foot human banana.
The Half Corked Marathon was a finalist in the
2016 Canadian Tourism Awards.
Read the full Toronto Star article at:
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How Are Rising Costs Escalating Your Hiring Challenges?
The
BC Restaurant & Food Services Association (BCRFA) is working on understanding the many faces of the labour shortage in the industry. With a changing labour force, less young people working, low unemployment and increasing demands from tourism, they hope to gain insight into the complexity of this growing issue for operators all over the province.
BCRFA has put together
a
short survey to gather your input. It will take 5 minutes to complete and will ask questions on wages and costs of living, particularly issues around housing and transportation.
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Whistler Chamber To Compete on World Stage
The World Chambers Competition, organized by the
ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF)
, is the only global awards programme of its kind to recognize ground-breaking projects developed by chambers of commerce and industry worldwide.
After receiving 53 applications from 27 countries, an international jury, comprising ICC WCF leadership and representatives from chambers of commerce and other recognized global organizations, selected the 2017 finalists.
Whistler Chamber of Commerce was named a finalist in 'Best Education and Training Project' category. Congrats to WCoC!
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Know Before You Go - B.C. Open for Business
While acknowledging the reality of the wildfire situation in the impacted areas, it is incumbent on the entire tourism industry to counter the negative publicity that seems so widespread in mainstream and social media circles. News outlets, Twitter and Facebook posts, as well as websites need to receive industry messages and images to communicate to their subscribers/visitors that most of British Columbia is still open for business. Destination BC, regional destination marketing organizations and community DMOS are using every available platform to ensure people have accurate information through official websites and links such as
Know Before You Go
.
"Please don't cancel your B.C. summer vacation because of the wildfires, but proceed with knowledge and caution." That's the message tourism-related businesses, which are mostly small businesses, want visitors to hear this summer.
"Our hearts are with those that are impacted, and our priority is to ensure that people are safe and know where to find information," Maya Lange of Destination B.C. told
The Calgary Eyeopener this week. "
But B.C. is still very much open for business" she added.
"We encourage visitors and those with travel plans to check out the map of B.C.'s current wildfires on the B.C. government wildfire website, along with the driving route restrictions on DriveBC.com and adapt their plans."
Lange says the best approach is "know before you go."
Examples of media coverage:
Many communities in BC are sharing updates for visitors on their wildfire, air quality and transportation access status. Please share your updates with TIABC at [email protected]
Community and Regional Update Samples
Tourism Kamloops has
3 webcams
that can easily be accessed on their website. These webcams have been an extremely useful tool in letting people know the current weather and air quality situation in Kamloops. Please share this link with anyone that may be considering a visit to Kamloops.
Some areas of British Columbia are currently dealing with wildfires. However, British Columbia is a very large and diverse province and there are many areas that are not impacted and are open for business.
Currently, most of the Kootenay Rockies region remains unaffected by the wildfire activity. All highways in and out of the region are open and operating with normal traffic flow.
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CRA Campground Assessment Update
The Canadian Camping and RV Council, along with the BC Lodging & Campground Association continue to address the current Income Tax Act and the eligibility of campgrounds to apply for the small business tax deduction.
They recently received a response from the federal government on this issue (d
ownload the response letter from
here)
and are currently working on a pre-budget submis
sion for 2018.
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ABLE BC Webinar Highlights:
BC's Changing Political Landscape & Impact
on Liquor Industry
Excellent job by ABLE B.C's Jeff Guignard and Danielle Leroux on a recent webinar discussing what the new government in Victoria means for the liquor industry.
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TVan Alumni Rick Antonson Joins
Destinations International
Hall of Fame
Launched in 2014, the Hall of Fame Award was created to recognize individuals who have changed the future of destination marketing for the better, made significant contributions to the advancement of the industry, and shaped travel marketing. It is the highest honour that
Destinations International (formerly DMAI) can bestow.
This prestigious award provides a historical narrative of the leaders who have helped grow and nurture the destination marketing industry through the years.
Rick Antonson, f
ormer president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver joined the Destinations International Hall of Fame this year, representing the only Canadian DMO on the list so far.
Congratulations on your well-deserved honour Rick!
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Tourism Kelowna Seeks CEO
Tourism Kelowna is currently seeking an innovative, charismatic CEO to lead their team. Supporting the Board of Directors, the CEO is responsible for the overall implementation and execution of the organization's strategic plan. This position will drive Tourism Kelowna's strategic direction through oversight and implementation of key marketing strategies, supporting and building strong community relationships and managing budgets and the team.
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Top 13 Ways to Save Energy in your Tourism Business
Green Tourism recently conducted a survey in partnership with the Tourism Industry Associations of Canada, Ontario and British Columbia. They wanted to find out what information tourism businesses and organizations would find the most valuable when it comes to sustainability.
In the face of rising energy costs and carbon prices, saving money on energy was the topic respondents wanted to learn about the most. In its latest blog, Green Tourism presents
the Top 13 Recommendations their expert advisors make for improving the energy efficiency of tourism businesses. Read on to learn how your tourism business can reduce energy consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, and save money by going green.
www.greentourismcanada.ca/top-13-ways-to-save-energy-in-your-tourism-business/
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Hospitality Service Training Certificate
This 124-hour Hospitality Service Training Certificate prepares learners to successfully launch a career in the hospitality and tourism industry. This program includes theory, demonstrations and practical-skill training in various areas of the hospitality industry. Included in this program is also an emphasis on customer service and working together as part of a team.
Download more information here or visit the Okanagan College website at:
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| In this Issue |
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CEO's Message
TIABC News
Industry News
#BCTourismMatters
Calendar of Events
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| Events |
August 25, 2017
Whistler, BC
August 29, 2017
Sun Peaks, BC
September 13-15, 2017
Revelstoke, BC
September 19 - 21, 2017
Sidney, BC
Registration open!
September 25-29, 2017
Vancouver, BC
October 12, 2017
Richmond, BC
October 16-17, 2017
Prince George, BC
2017 Kootenay Rockies Tourism Industry Conference & AGM
October 17-18, 2017
Golden, BC
October 23, 2017
Vancouver, BC
November 1-2, 2017
Kamloops, BC
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism AGM
November 3-5, 2017
Williams Lake, BC
Calgary, Alberta
November 6-8, 2017
November 28-28, 2017
Gatineau, QC
BC Tourism Industry Conference
March 7-9, 2018
Kelowna, 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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