C-19 BULLETIN -
May 28, 2020
|
|
Tourism Week Key Message to Locals
From the District of Sicamous: "
A friendly reminder that no matter what is going on in the world, kindness is always essential. What if we stopped looking at license plates and instead looked at the actual people around us, saw them for the individual human beings that they are, and gave them a smile, maybe even a nod hello
?"
|
|
|
|
Happy Tourism Week
from Prince George!
TIABC is also honouring Tourism Week virtually and sharing on social media.
We agree that it is important to shout out support for all tourism businesses in BC!
#BCTourismMatters #TourismStrong
|
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|
Tourism, Hospitality, and Accommodation Collective Say Critical Support Still Needed to Re-Open Backbone of the BC Economy
ABLE BC, BC Hotel Association, Restaurants Canada, TIABC, and the Metro Vancouver Tourism and Hospitality Response and Recovery Task Force issued a joint media release today calling on various levels of government to augment existing measures by:
- Providing a working capital grant
- Providing a temporary moratorium on evictions for commercial tenants
- Adjusting the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program
- Suspending property tax increases and penalties for late payments
- Extending the temporary layoff timelines to align with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
- Extending BC Hydro relief to large and commercial businesses
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
TIABC In the News
Restaurants, hotels might not survive pandemic, warns B.C. tourism industry
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — B.C.’s tourism and hospitality operators need more help from the provincial and federal governments to survive the pandemic, according to an industry leader.
Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C., said up to 40 per cent of hotels and 50 per cent of restaurants may not re-open if the situation continues for the foreseeable future.
That’s in addition to other small businesses that rely on international visitors and have already closed or written off their seasons, he added.
Judas said a working capital grant program needs to be established for all the businesses in the struggling sector, which generates $20 billion a year in B.C.
Read the full story at:
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Without Lifeline,
Tourism Industry Faces Mass Failure
This is Tourism Week across the country. It is normally a time of vibrancy and celebrations, but the tourism sector is instead fighting to survive a season at risk of being lost entirely due to COVID-19.
The Conference Board of Canada’s May 2020 report suggests Greater Victoria’s large and stable public sector will “partially insulate the region from COVID-19’s economic damage.” We are all grateful for this.But when we look at the economic data pertaining to the regional economy in its entirety, the public-sector data masks the severity of the impacts on the private sector. And at the heart of those impacted most severely is tourism and the many small businesses that rely on the well-being of this sector.
Compared to other areas of Canada, there is disproportionally high representation of tourism businesses in the capital region’s economy where two in five working people are employed eithe
r directly in the sector or in businesses dependent upon tourist spending.
Read more here:
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Consultation
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), which was announced on April 1st, helps employers protect jobs, rehire employees, and provide workers with a decent income. The subsidy covers 7% of an employee's wages (up to $847 per week) for employers who have been hard-hit by COVID-19.
This consultation will help inform potential changes to the CEWS to help maximize employment and best meet the needs of businesses and workers during these challenging times.
TIABC will be submitting feedback on behalf of our members.
We also encourage you to participate in the consultation:
Learn more about the consultation at:
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
BC’S Tourism Sectors to Benefit from $400,000 in Funding from Destination BC
Provincial tourism sector associations support an abundance of activities in BC such as mountain biking, ocean boating, camping, and RVing. To help their network of businesses and communities across the province, tourism sector associations throughout British Columbia will benefit from $400,000 provided through Destination BC.
Destination BC currently works with 15 sector associations across the province through the Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program such as the BC Farmers Market and BC Craft Brewers Guild. Each one supports BC’s tourism industry, working collaboratively with members and partners who share the same passion for enhancing tourism experiences through marketing initiatives.
During this difficult time, the role of BC’s sector associations has increased. These funds will allow sector associations to continue to support their members, provide direction on the implementation of health and safety measures, and develop sector-specific marketing plans in partnership with Destination BC.
Destination BC currently provides over $2.0 million in funding for these 15 sectors through their
Co-op Marketing Partnership Program
. When COVID-19 first began to impact BC’s tourism industry in March, Destination BC quickly modified this program to ensure flexibility through the extension of existing funding contracts.
Destination BC will continue to support BC’s tourism industry by providing access to resources and tools, training programs, program modifications, and insights for small- and medium-sized enterprises, throughout the transition from COVID-19.
Learn more at:
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
WorkSafeBC Announces Additional Support for Employers Impacted by COVID-19
On May 26th,
WorkSafeBC announced
it will be waiving premiums for employers who are approved to receive the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) for furloughed workers (employees on leave with full or partial pay).
This change is
retroactive to the March 15th start date
and will continue for the duration of the CEWS program. Eligible employers will need to maintain documentation to identify workers who were furloughed as a result of this provincial health emergency.
This is the second measure WorkSafeBC has implemented to provide support for BC's employers. Approximately 27,000 employers in the province have already opted to take advantage of the
premium deferral measure implemented on March 27th
. Employers will not be charged a penalty or interest on first quarter premiums, up to the deferral date of June 30th.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Tourism Businesses Keeping Visitors and Staff Safe
Tourism Businesses throughout our province take safety very seriously, and are adapting quickly to the new requirements for social distancing and other safety protocols. Sector associations are working to develop guidelines with WorkSafeBC (see our
website
for a list of Tourism & Hospitality Best Practice Protocols).
See below for a couple of examples:
|
|
Sea to Sky Gondola uses plexiglass between staff and visitors while scanning guest passes
|
|
Big White Ski Resort redesigned their counters to ensure safety of staff and guests
|
|
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Tourism Dawson Creek
Tourism Dawson Creek is honouring #TourismWeek with #porchstories featuring locals in their community - both business owners and residents.
They are ending their week with a Drive-thru Pizza Party at the local Boston Pizza.
|
|
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|
Destination BC Webinars
Destination BC is hosting a series of webinars to support BC’s tourism industry on the road to recovery. This series supports response, recovery, and resilience from COVID-19.
The
Road to Recovery
webinar series has reached over 1,700 participants since launching on May 12.
Virtual experiences bring the sights and sounds of your experience, attraction, or destination to your visitors so that they can enjoy what you have to offer from the comforts of their home.
Thursday June 4 @ 2:00 pm PT (90 minutes)
Watch recordings of previous webinars:
- May 12: Business After Re-opening: A Look at the Post-closure Traveller | View recording here
- May 14: Essential Strategies to Innovate your Visitor Experience and Offerings | View recording here
- May 19: Planning for Doors Open | View recording here
- May 21: Managing Expectations and Reputation through Effective Communication | View recording here
_________________________________________________________________
|
|
Small Business BC Webinars
Small Business BC are hosting a series of specialized free webinars to tackle the challenges faced by COVID-19. The webinars are geared at equipping businesses in our province with the skills and knowledge they need to survive the new realities of our COVID economy.
June 1 @ 1:00pm PT
Friday June 5 @ 10:30 am PT
To view previous webinars, visit:
|
|
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Feel free to send us your ideas on what information would be valuable for TIABC to share through our COVID-19 Bulletin going forward. Drop us a line at info@tiabc.ca.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
