C-19 BULLETIN - September 11, 2020
|
|
_______________________________________________________________ |
|
Urgent Advocacy Update from our Partners at ABLE BC:
Revised Public Health Order
Dear industry colleagues,
While a written order has not yet been issued, a transcript of Dr. Henry's verbal orders indicates that the following orders were made:
- all nightclubs and all standalone banquet halls are ordered closed until further notice
- liquor sales in all bars, pubs, and restaurants most cease at 10 PM and these venues must close at 11 PM, unless they're providing full meal service, in which case the meal service can continue, but not serve alcohol
- music or other background sounds such as from televisions in bars, lounges, pubs, and restaurants must be no louder than the volume of normal conversation
Since September 8, ABLE BC and our industry partners have been working tirelessly to get the order amended.
This afternoon, ABLE BC and members of the Business Technical Advisory Panel (BTAP) sent an urgent letter to the Premier, Attorney-General, Minister of Health, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, and the Provincial Health Officer expressing our significant concerns about certain aspects of the public order.
BTAP is concerned about both the policy rationale and the devastating economic consequences of these orders, and are particularly concerned about these issues in relation to ending liquor service at 10 PM.
Specifically, BTAP has requested and suggested that government consider the following:
- Extend the end of liquor service from 10 PM to midnight
- Greater enforcement of non-compliant venues and customers, targeting the problem areas directly rather than unfairly affecting good operators
- Provide transparent timelines and/or public health targets so businesses can gauge the long-term effect of any restrictions
ABLE BC and BTAP are continuing to work with government on this issue and will send out an urgent update, as soon as more information becomes available.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact ABLE BC at: info@ablebc.ca.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Province Announces $1.6B for Health Care Measures Government Targeting Tourism & Hospitality Workers for Potential Positions
The Province is investing $1.6 billion in a fall and winter preparedness plan that will significantly build upon and strengthen measures that respond to the health-care requirements of COVID-19.
The Government of B.C. is dedicating $44.1 million to launch the Health Career Access Program and recruit an estimated 7,000 health-care workers in long-term care homes and assisted-living facilities throughout the province.
“It’s anticipated that up to 7,000 health-care workers will be hired this fall and winter,” Premier Horgan said. “We’re looking to people who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, particularly those who were employed in the hospitality industry. They understand service. They understand the importance of treating people as individuals and they know it’s essential to treat people with respect and dignity. Those critical core skills, with our specialized training, will provide them with a rewarding, well-paying career that will make a significant and positive impact on our health-care system and the seniors who rely on it.”
TIABC NOTE - While we acknowledge government's idea and intent to hire presently unemployed hospitality workers, once we lose highly trained and skilled employees to another sector, they are unlikely to return. Consequently, when the visitor economy does pick up in earnest and employers look to staff up, they'll be hit with additional costs vis-a-vis recruitment, training and onboarding that will make it even more difficult for businesses to remain solvent. Given that the tourism industry has dealt with chronic labour shortages in recent years, we cannot afford to lose more workers. With dedicated government support for the visitor economy, we can ensure that employees remain in tourism and hospitality and return to their jobs as quickly as possible.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
BC Tourism Sector Struggling After Slow Summer Amid Pandemic
The Vancouver Aquarium closed to the public indefinitely on Monday due to a lack of funding related to the coronavirus. The Capilano Suspension Bridge will also close in October and November because of few visitors in the past few months. Walt Judas, with the Tourism Industry Association of BC, said operators around the province are feeling the stress.
It's Been a Difficult Summer for Tourism in BC
Tourism Vancouver President & CEO, Royce Chwin, Destination Greater Victoria CEO Paul Nursey, and TIABC director and Indigenous Tourism BC Chair Brenda Baptiste speak with CBC's Stephen Quinn about the summer that wasn't for the industry.
TIABC Director Sandra Oldfield On the Current State of the Wine Industry
It's been a unique wine season (to say the least) but Sandra Oldfield, one of the most respected people in it, thinks the wineries have done an incredible job navigating the COVID-19 world. The guests? Well, not so much. "...the people who don't believe the protocols that are in place are there for everybody's protection...these kinds of people are making it very difficult for the frontline workers."
|
|
_______________________________________________________________ |
|
Psychological Support Toolkit
for Workers and Employers
Psychological health & wellness is increasingly being recognized as a key priority in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only exacerbated concerns around employees’ physical wellbeing, it has also significantly impacted their psychological wellbeing. Personal health and finance concerns, job security concerns, and reduced social interaction are creating anxieties in the workforce like never before. A lack of understanding of the issues at hand, and the resources available, often makes it difficult for employers to address these concerns before they cause lasting damage.
Within this FREE and comprehensive toolkit, users will have access to:
- a 5-Part virtual summit bringing together industry experts and creating an intimate dialogue on their recommendations in light of COVID-19
- information packs, checklists, and other resources designed to better equip you or your co-workers to mitigate the psychological impacts of COVID-19
- an online discussion forum where you can offer support, encouragement, and share your experiences with managing your stress and anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Canadian Airports Council
Seeks Immediate Relief Measures
As travel restrictions and quarantines drag on into the fall, an updated financial outlook paints a dire picture for Canada’s airports, which now expect to incur more than $4.5 billion in lost revenue and debt levels increasing to $2.8 billion by the end of 2021. The revised outlook, which represents a 30% deterioration in expectations, was recently submitted to the federal government.
Passenger volumes tell the story: 2020 traffic is now estimated to drop by 72% over 2019, and 2021 traffic will be down by 65%. Canada’s airports served a record 160 million travellers in 2019, employed 194,000 people and generated $19 billion in GDP.
As a matter of urgency, the Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is asking government for several immediate relief measures. The first is that for the 22 airports that pay federal ground rents, rent relief should be extended for several years until traffic recovers. The second would be to offer all airports — particularly those that do not benefit from rent relief as they pay little or no rent —interest-free loans that could be repaid over an extended period. Third, the government should expand its infrastructure programs to include funding that would support continued operations and regulatory mandated safety and accessibility investments.
For many smaller community airports that were already on the margins of viability prior to COVID-19, even this may not be enough. Flights lost may never come back and some airports could be shuttered permanently. To support these critical community assets, the CAC is asking the federal government to permit municipally owned airports to access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and other federal relief programs, and to increase support of its small airport capital funding program.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Response Requested for 1-Minute Survey
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has joined forces with the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) asking for an extension of the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to be extended to Spring/Summer 2021 with support for those hardest hit by the pandemic.
TIAC and HAC URGENTLY need your help in showing how our sector is being impacted. Please take a moment to fill out the attached 1-minute survey to help us make the case to government officials now.
To all those that have completed the survey, thank you!
If you have not yet, please do so today – survey closes Monday, September 14.
|
|
_________________________________________________________________ |
|
Visitor Insights
As the tourism industry navigates through the global pandemic of COVID-19, the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) will provide baseline research to support the industry.
Baseline visitor analysis will help industry understand who is visiting BC and our regions so they can plan strategically to attract visitors that will support their recovery.
Today, the BCRTS has released their January-July 2020 report.
Key Highlights:
• To date (Jan-July 2020) 1,952,724 BC residents have travelled within BC and stayed 13,414,375 nights
• The average number of night stays per trip is 6.9 nights, down from 10.6 in 2018 and 2019
• To date, July has been the most popular month of 2020, with BC Travel down over 843,000 or 19% compared to July 2019. August was the peak month of travel for BC Travellers in 2018 and 2019
• Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (the largest area by population) was the most visited BC Region frequented by BC travellers in 2018, 2019 and 2020 year to date, followed by the Thompson Okanagan
• Vancouver, Surrey and Kamloops/Kelowna were the top visitor origin locations of BC travellers in January-June 2018 and 2019. To date in 2020, Vancouver, Surrey, Kelowna and Abbotsford continue to have the highest visitor origin counts, but volume has dropped dramatically due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Download the full report here
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Leger Weekly Insights
In addition to the regular COVID-19 tracking questions, this week Leger explores topics ranging from the question of what to do with historic statues and street names with problematic/racist pasts to the return to school amidst the pandemic and rising infection rates. They also keep tabs on politics in Canada and the US. A brief summary of highlights is below and the full report is attached here.
COVID-19
- With infection rates rising across the country, Leger asked what two measures Canadians feel will be most successful in slowing infections. Top responses are:
- Re-imposing public safety measures such as reducing size limits for public gatherings and closing certain businesses such as bars (35% of selections)
- Mandatory mask wearing in public (31%)
- More policing and fines for public safety infractions (20%)
- 60% of Canadians think it is likely there will be a return to a lockdown similar to March and April of this year.
- 79% of Canadians feel a second wave of the virus will occur.
- 40% of Canadians self-assess their mental health as being excellent or very good, virtually unchanged from a week ago.
- Fear of contracting the virus is down a point from a week ago to 56%. Fear is highest in ON (65%) and BC (63%) and lowest in QC (42%).
-
Just over a quarter of Canadians (27%) say the worst of the crisis is behind us while 43% say the worst of the crisis is still to come (up 3 points from last week).
- Government satisfaction for both the Federal and Provincial governments dipped slightly this week.
- Regionally, QC; ON; SK and BC lead with total satisfaction percentages at low to mid 70s. AB and MB trail in the mid 60s to high 50s respectively.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Whistler Celebrates 45th Anniversary With a New Vision
The Resort Municipality of Whistler celebrates its 45th anniversary this year with a historic agreement that changes the economic landscape for the municipality and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Líl̓wat Nations as they move towards reconciliation.
The agreement signed in June 2020 between the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations, the Province, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb, creates a framework to establish better government-to-government relations and a co-operative partnership, reflecting BC’s commitment to reconciliation.
The framework agreement also led the way for a change that enables the municipality to complete official community plans without ministerial approval. This gives the Resort Municipality of Whistler more autonomy over future planning and land use, and will allow all parties to participate and have their interests’ reflected.
After many years of discussions, the parties established a foundation for future planning, land use and economic development that meets the needs and interests of those in the Whistler region. The framework agreement includes economic development opportunities for the Nations and a land exchange.
Many BC regions that have a tourism-based economy, like Whistler, are pleased to welcome visitors with safety measures in place. Everyone travelling in BC is reminded to be respectful of the communities they visit by sticking to some simple travel guidelines: check travel advisories before leaving, stay home if sick, clean hands frequently, keep a safe physical distance from people and wear a mask when that is not possible.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
September is Disability Employment Month in BC
Disability Employment Month is a time to celebrate and recognize inclusive employers and the important contribution people with disabilities make in the workplace. It’s also a chance to promote the resources and tools that employers can use to help reduce the barriers around inclusion and build better and more accessible workplaces. Visit Destination BC's Accessible Tourism page on their Learning Centre to find resources, tools, and case studies to support and inspire your business to be accessible and inclusive for all employees and travellers.
In recognition of Disability Employment Month, Small Business BC is hosting AccessAbility Month in partnership with the Presidents Group, Office of Small and Medium Enterprises and Community Futures Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program. Throughout September, 17 webinars will be offered covering topics such as business planning, financial research and market research. On September 25th, the Presidents Group will present a webinar focused on the funding and supports available to employers in the province. Each webinar will have American sign language (ASL) interpretation and live captioning.
_________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
Federal Tourism Critic Blake Richards Moves to New Portfolio
Blake Richards, MP for Banff-Airdrie has been shadow cabinet minister for Tourism since 2015. Blake has recently been named to the Conservative Party’s Leadership team resulting in a change to his role.
Tony Baldinelli has been named Special Advisor to the Leader on Tourism Recovery. Tony represents the Niagara Falls riding in Ontario.
Tony and Blake will co-chair the Conservative Tourism Outreach Caucus. This is where Conservative MPs debate and discuss tourism policy.
|
|
_______________________________________________________________ |
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|
Manage your Online Presence: Tripadvisor and HelloBC.com
September 30th and January 13th
Walk through the process step-by-step to claim, create, and optimize your business listings on Tripadvisor and HelloBC.com.
Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps
October 7th and January 20th
Explore Google My Business and connect with customers through Google Search and Maps. Get hands-on help creating or updating your business profile in this Grow with Google Webinar.
Get the Most Out of Your Website
October 14the and January 27th
Whether you’ve had a website for 10 years or you’re just getting started, discover how to create a search-friendly website that drives user action and supports your goals.
_________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
October 2nd
October 7th
(call for Board Nominations open until September 11th)
October 26th-27th
September 21st-25th
November 17th-18th
|
|
TIABC's C-19 Bulletin is published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
