Dear Accommodation Community,
As we prepare for the fall, we anticipate the Province will announce its economic relief and recovery initiatives of $1.5 billion shortly. In that context, it has never been more important for the BCHA and our partners to continue to work together to bring issues and recommendations forward to our governments and speak with a coordinated and effective voice for our industry.
Yesterday was a tough day for our industry as during the Premier’s conference of the government’s plan to inject $1.6 billion into the health care system to strengthen it for the fall and winter ahead, the premier encouraged members of the hospitality sector and other hard-hit industries within BC to apply for an anticipated 7,000 health care jobs that would be opened up.
The Premier stated that the program will provide a path for those who may not have previously had health-care experience to receive on-the-job training. New hires in the program will start in a health-care support worker position and receive paid training that leads to full qualification as a health-care assistant, with wages beginning at $20 per hour.
The average wage in hospitality is more than $25 per hour; the notion that our industry is low skilled, or low paid is simply not true. It would be our preference to have an economic recovery plan that supports local communities and economies to ensure that our communities remain vibrant, and that they can once again go back to the industries that have provided vitality and contribution across the province. It is indeed very concerning to hear our government is suggesting on repurposing our workforce to healthcare when we have just come out of the most severe labour shortage in history, and now are facing the most severe fiscal hardship since the great depression. We need to support our workforce to return to their well paying, jobs, not repurpose them. We need our government to support tourism.
While having additional job opportunities across BC is of course welcome in our current climate, our fundamental objective remains that we protect the future of our industry in order for us to recall our employees and see hospitality and tourism thrive once again. We are committed to getting back to a place where highly-skilled, highly-trained, hospitality workers can do what they do best, and do what they love to do, which is service excellence, welcoming the world to Beautiful British Columbia and contribute to an industry that is keen to continue fostering their talent.
Wednesday’s announcement also comes on the heels of revisions to the Public Health Order, mandating the immediate closure of nightclubs and stand-alone banquet halls until further notice, among other restrictions to liquor-service providers. We want to clarify that hotel banquet halls conference facilities and meeting spaces are not included in this announcement and that it is only stand-alone banquet halls that are being referred to. We will continue to provide updates on what these new measures mean for accommodation providers in the weeks and months ahead.
While Dr. Bonnie Henry continues to reinforce that we tighten our social bubbles, travel remains a safe practice, and we encourage our members to be mindful of this in reinstating consumer confidence. In our industry, we have demonstrated our ability to safely welcome visitors from across BC and will look to continue this momentum heading into Fall.
At the BCHA, in addition to advocating on your behalf, we offer a number of member benefits designed to strengthen your business and your learning. As a not-for-profit organization, our work is made possible because of paid members and partners, fuelling our work for the benefit of every single one of our stakeholders. While we paused member dues collection in March, over the coming months we will be updating our membership dues structure and payment options and will be sending an overview this month. We hope you consider joining us in this so we can better serve our accommodation community. Please feel free to contact membership@bcha.com should you have any questions; we are here to work with you as we enter this next phase.
Finally, we are asking our members to each take the below 3 minute survey presented by the Hotel Association of Canada in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. Data generated will be critical in informing our industry's campaign targeting more wage subsidy relief. You participation is urgently needed. See below for further details or click here to take the survey.
Stay safe,
Ingrid Jarrett
President and CEO
British Columbia Hotel Association
|
|
HAC has built a coalition of “hardest hit” businesses in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and will be rolling out a public campaign next week targeting more wage subsidy relief.
Critical to this effort is fresh data on the financial predicament currently facing hotels. Your participation is urgently needed. Please complete this 3 minute survey. We need at least 2,000 responses by Friday.
|
|
TIAC - HAC CEWS Submission |
|
HAC and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada are ready to launch the coalition of Canada’s hardest hit businesses in an effort to urge the Federal Government to extend the wage subsidy program until Spring/Summer 2021, as well as increasing the subsidy base rate for the hardest hit businesses. Our goal is to secure this additional CEWS coverage in the upcoming Budget.
Our campaign will be both public and Government facing and is designed to apply pressure at a pivotal moment as the Government launches its new mandate this Fall.
On this particular ask, we believe there will be strength in numbers and as such I would like to invite you to join us.
If you are supportive and would like to join us, please endorse the CEWS Letter / Open Letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (attached) by providing your logo for inclusion. Your logo will also be listed as a coalition partner on our microsite –savecanadianjobs.ca. We will follow up with specific directives to help you activate your member base to lobby and engage with MPs to support our advocacy efforts.
|
|
ABLE BC: Revised Public Health Order Effective Immediately |
|
Effective immediately, all Liquor Primary nightclubs are ordered closed indefinitely.
Additionally, liquor service at all liquor-serving establishments must cease at 10:00 pm.
Liquor-serving establishments must close at 11:00 pm, unless they are providing meal service, in which case meal service – but not liquor service – may continue until normal closing hours.
Music or other background sounds must be no louder than the volume of normal conversation. The goal is to ensure that patrons can converse without shouting (which can increase droplet spread).
Please note: a copy of the revised public order is not yet available. We will circulate the order once it is posted.
I spoke with the Premier’s Office shortly before Dr. Henry’s announcement today. They understand how frustrating and disappointing this revised order is for all of you who have been meeting or exceeding the current stringent public health protocols.
The Premier’s Office also specifically thanked our industry for the considerable efforts to flatten the curve. They insisted that today’s order was a difficult decision made in the context of increasing cases and the increased resources spent on contact tracing of guests at licensed establishments.
Although we all understand the overall rationale for this decision, we are deeply concerned that these restrictions might have the unintended consequence of forcing more British Columbians to gather privately – which could lead to increased cases.
I know this announcement will severely hurt many of your businesses and the people you employ. ABLE BC will be working directly with government in the coming days to advocate for appropriate government support for BC’s hospitality industry.
No matter what happens next, please know we will always be in your corner, fighting on your behalf.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us: info@ablebc.ca.
|
|
Membership Billing Update |
|
The BCHA is committed to supporting and advocating for our accommodation industry. During the COVID-19 crisis, our team has been especially dedicated to working tirelessly on your behalf to ensure the survival of our industry. This advocacy work is fuelled by our BCHA members and is for the benefit of all of our stakeholders. In addition, the BCHA offers a number of member benefits and programs to support your business and your learning.
While we paused our membership dues in March, the BCHA will resume billing in the coming weeks and months. We hope your dedication to industry remains and that you join us in fuelling these efforts. We will be sending you an overview this month. Please feel free to contact membership@bcha.com, we are here to work with you as we enter this next phase.
|
|
Our ongoing commitment to ensure as our industry recovers, we support energy savings and sustainability in the long run. The success of the GoGreen energy analysis and savings opportunities dove tails perfectly with this program. We invite you, and encourage you, as General Managers, and for your Engineering/maintenance teams to join us. BCHA and GreenStep will be hosting a webinar and open forum to outline how GreenStep’s EcoFund Verified program can help BCHA members get ahead of rising energy costs, save hundreds of thousands of dollars on energy and carbon taxes, and increase the value of your business; all while meeting the growing consumer demand for responsible business.
In this presentation, you will learn:
- How the EcoFund works with examples and financial models from current customers demonstrating over $1 million in opportunity for an average-sized BC hotel
- How you can increase your profitability by 50-80% through strategic investments in energy efficiency and sustainability
- How you can benchmark your energy performance against other businesses in your industry
- Trends in the increasing consumer demand for responsible business that can be met through EcoFund Verified.
At the end of the webinar, participants will be invited to receive a free opportunity analysis for their own hotels.
|
Hotel Member Feature: 100 Mile Motel & RV Park |
|
Soak up the rest of summer or plan a fall and winter adventure with 100 Mile Motel & RV Park. This family-run motel is located in 100 Mile House city centre, halfway between Vancouver and Prince George. Guests can comfortably lay their heads and relax in their choice of standard, deluxe or kitchen suites. Each room is equipped with a 32" flat-screen TV, along with free wifi and digital cable. A mini refrigerator, microwave, and coffee machine can be found in each room, while select rooms offer a fully-equipped kitchen. Free parking and a laundry room is also available or guests of the motel.
Visitors to 100 Mile Motel & RV Park can enjoy the surrounding restaurants and business district, or explore nearby lakes, ideal for fishing, which includes the popular Horse Lake, a mere 6.2 mi away.
Hear it from a past guest:
“I was just ending a 17 day motorcycle ride from Vancouver Island to Dawson City and return, this was my last hotel/motel stay. It was by far the best of the best. It covered all bases, reasonably priced, very clean, well updated, comfortable bed, fantastic internet, the tv channel package one of the best I have seen in years at a motel, the cute little characters folded from the towels on the bed and in the bathroom were a nice touch. When I arrived the outside temp was 35C/ 95F, I was initially concerned as the motel doesn't have A/C but the owner assured me it wouldn't be an issue and it wasn't. I would stay here again for sure!”
|
|
STR
Founded in 1985, STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors.
|
|
Rethink2gether
Rethink2gether’s mission is to help and inspire food buinesses, consumers and decisions makers to see that food is too valuable to waste, supporting them to make wiser choices.
Rethink2gether will work with you to identify where you're wasting and the best path to help reduce waste. Hotels that participate in the Rethink2gether program will also receive the following benefits:
- Reduce costs
- Have a positive impact on climate
- Be aligned with Sustainable Development Goals
- Increase revenues aligning your brand identity with your values
- Attract / retain talents who are looking for a job with a purpose
- Minimize risks and attract investors
Rethink2gether are extending a 20% discount as a preferred offering for BCHA members.
|
|
As part of our education pillar, BCHA continues to offer new courses and webinars from our education partners. Through our education series, BCHA members and hospitality professionals may access tools for continued growth within the hospitality industry at a significantly reduced price. We encourage you to take this time to explore the courses below: |
|
Click here to sign up for any of the upcoming courses or webinars or learn more about all the education BCHA has to offer.
|
|
New Regional VP Takes Reins at Fairmont Hotels in...
ABOUT FAIRMONT Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is where occasions are celebrated and history is made. Landmark hotels with unrivalled presence, authentic experiences and unforgettable moments have attracted visitors to Fairmont and its destinations...
Read more
mailchi.mp
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paul Nursey, Royce Chwin and Nancy Small: B.C.'s tourism ...
And if tourism businesses fail, there will be no jobs for these people to return to next spring. In B.C., cities anchor the province's visitor economy, which is an industry of industries - hotels, attractions, airlines and airports, retail,...
Read more
vancouversun.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
