VANCOUVER, BC (September 22, 2020): The British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) is working in partnership with the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and STR to offer informed recovery strategies for BC accommodators that have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Using industry data from STR – the sector’s leading data benchmarking and analytics provider – BCHA and BCRTS will develop tools and strategies to support people and communities at the heart of BC’s tourism industry.
“Supporting tourism in Canada is one of STR’s top priorities, so we are proud to partner with the British Columbia Hotel Association and the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat” says Emile Gourieux, Business Development Executive, Hotels at STR. “Through our hotel benchmarking platform, we provide organizations like the BCHA and the BCRTS with the information they need to both successfully advocate on behalf of their members and create effective marketing strategies that will drive tourism to communities across British Columbia.”
As part of the partnership, BCHA and BCRTS will receive weekly reports from STR on trends and insights that inform the current and future realities of the accommodation sector. In addition to effectively communicating these findings to members and stakeholders, the organizations will work together to further develop and deliver education and revenue management training programs for the industry, while strengthening STR insights through promoting the program.
“The pandemic’s impact on our industry has been devastating and many accommodators in our province have substantiated concerns over their properties closing permanently”, says Ingrid Jarrett, President and CEO of the BCHA. “Having our finger on the pulse of industry is now more important than ever”. She continues, “in addition to advocating on behalf of our members, we are committed to providing education to support recovery and resiliency, providing vital training that will better equip accommodators with the tools needed for their businesses to survive and prosper. Our work with STR and the BCRTS will be paramount in this.”
Glenn Mandziuk, President & CEO of The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), and Chair of the BCRTS adds, “hotels are a fundamental component to the tourism industry at large. By generating a more informed understanding of the current climate and trends affecting accommodators on a greater scale, we can action educated strategies and foster tourism growth across each of the five regional tourism organizations the BCRTS represents.”
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About the BC Hotel Association:
The British Columbia Hotel Association is a non-profit organization that works on behalf of accommodators at federal, provincial, and community levels, and champions issues such as taxation, tourism, marketing, corporate relations, labour, and consumer services. The BCHA has over 600 hotel members and 120 associate members, representing an industry made up of over 80,000 rooms and more than 60,000 employees. For more information, visit www.bcha.com.
About British Columbia’s Regional Tourism Secretariat:
British Columbia’s Regional Tourism Secretariat is a coalition of industry-led, not-for-profit organizations that provide a trusted voice for businesses, communities, and residents. Consisting of the five regional tourism organizations, the goal of Secretariat is to put people and communities at the heart of BC’s tourism industry.
About STR:
STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 15 countries with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, an international headquarters in London, and an Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. STR was acquired in October 2019 by CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP), the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces. For more information, please visit www.str.com and www.costargroup.com
Media Contacts:
Kelsey Millman
Communications for BC Hotel Association
(Beattie Tartan)
604.351.3623
Haley Luther
STR
Communications Coordinator
615.824.8664 ext. 3500
