C-19 BULLETIN - June 15, 2020

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Federal Government Update


Today, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that as of Friday, June 19th, applications will be accepted so that more small businesses can access the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA). This means that owner-operated small businesses that had been ineligible for the program due to their lack of payroll, sole proprietors receiving business income directly, as well as family-owned corporations remunerating in the form of dividends rather than payroll will become eligible this week. 

To qualify under the expanded eligibility rules, CEBA applicants with payroll lower than $20,000 will need: 
  • A business operating account at a participating financial institution;
  • A Canada Revenue Agency business number;
  • A 2018 or 2019 tax return; and  
  • Eligible non-deferrable expenses of between $40,000 and $1.5 million.

Eligible businesses will qualify for financing of up to $40,000, with 25% of this being forgivable based on the current terms of CEBA loans. Businesses can contact their primary financial institution for more information or to apply directly for CEBA. More information on the expanded CEBA can be found  on the program’s website.
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Tourism Associations Change
#TourismMatters Hashtags

For more than a decade, TIAC has used #TourismMatters as part of their brand equity in support for our industry. This slogan has been used in countless speeches, presentations, town halls, social media, election campaigns, etc. for a very long time. TIAC also owns the TourismMatters domain which is used for their push politics platform for industry outreach during elections as well as their newly-launched campaign seeking MP support for our industry recovery plan. Recently, a few stakeholders complained that TIAC was “piggy-backing” on the very important Black Lives Matter social movement. 
 
TIAC contacted these parties individually and explained that this was used by TIAC and others for many years, and while these individuals acknowledged they had misunderstood our intent and weren’t aware that the tourism industry had been using this for a very long time, we all know that perception can quickly become reality and the first priority must be to support our industry the best way we can while at the same time being respectful of and responsive to important societal issues. 

As such, TIAC has decided to shift their communications away from #TourismMatters and as of today, they are replacing #TourismMatters with #TourismCounts.

Nearly two weeks ago, TIABC's Board of Directors also directed staff to stop using the hashtag #BCTourismMatters. We subsequently removed it from our social media channels and from future correspondence for similar reasons. We are now using #BCTourismStrong for the duration of the crisis and will adopt #BCTourismCounts as another hashtag in future.
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State of the Industry

The latest State of the Industry weekly report from Twenty31 is now available . Download the Dashboard Report #8  here.

These reports are made possible through  Canadian Experiences Fund funding.




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WestJet Adding More Flights

WestJet today released its updated July schedule, developed to allow Canadians the pleasure of summer travel while economically supporting communities across the country in safely reopening travel and domestic tourism. In addition, the airline has added flights to select U.S. markets.

To ensure guests can book with confidence, the airline maintains its stringent  Safety Above All  hygiene program and continues to provide flexibility in booking, change and cancellation policies.

From July 5 through August 4, WestJet will offer operations to 45 destinations including 39 in Canada, five in the U.S. and one in Mexico, an increase of approximately 102% over from June, but down 76% from July 2019.

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Tourism Richmond
Resident Survey

Tourism Richmond ran the first wave of the Resident Sentiment Survey for five days from May 28 to June 1, to gauge these two sentiments. Below are some of the top three findings, as well as an overview of the methodology.

METHODOLOGY AND RESPONDENT INFORMATION
Tourism Richmond ran a Sentiment Survey which collected responses on several COVID-19 related tourism and local business questions. Responses were gathered through community outreach, an email campaign, social media posts and organic website traffic.
85 per cent of all responses received were from BC residents, with 48 per cent of all respondents being Richmond residents. A total of 494 survey completions were collected, but due to the small sample size, results from outside British Columbia are excluded in this report.

#1: OVERWHELMING SUPPORT, BUT LOW COMFORT LEVELS
All respondents expressed overwhelming support for local businesses post-pandemic (94 per cent), and half of Richmond respondents reported being comfortable visiting local businesses or attractions once they reopened, prioritizing outdoor activities or dining in at a restaurant. Of the top concerns cited, 79 per cent of Richmond respondents were most concerned about being in large crowds or big groups of people, followed by a fear of exposure to COVID-19.

#2: EXPECTATIONS OF BUSINESSES POST-COVID
The survey asked respondents to think about what they would expect Richmond businesses to do differently post-COVID-19. Unsurprisingly, a high percentage of respondents expected businesses to have various safety measures in place, ranging from a limited number of patrons in a business, higher usage of physical distancing equipment such as plexiglass barriers, use of personal protective equipment and more. 

#3: WELCOMING VISITORS TO RICHMOND
Now and through July and August, respondents are feeling more comfortable welcoming visitors from nearby communities and from other parts of BC, rather than those from other parts of Canada. This is understandable given the survey was conducted just after Phase 2 of the province’s restart plan was enacted.
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Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures Benefits from Support from BC Tourism Resiliency Program
Tourism businesses are some of the most deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so Tourism Vancouver Island has pivoted its resources to focus entirely on helping that sector survive.

The tourism agency’s resilience program kicked off in April. Tourism enterprises who sign up get assigned to a specific person who helps determine what funding they qualify for, and how to adjust their offerings to operate within WorkSafeBC requirements. Any Vancouver Island tourism company is eligible to participate in the program, and it’s free of charge.

So far, 22 north Island businesses are participating, but the agency estimates there are upwards of 250 who could benefit. 

A $1-million federal grant to help run the BC Tourism Resiliency Network programs, inspired by Vancouver Island’s model, split between each of the province’s five regional tourism agencies. While the resiliency programs do not provide any direct funding to tourism businesses, what they are offering is the consultation business owners have sought. There is so much information, different aid programs and changing eligibility requirements, having a dedicated consultant is a big help.

Port McNeill resident Andrew Jones owns Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures, a kayak touring company he started in 1999. He had also just co-founded a new venture offering coastal safaris.
Jones signed up for Tourism Vancouver Island’s resiliency program right away, and appreciates having one-on-one support from a dedicated advisor helped him successfully apply for funding, and retool his business for the short term.

PC: Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures’s team from last year. (Kingfisher photo)
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Destination BC Webinars

Destination BC is hosting a series of webinars to support BC’s tourism industry in areas of response, recovery, and resilience from COVID-19. The Road to Recovery webinar series has reached over 1,700 participants since launching on May 12th.

  • June 16: SEO in Uncertain Times: How it can Help Recovery Efforts | Register here
  • June 18: Adapting Customer Service & Guest Communication in a Pandemic Impacted Business Environment | Register here
  • June 25: Returning to Work: Protecting Mental Health | Register here
  • July 7: Revisiting your COVID-19 Safety Plan | Register here

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
  • May 26: Using Social Media to Support Re-opening | View recording here
  • May 28: Building a Digital Marketing Strategy for Re-opening | View recording here
  • June 4: ExploreBC… Virtually | View recording here
  • June 9: Restart Safely: Health & Safety Essentials to Support Re-opening | View recording here

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British Columbia Aviation Council AGM

BCAC is to Run Its First Virtual Annual General Meeting

June 16, 2020 at 3:00pm (PT) 

To register, visit:  https://bit.ly/BCAC-AGM-2020

Only open to BCAC Members (including Affiliates) and Guests. 
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Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Webinar

The events of the past weeks have shone a light on racial injustices, structural and systemic racism that are unacceptable and, sadly, still exist. It is also a moment in time where we all need to come together to stand up against all forms of racism and take action to be part of the solution.

As a voice of the business community, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is listening, to better understand the experiences of communities targeted by hate and racism. They are committed to concrete actions to help drive change.

In May, they announced the launch of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council. The DLC will focus on addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion to encourage allyship and enhance business innovation.

On June 18 they will host a free virtual event that will focus on what business leaders need to know about addressing racism in the workplace, and how to build a diverse and inclusive organization.

Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 12:30pm to - 1:45pm (PT)
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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.