C-19 BULLETIN - May 5, 2020
One-on-One Support Program
Available to BC Tourism Businesses

The BC Tourism Resiliency Network is a long-term resiliency program providing BC tourism businesses with meaningful, one-on-one support to navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, adapt and work towards eventual recovery.

Working together across the province, the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat is leading the BC Tourism Resiliency Network. Each program will be delivered in their respective regions by Tourism Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association and Northern BC Tourism Association with support from community DMOs, go2HR, Indigenous Tourism BC and TIABC. Vancouver, Coast & Mountains is managed by Destination BC.

The Tourism Resiliency Program   includes two components:

  1. Tourism businesses will be paired with a Program Advisor in their own region who will provide guidance throughout their journey to long-term resiliency. Through a needs assessment, Program Advisors will facilitate customized support for each business that includes navigating available provincial and federal supports and access to Program Experts in areas such as human resources.
  2. A digital resource hub – featuring webinars, information bulletins, and additional resources specific to the needs of BC’s tourism businesses.

The Province of British Columbia is committed to supporting the survival of BC’s tourism businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The BC Tourism Resiliency Network is funded in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Destination BC and Island Coastal Economic Trust.

Choose your region and register today: tourismresiliency.ca/regions

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BCHA Launches Education Program

The BC Hotel Association (BCHA) represents the hotel industry throughout BC, helping to facilitate the success, growth, and advancement of the sector. Their stated mission is to  Shape the future of Hospitality . They advocate, communicate, and educate. As part of the Association’s mission to educate the industry, the desire to elevate and provide support during the recent challenges of navigating COVID-19, BCHA has facilitated the development and initial education offering for hotel properties across the province.  
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Partnering with various local universities, colleges, and training programs, the BCHA has developed a comprehensive education pillar for the industry in the form of programs, courses, sessions, and webinars. These programs will help simulate the industry and encourage a constant state of learning and innovation. 
 
The BC Hotel Association Education Program is pleased to offer the accommodation sector courses on the following topics: 


​Participating businesses may also be eligible to seek grants and additional funding to support the continued education of their employees. Grants are offered through  WorkSafeBC . Please review the eligibility criteria  here , and contact WorkSafeBC for more information.  
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BCHA will be adding to the Education Program regularly. Please check back frequently for updates to their education offering.   www.bcha.com/education.html
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Province Offers Guidance to Hotel Sector

The BC Provincial Government has put together a guidance document for BC operators of hotels, motels, hostels, inns and other forms of accommodations on how to prevent the transmission of the virus. 
Download the document here .
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Survey Reveals Canadians' Travel Plans

Leger Research has been conducting a weekly national tracking survey on the effects of COVID-19 among Canadians and Americans.

Each week, they publish a survey conducted in partnership with the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS), and published in The Canadian Press, to help governments, businesses and citizens better understand the attitudes and behaviours of Canadians in the face of the current health and economic crisis. This series of surveys is available on  Leger’s website: leger360.com/surveys/stay-informed-covid-19-surveys

Their latest survey about COVID-19 reveals that:

  • Over three-in-five (64%) Canadians think the federal government should maintain the pace at which it is relaxing social distancing/self-isolation measures.
  • Americans are approximately twice as likely as Canadians to think their state and federal government should accelerate the pace at which they are relaxing social distancing/self-isolation measures.
  • 16% of Canadians will not be comfortable with the government lifting restrictions on workplace and leisure activities until there is a COVID-19 vaccine available.
  • Half (50%) of Canadians have cancelled or changed their vacation plans in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic
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Destination Think Shares Resources for Industry

Destination Think is offering resources for DMOs and industry partners to take advantage during this crisis period.
 
Virtual Forum  - During this three-day online event, various members of the Destination Think team shared insights ranging from strategic scenario planning to communications to industry support and management. Plus, each presentation addresses audience questions. See the recording and slide deck from each session below.


Online Support -   Many industry partners told Destination Think that they were struggling to feel supported through uncertain times, so they created a space for anyone looking for support and resources: a Facebook group + a COVID-19 Network.

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7 Ways to Support BC's Travel Industry

Carla Mont at Destination BC has written an article with ideas for supporting the province's visitor economy. Here's a snapshot with the full story available via the link below.

Our current focus is on staying home, and this reality means that small businesses - the lifeblood of many tourism experiences—are shouldering the weight of the virus’s impact. More than 90% of the province’s 19,000 businesses have fewer than 50 employees, and while some operations are  showing their support  to those on the front lines, many are not in a position to do so, as they’ve had to pause operations indefinitely.

So, how do we help our local industries survive? After all, these are more than businesses—these people connect us to the world around us, to our roots and to other cultures; they offer rich experiences that inspire us, fire up our imaginations, and offer a feeling of belonging. They are integral to the communities we live in and lean on today, as well as to the communities that will help us explore later, when the time is right.

Here are seven ways to support British Columbia’s travel industry—now.

  1. Stay At Home
  2. Plan Your Next BC Vacation
  3. Have a Virtual Experience
  4. Walk in the Woods, View Bears and More
  5. Eat Local
  6. Drink Local
  7. Support Local Artisans

Read the full story on the Destination BC website: www.hellobc.com/stories/7-ways-to-support-british-columbias-travel-industry
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Manage Your Business Remotely
in Times of Uncertainty

Wednesday May 6 @ 9:00 am PT

As a Grow with Google Partner, Destination BC would like to invite you to tune in to a special livestream for small businesses: Manage Your Business Remotely in Times of Uncertainty , on May 6. The free, one-hour online event will dive into how small businesses can use products such as Google My Business and YouTube to stay connected, update customers on critical business information, and host virtual meetings and events.
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Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Webinars

Thursday, May 7 @ 10:00 am PT

To view previous webinars, such as The Road to Recovery Starts During the Storm – Lessons Learned from Past Recoveries and Using Economic Impact Data in Your COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, visit:
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Small Business BC Webinars

Small Business BC are hosting a series of specialized free webinars to tackle the challenges faced by COVID-19. These 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.

Thursday May 7 at 1:00pm PT

Friday May 8 at 1:00pm PT

To view previous webinars, visit:
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Destination Canada Webinars

Tuesday May 12 @ 3:30 pm PT
Speakers: The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages; Destination Canada; and Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

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Saving Main Street Today. Reimagining it Tomorrow.

Wednesday May 13 @ 8:00 am PT

Main Streets and commercial districts with their restaurants and shops punch far above their weight in contributing to the overall prosperity of our cities and the economy as a whole. So what can be done to put our Main Streets and commercial neighborhoods back on their feet—and make them more resilient to changing threats in the future? In this webinar, Resonance Consultancy President Chris Fair and University of Texas Professor and Urban Lab Director Steven Pedigo will share research on why small shops and restaurants are important to our urban economies, with recommendations on how business owners, real estate developers, cities, economic developers, business improvement districts and destination marketers can work together to respond, reboot and reimagine the streets and neighborhoods we love.

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Our industry is full of innovative, caring and helpful people.
Share your stories with us and we will share them here in our daily bulletin.
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Cascadia Air Joins the Fight Against COVID-19

Cascadia Air , British Columbia’s newest commuter airline has opted to forego the launch of its commercial air-taxi flights to instead provide  Rapid Emergency Air Delivery Services   (READY) to support smaller remote communities across BC, as they slowly recover from the social and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19. 

With more than three decades of commercial aviation, medical, air ambulance and crisis management experience, the airline’s senior staff began these initiatives in late February with the goal of supporting BC residents during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.

Cascadia Air’s READY services comprise separate aircraft dedicated to carrying personnel and cargo supplies capable of landing in remote communities and smaller unpaved airstrips. Flights transporting essential personnel are maximized at 60 percent of the aircraft’s seating capacity to allow for continued safe distancing between passengers.
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.