C-19 BULLETIN - June 10, 2020

___________________________________________________________________
State of Emergency Extended to Continue BC’s COVID-19 Response

The BC government has formally extended the provincial state of emergency allowing Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, to continue to use extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act to support the Province's COVID-19 pandemic response.

The state of emergency is extended through the end of the day on June 23rd.

_______________________________________________________________
Work Refusals – What Can Tourism Employers Do if Employees Refuse to Come Back?

As tourism operators get ready to reopen their businesses and recall employees, some are being faced with a new challenge… employees who are hesitant and, in some cases, refusing, to return.

How an employer responds will depend greatly on the reason for the refusal. Is the employee refusing because they don’t feel safe at work? Are they dealing with a COVID-19 related health challenge or personal situation? Or is it simply because they don’t want to return and would rather continue collecting employment insurance?

No matter what the reason, open communication with employees will be critical. Make time to discuss and clarify concerns, take action to address them, and if required, provide options and/or
accommodations. Individual situations may vary and require a case-by-case assessment and response.

Here are a few guidelines and resources to help employers understand how to address these situations: read more
_______________________________________________________________
Pulse Check 3
2020 Summary
 
While British Columbia remains in phase two of its Restart Plan, only one-in-four (26%) businesses impacted by COVID-19 feel able to restart and operate profitably with the gradual easing of restrictions.

The biggest challenges to restarting identified by survey respondents are:
  • attracting customers or revenue (75%),
  • having enough operating cash for expenses (49%) or to meet safety standards (31%),
  • bringing staff back (39%),
  • government not allowing their business to open yet (31%), and 
  • not yet prepared or able to meet safety guidelines (30%).

Given the challenges, over half of those surveyed (55%) expect it will take at least two months to restart. 

The findings are the results of a survey of 1,343 member-businesses of the BC Chamber of Commerce, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Business Council of British Columbia, and other partners, with the assistance from the Mustel Group. This survey is the third in a series of pulse checks using the BCMindReader.com platform.

 



_______________________________________________________________
Aviation Webinar Summary
 
Yesterday's webinar entitled What Comes Next? BC Air Carriers and Airports Chart Recovery was co-sponsored by the British Columbia Aviation Council, the BC Economic Development Association and TIABC.

120 participants joined the webinar; below are some of the discussion points:

  • The International Air Transport Association has suggested the global industry bottomed out in April. The pain of hitting that bottom has been felt by not only air operators like Pacific Coastal Airlines, but also by the airports that serve them.

  • Airports across Canada have continued providing vital air cargo services to maintain supply chains during the pandemic. But it’s time for governments to provide direct and indirect support to airports and air carriers.

  • Processes to bolster consumer confidence about air travel will need to be developed and then harmonized across the country.

  • Liquidity continues to be a top concern for B.C. air operators and airports.

  • Airports have reviewed current passenger-facing operations from curbside to boarding, and have researched white papers and regulatory changes to come up with best practice guidelines/suggestions such as plexiglas barriers, more regular cleaning, hand sanitizing stations, panel dividers for queuing lines, self-serve bag drops, incorporating UV filtration into its heating and cooling system, vending machines that dispense personal protective equipment, kiosk upgrades, and more automated procedures for fewer touchpoints.

_______________________________________________________________
ITAC Releases National Recovery Plan for Indigenous Tourism in Canada
 
Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is the lead organization tasked with growing the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Prior to 2020, Indigenous tourism was outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall, and international demand for Indigenous experiences was at an all-time high. Indigenous tourism has been one of the largest employers and economic drivers in Indigenous communities across Canada. Before the impacts of COVID-19 hit in early 2020, the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada included 1,900 businesses, 40,000 employees and contributed $1.9 billion to Canada's direct GDP (up from $1.4 billion in 2015).

Based on the likelihood that the summer 2020 Indigenous tourism season will be lost, ITAC estimates that 1,140 businesses will not open in 2020 (800 may never reopen again), 32,000 employees have lost their jobs and $1.4 billion worth of direct GDP contribution will be lost. ITAC has pivoted quickly to respond to these impacts to develop a strategic recovery plan,  Forward Together , in addition to revising its  2020-21 Action Plan  to specifically address the impact of COVID-19. ITAC has also provided Indigenous tourism businesses with  direct stimulus grants  to help them survive financially. ITAC has a modest yet realistic goal to respond, recover and rebuild the Indigenous tourism industry to levels seen in 2019 by 2024.
_______________________________________________________________
Best Practices Released for
Marine Wildlife Viewing

TIABC member, Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours. has outlined its process for re-opening. Developed by Eagle Wing's Health & Safety Team, their plan involves many components aimed at keeping guests and staff safe including:
 
  • The entire staff (19 persons for 2020; 49 this time last year) is being recalled to work on Monday, June 15th. Everyone will meet on board one of the vessels and sit in the open air from 10am - 4pm, going over their comprehensive plans for reopening, operations, WorkSafe BC protocols, signage, messaging, etc. Every employee will receive a copy of the protocols, do a health declaration, and sign provisional contracts with termination dates of August 29th, 2020 (the end of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy).
  • Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours is only anticipating using two of their four vessels. Their Flagship, 4 Ever Wild, which has a capacity for 50 passengers will be capped at 25, and their 60' open boat, Gold Wing which has space for 26, will only welcome 15 guests per tour
  • Their office is limited to a maximum of 3 people and the crew will operate solely outside
  • All office staff will wear masks until more than 6 feet apart; a new airflow system being installed at the office
  • Every guest being supplied with a choice of masks/buffs, and ensuring they wear it from the moment they start the pre-trip briefings/map-talks for their ENTIRE trip, and then again until they leave Fisherman's Wharf--out of deference to their neighbouring businesses/residents
  • Every passenger will, as part of their waiver, sign a health declaration about being in contact with anyone with COVID - 19, if they've travelled out of BC in the past 30 days, and if they have experienced any COVID - 19 symptoms in the past 30 days
  • Contactless payment, contactless waivers, and plexiglass installed in the office
  • Very robust and comprehensive cleaning regimen

TIABC recognizes the efforts that all tourism businesses are making to adjust business practices, purchasing equipment and train staff.
_______________________________________________________________
Best Practices Released for Motor Coach Sector
 
The BC Trucking Association (BCTA), through its Motor Coach Committee, has developed best practices for BC’s motor coach sector to comply with the Provincial COVID-19 reopening orders. The best practices have been reviewed by WorkSafeBC and the Province and are consistent with guidelines published by Transport Canada.
 
The guidelines can found on the Passenger Transportation Branch site at the following link (see the June 5th BCTA Industry Notice): www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/vehicle-safety-enforcement/services/passenger-transportation/covid-19-information
_______________________________________________________________

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.




_______________________________________________________________
On March 18, 2020, the Government of Canada restricted entry to non-residents for non-essential travel from all international destinations. Overnight arrivals data has been released by Destination Canada for March 2020.
Destination Canada conducts regular assessments of the impacts of COVID-19, as well as relevant recovery signals. In addition to individual reports on each of their 10 key international markets (Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the UK and the USA), they also produce an international summary and reports on the domestic market and on the Business Events industry within Canada.
_______________________________________________________________
BC Ferries Launches New hybrid-electric Vessel

BC Ferries' newest vessel, Island Discovery, officially commenced service today at 3pm on the Texada Island - Powell River route.

Island Discovery is the first of a series of hybrid-electric ships designed for future full electric operation. The ships are fitted with hybrid technology that bridges the gap until shore charging infrastructure and funding become available.

Read the full Media Advisory here .
_______________________________________________________________

"We believe the food service industry is a key backbone in all communities, including here on the Sunshine Coast.

Our goal is to support local restaurants, while benefitting local food charities, Sunshine Coast Community Services (the food bank), and locals who would benefit from pre-made meals during this challenging time. This is a social enterprise dedicated to serving the Sunshine Coast community."


For every four meals purchased, one meal will be donated to the food bank. To date, the program has produced almost 4,000 meals.

_______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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 11: Work Refusal & Other HR Challenges Amid the Restart | Register here
  • 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

_________________________________________________________________
Destination Canada Webinar

Destination Canada is hosting regular webinars, sharing our approach amid the COVID-19 situation and providing information on available federal support initiatives. We will have industry partners, representatives from government as well as applicable businesses join to provide the most up-to-date information and resources.

Join them for a one-hour moderated panel discussion with key US and international corporate meeting, association conferences and incentive trip buyers.

Thursday June 11 @ 9:00 am PT
_______________________________________________________________
Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Webinar

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is hosting a virtual event about the Province’s restart plan with Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Carole James. Hear from the Finance Minister about the phased approach to restart and recovery in our province and participate in a Q&A.

Friday June 12 @ 12:00 pm PT
Business Development Bank of Canada Webinar

This free, live webinar will present a step-by-step approach to manage risks, create contingency plans and equip your business with a strategic vision that takes into account the changed landscape.

BDC Advisory Services experts will discuss the best practices to adapt your business to the current business environment. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce will share insights into its survey on Canadian business conditions as a result of the pandemic.
You’ll discover:
  • How economic conditions have changed for Canadian businesses
  • How to develop a clear strategic direction for your business
  • Tools to evaluate your current strategic situation and develop a way forward
  • Stories of entrepreneurs who have successfully transformed their companies

Monday June 15 @ 9:00 am PT

_______________________________________________________________

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.