C-19 BULLETIN - May 19, 2020
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Federal Government Update

Changes to the Canada Emergency Business Account
The federal government announced an expansion to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to include many owner-operated small businesses.
 
If you are the sole proprietor of a business, if your business relies on contractors, or if you have a family-owned business and you pay employees though dividends, you will now qualify.

More details, including the launch date for applications under the new criteria, will follow in the days to come.

Canada - USA Border Closure Extended
Both Canada and the USA reached an agreement in March to temporarily close the border to non-essential travel — meaning no recreational visits — while keeping it open to commercial traffic and essential workers who cross for work.That agreement was extended in April by 30 days and it was set to expire this week. Today, the federal government announced that the Canada-USA border will remain closed to non-essential travel until June 21st.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit
We understand many of you have concerns that the  Canada Emergency Response Benefit  (temporary income support of $500 per week up to 16 weeks to workers who have stopped working because of COVID-19 does not encourage individuals to return to work. 

For your information:
  • Individuals can earn up to $1000 during a 4-week period while still receiving the CERB
  • Individuals should be reminded they will have to pay taxes on the CERB (i.e. it is not simply $2000 per month in their pocket)
Find more information on the CERB, including eligibility requirements  here .
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Provincial COVID-19 Survey
260,000 BC residents have taken the COVID-19 Survey. Have you? The province is encouraging further participation, particularly by seniors and residents in rural communities.
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OPINION:
Residents Should Explore BC to Help Tourism Industry Amid COVID-19


Noted economist Jock Finlayson of the Business Council of BC wrote an opinion piece on why the BC tourism industry matters:

" As policy-makers struggle to tabulate the immense damage being done by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shuttering of local businesses, and the onset of a global economic downturn, few B.C. industries are being hit harder than tourism. Globally, cross-border travel has come to a halt and airlines have stopped serving most international routes. For 2020 as a whole, forecasters expect a huge drop in overnight “tourist arrivals” worldwide, including in North America. The impact of this unprecedented situation is painfully evident in B.C.

For B.C., the health of tourism matters: it is one of the province’s most important industries, serving as a key source of employment and business activity across the province. According to Destination British Columbia, 160,000 jobs and $6 billion in wage and salary income depend on the industry. In 2019, tourism generated aggregate revenues of roughly $21 billion, a jump of more than 50 per cent since 2008. Some of this was spending by B.C. residents on within-province travel and at local hotels, restaurants and other venues. But almost $8 billion consisted of “export revenues,” a category that captures spending by non-B.C. residents on goods and services purchased while visiting our province. Tourism export earnings exceed those garnered from the sale of B.C. minerals and agri-food and fish products – making tourism one of the province’s leading export sectors ."

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BC Tourism Businesses
Start Re-opening


TIABC has heard from members and industry stakeholders about their re-opening plans. Below are two examples from the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish and the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria.

CBC news article referencing businesses in Tofino, the Sunshine Coast and Whistler:
Sea to Sky Gondola
The Sea to Sky Gondola is re-opening May 22nd for season pass holders and their guests only. In phase 2, they will be opening their online ticket store for pre-purchased tickets. To avoid unnecessary physical contact at the ticket windows, non-passholders will be required to purchase tickets online prior to arrival at the gondola.
Hotel Grand Pacific
Operations and staffing levels at the Hotel Grand Pacific will be at a minimum to ensure safe social distancing. The hotel will be sharing, via their website, how they will be working to ensure they keep their guests safe and healthy during their stay. 

For now, food and beverage options will be limited and the pools, sauna, and steam room will remain closed. They are hoping to open the gym subject to provincial guidelines. Read the full story here: www.hotelgrandpacific.com/contact-us/important-covid-19-message-to-our-guests
SKY Helicopters
SKY Helicopters is once again open for business and they have a produced a short video outlining their safety protocols.
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Destination BC Webinars

Destination BC is hosting a series of webinars to support BC’s tourism industry on the road to recovery. This series supports response, recovery, and resilience from COVID-19.

Speaker: Daniel Craig, Reknown
Thursday, May 21 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Speaker: Conner Galway, Junction Consulting
Tuesday, May 26 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Speaker: Conner Galway, Junction Consulting
Thursday, May 28 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Watch the recording of the first webinar in the series, from May 12th:

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Greater Victoria Harbour Authority Town Hall

Join Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) CEO Ian Robertson for a discussion on the status of their operations, the return of cruise to Victoria, and what’s next for their non-profit organization. Robertson will be available to answer your questions following the presentation portion of the session.

Wednesday May 20 @ 11:30 am PT (45 minutes)
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Using STR Data in Times of Crisis and Recovery

Thursday, May 21 @ 11:00 am PT

STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors. STR is working to increase participation in their hotel benchmarking platform to provide organizations like the BC Hotel Association with the information they need to successfully lobby on behalf of their members and create effective marketing strategies to drive tourism. Join STR and the BCHA for their Using STR Data in Times of Crisis and Recovery webinar.
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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. The 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.

Friday May 22 @ 9:00 am PT

Wednesday May 27 @ 10:00 am PT

Friday June 5 @ 10:30 am PT

To view previous webinars, visit:
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Capliano University Webinar

As one of the most affected sectors, the current COVID-19 pandemic presents the tourism industry with a major and evolving challenge. Join a conversation with industry experts to discuss how best to navigate the challenge, draw from lessons learned to reshape the tourism industry, and prepare for a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.

Moderato r:
-Paul Dangerfield, President of Capilano University
Panelists :
-Bruce Poon Tip, Founder of G Adventures
-Daniel Dubois, Co-founder, Key Living
-Paula Amos, Chief Marketing and Development Officer, Indigenous TourismBC
-Paolo Fresnoza, Instructor, Faculty of Global & Community Studies

Thursday, May 28 @ 5:00 pm PT
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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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As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, some may be having more difficulty coping than others.

In order to help people adapt, a group of locals has banded together to create the Sea to Sky Healing Project, which is online at  seatoskyhealingproject.com . The site features a round-up of podcasts, articles and videos curated by a team of seven locals with different backgrounds in order to provide a variety of perspectives.

Collaborators are Whistler mayor Jack Crompton, Whistler Community Services Society executive director Jackie Dickinson, clinical counsellor Greg McDonnell, Coast Mountain Academy counsellor Melahnie Moodie, Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre executive director Heather Paul, Pemberton photographer and one-time minister Chad Chomlack, and project founder and Whistler Half Marathon race director Dave Clark.

Resources online include podcasts, videos, reading material and resources for parents and youth.

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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.