FRS Clipper will be suspending all current operations as of Tuesday, October 12th. The current demand for ridership on our international route is not strong enough to cover our costs at this time. The challenge of the late summer Delta variant surge married with the PCR testing restrictions and overall continued cultural hesitation around international travel (particularly into shoulder season) have proven to be barriers that we are unable to overcome this fall.

In light of this situation, we are suspending operations in order to minimize continued losses, with a target goal of re-instating service in Spring 2022. The exact date of starting operations and accepting bookings will be determined as part of our current 2022 budget process and announced in November.

Premier Horgan, Minister Mark and Minister Fleming hosted a Cruise Ship Restart Committee Meeting last Friday with several representatives from Cruise Lines International Association, senior executives from the ports of Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Prince Rupert, as well as Destination BC's Maya Lange and TIABC CEO Walt Judas.

The meeting focussed partly on measures needed to defeat the Alaska bill that would make permanent the current temporary law allowing cruise ships to bypass Canada when sailing between two US ports. In the case of British Columbia, ships sailing from Seattle to Alaska no longer need to stop in BC ports, at least for this year. The temporary measure, combined with the suspension of cruise in Canada until November 1st, has resulted in billions in lost revenue, particularly for tourism and hospitality operators.

Committee members also discussed future plans for restoring relations between BC, Washington State and Alaska vis-a-vis cruise and tourism, as well as marketing efforts aimed at cruise passengers. Additional committee meetings will take place in the weeks ahead leading up to the lifting of the cruise ban by the federal government at the end of the month.

Several tourism industry leaders including TIABC's Walt Judas voiced concern recently about the possibility of TRADEX being privatized and no longer used as a community venue to host events and trade shows.

The leaders say privatization would betray TRADEX's original purpose when it was built by the province in 1991 to increase economic activity and tourism for the entire region, not just Abbotsford.

In an interview with The Abbotsford News, Judas noted that when the BC Pavilion Corporation transferred ownership to the city for $1 in 2003, it was done under the provision that it would be kept as a community amenity to serve the regional economy. “It is, from our perspective, a community asset that needs to stay as a community asset,” Judas said.

Read the full story here.

Interior BC civic and tourism leaders say tens of millions of dollars in revenue and post-pandemic regional economic recovery are at risk unless the federal government restores international flights to Kelowna International Airport (YLW).

The airport said international flights accounted for up to 30% of the airport's traffic before the pandemic.

YLW has lost more than $2.5 million in revenue since the federal government cancelled international flights to and from Kelowna as a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Tourism leaders say the region risks losing millions of dollars in foreign spending if the airport remains closed this winter season.

"There's a large thirst for people to come up here," said Michael J. Ballingall, senior V.P of Big White Ski Resort and TIABC Director. "The non-stop flights through Seattle into Kelowna have been just a boom for the ski industry over the years and the records will show that," he said, noting many foreign tourists seek direct flights to avoid long customs lineups and connection delays at Vancouver International Airport.

The BC tourism industry, provincial partner Destination BC, and federal agency Destination Canada are spending some $3 million this fall on a campaign to attract visitors from overseas to the province.

YLW is the 10th busiest airport in Canada by passenger volume and the only airport in the top 10 which remains barred from accepting foreign routes. Transport Canada said in a statement that a resumption of international flights is being considered for airports like Kelowna's, but did not say when that might happen.

Read the full story here.

go2HR has released an updated COVID-19 Rapid Testing in the Workplace guide. Though access to COVID-19 rapid test kits is becoming increasingly available across Canada, individuals authorized to administer rapid tests differs from one jurisdiction to the next and program eligibility will vary.

The information within this document is accurate as of October 6th and publishing will be revised as additional programs and/or information becomes available.

British Columbians are invited to have their say on three proposed options for permanent paid sick leave shaped by their responses to the first phase of consultation.

The options paper has been posted on government’s engagement site and is available for comment until October 25th. Three options have been developed that cover the minimum number of days; three, five and 10 days of paid sick leave.

In May 2021, amendments to the Employment Standards Act laid the groundwork for establishing minimum standards for permanent paid sick leave. Following the public engagement process, paid sick leave will be established through regulation and come into effect on January 1, 2022.

A critical pillar of advocacy work over the past 20 months has been TIAC’s position as co-chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses. This is a coalition of over 120 tourism, hotel and events businesses including TIABC who are fighting for industry-specific support. Not just businesses - but also the organizations that represent hundreds of businesses behind them.

Most recently, the Coalition developed a campaign advocating for a survival program for the industry. As part of this advocacy push, we were pleased to see the extension of the wage and rent subsidy programs this summer, but knew that this would not be enough to ensure the survival of our businesses – with the expected wind-down of these programs this month -- we continue to push for a tailored solution.

We need to ensure that this stays top of mind for officials.

In accordance with the constitution and bylaws of the Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association, we hereby provide notice of nominations for positions on the Board of Directors of the Association.

The Board of Kootenay Rockies Tourism is a policy / governance Board and is driven by its Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles. We are seeking tourism stakeholders that are dedicated to the success of the Association and will support its principles.

The Board of Directors is made up of a maximum of nine individuals including an Executive Committee of 5 seats which includes a Past Chair position. For this election, 4 seats under Director at Large category are available.

If you are currently employed in or own a business in the tourism sector, have a strong understanding of the tourism industry, significant expertise, knowledge of the region and are currently involved in tourism or destination management, we invite you to apply.

The current Board members and those whose term is expiring, can be viewed here.

Click here for the Nomination Form.

Due to the difficulties our industry has faced since early 2020, we have extended various payment options to members if required. Please contact Deborah to learn more about how we can assist you with your membership renewal, or if you are interested in becoming a member

We strongly encourage you to consider membership with TIABC to support our important advocacy efforts on behalf of the entire visitor economy.

There is no better example of what TIABC has done for you than in the last 18-months. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic TIABC has identified your concerns, raised your voice, championed your needs, pushing for support and programs while encouraging policy changes.

We thank you for your investment in our advocacy efforts.

TIABC is a not-for-profit membership organization. Our advocacy initiatives and efforts are only possible through the investment and support of our members. In this feature, we are showcasing those businesses and wish to thank them for either joining or renewing their membership and their continued support. Our success depends on you.

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) was built to share cultural knowledge to inspire understanding and respect amongst all people.

In 1997 the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) met with the Lil’wat Nation to consult about opportunities for the Nation’s participation and presence in Whistler. Out of these discussions, the idea of a world-class cultural centre was born and a relationship in the spirit of goodwill and cooperation evolved.

In 2001 the two nations signed a historic Protocol Agreement, which formalized the mutual relationship. This Protocol Agreement commits to continued co-operation in matters of cultural and economic development, and co-management of shared territory.

The Cultural Centre is located in Whistler and embodies the spirit of partnership between two unique nations who wish to preserve, grow and share traditional cultures.

For more information on the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre click here.

As an industry that continues to face enormous challenges during COVID-19, every once in awhile it's important to share a laugh, a good story, a beautiful image or an interesting anecdote to provide moments of levity during this most difficult time.

Justin Lafontaine and Alex Beryland of The Innovation Lab will share experiences and examples on inspiring, supporting and enabling tourism innovation through industry partnerships and programs.

Justin Lafontaine; Program Lead, Tourism Innovation Lab

Alex Beryland; Outreach & BC Programs Coordinator, Tourism Innovation Lab

Date: Wednesday, October 20th at 11:00 am

Eager to learn about services and resources available to BC tourism-based industry entrepreneurs? Join Export Navitator, Pacific Economic Development and Canada's Trade Commission to learn about growing your business beyond BC's borders. This session is designed to provide key information and practical tools to empower businesses.

Allison Boulton; Export Navigator

Emmanuelle Barras; Pacific Economic Development Canada (Pacific Can)

Francis Acquarone; Trade Commissioner Services

Date: Wednesday, October 27th at 11:00 am

When employees struggle to manage difficult guests or personal situations outside of work, it can negatively impact their mental health in the workplace. As a manager, responding to employee concerns in a crisis can be very challenging. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to support them.

Join the BC Tourism Resiliency Network, go2HR, and the Canadian Mental Health Association for a free 45 minute webinar about how tourism business managers can support employees in difficult times.

This webinar will include practical information and resources on:

Date: Thursday, October 21st, 1:30 - 2:30 PM (PT)

Click here for more information and to register.

The BC Hotel Association has partnered with the teams at go2HR and WorkBC Richmond to deliver a webinar aimed at providing employers and Hiring Managers with tools and tips to support recruitment and retention, and how to save money in the process.

Explore important steps for attracting and keeping employees, from the team at go2HR, and learn about the WorkBC Wage Subsidy Program. Whether you want to re-hire laid-off employees or hire new employees, operators are eligible for this incentive at no cost.

Date. Thursday, October 14th, 2021 11:00 AM (PT)

Click here for more information and to register.

This webinar will provide tools for tourism businesses to develop and implement a sustainability management plan into their operations. Businesses will learn how to:

Date: Wednesday November 24th, 2021, 10:00am - 11:00am PST

Click here to register for this free event.

Need help bringing on new staff? Hiring students is a great way to build your team for short-term needs and to build a talent pipeline for the long term! And now you can access a wage subsidy of up to $7,500 through Propel, a brand new Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)!

Propel is offered through Tourism HR Canada, a Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce. Propel is specifically designed to support the tourism and hospitality sector.

Learn more about how your organization can take advantage of this federally funded wage subsidy program and how to bring on students from hospitality and tourism management, culinary arts, and other programs from across the province.

Date: Monday, November 15th at 2:00pm (Pacific).

Brought to you by the Talent MATCH Program, a collaboration between go2HR, the BC Museums Association, the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture, and the Association for Co-operative Education &

Register here for this free session.

Join Northern BC Tourism Association for the Annual General Meeting.

The meeting will include an update from CEO, Clint Fraser, on NBCTA's work and the state of the tourism industry in Northern BC. The AGM will take place virtually on zoom.

Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2021 - 1-2:30 pm (PT)

Click here to register.

Hosted by ABLE BC, this year's conference will take place online and in-person. A portion of the tickets are available to attend in person at Soundhouse Studios in Vancouver. The remaining are available for virtual attendance.

Note: ABLE BC will be asking for proof of vaccination from all in-person guests.

No matter where you are in the province, tune in and get the liquor industry data, trends, and policy updates you can't get anywhere else. This year’s conference schedule includes:

Date: Monday, October 25th

Click here for more information and to register.

The BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) invite you to come together as a tourism community to learn from everything we've been through and think differently about how we can co-create a vibrant and resilient tourism industry in BC. The BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 is a joint virtual event. Attend thought provoking workshops and panels, learn from tourism leaders from around the globe and network with industry colleagues. This event is open to all tourism stakeholders and GSTC members at no cost.

Attend thought provoking workshops and panels, learn from tourism leaders from around the globe and network with industry colleagues.

Hosted by: BC Regional Tourism Secretariat & Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Where: Virtual

Dates: Nov 3 - 4, 2021

Click here to learn more and to register.

Prince George

TIABC and the BC Hotel Association are excited to be hosting the 2nd annual BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference in Prince George next March.

Details to the conference including registration, accommodation and speaker highlights will be updated in Fall, 2021 on the conference website here.