With some highways still damaged by flooding and mudslides, the potential for further flooding this week and the continued need for public safety measures, the Province has extended the provincial State of Emergency until the end of day, January 18th.

The orders restricting travel on highways 5 and 99 will remain in place. This includes:

The State of Emergency gives the Province the ability to use extraordinary powers to protect people and communities.

Click here to read the full news announcement.

On January 7th, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced an order requiring employers to re-activate their COVID-19 Safety Plans. Details on the order are expected this week.

While communicable disease prevention plans and COVID-19 Safety Plans share some of the same fundamental principles, COVID-19 Safety Plans are formal, written plans with more rigorous controls and are more appropriate for periods of elevated risk.

The COVID-19 Safety Plan will supersede the basic principles of communicable disease prevention during this period of elevated risk by incorporating more specific protocols for preventing COVID-19 transmission. These may include occupancy limits, physical distancing, and barriers.

Many employers had COVID-19 Safety Plans earlier in the pandemic, and others may have maintained all or many of the measures to this day. All employers are advised to review their COVID-19 Safety Plans to ensure that they are current and aligned with all guidance and orders from the provincial health officer, as well as effective at reducing the risk of exposure, including:

If workers test positive for COVID-19, they need to follow the guidance of the BC Centre for Disease Control around taking care of themselves, self-isolating, and notifying close contacts.

Evidence shows that vaccination is the best control measure available to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Employers are encouraged to consider staff-vaccination policies based on their own due diligence.

Although employers may face challenges operating with a reduced workforce due to COVID-19 at times, they must continue to protect the health and safety of workers who remain at work. In times of staff shortages, employers should have a contingency or business continuity plan to ensure their business can continue to operate in a safe manner with consideration of factors such as level of training and supervision needed.

With this new order in place, and as part of regular inspectional work, WorkSafeBC Prevention Officers will look for updated COVID-19 Safety Plans at worksites.

Workers play an important role in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 by participating in the review of the COVID-19 Safety Plan. Each worker should be aware of and follow their workplace health and safety responsibilities and protocols outlined in the plan, including guidance on self-managing COVID-19 symptoms as outlined by the BCCDC.

Workers have the right to refuse work if they believe it presents an undue hazard. An undue hazard is an “unwarranted, inappropriate, excessive, or disproportionate” hazard. For COVID-19, an “undue hazard” would be one where a worker’s job role places them at increased risk of exposure and adequate controls are not in place to protect them from that exposure.

For more information, see our COVID-19 information for workers.

The following information is available through WorkSafeBC to assist workers and employers with their COVID-19 safety plan.

Workers and employers with questions or requiring additional advice or direction can call WorkSafeBC’s Prevention Information Line at 1.888.621.7233 to speak directly with a prevention officer.

Residents in the United States are being advised not to travel to Canada as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit critical levels.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 4 notice to avoid travel to Canada due to the emerging COVID-19 situation.

The CDC currently lists about 80 destinations worldwide at Level 4. It says that if people must travel, they should make sure they are fully vaccinated.

Click here to learn more about the CDC advisory on U.S. travellers to Canada.

With new capacity restrictions and lockdowns being implemented across the country, Government of Canada support programs are available for tourism and hospitality businesses.

Note: If you applied for the Tourism & Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) for period 22 (October 24 to November 20, 2021), you may have been affected by an error in the calculation spreadsheet for wage and hiring support, which erroneously showed they were ineligible for the THRP when they may have been eligible.

Click here for more information.

While COVID-19 Recovery Programs continue to provide support to Canadian businesses and organizations, the Government of Canada (CRA) will be hosting a question and answer session on these support measures for affected businesses and organizations.

Date: Thursday, January 13th, 10:00 - 11:00 am (PT)

For more information and to register, click here.

Note: A reminder to visit Managing your Business During COVID-19 for resources for businesses and organizations.

TIABC CEO Walt Judas was a guest of Spice Radio on January 10th, talking about the expectations for the tourism sector in 2022. He noted that while there were some positive signs of some recovery during the holiday season, the Omicron variant has brought on new restrictions, resulting in cancellations and continued loss of revenues for businesses across the province.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

As we start the beginning of 2022, we’re hoping to get your attention on a brief survey. The information is helping tackle some of the workforce shortfall that is greatly impacting the sector.

Across the country, governments, industry associations and other key tourism stakeholders have been developing support services for hard hit tourism businesses and workers. This support is desperately needed but has also created confusion due to the many subsidies and services available.

To help understand the complete ecosystem of support services available across the country, we are asking your organization to complete an eight-minute survey. This survey asks you, or another member of your organization, to identify the government programs and industry support services available in your region. The survey also asks you to identify any innovative practices tourism businesses are undertaking to mitigate workforce shortages. This survey will inform a workforce recovery toolkit that tourism stakeholders can use. Please feel free to share the survey with other associations and service providers in your network.

This survey was developed in partnership with OTEC and Tourism HR Canada as part of the Tourism & Hospitality Emergency Recovery project.

Tourism & Hospitality Emergency Recovery is a national workforce recovery initiative to connect workers to exciting career opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector and to support businesses across Canada.

Visit the Tourism & Hospitality Emergency Recovery Program, for more information.

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has released its 2022-25 Strategic Plan: Building Back Better, which will focus on revitalizing the Indigenous tourism industry from the ongoing devastating impacts of COVID-19.

As the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada recovers from COVID-19, ITAC has set sights on moving forward in the most adaptable and sustainable manner possible, contributing meaningfully towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2022-25 Strategic Plan has three main priorities:

While COVID-19 has paused the Indigenous tourism industry’s growth, ITAC has revised its targets to build back to pre-COVID levels by 2025, three years sooner than projected. This includes:

Click here to review ITAC's revised Strategic Plan.

The 2022 North American ID Checking Guide Book and 14th Edition International ID Checking Guide Book are now available to order through the ABLE BC office.

The North American Guide has been updated for 2022. The International Guide has not been updated since 2021 but is valid through 2022.

Place your order for the ID Checking Guide Book HERE by Friday, January 21, 2022.

The ID Checking Guide Books help you and your staff make accurate, on-the-spot verification of driver's licenses and ID cards - your best protection against ID fraud. These books also help ensure you are kept updated on the latest versions of all ID formats.

For more information on the ID Checking Guide Books, including pricing, download the FAQ produced by ABLE BC here.

Worth's Mentorship Program will enable a relationship with a professional in the recreation, tourism and hospitality field and mentees who will be matched with an experienced leader who will be your mentor for a 6-month period between February and July, 2022.

Mentors and mentees will both benefit from improved communication skills, growing their personal network, increased industry & job satisfaction and the opportunity to learn from someone else. In this program they will also leverage peer-mentoring for all registered in the various events & workshops to further grow your network.

In addition to the mentorship, the program includes 2-3 networking events and 2-3 development workshops.

To learn more or apply please visit WORTH Mentorship Program or email operations@worthassociation.com. Registration closes January 31st.

Destination BC has announced that Alison McKay has assumed the role of Acting Vice President, Destination Management.

In her role, Alison will oversee Destination BC’s destination management programs and will also lead the Destination Management team in implementing annual plans, programs and projects; work with the executive team to support corporate-wide projects such as Invest in Iconics, Destination Stewardship, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and collaborate with Indigenous Tourism BC on projects specific to Indigenous communities.

TIABC wishes to congratulate Alison on her new role and looks forward to working with her on various initiatives.

Canada’s largest food and drink festival returns for its 20th delicious season! From January 14th to 31st, hundreds of local restaurants, breweries, and winemakers will present the best of the West Coast and international culinary arts with multi-course fixed-price menus starting at only $20.

Find your new favourite restaurant, or take part in any number of delectable events such as gelato-making classes, dim sum tours, and more!

Visit here for more information, to peruse the menus and to make your reservations.

The January/February 2022 BC Camping Newsletter is now available and provides readers with valuable information for camping and RV'ing in BC. This edition includes:

Click here for more information from BC Camping News and to sign up for their newsletter.

The 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Awards will be awarded at the Awards Gala evening during the 2022 BC Tourism and Hospitality Conference on Thursday, March 10th at the Richmond Conference Centre. For more information about each award click here.

The deadline to submit a nomination is January 14th.

If you know a business, organization, or individual who is deserving of a nomination, please submit your nomination below.

There are still a limited number of awards sponsorships available in select categories. Please contact us to secure your organization's sponsorship opportunity.

Email us at info@bctourismandhospitalityconference.com.

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.

Accessible washrooms, trail upgrades and new signage are just a few of the completed projects in Northern BC this year as part of the Province of BC’s Targeted Regional Tourism Development Initiative Fund (TRTDI).

In early 2021, Northern BC Tourism Association, in partnership with community DMO's, the Northwest and Northeast planning area Destination Development Advisory Committees, local and regional governments, First Nations, non-profits, and other partners, worked together to identify initiatives that will enhance the region’s tourism amenities and experiences.

Projects completed or near completion in 2021 include:

TRTDI funded initiatives still underway in the region include implementing a comprehensive place-making signage strategy for the North, supporting multiple small First Nations communities to tell their stories through cultural and wayfinding signage and multiple accessibility and infrastructure upgrades to trails around the region through Rec Sites and Trails BC.

Read the full news release here.

Due to the difficulties our industry has faced since early 2020, we are extending 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 or renew your 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 22-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.

Destination BC has partnered with Small Business BC to offer free access for tourism business stakeholders across the province to online education supporting COVID-19 recovery.

Upcoming webinars include:

Social Media for Small Business, Date: January 12th

Get Started with Email Marketing, Date: February 2nd

To access the webinars free of charge, register online here using coupon code DBC3034.

Export Navigator is offering a great seminar to kick off 2022 – Preparing for Travel & Tradeshows, that has understandably been on hiatus for the past while!

Date: Friday, January 21st @ 9:30 – 11:00 am

Join in for this FREE interactive webinar and learn everything you need to know about trade show preparation. From promoting your attendance at the trade show to creating an eye-catching booth, there are many factors that play a part in ensuring a successful experience. They will also cover upcoming BC and Canadian pavilions at trade shows around the world, and the funding that can take you there!

Learning Points:

• Learn how to prepare for a trade show, including travel and budgeting tips

• Find out how to develop trade show leads and have more successful interactions

• Learn about upcoming BC and Canadian pavilions at trade shows around the world

• Discover key etiquette and culture tips for doing business cross-culturally

Click here for more information and to register.

Join GreenStep Solutions for this informative webinar to learn about the technical side of carbon measurement. We will also cover carbon reduction tactics and how to offset what you can’t reduce.

By 2030 the price of carbon will increase fossil fuel-related operating costs by 30% to 100%, not including cost increases related to inflation. To get ahead of the carbon risk to your business, it will be important to understand your carbon footprint and make a plan to reduce it.

Measuring your carbon footprint is actually not that complicated, and similar to financial accounting standards, greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards exist.

Date: January 25th from 10am-11am PST / 1pm - 2pm EST (Note: this is a date change).

To register for FREE, please visit here.

If you have any questions related to the event or have any issues with registration, please do not hesitate to contact us. There will be additional time following the presentation for questions, which you may also submit in advance by way of the registration page.

Destination Canada invites you to join their upcoming industry webinar where they will delve deeper into the key trends outlined in their latest report, Tourism’s Big Shift: Key Trends Shaping the Future of Canada’s Tourism Industry.  

While these trends will have an impact on Canada’s travel and tourism industry as whole, this webinar will focus on the implications and opportunities for small and medium-sized tourism businesses specifically. There will be an opportunity for questions, and they welcome an open dialogue on these important new findings.

Date: February 1st at 10 am (PT)

Click here to register.

Join TIABC and the BC Hotel Association for the 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference as we 'Kickstart the Comeback' and gather in-person to learn, tackle issues, forge new relationships, and work toward resiliency in the face of one of the hardest years in our sector's history.

When | March 9-11, 2022

Where | Richmond Conference Centre, Richmond

This year's conference will bring together hundreds of tourism owner/operators, hoteliers, destination marketing and management professionals, educators, government representatives, industry sectors, and other stakeholders representing all regions of British Columbia.

Registration is set to open this month.

Visit here for more details including how to become a sponsor of the BCTHC!

Email us at info@bctourismandhospitalityconference.com

Have you started thinking about your summer hiring needs? Canada Summer Jobs supports non-profits, small businesses (50 or fewer employees), and public sector employers to provide quality summer work experiences for youth aged 15 to 30 years old.

Service Canada’s Canada Summer Jobs program is an initiative of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy which aims to provide quality work experiences for youth to develop skills and gain paid work experience to successfully transition into the labour market.

Date: January 12th at 1:00 pm (PT)

Talent MATCH has partnered with Service Canada to bring you this free info session featuring Canada Summer Jobs representatives Line Noel and Melanie Greene, who will explain how the program works and how to apply. Note that the Call for Applications for the Canada Summer Jobs will open soon and close in late January.

The Talent MATCH Program is a collaboration between the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture, the BC Museums Association, go2HR, and the Association for Co-operative Education & Work Integrated Learning BC/Yukon.

This info session is free, but you must register for it here.

When: Thursday January 13th

Presentations: 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Business Meeting: 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Where: Virtual, Zoom

Join us as we share recent WTA accomplishments and areas of focus for the new year. We are pleased to be joined by Walt Judas, CEO of TIABC, and Krista Bax, CEO of go2HR, who will guide us in imagining what's next for British Columbia's tourism industry.

The afternoon will unfold as follows:

1:00 - 1:30pm Opening Remarks & WTA Accomplishments - Breanne Quesnel

1:30 - 2:00pm Rebooting BC’s Visitor Economy - Walt Judas, CEO of TIABC

2:00 - 2:30pm WTA Marketing Direction - Jessica Fremlin

2:30 - 3:00pm Staffing & Retention Challenges - Krista Bax, CEO of go2HR

3:00 - 3:15pm Break

3:15 - 4:15pm Business Meeting, President’s Report, Executive Director’s Report, Treasurer’s Report, Board Elections

Click here to register for the event. Upon registration, you will be sent a Zoom meeting link.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held Wednesday, January 19th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT virtually – please note details for the virtual call will be sent shortly.

To access the proxy vote or nomination form, click on the following:

These documents and the link to register to the AGM require you to log in to your membership account with TIAC.

If you have forgotten your login information to access benefits or renew your membership, click here and input your email address and check your inbox.

The British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) is presenting its 2022 Annual BC Economic Summit in a virtual format with the theme of Reconciliation and Resiliency - A Future for BC.

Date: April 3rd 1:30 PM  to April 5th 2:30 PM

This is an opportunity to highlight success stories, lessons learned, share cutting-edge ideas, and engage your colleagues at the premier event for economic development practitioners in British Columbia.

The lineup of speakers includes leading economic development experts and peers, panel discussions and interactive discussion forums, exhibits, BC Economic Development Awards, and virtual networking opportunities.

Click here to learn more and to register.

The organizers of IMPACT 2022 Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference wish to thank you for your patience awaiting this update. They are pleased to announce that IMPACT 2022 will take place from May 9-11 with a special Day of IMPACT on Sunday, May 8th (for an additional fee).

If you are already registered for IMPACT 2022/Day of IMPACT, your registration will be honoured for the new dates.

If you are unable to attend on the new dates and would like to request a refund, please email info@IMPACTnational.ca.

For more information on IMPACT and to register, click here.

RVC+ is going hybrid in 2022! The new format will bring back in-person attendance, while also incorporating a virtual component, creating opportunities for more of industry to engage and make appointments with international buyers, travel trade media and Destination Marketing Companies.

The in-person portion of RVC+ will be a buyer-seated marketplace in Toronto, Ontario. This will be Canada’s RVC and hosted by Destination Canada and TIAC, creating an exciting opportunity to welcome international buyers back to Canada and showcase the beauty of this country, as well as the meaningful travel experiences offered across each province and territory.

Dates: May 24-27

Learn more about Rendezvous Canada 2022 here.

TIAC launched its Elevating Canadian Experience (ECE) program to provide tourism stakeholders with free learning resources in culinary tourism and tools for the winter/shoulder seasons.

The ECE program provides content ranging from strategy development to practical tools and tips - all designed to help grow and adapt your tourism business as an operator and build tourism capacity in your region as a destination partner.

The latest module "Embracing Canada’s Winter and Shoulder Season" has been developed to assist tourism operators and destination partners in broadening the shoulders of your tourism season and provides valuable insights, worksheets, tips and strategies.

Click here to learn more and to download the Toolkit.