As announced yesterday, the Province is extending the provincial State of Emergency. This is due to the recovery efforts still underway in communities affected by severe flooding and highways damaged by flooding and mudslides.

Given the continued need for public safety measures under the Emergency Program Act and ongoing work to repair damaged highways, the provincial State of Emergency is being extended until the end of the day on December 28th.

The order restricting non-essential travel on highways 3 and 99 will remain in place. This includes:

The Province is also allowing the order limiting non-essential fuel use to expire. This temporary measure limited non-essential vehicles to 30 litres of fuel (gas and diesel) per trip to the gas station and has been in place since November 19th. With the gradual re-opening of the Trans Mountain Pipeline coupled with shipments of fuel by truck and barge arriving in British Columbia, this order expired effective December 14th.

Read the full announcement here.

Eligibility Expanded

Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) eligibility has been expanded for people affected by flooding and landslides from November 14th to December 2nd and now includes British Columbians in the northwest, southwest, central, and southeast areas of the province and on Vancouver Island.

This assistance includes all Indigenous communities, electoral areas and municipalities within those geographic boundaries. DFA is available to homeowners, residential tenants, business owners, farm owners, and charitable organizations that were unable to obtain insurance to cover disaster-related losses. DFA is unable to compensate for losses for which insurance was reasonably and readily available.

Individuals, small businesses, farms and charitable organizations can access the DFA application online and applications will be accepted until March 3rd, 2022:

Indigenous communities and local governments that have infrastructure damage because of the recent flooding should submit a local government DFA application as soon as possible and no later than March 3rd, 2022 here.

For a map of eligible Indigenous communities, electoral areas and municipalities, check here.

Information, eligibility criteria, categories and applications can be found by calling toll free 1 888 257-4777 or visiting here.

British Columbians have faced unprecedented challenges from severe weather and flooding that have impacted the normal ability to travel between the Lower Mainland and the rest of the province.

While the work is ongoing to repair the damage done, we can still travel to connect with family and enjoy winter recreation if we plan ahead and prepare for situations that can shift rapidly. Many of us are eager to travel and see family and friends this winter.

This toolkit has been developed by several sector association and marketing partners as a guide for operators to share with visitors who plan to travel in British Columbia this winter.

Along with this comprehensive toolkit, Destination BC has prepared comprehensive information on How to Travel Throughout BC This Winter. Please be sure to share this link.

As things evolve, TIABC and our partners will do our best to keep industry informed by updating this toolkit, as well as the links to critical information that should reflect changes to travel information.

PreparedBC has additional resources and step-by-step guides to prepare tourism businesses and their staff for emergencies, with templates and tools to help operators easily plan a fast and effective response.

TIABC CEO, Walt Judas was a guest of CKNW's Simi Sara earlier today, talking about BC's crippled tourism industry and why parts of the industry are facing another uphill battle with an uncertain recovery horizon.

Despite some signs of optimism for 2022 that include reopening of the cruise sector, as well as the meetings & conventions sector along with increased air capacity, the tourism and hospitality industry continues to be severely impacted by today's issues that include travel restrictions and weather-related challenges such as this year’s damaging storms.

Listen to the full interview here.

Yesterday, an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Destination Vancouver and Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) to develop a coordinated, sustainable, and socially conscious Indigenous tourism industry.

The joint efforts of both organizations to achieve a diverse, strong and vibrant visitor economy are integral to the rebuild and growth of Vancouver’s tourism sector and the city’s Indigenous tourism businesses.

The MOU begins the process of building an ongoing relationship between Destination Vancouver and ITBC, as well as the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nations to promote Indigenous cultures, experiences and businesses. The goal of the MOU, which is grounded in a commitment to reconciliation, is to respect proper protocols, build trust, and respect the ancestral knowledge of these nations within Vancouver tourism.

This new partnership comes at a pivotal time for the tourism industry, as recreational travel continues to rebound and economic recovery ensues after the initial impacts of COVID-19.

Destination Vancouver and ITBC were joined by Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, several Vancouver City Councillors and TIABC CEO Walt Judas who witnessed the pledge to this new partnership and commitment to forge a collaborative path forward for the future of tourism in Vancouver.

Click

here to read the full announcement.

People throughout BC will be able to enjoy more arts, culture, sports and community occasions as the Province announced yesterday their support for more than 680 events.

The Government of BC is providing nearly $30 million through one-time grants to eligible event organizers to support their efforts to resume safely. Grant amounts for each event are as much as 20% of the total event budget, for a maximum of $250,000.

Successful recipients demonstrated the economic and social benefits to the community and strong local or regional support. Eligible expenses include operational costs, health and safety measures, venue rental, marketing, wages, and promotion.

Applications for the Fairs, Festivals and Events Recovery Fund grant were accepted from August 27th to October 1st, for events that were scheduled between July 1st, 2021, and September 30th, 2022.

The regional breakdown for recipients of the Festivals, Fairs and Events Recovery Fund grant is:

Eligible events include arts, culture and sporting events and festivals, community celebrations and gatherings, agricultural fairs, rodeos and exhibitions. Through the BC Major Anchor Attractions grant, $36.8 million was provided to more than 80 anchor attractions and tour buses.

Read the full announcement HERE

Foodservice and hospitality businesses across Canada are worried about the minimum-wage hikes scheduled to take effect in 2022 as many are still struggling to operate amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As one of the hardest-hit industries, operators that can’t afford to pay their staff more will be placed at risk and may have to shut down their operation during what has become the the most difficult of times for the sector.

While it is understood that a minimum-wage wage increase will help workers gain access to the necessities of living, the consequence of raising minimum wage will mean higher costs to businesses. As a result, businesses need to either reduce costs or increase prices to stay afloat, especially during the winter months, which can be more difficult months to generate revenue to begin with.

Moving forward, industry-leading organizations are asking government to be included in conversations related to minimum-wage increases for the benefit of operators and their employees.

For British Columbia:

Click here to read the full story.

Vancouver Airport Authority has announced two executive movements. Mike McNaney will join its executive team as Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer, and Gerry Bruno, Executive Advisor to the CEO, will be retiring.

A seasoned aviation and airline executive, Mr. McNaney will oversee a newly formed portfolio at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The portfolio will bring together government relations, stakeholder and customer relations, and corporate communications. Mr. McNaney will lead the delivery of strategic and seamless engagement with YVR’s many stakeholders and partners to drive the airport forward in service of our community and the economy that supports it.

Mr. McNaney will be stepping down this month from his current role as President & CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC), the industry association representing Canada’s largest air carriers. Up until two years ago, McNaney was a member of TIABC's Policy Committee.

Mr. McNaney will take up the position of Vice President & Chief External Affairs Officer at YVR on January 10, 2022.

Mr. Bruno, during an impressive 47-year career, has made significant contributions to Canada’s aviation industry and to the success of YVR. He has spearheaded a number of transformational initiatives, including federal and provincial advocacy, airport master planning and border coalition efforts to ensure ease of travel between the Canada-U.S. border and beyond.

Mr. Bruno has decided to retire effective March 31, 2022. Beginning in January, he will focus on transitioning his accountabilities while also organizing the Transportation Border Summit in Washington, D.C.

Read the full announcement here.

The BC Destination Marketing Organization Association (BCDMOA) held their Annual General Meeting earlier today with the purpose to receive the financial statements of the association for the fiscal year ending December 31st, 2020, approve the minutes of the previous AGM, and to elect Directors for the 2022 term.

Chair, Nancy Small (Tourism Richmond) delivered a summary of the years activities that included recognizing the challenges community destination marketing/management organizations continue to face as a result of the pandemic and recent environmental conditions as well as the role the organization has had in working with industry leaders to help mitigate the impacts. She acknowledged that DMO's are faced with asymmetric recovery; each having different challenges, different projections and seeking different results, but share in the common goal of recovery and strengthening the industry.

Elected by acclimation:

1. Dustin Bodnaryk, Tourism Dawson Creek

2. Allison Colthorp, Tourism Chilliwack

3. Monica Dickinson, Tourism Kamloops

4. Barrett Fisher, Tourism Whistler

5. Craig Nichols, Tourism Abbotsford

6. Chris Peters, Tourism Burnaby

7. Denise Stys-Norman, Tourism Ucluelet

They join the following Directors who are mid-way through their term and will continue on the Board for the 2022 term.

1. Gladys Atrill, Tourism Smithers

2. Blain Sepos, Parksville, Qualicum Beach Tourism

3. Nancy Small, Tourism Richmond

The new BCDMOA Board of Directors will reconvene in January for their first board meeting, and to elect their 2022 Officers.

Congratulations are in order for GreenStep and the recent announcement of their achievement of the 'GSTC-Recognized Standard status'. GreenStep Sustainable Tourism Standards are used by GreenStep Solutions in their assessment and verification programs which provide tools, resources, and consultative support to destinations and businesses across the tourism industry. The Sustainable Tourism standards enable tourism businesses and destinations to measure their sustainability performance in several key categories; management, social, economic, natural, cultural, and environmental.

The GSTC-Recognized status refers to the standard itself and means that a sustainable tourism standard or system has been reviewed by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Assurance Panel and deemed the standard or system equivalent to the GSTC Criteria for sustainable tourism. It shows that the set of standards are based on the 4 pillars of the GSTC Criteria: Environment, Social, Cultural, and Management principles.

GreenStep is the only North-American based provider of GSTC-recognized standards for Destinations. The status offers the market a proof that these standards adhere to international norms. GSTC Recognition does not ensure that a certification process is reliable, only that the set of standards used to certify are equivalent to the GSTC Criteria.

Read more about Sustainable Tourism Assessments for Destinations here.

The Reopening Fund is a one-year funding initiative through the Celebration and Commemoration Program to support initiatives that will:

To be eligible for funding from the Celebration and Commemoration Reopening Fund, your project must:

The deadline to apply is January 10th, 2022. Check here for more information and to contact Reopening Fund to request an application package.

The Right Amount is an initiative for Canadian wineries to promote responsible consumption of alcohol, providing Canadians with tools and information to make informed and responsible decisions about alcohol, and promote drinking wine in moderation.

The campaign navigates the audience to The Right Amount website which contains public low risk drinking guidelines and resources, the definition of a standard drink, and an innovative drink calculator that will determine the number of standard drinks in a glass or bottle based on volume and alcohol percentage.

The Right Amount Campaign launched November 17th, with an online advertising campaign and media promotion to well position the industry in the lead up to the holiday season. The campaign is designed to grow organically over time, strengthened by participation of all wineries across Canada to become an industry standard practice.

Industry-wide participation is required for campaign to be truly effective in engaging Canadian consumers and promoting the responsible consumption of Canadian wines. Wine Growers British Columbia encourages all member wineries to participate.

Click here to learn more about The Right Amount initiative.

Tourism Relief Fund: Program funding to empower tourism operators to create new or enhance existing tourism experiences to attract more local and domestic visitors and helping the sector reposition itself to welcome international visitors by offering the best Canadian tourism experience we have to offer the world.

Canadian Emergency Rent Subsidy: Subsidy of up to 75% of eligible expenses until October 23, 2021. Also includes an additional Lockdown Support of 25% if your business was significantly affected by a public health order. Applications to this program can happen retroactively back 6 months. Hotline: 1-800-959-5525 An extension to May 7, 2022 is currently proposed and still pending decision.

Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program: Aimed at sectors like tourism and hospitality, hotels, arts and entertainment, and will offer 100% government-guaranteed financing and provide low-interest loans up to $1 million for up to ten years. Available until December 31, 2021.

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: Covers part of your employee wages retroactively back to December 20, 2020 until October 23, 2021. The maximum subsidy is 75%. Hotline: 1-800-959-5525 An extension to May 7, 2022 is proposed and still pending decision.

Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP): The new Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) is designed to encourage businesses to grow as the economy recovers, whether it’s due to hiring and re-hiring staff, increasing shifts, or increasing overall pay. This program has a proposed extension to May 7, 2022.

Note: Your business can only claim the CEWS OR CRHP - here is a comparison between the two programs

Canada Recovery Benefit: The Canada Response Benefit ended October 23, 2021. Claims can be made up to December 22, 2021. The government has proposed a new Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit that would provide $300 for eligible workers who are unable to work due to a temporary local lockdown anytime between Oct 24, 2021 and May 7, 2022. Further details on this proposed benefit will be released in the near future. Hotline: 1-833-966-2099

The 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Awards are presented by TIABC and BCHA to recognize and celebrate excellence, leadership, and innovation within BC’s tourism & hospitality industry. These Awards recognize the province’s most exceptional products, services, experiences,

and people who exhibit the utmost standard of excellence.

Do you have something you’d like to share with your industry colleagues at the 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference?

You have less than one week to submit a session proposal through our Conference Call for Presentations. The deadline to submit is 5:00pm (PT) Friday, December 17, 2021. 

The 2022 conference theme of Kickstarting the Comeback will be explored through the following session themes:

Workforce & HR

Sustainability

Technology & Innovation

Trends & Insights

Marketing

Advocacy

Hotel-Specific Content

You are Invited to Submit Your Proposal for Presentation Here

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 10, 2022, at the Richmond Conference Centre.

Indigenous Operator

Sustainability

Accessibility

Employees First

Business Woman of the Year

Hotelier of the Year

Innovation

Community Contribution & Impact

Professional Excellence

For more information about each award click here.

The deadline to submit a nomination is January 14th, 2022.

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

Are you a liquor licensee member of ABLE BC interested in running for a position on ABLE BC's Board of Directors? Is there someone you would like to nominate?

ABLE BC is currently seeking nominations for two director positions. Positions are available in: one from Vancouver Island, and one from Vancouver, Coast and Mountains region. Directors serve two-year terms and help set strategic direction for ABLE BC.

Download a nomination form here.

After the nomination period ends, election ballots will be circulated to all members in the appropriate region for voting (if necessary).

All completed nomination forms must be submitted to ABLE BC no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 7, 2022. Fax to 604-688-8560 or email to Executive Director Jeff Guignard.

Please support our BC hospitality and tourism community by purchasing tickets to a Holiday 50/50 Lottery benefiting the BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF).

This licensed lottery is being promoted ONLY in our local hospitality and tourism community, so someone in or related to our industry will be the big winner!

Help Industry Workers in their Time of Need. Purchase Tickets Here Today.

Ticket Package Options:

5 for $10

20 for $20

150 for $40

We are grateful that the BCHF receives funds from a variety of corporate initiatives initiated by our friends and colleagues in the hospitality industry, including partial proceeds from product sales. Please support our supporters by choosing to purchase their products, and help boost the BC economy at the same time!

Shop with our supporters 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.

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 20-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. Our success depends on you.

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, 2022

Get Started with Email Marketing, Date: February 2nd 2022

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 21, 2022 @ 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 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

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.

At the 2022 BCTHC, you can be part of an incredible opportunity to collaborate, share stories of success and resilience, acquire new research and best practices, be inspired for creative new projects and initiatives, and build bold ideas that will help kickstart the comeback of BC’s tourism industry.

Hotel booking and travel details will be made available before the end of 2021.

Registration is set to open in early January 2022.

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, 2022.

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.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held Wednesday, January 19, 2022 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET 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 Vancouver, Coast & Mountains team, managed by Destination BC, is collaborating with The Forum, to create a tourism program tailored specifically for women-led businesses and entrepreneurs.

The two-day virtual program will provide expertise and resources to support women in tourism, delivered by The Forum and other subject matters experts in January 2022.

The Forum is a BC-based national charity whose mission is to provide self-identified women entrepreneurs with the resources and community they need to succeed in business.

The free, application-based virtual program will take place over two days on January 13 and 20, 2022.

Applications will be accepted until December 15, 2021 at 4:00pm PST or until all available spots have been filled. You are advised to apply early as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Learn more in the Applicant Information Package and Apply Here. 

The dream to create a legacy for sustainable and regenerative tourism in Canada is stronger than ever, and we need your voices! Join in on a national conversation on sustainable tourism, as delegates and speakers explore and compare models for tourism recovery. Hear from some of the most creative and innovative experts in the business and address our new reality of higher expectations, for and of visitors.

Date: January 23 - 26, 2022, Victoria, BC

Click here to learn more and to register.

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 24th - 27th, 2022

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.