Dear BCLCA Member:

This past week sees the end of the COVID 19 travel restrictions. Starting October 1, 2022, all COVID-19 border requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation requirements will END for all travellers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea.

Other news saw Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Melanie Mark resign from cabinet and go on medical leave to focus on pressing and urgent personal matters. In her place Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services, was appointed by Premier John Horgan.

September 30th was National Truth & Reconciliation Day. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. This day is a vital component to the reconciliation process.

There is still time for you to register for the BCLCA Ideas Forum, which is less than three weeks away. The three-day event October 18 – 20 in Kelowna is a learning and networking experience for operators of Campgrounds, RV Parks and Lodging. Members can attend in person or virtually. Check out the agenda and learning opportunities below.

Haven't registered yet? It's not too late! Check out the full schedule here and register at https://bc.mycampcon.com/register/

Day 2 opens with keynote presentation a “Panel on the Role of RV Dealers and Services in the Supply Chain”. Led by Eleonore Hamm, President of RV Dealers Association of Canada. The panel features Doug Thibault, Mike Roseman RV Sales; Leo Atkins, Forest River Inc. and Rob Edwards, NTP-Stag Canada. The panel will discuss the impact climate change initiatives such as emissions are having on vehicle transmissions and designs. 

The trade show opens at 11:00 am for three hours and includes lunch – here is the list of confirmed exhibitors with more on the way - https://bc.mycampcon.com/exhibitors/

Virtual Session - Industry Trends and Insights – Liddie Sorensen-Lawrence, Align Consulting Group. Liddie will touch on the research finding of the camping and RVing BC Coalition and Reference industry reports such as KOA.

Virtual Session - Importance of Waivers – James Grant, President and CEO at Signature Risk Partners and Sharon Parker, Commercial Underwriter, Signature Risk Partners – Do you need waivers at your business? Hear about whether you should have guests sign these, what should be included in waivers and what will and will not hold up in court.

 

Onsite Session - Campground Maintenance – Chris Rhodes Director of Operations at Central East for Parkbridge

Virtual Session “The 5-Step Process to Starting a Glamping Business” Connor Schwab, Director of Outdoor Resorts at Sage Outdoor Advisory and Nick Purlow, Managing Director at Glampitect North America - Learn about the turnkey costs and ROI, what is the best glamping product to install and the regulatory concerns such as permits, building codes and more.

After the break at 3:00 pm choose from:

Virtual Session - Accessibility Best Practices and Audits with Mark Groulx, Assistant Professor at University of Northern BC School of Environmental Planning and Nancy Harris, Regional Development Liaison at Spinal Cord Injury BC. The accessibility attributes of mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive will be discussed.

Onsite Session - Psychological Health and Safety with Trudi Rondou, Senior Manager in Prevention Programs and Performance at Worksafe BC. Mental health is more important now than ever. It is likely you have come across the term resilience, as it is used in many ways. In this presentation, individual and organizational resilience are explored. Individual resilience looks at what an individual can do to protect their own mental health, while organizational resilience speaks to workplace culture and what leadership can do to create psychological safety in the workplace. Learn about the pillars of resilience, how they fit together and impact one another. Gain an understanding of strategies for resilience, both individually and organizationally, and the resources available to support positive mental health.

The final workshop of the day is a hands-on marketing session with Brian Searl, Insider Perks. Brian will walk through analytics and how to target market based on insights.

Many RV Parks and campgrounds stay open during the winter and host winter campers from November 1 to April 30. These campers are winter snowbirds or full time RVers and the site rentals include water, power, internet and garbage collection.

Operators need to be aware that they are operating under a licence to occupy with the camper and should have a legal agreement in place.

The licence to occupy template developed by the BCLCA is attached and can be used to avoid creating a tenancy and itemizing the agreed terms with the camper.

The BCLCA makes no representations or warranties regarding the use of the Agreement and encourages members to obtain independent legal advice regarding whether the Agreement satisfies their own personal or business needs.

The Agreement sets out the use of the site and has a schedule B, which is the Site Rules. When the occupant signs the agreement, they acknowledge and agree to comply with and observe any and all rules and regulations that the Operator may adopt from time to time, including but not limited to the rules and regulations attached in Schedule “B” to this Agreement (the “Site Rules”).

So, what are the common rules and what should you consider?

What are the occupier’s responsibilities:

The BCLCA also markets winter camping in Super Camping and online via the website please visit https://www.travel-british-columbia.com/rving/winter-camping/ and check your listing.

The Tourism Industry Association of BC has developed a Municipal Election Toolkit, which includes questions submitted by the BCLCA and other tourism organizations. For instance:

 

 

 

Next month, residents of communities across the province go to the polls to elect local politicians, school board trustees, and/or park board commissioners.

 

Decisions made by civic leaders are extremely important to our visitor economy and it is incumbent on the tourism industry to pay attention and get involved. TIABC's Municipal Election Toolkit will help you play a vital role in shaping the conversation and outcome of these elections, which take place on Saturday, October 15th.

 

TIABC's THREE-STEP kit is designed to prime you with the right data, messages, and questions that will elevate the importance of tourism in BC and your role in it.

 

Read TIABC's full Municipal Elections Toolkit HERE.

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