Dogwood Express Newsletter
|
|
In This Issue:
- Association News Bytes May 2024
- International RV Travel and Canada's Popularity
- How Long Do Hotels Keep Lost Property?
- What is PCI compliance?
- BC Family Fishing Weekend
- Reminder BC's Minimum Wage is Set to Increase on June 1
|
|
|
ASSOCIATION NEWS BYTES MAY 2024
Check out BCLCA's schedule of events and activities. Stay up-to-date with industry happenings and participate in the webinars and forums.
|
|
Supplier Special Offer
-
RV Dealer Pricing - 30 lb pails of Septo Clean for septic systems and RV retail sizes in wholesale case quantities prepaid to your location if you operate a RV store. Contact: Garnet Thibideau, Brand Manager, Septo-Clean Limited - 1-800-558-4845 or customerservice@septoclean.ca. See Flyer
Advocacy Calendar
-
June 6 – 8, 2024 – Joss Penny, Executive Director attending Federation of Canadian Municipalities Convention being held in Calgary with other Canadian Camping and RVing Association members to promote the value of camping and address zoning definitions. To view BC’s brochure and national messaging click here.
Education Services
Announcements
-
BCLCA Auction to raise funds for Care Camps of Canada closed on May 20th and raised $4,959 to help kids with cancer get to experience the healing power of the outdoors by sending them to specialized oncology camps.
|
|
- Picture of member Beaverview RV Park & Campground, McBride proudly displaying 21 years of BCLCA membership decals. Jill and Dave wrote “Thanks for all your help and support over the years.”
- The BCLCA board has increased dues for the next membership year by 5% to offset rising inflationary costs to operate the Association. Membership payments can be made by EFT, cheque or you may pay with Visa/MasterCard. Invoices will be sent in June.
- The Association is implementing a new 2.4% surcharge for Credit Card payments to offset our processing costs from June 1st.
|
|
INTERNATIONAL RV TRAVEL AND CANADA'S POPULARITY
Kimo Linders, Director of Business Development at En Route Travel Canada, recently hosted the final online session of the winter/spring series for BCLCA members. As a board member of BCLCA and a director on the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Kimo shared his insights on international RV travel markets.
En Route Travel Canada, a receptive tour operator, facilitates tourism products for tour operators, assisting inbound tourists with accommodations and itineraries. Kimo attended the major tour operator marketplace, Rendezvous Canada, where he had over 80 appointments last week.
In his presentation, Kimo discussed why international travelers opt for RV rentals and campgrounds in Canada. He highlighted several factors that make Canada an appealing destination: its prominence on travel bucket lists, economic value, favourable weather, and safety. He noted that Europeans, especially from Germany, France, and the UK, constitute the largest group of visitors.
Kimo emphasized the potential of the international market for RV rentals, stressing the importance of accessibility for global guests. He recommended a user-friendly website with a multilingual booking engine and payment system, along with PCI compliance and adherence to stringent European privacy laws.
Highlighting the differences in holiday travel habits, Kimo pointed out that unlike in Canada, where families may take children out of school for camping trips, such absences in Europe could lead to penalties. He also noted that international visitors primarily travel during the high season, particularly in July, and tend to visit more destinations. Moreover, these visitors are less likely to cancel their trips, providing a reliable source of bookings. In 2023, only 1.3% of their bookings were canceled, with most cancellations occurring four months or more in advance.
To conclude the session, Kimo introduced Destination BC’s new initiative, Iconics, aimed at promoting British Columbia's diverse landscapes to international travelers. The first Iconic, focusing on the journey from the Rainforest to the Rockies, has been launched, with a second planned for northern BC. This strategy is designed to aid the travel trade and operators by providing valuable content for better marketing and fostering sustainable tourism, encouraging visitors to explore multiple regions through road trips.
Recording:
If you missed the May 23, 2024, International RV Travel session it was recorded:
Passcode: ^18R$pb$
Contact:
|
|
HOW LONG DO HOTELS KEEP LOST PROPERTY?
Because the British Columbia Hotel Keepers Act does not deal with the matter we must rely on the common law. The basic requirement is that the innkeeper must look after (store) the goods for a reasonable period of time.
The standard of how carefully the property must be looked after is not strict or absolute but only how he or she might look after his or her own property. It is recommended to bag, tag and log the items then store them in a locked room.
As there is no definition of how long a period the property must be looked after each hotel has unique policies regarding how long they hold lost property, but most hold lost items for one to six months. There are exceptions to that timeframe. For example, hotels may toss perishable items like food and alcohol after 24 hours and may keep clothing items for three months. Some things, like electronics, may wait for their owner in a bin or see through bag for up to six months.
After the policy holding period, the hotel may disperse the items left behind to the staff member who found them or donate the items for to goodwill or a charity.
It is recommended properties have a policy of not contacting the guest at his or her home number to report that an item has been found. For whatever reason, guests may wish for their stay at your property to remain confidential; calling the home number and reporting a lost item to someone other than the guest might breach that confidentiality. If the forgotten item is important to the guest, he or she will contact you.
Example Housekeeping Lost and Found Standard Operating Policy
- If an item is found, take it to the dedicated lost and found location in your hotel as soon as they are found.
- Bag, tag and log (include last known person in the room) the item and make sure that you secure the item under lock and key when you have delivered it.
- Put each item in a separate plastic bag before storing.
- All valuable items (phones, wallets, tablets, computers, jewelry) should be stored in a secure locker.
- If it’s a non-valuable item, it stays in lost and found for three months if no one retrieves it and is then discarded.
- If it’s a perishable item (like food), it can be discarded after three days if no one claims it.
|
|
WHAT IS PCI COMPLIANCE?
Several members have contacted the office as they have been informed that their current payment terminals need to be replaced because they are not considered PCI DSS 4.0 compliant.
Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance refers to the data security standards that businesses must adhere to if they capture, process, transmit, or store credit or debit card information. Also known as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), these guidelines are created and enforced by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).
The new PCI DSS 4.0 standard became mandatory on April 1, 2024, so all organizations that take card payments should already have been contacted by their merchant provider to ensure they are compliant. Some of you will have newer terminals that only needed a software update, while others will be required to purchase or lease new terminals. This can cost extra, and small organizations can expect to pay $300 to $500 annually to become and remain compliant.
While you might be tempted to ignore the PCI compliance requirements, you run the risk of being hacked, losing customers, incurring fines, and potentially losing the privilege of accepting credit cards at all.
You may think small businesses don’t attract hackers the way larger corporations do. While the press usually only covers data breaches for larger businesses, PCI compliance for small business owners is more important, since merchants from this category are often the most vulnerable to fraud attacks.
Credit Card Services
BCLCA has an endorsed merchant credit card program with First Data / Fiserv who offer a range of credit and debit card solutions – for a quote contact Paresh Karkhanis at 647-492-8895 or email Paresh.Karkhanis@fiserv.com
|
|
BC FAMILY FISHING WEEKEND
BC's Family Fishing Weekend is an annual celebration of fishing that coincides with the Father’s Day weekend. In 2024, the three-day event falls on June 14th to 16th. This is a great chance to get together with family and friends and try fishing!
The BC Family Fishing Weekend aims to share the simple joy of casting a line and catching a fish with all British Columbians.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate. Take advantage of free fishing days! No fishing licence is required to fish fresh or salt waters from June 14 to 16, 2024.
|
|
REMINDER BC'S MINIMUM WAGE IS SET TO INCREASE ON JUNE 1
Starting June 1st, British Columbia's minimum wage will rise from $16.75 to $17.40 per hour. This 3.9% hike corresponds with the province's average inflation rate for 2023.
|
|
BC LODGING & CAMPGROUNDS ASSOCIATION
209, 3003 St. Johns Street, Port Moody BC V3H 2C4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|