C-19 BULLETIN - September 23, 2020

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Federal Government
Announces Extensions to Relief Programs

Governor General Julie Payette presented the Throne Speech today outlining the Federal Government’s priorities. Gov. General Payette focused on economic recovery and measures that will help Canadians and the economy. The Throne Speech will lead to a vote of confidence in the House of Commons in the coming days and could be key in deciding if Canada will hold a federal election sometime this fall.

TIABC has been actively working with our federal partners at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), and other industry and sector partners, to advocate for the hardest hit businesses in the tourism and hospitality industries.

Travel and tourism was among the only industries directly mentioned in the speech as a sector in need of further support. Some important announcements include:

  • Extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program through the summer of 2021; the wage subsidy extension is part of the government's vow to create one million jobs, which would restore employment to pre-pandemic levels. It is also promising to "scale up" its strategy to help young people gain skills and find jobs
  • Investment in liquidity measures including enhancements to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) and Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)
  • Expanding the emergency business account — which offers interest-free loans of $40,000 to small businesses and non-profits
  • Offering more support for sectors that were hard-hit by the pandemic, such as tourism and hospitality
  • Supporting regional routes for airlines

The Government is investing in technologies to improve COVID-19 testing including faster and safer tests and a vaccine strategy once one becomes available. These measures will be key to returning inbound travel to pre-COVID-19 levels, and aid in the return of normal travel activities. 
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BC Hotel Association Partners with BC Regional Tourism
Secretariat and STR to Support Tourism Resiliency

The not-for-profit organizations utilize vital industry insights and tools from
STR to advance BC accommodation sector in response to Covid-19

BCHA is working in partnership with the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and STR to offer informed recovery strategies for BC accommodators that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using industry data from STR – the sector’s leading data benchmarking and analytics provider – BCHA and BCRTS will develop tools and strategies to support people and communities at the heart of BC’s tourism industry.

As part of the partnership, BCHA and BCRTS will receive weekly reports from STR on trends and insights that inform the current and future realities of the accommodation sector. In addition to effectively communicating these findings to members and stakeholders, the organizations will work together to further develop and deliver education and revenue management training programs for the industry, while strengthening STR insights through promoting the program.

Visit tourismresiliency.ca for more information on the BC Tourism Resiliency Network led by the BCRTS.

Learn more here
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TIABC Welcomes New Member

The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has joined TIABC to support our provincial advocacy efforts. The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC is a private non-profit organization with a mandate to enhance and conserve BC’s freshwater fisheries for public benefit. Working in partnership with government, industry and anglers, their goal is to make fishing in BC even better through the enhancement and conservation of BC's freshwater fish resources.

The Freshwater Fisheries Society provided us with an update on how the pandemic is affecting fishing licences in BC:
  • 18% increase in fishing licence sales to BC residents
  • an increase in licence purchases across all age groups except seniors, with the most significant increase among young anglers (58% increase in 16-24 year old and a 25% increase in 25-34 year old anglers)
  • the sale of non-Canadian licences is down 93% this year
  • non-residents pay more for their licence products, so the increased interest in fishing by BC residents has mostly off-set the lost revenue from non-residents
  • international anglers tend to visit BC to fish in August through October, therefore a decrease in revenue is expected in the coming months
  • the Society is hoping the increased interest in fishing by BC residents will benefit the fishing sector in the years to come
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235 Tourism Operators Receive Funding
With Grants up to $25,000

Earlier this summer, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) launched the COVID-19 Stimulus Development Fund to help Indigenous entrepreneurs and their businesses stay afloat during the shutdown of the global tourism industry as a result of COVID-19. Later paired with additional federal funding of $16 million, ITAC will be able to support many Indigenous tourism businesses in the form of up to $25,000 non-repayable grants.

On Tuesday, ITAC announced Phase Four funding from Intake One (April 2020) for the Stimulus Development Fund, allocating 235 businesses over $4.9 million in grants. Remaining businesses who applied and have completed required documentation but have not yet been announced are still under review.

Phase Four Successful Applicants can be viewed here.
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TIAC Congress 2020

There’s no sugar-coating it—this year has devastated Canada’s visitor economy and we don’t yet know what the road to recovery will look like.

It’s been a hard year, and we’ll feel its impact for years to come. But now, it's time to press pause and reconnect. To come together with our colleagues and share our stories (the good and the bad). To get the tools and insights we need to rebuild the visitor economy and recover from the pandemic. It’s time for the 2020 TIAC Tourism Congress.

Traditionally, TIAC’s Tourism Congress is an in-person event that brings together tourism operators from coast-to-coast-to-coast. But this year, it is going virtual - November 17 & 18.

The 2020 virtual TIAC Tourism Congress program is packed with practical and inspiring sessions, insight into trends that shape the visitor economy, and lots of networking opportunities—just like our past events.

Registration to attend TIAC’s Tourism Congress usually starts at $750. But this year, registration is free to all industry partners, so you can focus on operations, save money, and stay safe.
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Destination BC
Seeks Marketing Committee Members


Destination BC is seeking five representatives for its Tourism Marketing Committee (TMC). For three-year terms beginning January 1, 2021, the TMC requires representatives from the following tourism regions:
  • Two representatives from Vancouver, Coast & Mountains;
  • One representative from Thompson Okanagan;
  • One representative from Kootenay Rockies;
  • One representative from Northern British Columbia.

Learn more at:
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The BC Meetings & Events Covid-19 Safe Restart Guidelines can be found here:

The Working Group is asking industry partners to review the guidelines and complete a very short survey to determine support.
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Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Responds to Provincial Recovery Plan

COVID-19 has had a devastating economic impact on our province and with considerable uncertainty ahead, the road to British Columbia's recovery will be long," said Bridgitte Anderson President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

The Economic Recovery Plan represents a step on that journey. We are pleased to see many of our recommendations were included within the Province's announcement, especially the PST rebate on machinery and equipment. We are also pleased to see continued investments in broadband infrastructure, health and child care, alongside investments to help businesses anchor talent and IP here in B.C.

We eagerly await additional details on how SMEs will be able to access the new payroll tax credit and Small Business Recovery Grant, as well as who will be eligible to access them. These decisions will be vital to ensure that funds flow quickly to businesses who need immediate support to survive.

Since February, more than 8,000 businesses have been lost in Metro Vancouver as a result of COVID-19 and many more are worried about their future as we face a second wave of economic impacts. Travel and tourism industries remain hard hit and will continue to suffer as we move into the fall and winter.

With cases continuing to rise at a record rate, the seriousness of the challenge that faces us cannot be underestimated. It's vital that we approach the economic impacts of COVID-19 with the same intensity as we have the virus itself as bold action will be required to boost business confidence and restore the private sector.
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Leger Weekly Summary

COVID-19 and Mask Wearing
  • Over 8 in 10 Canadians (83%) say governments should make it mandatory to wear masks when in indoor public spaces such as public transit, restaurants or grocery stores. This is a significant increase from when we last asked this question in mid-July where it registered at 67%.
  • Regionally, support for mandatory mask wearing is highest in ON, QC, and MB/SK at mid to high 80s and lowest in Atlantic and AB (low to mid 70s).
  • In the US, 68% support making mask wearing in indoor spaces mandatory.
  • 87% of Canadians agree that wearing a mask protects others and is a civic responsibility compared to 21% who feel it is an infringement on their personal freedom. In the US, 43% feel it is an infringement on their personal freedoms.
  • A similar proportion (88%) of Canadians are opposed to anti-mask demonstrations that have occurred periodically around the country. In the US, 31% support the anti-mask protests.
  • With support for mandatory mask usage noted above, when we re-asked the incidence of relaxing protective health measures, we found that even more Canadians say they are not practicing at least one of the six core measures tested (63% this week vs. 57% last week).
  • Social distancing, always wearing a mask in indoor public places, and frequent handwashing are the three most commonly identified measures not being practiced as often compared to a month ago.
 
COVID Tracking
  • 69% of Canadians feel we are likely to go into a lockdown similar to March-April (up 4 points from last week).
  • 83% of Canadians expect a 2nd wave of the virus to hit Canada and almost half of the population (48%) feel it’s already started. This is up 15 points from last week.
  • Interestingly, in the US, only 22% feel they are already in the 2nd wave of the pandemic.
  • The self-assessed mental health of Canadians is unchanged at 40% saying they are in Excellent or Very Good mental health.
  • Fear of contracting the virus is down slightly this week from the significant jump last week, but still sits at over six in ten (61%).
  • Fear of contracting the virus is highest in BC (72%) and lowest in QC (50%).
  • There has been a decline in the number of Canadians who feel the worst is behind us (20% from 26% last week) and an increase in the proportion who feel the worst is still to come (50%, up from 45% last week).
  • The sentiment the worst is still to come is highest in MB/SK (60%) and BC (58%).
  • Satisfaction with government—all levels—has been tracking downward, albeit very gradually,over the past few weeks. The provinces sit at 73% overall (down from 83% mid-June), the Federal government is at 70% (from 79% mid-June), and Municipal govt.’s are at 69% (down from 79% mid-June).
  • Regionally, PQ leads at 80%, followed by BC and ON at 74% and 73% respectively. MB and SK are both at 62% and AB is at 57% total satisfied.

Read the full report here
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Air Passenger Traffic Significantly decreased in Summer 2020

The Prince George Airport (YXS) reported that in June, there was a 75.20% decrease compared with 2019 with 9,707 passengers arriving and departing.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has reported that passenger counts to the end of July is down 63.3% over 2019.
www.yvr.ca/en/about-yvr/facts-and-stats (see July Traffic update document)

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) has reported passenger counts to the end of August is down 65.6% over 2019 (see graph below)
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Tourism Prince George Launches New Brand

“The city is a center for business, a basecamp for the adventurer, and a portal to the North. As the region’s central hub for railway, highways and airways, we offer any traveler a soft landing – to refuel, rejuvenate and reconnect.”
~Tracey McBride, CEO of Tourism Prince George

  • An interactive map for accommodations in Prince George with filters for hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds, and motels
  • A robust directory for culinary offerings, things to do, experiences, and venues
  • New social media galleries featuring user-generated content – use the hashtag #takeonpg or
  • #exploreprincegeorge on Instagram for a chance to be featured on the website
  • The Basecamp Blog, which features contributions from locals/influencers, suggested itineraries, and activities that are unique to Prince George
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New Partnership Between Destination BC and Small Business BC
Provides Support for Tourism Businesses

Destination BC has partnered with Small Business BC to provide tourism businesses across the province with free access to Small Business BC’s Advisory Services and Education Webinars. Tourism businesses can seek one-on-one expert advice from lawyers, accountants, HR professionals and others, as well as access business strategy advisory support to help answer business questions, including those related to COVID-19.

Through this partnership BC tourism businesses can also access Small Business BC’s collection of approximately 300 education webinars each year on over 40 different business topics free-of-charge.

Removing financial barriers and providing easy access to business support services is crucial for hard-hit tourism businesses in need of COVID-19 recovery support. We encourage tourism businesses to make use of this ongoing, expert-led suite of services!
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Manage your Online Presence: Tripadvisor and HelloBC.com
September 30th and January 13th
Walk through the process step-by-step to claim, create, and optimize your business listings on Tripadvisor and HelloBC.com. 

Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps
October 7th and January 20th
Explore Google My Business and connect with customers through Google Search and Maps. Get hands-on help creating or updating your business profile in this Grow with Google Webinar. 

Get the Most Out of Your Website
October 14the and January 27th
Whether you’ve had a website for 10 years or you’re just getting started, discover how to create a search-friendly website that drives user action and supports your goals. 
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October 2nd

October 7th
(call for Board Nominations open until September 11th)

CCCTA/TOTA AGM & Conference
October 26th-27th

September 21st-25th

TIAC Congress (virtual, free event)
November 17th-18th

TIABC AGM
November 25
TIABC's C-19 Bulletin is published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Feel free to send us your ideas on what information would be valuable for TIABC to share through our COVID-19 Bulletin going forward. Drop us a line at info@tiabc.ca.