C-19 BULLETIN - September 2, 2020

Re-start Guidelines Introduced by BC Meetings & Events Sector

The BC Meetings & Events Industry Working Group has unveiled new B.C. Meetings & Events Safe Restart Guidelines that will form the basis for the eventual re-opening of the sector. These comprehensive, high-level guidelines are meant for all types of events and operators.
 
The document was vetted by WorkSafe BC, the BC Centre for Disease Control, and the Provincial Health Ministry. By having a set of standards that align with the requirements mandated by the health authority, it shows that the Meetings & Events industry take the public health and risk mitigation seriously.
 
This is a critical step to demonstrate commitment across the industry sectors and will prove competency to the provincial government and health authorities. It will ensure that the industry can conduct meetings and events in a safe, controlled, and effective manner. The end goal is to encourage the government and PHO to loosen restrictions on meetings and events with a phased approach.

The Working Group is a voluntary, cross-section group formed in June. The focus of the group now is rallying the industry together to support and adopt the guidelines. The group will engage with the BC government (Tourism Ministry) to advocate for a restart plan with a phased approach for meetings and events.

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Rocky Mountaineer Expecting it To Take Years to Rebuild Business Battered by Pandemic

Despite having a suite of COVID-19 protocols to implement, the rail tour company decided not to operate in 2020 and let go about a quarter of its 325-person workforce, while another 25% was given temporary layoffs. The remaining 162 staff have seen reductions in hours, wages and benefits.

The loss of the 2020 Rocky Mountaineer travel season is poised to leave a 10% hole in Kamloops’ tourism economy, according to Tourism Kamloops. The agency noted guests of the Rocky Mountaineer spend about $50 million in Kamloops — about a tenth of the estimated $500 million spent by tourists in the city each year.

Read the full story at:
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Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Releases Recovery Plan
on Helping Business Survive

Report includes a focus on the visitor economy

In its report, the Board compels the Province to focus on immediate effective measures that help businesses recover and get people back to work, without losing sight of efforts that underpin our competitiveness, and that foster the future prosperity of BC. The entire apparatus of government should be focused on economic recovery and supporting the people of British Columbia.

TIABC presented to the GVBoT Policy Committee in May to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and hospitality and the needs of the sector going forward. Among the focus areas, the report specifically references BC's visitor economy:

Support sectors that are positive economic multipliers for the region and province, such as tourism and travel

  • Seek innovative solutions that allow for safe international travel as well as domestic travel to keep our regions connected.
  • Incentivize travel within the province and country in part by lower costs for travel through a waiver of PST on items such as hotels and flights for B.C. residents and/or broadening the exemption from the carbon tax on aviation fuel to include intra-provincial flights.
  • Fund marketing campaigns to encourage tourism and travel demand.
  • Coordinate with public health and various government ministries, as well as new technologies to support safe travel.
  • Take a science-based approach to travel restrictions, including the easing of travel restrictions from locations with a low prevalence of COVID-19, especially within Canada.
  • Support new technology that facilitates rapid testing and screening processes.


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2020 go2HR Strategic Planning
Employer Survey

Help Shape the Future of go2HR

After a year of transition, go2HR is charting a new course and needs your input on how they can best meet the needs of industry. It is a timely question given the impacts of COVID-19 on the industry and the long, uncertain road ahead. Now more than ever, go2HR needs to be supporting businesses on the road to recovery. To inform their future direction, they need to hear industry’s voice….your voice.

go2HR recognizes the value of your time, particular during this pandemic. If you are an employer, they ask for 15 minutes to complete this survey to offer your valuable insights on the key human resource issues facing the industry and how go2HR can best help the industry in dealing with these issues going forward.
Take the survey here

Whether or not you are an existing user of go2HR's services, they want to hear from you! The
survey is open until September 18th. Your input will help shape a new strategic plan for go2HR that will be shared in the new year.

go2HR is working with Qatalyst Research Group. Any information you provide will be compiled by Qatalyst, held confidential and reported only in summary form with the responses of other participants.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact info@go2HR.ca
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Overcoming Challenges During a Pandemic

KCFN Marina and Campground LP operates four businesses in Kyuquot (including Walters Cove Resort, Fair Harbour Marina and Campground, Houpsitas Village Suites); all of which have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The overall company expects a total revenue loss in excess of $1.5-million; about a 65% reduction of what was projected for the 2020/21 fiscal year. Operating in the territory of the Kyuquot/Checklesaht First Nations and understanding where the local Indigenous Peoples stood on allowing visitors into the village also posed a unique challenge.
 
Walters Cove Resort is a fishing lodge that did not open for the 2020 season. Thankfully, over 90% of its primarily American guests rolled their deposits over to 2021, however, that has left the seasonal business with no revenue for 2020.

Fair Harbour Marina and Campground opened to guests on June 29th, but is usually open all year and in full swing by the May long weekend so has lost the revenues from its highest capacity operating period.

Houpsitas Village Suites is a brand new motel that opened March 9th then immediately closed March 16th due to COVID-19. It has recently reopened for essential workers in the community, but remains closed to visitors.

KCFN Marina and Campground achieved a ground-breaking collaboration between the Kyuquot/Checklesaht First Nations and tourism operators in the territory to determine how they could safely operate. They came up with a set of parameters around which to base a COVID-19 operating plan that was submitted to the Nations for approval.

Although the Nations are restricting access to Kyuquot through Fair Harbour to authorized travel only, they agreed to permit guests who have booked with one of the tourism operators in the region to enter the territory with adherence to the community protection plan and all COVID health and safety protocols.

Read the full story at:
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October 2

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

CCCTA/TOTA AGM & Conference
October 26-27

September 21-25

November 17-18
****NOTE: TIABC's C-19 Bulletin is now 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.