When Canadians last went to the polls nearly two years ago, I drove my 27-year-old son to the voting station where, for the first time, he cast a ballot to elect a member of parliament (MP). Up until then he had only voted provincially. But after listening to my many eye-rolling lectures, as well as observing my advocacy work at the national level, he finally relented and exercised his right to vote federally.

Although tempted, I knew better than to tell my son who to vote for. Conversely, I encouraged him to learn more about his local candidates and educate himself on the various party platforms. I reminded him that as much as you’re voting for a party, you also need to feel confident that your local MP will adequately represent your riding and help address the issues that you care about.

For the record, I’m in the camp that believes having an election during a pandemic is disruptive, a waste of money, further delays important decisions, and could throw a wrench into much-needed support programs to help our sector recover depending on who forms the next government

At the same time, this election campaign has provided welcome information on what actions various parties would take going forward vis-à-vis measures to help Canada’s visitor economy emerge from the pandemic. While far from the only critical issue Canadians are facing, at the very least a commitment to further support tourism and hospitality is vital for the one in 10 residents whose livelihoods depend on people travelling within and to Canada.

As you’ve likely seen in previous TIABC C-19 Bulletins, our national partners at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), along with the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) who are spearheading the Hardest Hit Coalition (HHC), have summarized the various party platforms and been encouraging our industry to engage with local candidates throughout the campaign.

However, it’s not enough for us to read, write or talk about it. In fact, the ultimate action is for those of us in tourism to stuff the ballot box on the 20th. As I alluded to earlier, there are many more issues aside from tourism recovery to consider when deciding who to vote for. Nonetheless, federal government relief is paramount to the future of British Columbia’s visitor economy. It's up to you and I to vote for who we determine to be the best party to (among other promises) deliver on its commitment to help our sector rebuild.

Although my calendar is jammed with meetings on Monday, I will find the time to mark X next to my preferred candidate’s name at some point during the day. Then I plan to fly to Kelowna to pick up my son and take him to his local polling station to ensure he too casts a ballot.

😉😊

Walt Judas

CEO, TIABC

2022 Priorities

Yesterday, TIABC's Board of Directors met in-person for the first time since March 2020 to discuss advocacy priorities and organizational goals for the remainder of this year and 2022. The meeting also included a virtual component with a few directors and presenters participating via Zoom.

The board also had the opportunity to meet with Honourable Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport, as well as Destination BC CEO Richard Porges. During the working lunch, the Board and Minister discussed the challenges the tourism industry continues to face, as well as ways to work together to provide ongoing relief and recovery efforts to help the visitor economy recover.

Pictured left to right: Board members; Dennis Innes, Michael J. Ballingall, Walt Judas (CEO) Ian MacPhee, Hon. Melanie Mark, J.J. Belanger, Beverley DeSantis, Vivek Sharma (Chair) and guest Richard Porges, president/CEO of Destination BC.

Concerns have been rising again that the temporary legislation to halt cruise ships from stopping in Canadian ports may become permanent. Walt Judas spoke with CKNW's Jas Johal on Tuesday and advised that this move would be extremely detrimental to BC's $2.7B cruise industry, as well as the tourism sector as a whole.

Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer spoke prior to Walt about the Passenger Vessels Services Act and why the US is considering making Canadian port stop-overs obsolete, in particular, on the Alaska cruise itineraries.

Click here to listen to the full interview. Walt Judas begins at 11:05 mark.

For the first time since March 2020, Victoria Clipper V sailed from Seattle to Greater Victoria’s Belleville Terminal.

Due to closure of the Canada-US border to non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time many American travellers have visited Greater Victoria in over 18-months, providing an opportunity for them to be reunited with friends and family, as well as enjoy a world-class leisure destination.

Health and safety are top priorities of Victoria Clipper V owners FRS Clipper. Guests are required to submit their travel information via ArriveCAN within 72 hours prior to arrival to Canada, which includes proof of full vaccination and a quarantine plan, as well as proof of a negative PCR test. Passengers are also provided material on British Columbia COVID-19 rules and regulations to ensure a smooth and enjoyable visit in the destination.

At this time, only American passengers are allowed to cross the Canada-US border for non-essential purposes. Canadians are still not allowed to travel into the United States. The scheduled sailings are designed to accommodate the needs of travellers to Greater Victoria and will provide a boost to the Greater Victoria visitor economy.

Destination Greater Victoria research has established visitors from the US spend 70% more than Canadian visitors within Greater Victoria. In a typical year, Greater Victoria welcomes almost one million overnight visitors from the US, accounting for almost 23% of total visitors and more than 29% of all visitor spending - or over $400 million. Almost half of American visitors to Greater Victoria are from Washington State.

Learn more about the FRS Clipper here.

TIABC, BCHA, Indigenous Tourism BC, Destination BC and the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat have developed a new toolkit to summarize current guidelines, provide links to more information on topics like dealing with customers without proof of vaccination, and recruiting and training staff.

As we continue to move through the remaining steps in BC's restart plan, the toolkit will be updated with new and notable information. We trust it will be helpful as as we continue to assist businesses, travellers and visitors.

The requirement will be time limited through to January 31, 2022, subject to possible extension.

You do not have to check proof of vaccination at indoor organized events with less than 50 people, except adult sports.

New requirements are being implemented through orders from the provincial health officer. New public orders for Gatherings and Events and Food and Liquor Serving Premises came into effect on September 13th. The province-wide mask mandate also remains in place.

Download the following new public orders:

Quick Links and Resources:

On Wednesday, September 15th, TIABC delivered the first of our Webinar Wednesday series titled "The Current State of Air Canada & the Airline Sector - What Lies Ahead", with guest speakers Serge Corbeil, Director Government Relations, Local & Provincial and Timothy Liu, Managing Director, Sales Planning & Effectiveness.

They touched on rebuilding Air Canada's network, and ways the airline and tourism industry can work together to bring back visitors to British Columbia.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and the Provincial and Territorial Tourism Industry Association (PTTIA) that includes TIABC, have formed a task force on the issue of rising insurance premiums in the tourism industry.

We are continuing to hear from operators concerned with commercial insurance access, premium increase and limited liability coverage. Insurance is a fundamental element in the industry’s ability to build back stronger post pandemic.

Election Day is just three days away! Thanks to your work, our coalition has been making waves as we continue to press candidates to prioritize additional support measures for the industry. Since the election started, we have successfully secured support (though it varies in approach) from all political parties.

In these final days of the campaign, we have an opportunity to do one last big push to ensure that all candidates and party leaders understand the urgent need for continued and tailored support in order to preserve our industry and make it to recovery.

If you are short on time and can only do one thing, please just send this pre-written letter.

If you can spare more than one minute, please go the extra mile with an organic engagement.

Everything you need to assist you, including email and Tweet templates, key messages and how to find your candidates can be found here.

As you head to the polls, please also inform yourself as to party commitments to the industry. We have collected it all here.

West Kootenay Tourism Innovators Awarded

Destination BC, as the presenting partner of the British Columbia Tourism Innovation Lab, has announced the winners of the “Spark” Grants & Mentorships Program in the West Kootenay. The three winners were each awarded a $3,000 grant, a three-month mentorship, and additional partner support to help them develop their local tourism ideas.

Over the summer, tourism entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations from across West Kootenay were encouraged to submit tourism ideas to enhance current offerings, address gaps or challenges, motivate travel and longer stays, and increase year-round visits in the region.

The top five finalists presented their tourism ideas at a virtual pitch session held on September 15th. A judging panel of partner representatives and a tourism entrepreneur from outside the West Kootenay area selected the three winning applicants.

The West Kootenay “Spark” Program 2021 winners are:

The West Kootenay “Spark” Program is presented by Destination BC in collaboration with the Tourism Innovation Lab, and local partners Kootenay Rockies Tourism, Destination Castlegar, Explore Creston Valley, Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, Tourism Rossland, and Visit Arrow Slocan.

Click here to learn more about BC's Tourism Innovation Lab program.

Alterra Mountain Company recently announced it has purchased Purcell Heli-Skiing in British Columbia. CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, which is owned by Alterra Mountain Company, will fold Purcell Heli-Skiing’s business and ski tenure into its existing operations.

Founded, owned and operated by Swiss mountain guide Rudi Gertsch and his family since 1974, Purcell Heli-Skiing has offered single-day, two-day and three-day heli-ski trips out of Golden in the Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges.

It is the closest major heli-skiing operation to Calgary and is just two hours west of Banff.

With the acquisition, the newly minted CMH Purcell becomes CMH’s 12th heli-ski destination and will add 495,000 acres of backcountry tenure to more than 3 million acres of existing terrain. The addition includes more than 250 ski runs in the Cariboo, McMurdo, Duncan, Canyon, Spillimacheen, International Basin, and Baird drainages.

The sale represents a full-circle moment that brings together the stories of three of the founders of the sport of heli-skiing.

Learn more about CHM Purcell and read the full news release here.

Capilano’s School of Tourism Management has earned international accreditation with the UNWTO TedQual certification.

This accreditation has been a goal of the program for 10 years and was finally realized this last month. It has taken time for the university to lay the foundation of curriculum, faculty, experiential opportunities, internationalization, and a wide alumni network to meet the guidelines outlined by the UNWTO. Capilano University School of Tourism Management is one of only two universities in Canada to meet the rigorous requirements.

TIABC wishes to congratulate Capilano University on this outstanding achievement!

Click here to learn more about the UNWTO TedQual certification.

The WestJet Group has announced that Harry Taylor will assume the interim role of president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a transition period taking place between late November and mid-December 2021. Current CEO Ed Sims announced his retirement on June 9th.

Taylor joined WestJet in 2015 as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). During this time, he led the airline’s inaugural U.S. bond issue, negotiated the purchase of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing MAX aircraft, and was instrumental in the sale of WestJet to Onex. Through the pandemic, Harry led the Finance team in managing WestJet’s liquidity to ensure sustainability with little to no revenue coming in.

While Harry serves as interim CEO, Jennifer Bue, WestJet’s current Vice-President, Finance Planning & Analysis will serve as interim CFO.

Read the full news release here.

Funded by the Government of Canada and delivered through provincial and territorial chambers of commerce, the Shop Local initiative provides grants for programs and campaigns that encourage Canadians to shop local to help businesses navigate through and beyond the pandemic.

The federal government is investing $33 million in the initiative across Canada, of which project funds of $5 million are earmarked for British Columbia.

The BC Chamber of Commerce will deliver the Shop Local initiative in BC, ensuring that the program is inclusive, and funds are distributed equitably across the province's seven economic development regions.

Read more about the Shop Local Initiative in BC here.

Destination BC is seeking representatives for its Tourism Marketing Committee (TMC) for terms beginning January 1, 2022. Interested applicants should possess the following experience and skills, to complement those of the current members:

Each application must include the completed Application Form, including your resume and any other supporting documents you feel are relevant to the process. Applications are to be submitted in electronic form.

Applications must be received no later than 5 pm (PT) on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.

Please submit your Application form to: Tatyana.Slavkova@DestinationBC.ca

Learn more about DBC's Marketing Committee here.

Deadline October 1, 2021

The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) is seeking nominations for its Board of Directors.

For the 2021-2023 term, TIABC is seeking a total of five (5) candidates:

• From the DMO category, one (1) director is required for a two-year term.

• From the Sector Association category, two (2) directors are required for a two-year term.

• From the Business Membership category, two (2) directors are required for a two-year term.

As per the bylaws, the Tourism Industry Association of BC requests that all nominations from members be received 45 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. All nominations for director positions therefore, must be received on or before October 1, 2021 by 5pm.

The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) advocates on behalf of the 19,300+ tourism

businesses and 161,000 employees that work in every community and region of our province for the interests of British Columbia’s $22 billion+ visitor economy (2019). As a not-for-profit tourism industry association, TIABC works collaboratively with its members – private sector tourism businesses, industry associations and destination marketing organizations – to ensure the best working environment for a competitive tourism industry.

Please contact Deborah Kulchiski (Manager, Special Projects, TIABC) at deborah@tiabc.ca

Despite the ongoing challenges our industry continues to face as a result of the impacts of COVID, TIABC is heartened to observe the strength, resiliency and innovative means taking place today. This Bulletin feature will share stories of how people, businesses and organizations, are doing things in an inspiring and way.

As written by Sara Correa of Tourism Kelowna, "this year has been filled with many challenges, and we know that our industry has been immensely affected not only by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic but also by a season of devastating wildfires and smoke".

Tourism Kelowna has been seeking ways to spread a little joy among the amazing people that make up our industry and personally thank them for the great service they provide.

That's where 10 Million Acts of Kindness came into play. Launched in Kelowna in the summer of 2021 by local entrepreneur, Crystal Flaman, this social movement project was aimed at inspiring kindness within the community and beyond. Small acts of kindness can go a long way and the movement's aim is to create a ripple effect in the world that can change people's lives.

Over the past 10 days, as a way of expressing their gratitude to their hardworking industry colleagues, the Tourism Kelowna team hand-delivered over 100 hundred gift bags to front-line staff of Tourism Kelowna stakeholders, including coffee shops, art galleries, hotels, wineries, restaurants, and many more. The gift bags included a thank you note, local products, Love for Kelowna stickers, and a card that not only explained the initiative but also encouraged them to pay it forward with their own act of kindness.

Learn more about the 10 Million Acts of Kindness program here.

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.

Click here for more information on the benefits of becoming a TIABC member.

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.

Destination BC is launching Power Up! The application-based, digital mentorship program will provide 75 eligible BC-based, small and medium sized tourism businesses, sole proprietors, and non-profits across the province with free access to 1-1 digital audit and technical services designed to improve digital marketing activities and use of digital technology.

Businesses can choose one of the following service areas that they deem a priority for their business: digital strategy, SEO, website/booking engine/online store, email, social media audit and strategy, or digital advertising. The service costs will be directly covered through the program up to a maximum of $5,000 per participant and will include supporting educational resources for further learning and ongoing implementation in the future.

Destination BC expects this to be a very popular program. To ensure an equitable process, we are assisting DBC in the promotion of the program from September 7-17 to spread the word as widely as possible and give tourism businesses the opportunity to prepare their applications in advance.

The application intake will begin on September 20th. TIABC will endeavour to keep you informed of the application process.

Join the BC Hotel Association, GreenStep Solutions, and FRESCo Building Efficiency to learn about two FREE programs that are available to accommodators – the BCHA GoGreen program and Fortis Rental Apartment Efficiency program.

These FREE and complementary programs will help operators save water, reduce their carbon footprint, and improve their energy efficiency while saving money!

Take this opportunity to sign up!

Date: Tuesday, September 21 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Register and submit questions here.

Join GreenStep for this free webinar to learn how your tourism business, and the planet, can benefit from assessing your business’s sustainability performance.

Improve your knowledge on sustainability, gain tips on creating an action plan, long-term goal setting, and how to engage your customers and staff.

Dates: September 21 @1:30pm or October 5 @10am

Open to any tourism business globally, register for free here.

The Destination BC Tourism Digital Academy is a free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses interested in building their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level.

Applications for the next two intakes (October 4 and October 11) are now open! Space is limited and past intakes filled up quickly. Don’t miss this free opportunity to take your marketing skills to the next level!

Learn more here.

With this year's theme "Rural, Resilient & Looking Forward", the provincial conference will be held in Revelstoke, BC.

This is an in-person event.

Dates: September 20 - 22.

Click here for more information and to register.

Elections will take place electronically during the period of August 23rd to September 7th. The results of this election will be announced at the Association’s Annual General Meeting.

Dates: October 13th, 2021 (to be held virtually).

Click here for more information and the official Notice of Nominations.

ABLE BC's annual BC Liquor Conference is back for a sixth year. A portion of the tickets will be available to attend in person and the remaining will be available for virtual attendance. No matter where you are in the province - tune in and get the liquor industry data, trends, and policy updates you can’t get anywhere else.

Date: Monday, October 25th

Registration opens soon! Stay tuned for more details.

The 2021 Boating BC Conference Early Bird Registration is now available.

This year’s theme “New Horizons – Building our Industry” will look at a post-pandemic recovery and how the recreational boating industry can build on the surge of interest from consumers over the past 18 months and continue the momentum. Thought leaders from our industry and beyond will provide insights into growing your business for success.

This is a great opportunity to reconnect with industry peers in a safe environment. Provincial health protocols will be in place, including the requirement for everyone to have a BC Vaccine Card.

Don’t miss this must-attend event. Get your tickets early and save! Early bird deadline is Thursday, September 30. Register Now

Dates: November 23rd and 24th

Click here for tickets that are now available online.

Under the theme, Forging Canada’s Tourism Future, this year's Congress will have an amazing line-up of valued experts, innovative panels, enriching content and robust networking opportunities you can only get in person.

Thinking of registering in person? You’ll enjoy additional sessions that are only available live.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION EXTENDED: TIAC Members who register by September 10th - SAVE $100 on in-person registration.

Dates: November 30th and December 1st.

In-person registration includes:

Click here to register and to view the programming being offered at this year’s Congress.

Wednesday, November 17th 2021

Kamloops, BC

Details to the AGM including official Notice of AGM and registration will soon follow.

Dialogue and recommendations will be captured from this annual conference of thought leaders to produce the IMPACT Conference Proceedings Paper in 2022.

As conference organizers, they believe through conversation, inspiration and collaboration they can position Canada as a global leader in sustainability and innovation in tourism and drive a competitive advantage for the future. This is the legacy they hope to create from the IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference.

DATE: January 23 - 26, 2022, Victoria Conference Centre

Details to the Conference including registration will be provided late in August, 2021.

Prince George

TIABC and the BC Hotel Association are excited to be hosting the 2nd annual BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference in Prince George next March.

Details to the conference including registration, accommodation and speaker highlights will be updated in Fall, 2021 on the conference website here.