Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced today, that eight eight more Canadian airports will reopen for international flights this month including Abbotsford, Kelowna and Victoria.

Alghabra cited Canada’s increased vaccination rate as a main reason for the reopening.

Effective November 30th, international flights carrying passengers will be permitted to land at the following additional Canadian airports:

These airports, in cooperation with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada, are working to implement “the measures necessary” to start safely welcoming international passengers, the Government of Canada states on its website.

Consideration will be given to adding additional airports as conditions dictate, based on demand, operational capacity, the epidemiological situation in Canada, and recommendations from the PHAC, the federal government said.

Aside from Vancouver International Airport, the other Canadian airports currently accepting international flights are: Halifax Stanfield International, Québec City Jean Lesage International, Montréal-Trudeau International, Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International, Toronto Pearson International, Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International, Edmonton International, and Calgary International.

Read the official announcement here.

Tourism Minister Melanie Mark, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming and industry leaders including TIABC CEO Walt Judas, ITBC Chair Brenda Baptiste, BCHA CEO Ingrid Jarrett, DBC CEO Richard Porges and GVHA CEO Ian Robertson issued an op-ed yesterday regarding the official return of cruise ships to BC.

Read the full story here.

BC government workers have three weeks to get fully vaccinated and provide proof — via the BC vaccine card — to their employer. Those who fail to meet the deadline, including people who refuse to disclose their vaccine status, by November 22nd will be put on a three-month unpaid leave unless they have “an approved exemption based on a medical condition or other legitimate grounds.” Workers who still aren’t vaccinated once the unpaid leave ends may be terminated.

Complementary to the new proof of vaccination policy, the existing BC Public Service Occupational Safety and Health Policy has been updated to require contractors and others accessing employee-only areas of indoor public-service workplaces to be fully vaccinated by December 13th. This does not apply to members of the public accessing government services.

Read the full announcement here.

On October 29th, the Provincial Health officer extended the mask mandate that requires asks to be worn in all indoor public spaces throughout British Columbia.

The previous order, which was set to expire on October 31st, has been extended to continue to slow the transmission of COVID-19.

Masks are required in all public indoor settings for all people five and older, regardless of vaccination status. These settings include:

People who cannot wear a mask or who cannot put on or remove a mask without the assistance of others are exempt. A person may not be able to wear a mask for a psychological, behavioural or health condition or due to a physical, cognitive or mental impairment.

For more information please read the government news release here.

Is Regenerative Tourism More Sustainable?

Written by Angela Nagy, President & CEO, GreenStep Sustainable Tourism

Sustainability can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the things I find frustrating, and which makes sustainability confusing and unapproachable for many businesses and destinations, is the regular changing of the goalposts or the language that describes what we’re ultimately trying to achieve.

The term sustainability first became mainstream in 1987, when the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

That’s a pretty simple definition, and it packs a punch, as it is further broken down into three pillars; economic sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability, and environmental sustainability. Almost a decade later in 1995, the term “sustainable tourism” was born at the first World Conference on Sustainable Tourism, where it was defined as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

So how do resiliency and regeneration fit into these definitions and goals? Resilience is about future proofing and the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or the ability to spring back after challenges. Regenerative tourism is about leaving things in a better state than when we found them, about healing.

If we think about the economy and society as wholly owned subsidiaries of the environment, we simply can’t be sustainable without both of these things, and given the current state of our society, environment and economy, resiliency and regeneration are both essential ingredients to achieving sustainability. However, they needn’t be considered just one more aspirational or unattainable thing to add to your to-do list. Rather they should be considered and included as part of your sustainability strategy or impact plan.

Resiliency will be key when preparing for the impacts of climate change. Resilience focused actions should include things like risk-preparedness for fires, floods, droughts, food or supply shortages and the next COVID-19. It should be looking at how rising energy, waste and resource costs, and carbon taxes are going to impact operating and capital budgets, and how to get ahead of these increased costs to ensure margins can be maintained. It should consider changing corporate, employee and consumer preferences, and how you are going to meet the increasing demand for more responsible business.

Regenerative tourism looks at ways that you can leave things better than you found them, creating a net-positive impact, and often requires a place-based approach that considers the unique circumstances and opportunities in host-communities. It’s about creating conditions for employment where people can thrive and grow while escaping the cycle of poverty. It’s about building back soils and ecosystems to support climate change adaptation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. It creates net positive or living buildings that produce more energy and harvest more water than they consume, and it’s definitely about healing and creating cross-cultural understanding and respect for indigenous peoples through truth and reconciliation.

All of these could be potential actions or goals in a sustainability strategy, and each are critical components of ensuring that we “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” They are essential to ensuring that tourism is done in a way that “takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, to address the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

Perhaps it is time for another refresh and evolution of some of the terms and objectives of sustainable tourism by the UNWTO to ensure the need for regenerative tourism and resiliency are addressed, but at the end of the day they are a part of what sustainable tourism is all about. If you’re interested in measuring the sustainability performance of your tourism business or destination, take the Free Sustainability Score Assessment, and then go one step further by signing on to the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge to improve your score between now and 2030.

Read the complete blog here.

Join TIABC and the Ancient Forest Alliance for a visually compelling journey through the landscapes and politics of endangered ancient forests in British Columbia. Learn the answers to questions like: Why are they important? How much is left? What is the latest in government policy? How do they relate to tourism? What can we do to help protect them? And much more!

There’s nothing that “Team Purple” loves better than a good challenge! The Immunize BC’s Community Partner Program inspired PDS to think differently by applying their logistical prowess and creative problem-solving skills to an entirely novel project environment. They embraced the opportunity to stretch their planning wings and be part of something with big community impact.

PDS was contracted by the BC Ministry of Health as a Community Partner with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to provide non-clinical support services at Lower Mainland immunization clinics.

As hospitality and logistical experts, their role was to support mass vaccination sites in West Vancouver, Squamish and Pemberton with:

As BC’s immunization plan evolved and clinic locations increased, so did their services. Thanks to their critical thinking skills and their team's warm hospitality, PDS’ role expanded to other areas of our province adding an entirely new dimension to logistical support.

Services expanded across the Lower Mainland, supporting other partner vaccination sites and they soon supported Interior Health's (IH) execution plan for #journey2immunity with strategic and logistical planning, launching the mobile vaccine programming with:

The Northern Health's (NH) initial concept was a pilot project called “Vaccine to You” (V2U). This project was aimed at getting vaccines to smaller remote communities, or communities with low uptake, that did not have mass immunization clinics or consistent weekly clinics.

As the demand to travel greater distances and to reach smaller locations increased, they quickly revamped the V2U project plan by adding 3 smaller van teams to reach:

For those living in rural communities, their mobile clinics gave them easier vaccine access. By reducing transportation, logistical and financial barriers, people could stay in their own communities. The smaller clinics were less busy, allowing for more physical distancing space and giving our team more time to answer individuals’ questions. This contributed to an overall sense of safety, comfort and well-being.

PDS helped increase vaccine access to rural and remote communities, and enhanced capacity in larger communities. These clinics helped move our province forward with Dose 1 immunization rates near to 80% of our total population, bringing us one step closer to a return to normalcy.

PDS built new community partnerships with provincial health workers and deepened their connections with our industry partners. Even during discouraging times, it was magical to pull together, help each other out and together achieve something greater than their individual contributions.

They celebrated a deep sense of community purpose: all the happy people they met, the special small-town moments, the people that brought them homemade butter tarts and apple pies. PDS is proud to contribute to the collective well-being of our fellow British Columbians.

Best of all, they loved working with such a dedicated, professional and fun team. For this we they forever grateful.

A Note from TIABC: This is an excellent example of how a tourism business pivoted during the pandemic to helping with vaccination clinics while the meetings industry was shut down. Well done!

Learn more about Pacific Destination Services here.

With the vaccine passport changing how businesses are operating, go2hr has updated BSAFE with a new module on how to handle the BC Proof of Vaccination public health order.

The new module is FREE for BC tourism and hospitality employers and employees and will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. In this module, you will learn:

Course details:

BSAFE is comprised of 6 modules that cover a variety of topics to give you a foundational understanding of COVID-19 health and safety protocols as well as tips on handling non-compliance.

To learn more or register for BSAFE, click here.

TIAC launched its Elevating Canadian Experience (ECE) program to provide tourism stakeholders with free learning resources in culinary tourism and tools for the winter/shoulder seasons.

The ECE program provides content ranging from strategy development to practical tools and tips - all designed to help grow and adapt your tourism business as an operator and build tourism capacity in your region as a destination partner.

The latest module "Embracing Canada’s Winter and Shoulder Season" has been developed to assist tourism operators and destination partners in broadening the shoulders of your tourism season and provides valuable insights, worksheets, tips and strategies.

Click here to learn more and to download the Toolkit.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is working to research and collaboratively design a strategy to attract more international visitors and business to Canada! This strategy needs to be responsive to its changing environment, instill confidence in the industry, look to a future where Canadian tourism is flourishing, and strengthen our advocacy efforts.

We value your unique perspective, and we want to hear from you on the future of our collective international business development efforts.

Please take the time to complete a 5-question online survey before the end of day on November 4th.

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) partnered with iTOTEM Analytics to assess the economic and societal benefits of investment in Indigenous tourism infrastructure. This survey is asking Indigenous tourism operators from across Canada to participate and provide information about their operations.

Aligned with the ITAC’s strategic recovery plan and vision for the industry, the results from the initiative will be invaluable for ITAC’s advocacy efforts as they push for increased investment and program supports to be made available to Indigenous tourism operators between 2022-2024. The insights will help inform the action plan by highlighting how our industry has sustainably thrived in the past and help us understand the adjustments needed to get back on track.

The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is pleased to announce that tickets for its online 50/50 raffle are now on sale. The raffle will start with a $1,000 jackpot and will increase with every ticket purchased above and beyond until sales close on November 15th.

The initiative is a fundraiser for the BCHF, which is the only charity of its kind in Canada, with a mission of supporting hospitality and tourism workers in need.

Tickets for the raffle will be:

Please support our hospitality and tourism sector by purchasing tickets. Funds raised by the event will be used by the BCHF to support industry workers facing financial crisis due to a serious health condition experienced by themselves or a family member. The registered charity also administers a scholarship program that fosters the development of the next generation of hospitality industry workers and leaders.

Check here to purchase tickets and ticket win updates.

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.

There is no better example of what TIABC has done for you than in the last 18-months. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic TIABC has identified your concerns, raised your voice, championed your needs, pushing for support and programs while encouraging policy changes.

We thank you for your investment in our advocacy efforts. Our success depends on you.

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 section highlights our members or shares stories of how businesses and organizations, large and small are doing things in a new way as they guide their enterprises through the pandemic crisis and beyond.

Redefine vacations: Stay local, stay safe. Save time and money. Reduce your environmental footprint and support your local and national communities and economies.

Canadian Staycations works hard to find the best locally owned and operated activity providers, to source the best Canadian owned accommodations and to build fun, original packages that will inspire you to explore more of our amazing country. Whether you’re in the mood for sport, cultural exploration, exploring nature, adventuring together as a family, recreation, watching our amazing wildlife or just taking it easy on a spa break, they can arrange your time.

Learn more about Canadian Staycations and their operations here.

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.

Ahead of the upcoming ski season, the BC Hotel Association (BCHA), go2HR, and Canada West Ski Area Association (CWSAA) have partnered to bring a pre-ski season information session, delivering tools and resources to better support ski area accommodators. With evolving protocols and limited access to workers, this webinar is aimed at offering tips for training and on-boarding, safety, and the latest in best practices for reopening.

Andrea Hinck, Director, Industry Training - go2HR

Ingrid Jarrett, President & CEO - BC Hotel Association

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 10, 2021,, 1PM - 2PM (PT)

Covered in this Webinar, you will learn:

Register and submit questions here.

Need help bringing on new staff? Hiring students is a great way to build your team for short-term needs and to build a talent pipeline for the long term! And now you can access a wage subsidy of up to $7,500 through Propel, a brand new Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)!

Propel is offered through Tourism HR Canada, a Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce. Propel is specifically designed to support the tourism and hospitality sector.

Learn more about how your organization can take advantage of this federally funded wage subsidy program and how to bring on students from hospitality and tourism management, culinary arts, and other programs from across the province.

Date: Monday, November 15th at 2:00pm (Pacific).

Brought to you by the Talent MATCH Program, a collaboration between go2HR, the BC Museums Association, the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture, and the Association for Co-operative Education &

Register here for this free session.

How do we retain and develop women of recreation, tourism and hospitality in the worst labour crisis the industry has ever seen?

WORTH Association is inviting industry professionals to attend "Seat at the Table".

Date: Wednesday, November 17th from 9-11:30am (PT)

Attendees will create dialogue, gain broader perspectives and collaborate to develop creative solutions to challenges women face in the industry. The plan is to find answers from the community & for the community, and present these findings to key stakeholders to generate industry-wide attention and action. Researchers from Capilano University and The Sociable Scientist will be facilitating the session at the Vancouver Lookout. As an entirely volunteer-driven organization, WORTH is looking for sponsors to ensure this event is a success.

Click here to learn more about WORTH and the "Seat at the Table" opportunities.

This webinar will provide tools for tourism businesses to develop and implement a sustainability management plan into their operations. Businesses will learn how to:

Date: Wednesday November 24th, 2021, 10:00am - 11:00am PST

Click here to register for this free event.

The BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) invite you to come together as a tourism community to learn from everything we've been through and think differently about how we can co-create a vibrant and resilient tourism industry in BC.

Attend thought provoking workshops and panels, learn from tourism leaders from around the globe and network with industry colleagues. This event is open to all tourism stakeholders and GSTC members at no cost.

Place Your Bids: The Silent Auction is now open. All proceeds will be donated to Food Banks BC to support relief for communities impacted by wildfires. View items at BiddingOwl.com

Hosted by: BC Regional Tourism Secretariat & Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Where: Virtual

Dates: Nov 3 - 4, 2021

Click here to learn more and to register.

The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association extends an invitation to the Second Annual Virtual AGM for 2021. This will be a virtual online event. Once the details of the virtual meetings have been finalized links will be provided.

9:00 am – 12:30 pm Organizational Updates

1:00 pm – CCCTA AGM

2:15 pm – CCCTMA AGM

CCCTA Board of Directors – Call for Nominations and Forms here.

Nominations will be received up to October 29, 2021

Where: Virtual

Date: Friday, November 5th, 2021

Click here to learn more and to register.

The Sunshine Coast Tourism AGM is your opportunity to learn more about our organization and review the years' marketing, media, and financial activities - see what we’ve been up to and learn of the exciting new initiatives for 2022.

Date: Tuesday, November 9th from 4pm - 6pm Via Zoom

Keynote Speaker: Walt Judas, CEO TIABC

This meeting is open to all SCT members, industry stakeholders and government officials. Members will vote on Board of Director positions and learn about opportunities to work collaboratively with Sunshine Coast Tourism.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Join TIABC and the BCHA for a FREE state of the industry update, with a focus on recovery and trends. Gain critical insights into the work each organization has led, information about respective programs and benefits available to you, hear from our Keynote Speaker then network with industry colleagues.

The afternoon will include:

1pm – 2pm | TIABC AGM

2pm – 2:45pm | Keynote Speaker, Emile Gourieux of STR on global trends and recovery

3:00pm - 3:15 pm| Remarks by Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport

3pm – 4pm | BCHA AGM & Live Industry Update presentation

4pm – 5pm | Industry Town Hall and Q&A

5pm – 6pm | Reception and networking

The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) and BC Hotel Association (BCHA) are the voices of the provincial hospitality & tourism sectors at the federal, provincial, and community level, advocating for the best interests of BC’s accommodation and tourism communities.

Mark your calendar for a virtual conference hosted by the SFI. This year’s theme, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative and BC’s Public Fishery, will be addressed by a range of speakers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Province of BC, the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the SFI.

Date: Thursday, December 2nd at 1:00 pm (virtual)

The annual SFI conference is well recognized as an important public fishery management and policy forum where elected officials, public servants and those in the sport fishing industry share their perspectives on trends, innovations and issues facing BC’s public fishery. Attendance and registration are free, with thanks to our sponsors as noted below.

Registration and additional information, including a detailed agenda, will be available as the date approaches.

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.

RVC+ is going hybrid in 2022! The new format will bring back in-person attendance, while also incorporating a virtual component, creating opportunities for more of industry to engage and make appointments with international buyers, travel trade media and Destination Marketing Companies.

The in-person portion of RVC+ will be a buyer-seated marketplace in Toronto, Ontario. This will be Canada’s RVC and hosted by Destination Canada and TIAC, creating an exciting opportunity to welcome international buyers back to Canada and showcase the beauty of this country, as well as the meaningful travel experiences offered across each province and territory.

Dates: May 24th - 27th, 2022

Learn more about Rendezvous Canada 2022 here.