C-19 BULLETIN - October 9, 2020

Quote from Dr. Bonnie Henry and Stephen Brown, Deputy Minister of Health.

“Let’s make this Thanksgiving weekend one of gratitude and kindness by staying local and connecting with each other in a way that doesn’t put those we care about at risk.

Support your family by keeping your celebration dinner small, support your friends and neighbours by always giving them the space to stay safe, and support our public health teams by paying attention to how you are feeling and always staying home if you are feeling ill.

What we do today and every day makes a difference, so let’s continue to all do our part.”
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Application Process for Provincial Small and Medium-Sized Business Recovery Grant Program Now Open - Apply Now!

The Small and Medium-Sized Business Recovery Grant Program will invest up to $300 million in targeted financial support for some of the hardest hit businesses that employ between two and 149 BC residents and have experienced declines in revenue since March 10, 2020.

Grants of $10,000 to $30,000 are available. An additional $5,000 to $10,000 grant is available to eligible tourism-related businesses that have been hit especially hard by COVID-19.

The program runs until March 31st, 2021 or until the funds are fully allocated, whichever comes first.

Learn more at:
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Federal Government Announces Extension of Support Programs

Today, the Government of Canada made several significant announcements on changes to federal support programs related to COVID-19 that TIABC, our national counterparts at TIAC, and several sector partners had been advocating for. While full details are not yet available, below is a summary of changes to come:

  • The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, which would provide simple and easy-to-access rent and mortgage support until June 2021 for qualifying organizations affected by COVID-19. The rent subsidy would be provided directly to tenants, while also providing support to property owners. The new rent subsidy would support businesses, charities, and non-profits that have suffered a revenue drop, by subsidizing a percentage of their expenses, on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of 65% of eligible expenses until December 19, 2020. Organizations would be able to make claims retroactively for the period that began September 27 and ends October 24, 2020.
  • A top-up Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy of 25 per cent for organizations temporarily shut down by a mandatory public health order issued by a qualifying public health authority, in addition to the 65 per cent subsidy. This follows a commitment in the Speech from the Throne to provide direct financial support to businesses temporarily shut down as a result of a local public health decision.
  • The extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy until June 2021, which would continue to protect jobs by helping businesses keep employees on the payroll and encouraging employers to re-hire their workers. The subsidy would remain at the current subsidy rate of up to a maximum of 65% of eligible wages until December 19, 2020. This measure is part of the government’s commitment to create over 1 million jobs and restore employment to the level it was before the pandemic.
  • An expanded Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), which would enable businesses, and not-for-profits eligible for CEBA loans—and that continue to be seriously impacted by the pandemic—to access an interest-free loan of up to $20,000, in addition to the original CEBA loan of $40,000. Half of this additional financing would be forgivable if repaid by December 31, 2022. Additionally, the application deadline for CEBA is being extended to December 31, 2020. Further details, including the launch date and application process will be announced in the coming days. An attestation of the impact of COVID-19 on the business will be required to access the additional financing.

These changes are a significant win for tourism sector businesses who continue to struggle due to barriers caused by COVID-19. TIABC, TIAC and others have been calling for these improvements, and many others for many months, and believe that these new measures will be key in assisting tourism business survival through 2021. 
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BC Election Platforms
On October 7th, the BC Greens outline their plans to support tourism and small business:

Supports for small businesses
  • BC Greens will allocate $300 million to create a 6 month rent subsidy program for small businesses
For qualifying businesses, they would cover 25% of the rental costs
  • Small business limited to $50,000 in monthly rent costs
  • Simple, accessible criteria developed to support access to program
Supports for the tourism sector
  • Retool the provincial grant program to focus on supporting small tourism operators
  • Immediately work with industry to establish criteria that make sense
  • Accelerate the timeline to ensure grant money can start to flow immediately
  • Work with the not-for-profit tourism businesses, cultural facilities and attractions to develop a separate granting program that will ensure these signature businesses can survive COVID-19
  • Work with the federal government to establish a repayable loan program for the hospitality sector and for tourism operators that exceed the criteria for the small tourism operator grant program
On October 8th, the BC Liberals promised to cut the small business tax and provide loan guarantees to the hospitality industry
Today, the BC Liberals announced a commitment to capping online delivery charges at 15%
The BC NDP website outlines their platform and their supports for BC's tourism industry, as recently released through their Stronger BC recovery plan
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In Case You Missed it...
BC Election Toolkit 2020

TIABC, ABLE BC, BCHA and Restaurants Canada are among the largest tourism and hospitality sector associations in British Columbia, representing hundreds of thousands of employees and businesses throughout the province.

Together with our partners and stakeholders, we have been working with all levels of government, particularly at the provincial level, to address the enormous challenges our sector has faced since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.

With the unexpected variable of a provincial election in the middle of a pandemic, our individual and collective efforts become even more important. Informing, educating and questioning candidates of all parties on the issues and needs of the tourism and hospitality industry is paramount to government decisions on recovery efforts post-election.

This Election Toolkit is your guide to ensure our sector's voice is both heard and understood by those running for office, and that each party is prepared to address the issues and opportunities to help tourism and hospitality rebound in the months and years ahead.

Download the Election Toolkit here or on our website at:
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Call for TIABC Board Nominations
Closes Monday!

TIABC's AGM is scheduled for November 25th at a time and place to be determined (with virtual attendance options available). Please stay tuned.

For the 2020-2022 term we are seeking a total of six (6) candidates to serve on TIABC's Board of Directors: 

From the DMO category, two (2) candidates are required for a two-year term. Note - one current board member is letting their name stand for for re-election.

From the Sector Association category, one (1) candidate is required for a two-year term. Note - one current board member is letting their name stand for for re-election.

From the Business category, three (3) candidates are required. Note - two current board members are letting their names stand for for re-election.

Nomination forms can be downloaded here or by visiting our website at:
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BC Liquor Conference 2020 Goes Virtual

The BC Liquor Conference is back for a fifth year and it is going virtual! Hosted by ABLE BC, the #1 advocate for BC’s pubs and liquor stores, this year’s conference will take place online on Monday, October 19th and Tuesday, October 20th. 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. 
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Register Today for the FREE TIAC Congress

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's going virtual - November 17th & 18th.

Free registration for the 2020 TIAC Tourism Congress includes access to all online virtual congress sessions, virtual marketplace and networking events. Note that access to TIAC’s Annual General Meeting and TIAC Members Only session is limited to TIAC members.
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Deloitte Releases Economic Outlook

Economic outlook | September 2020
Strong reopening leads to long recuperation

The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and an oil price shock has triggered the deepest recession of the Canadian economy in modern history. The good news is that the recovery has been stronger than many forecasters anticipated, particularly with respect to retail spending and real estate activity.

A key development is how leadership teams across Canada are using the current crisis to make fundamental changes to their business. While some changes were driven by necessity—like increasing digital delivery and remote work—in many cases, new investments and structural reforms are being made to enable organizations to thrive in the post-pandemic world. As businesses strive to plan in a climate of economic uncertainty, those that showed an ability to pivot and adapt to changing circumstances will need to continue to rely on those skills as the recovery will likely be bumpy and fraught with risk.
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Leger Weekly Summary

Key Insights:

COVID and the Holidays
  • 40% of Canadians say they are changing their plans this year for Thanksgiving and 49% think their Christmas plans will change as well.
  • One-third (34%) of Americans say their holiday plans will change this year
 
COVID and the Second Lockdown
  • Only 14% of Canadians feel governments should close all business and other activities like was done earlier in March and April. The majority (53%) support closing high risk businesses, but keep other businesses open.
 
The 2nd Wave, Anxiety and Fear
  • Almost 90% expect a second wave of the virus and 72% feel we have already entered this wave. Regionally, QC and ON are most likely to have residents who say they are already in the 2nd wave while this view is less prevalent in the West and Atlantic Canada.
Download the full report here
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Measuring Happiness and Well-Being of Thompson Okanagan Residents

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), Planet Happiness and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) have formed a long-term partnership to measure the happiness and well-being of residents and communities within the Thompson Okanagan region through the Happiness Index survey.

Strengthening our understanding of the impact of tourism on the well-being of communities, use of the Happiness Index survey aims to demonstrate that measuring destination well-being and happiness is as important as tracking profits and visitor arrivals and supports responsible destination management.
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Vancouver Island Chosen as one of the Top Islands in the World by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards
 
Vancouver Island has been ranked #2 in the Top 5 Islands in North America and Victoria has been ranked #8 in the Top 10 Small Cities in the World by global travellers voting in Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.
 
Topped only by Cape Breton Island, Vancouver Island was once again recognized as one of the best islands in the world; what has become an annual acknowledgement by the readers of the prestigious U.S. leisure travel magazine.
 
“This is welcome news,” says Anthony Everett, president & CEO, Tourism Vancouver Island. “It is wonderful to see this positive recognition for Vancouver Island from global travellers at a time when our tourism industry is suffering. We would like to thank the residents of Vancouver Island for contributing to making the Island a special place to live and visit.”
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Investing in Accessible Infrastructure

“Can you hear me?” “Can you hear me?… I can hear you, can you hear me?…Can you hear me now?” For all of you who have been using online meeting services like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, etc. for work, school, or staying in touch with each other during the pandemic, these questions are no doubt very familiar to you. If 2020 had an official phrase, “Can you hear me” might just be it.
            
But as frustrating as online meeting technology can be at times, there can be no denying that it’s been essential for keeping us informed, connected, and engaged in our social and professional lives. It’s also allowed Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC) to serve even more people throughout the province, and we’ve heard from many of you that you’d like us to keep going with our online peer program offerings after the pandemic ends. We most certainly will. The expanded reach of our services is one positive that has come from the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite the many challenges and hardships the global pandemic has created, there are other silver linings. Increased government supports for people on disability and income assistance is another example.
            
But perhaps the greatest potential silver lining from this pandemic lies ahead. Federal and provincial governments are preparing to lay out billions of dollars to aid the restart of our economies. Much attention has been given to the potential of these government investments to support the development of a greener economy. But almost no attention has been given to making sure the pandemic restart investments support the rebuilding our society and economy in a way that ensures access and inclusion for all. When making decisions about restart investments, governments should not only apply a green lens to their decisions. They must also apply an access and inclusion lens when deciding how to maximize the impact of their contributions. As co-chair of BC’s COVID-19 Disability Working Group, I recently urged the provincial government to adopt such a lens when deciding how to invest the additional $1.5 billion it’s making available to restart the economy in BC. I was encouraged that the suggestion was well received.

Now is the time to invest in accessible transportation, housing, community amenities, and so much more. And, if governments think about it, they will realize that investing in infrastructure that is accessible and inclusive not only increases community and economic participation by all, it also helps to create a built environment that is better prepared to deal with future pandemics. After all, hands-free doors and fixtures, wider hallways and sidewalks, and more accessible outdoor recreation spaces all help limit viral transmission while allowing for people to stay active and engaged in their communities.

We still have a way to go to before we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all continue to do our part in limiting the spread of the virus while finding ways to safely participate in our communities. The challenges that continue to lie ahead will test us all. But it will come to an end in the foreseeable future, and there is a unique opportunity for our governments to invest in things that will make our communities, economy, and society much more sustainable, accessible, and inclusive than they ever were before. The trick to making sure this happens is a bit like the start of so many Zoom meetings: “Can they hear us?” Let’s make sure they do.
            
~Chris McBride, PhD, Executive Director, Spinal Cord Injury BC

Spinal Cord Injury BC is an official partner of TIABC.
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Tourism & Hospitality in a Time of COVID

Hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
November 2nd, noon.

The economic rebound of British Columbia hinges on the recovery of critical economic sectors such as tourism and hospitality.

Prior to the pandemic, tourism contributed $8.3 billion to provincial GDP and employed more than 160,000 people. For our region and province to recover, it is essential that government provide support measures to help the industry overcome and rebuild from the devastating impacts of COVID-19.

The keynote speaker and panellists will discuss the short- and long-term measures, programs and priorities that will help tourism-reliant businesses survive today and transform our region for the future.
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Tourism Digital Academy

The Tourism Digital Academy is a free, 8-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses who are interested in building their knowledge and skills in digital marketing at an intermediate level.

Designed for business owners or their marketing team members, this comprehensive program is focused on providing practical, actionable guidance to complete your digital marketing plan. From setting your goals, to building a better understanding of SEO, email, website usability, content, analytics and more – you’ll leave the program with the confidence and knowledge to put that plan into action.

This online program includes:
  • 8 weeks of interactive sessions led by digital marketing experts and ongoing access to the video recordings (Tuesdays & Thursdays each week for a total of four hours per week)
  • Technical tutorials to dig deeper into specific areas and share experiences with other participants (Wednesdays each week for one hour)
  • One-to-one coaching available, on demand, to answer your sticky questions
  • Audits of your business website, SEO and social media channels to assess your current situation
  • A marketing plan template to guide development of your own plan
  • Opportunities for peer support and networking

There are multiple intakes, each running for 8 weeks, beginning the week of:
  • October 19 – Applications due by Oct 8
  • October 26 – Applications due by Oct 16
  • November 9 – Applications due by Oct 30 (with a break over the holiday period)

The application-based program is free for all participants and requires a minimum level of digital marketing experience to participate to participate. We advise that participants dedicate up to 10 hours per week to the program: five hours to attend classes and tutorial sessions, and up to five hours to apply the learning to your marketing plan as you go. Please allow 15-30 minutes to complete the application.

To learn more and apply, visit:
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October 21

TIAC Congress (virtual, free event)
November 17 & 18

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.