Good afternoon accommodation community and stakeholders,

Last month, I had the pleasure of welcoming industry colleagues and stakeholders to the Best Western Plus Tin Wis Resort as part of the BCHA Live Industry Update series. Following presentations from Ingrid Jarrett and her team, we had the opportunity to discuss the recovery and prosperity of our entire accommodation and tourism community. In doing so, the instrumental nature of partnership and collaboration continued to be evident.

My company, Asher Hospitality Corp., has provided management and consulting services to properties throughout BC for over thirty years and I personally currently oversee the operations of properties in Whistler and Tofino. With some 60 years in the industry, including experience through several crisis events over that time period, I understand how certain issues can disproportionately impact operators within BC and beyond. More recently, regional COVID-19 restrictions, the wildfire crisis, Airbnb, and contention over MRDT funds are some of our most current challenges. Critically, these -- as well as our ongoing workforce crisis -- are issues that we must face collectively as a sector whether our properties are located in remote communities like Tofino or urban centres such as Vancouver or Victoria. They are a shared struggle now intensified by the pandemic.

Each of our hospitality businesses have been touched by adversity in differing ways and to varying degrees. Over the course of the summer in Tofino, we witnessed a substantial surge in visitation from residents across our province which helped restore some balance to operators that were exceptionally hard-hit in 2020 and early 2021. While our accommodation community has been fortunate to receive this increase in business from our local market, there are many tourism operators elsewhere that have not benefited in the same way.

Despite the erasure of some measures hindering international travel, this market has yet to return. From fishing excursions to sightseeing tours, these are highly sought after and ‘uniquely British Columbian’ experiences that are frequently booked by our international visitors. While many of our local travellers rejoice in these attractions, the demand is simply not the same; consequently, our tourism community has suffered.

In delivering the best possible experience to our guests both locally and globally, it is resoundingly clear how interconnected our network of hospitality and tourism operators are. When a single business closes, the ripple effect that generates on a community is palpable. As accommodators, we all take great pride in the visitor experience we offer to our guests. If there should ever come a time where these experiences are no longer available, we risk losing our business as well.

Our industry’s success has never been achieved in a silo, and recovery will certainly be no different. The alliances between DMOs, sector associations, stakeholders, industry partners and operators across the province has undoubtedly been the driving force in the support that our industry has received over the course of the past 20 months. It will continue to be in the next chapter ahead as well. While this message was made clear at our Tofino Industry Update, it continues to lead the work that our BCHA Board of Directors and the BCHA team carry forward.

We will continue to forge new partnerships and work with one another to ensure that no business is left behind.

Stewart Instance,

Owner and President

Asher Hospitality Group

Last week, Premier John Horgan announced that the growth in his throat is cancerous and that he will be undergoing treatment.

The entire British Columbia Hotel Association and Board of Directors send Premier Horgan strength for a fast and full recovery. We are thankful that he is being treated by our province's phenomenal healthcare workers. We look forward to continue working with Premier Horgan to ensure our province's success.

We will continue to push until this requirement is lifted, and we can start to pave the way towards recovery.

The Press Conference can be viewed here

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Join us for this FREE state of the industry update, with a focus on recovery and trends. Gain critical insights into the work each organization has led, hear directly from our Keynote Speaker on global trends and recovery, and learn about programs and resources available to you! 

The BCHA will also be in the communities of Kelowna, Nov.15 and Penticton, Nov.16 for our in-person Live Industry Update series!

DATE & TIME | Wednesday, November 10, 2021 from 1PM - 2PM PDT

BCHA is a proud supporter of the 50-30 challenge, an initiative designed to support equity and diversity in the workplace.

November presents many new opportunities to learn, including Movember, Diwali (November 4), International Day for Tolerance (November 16), Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20), and the beginning of Hannukah (November 28). 

Each November, we celebrate Movember, an annual month-long awareness of men’s health issues, including mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, transforming the way health services reach and support men.

On November 20^th, we recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an annual observance that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

The consultations were aimed at developing a Publicly Available Specification (PAS), which set out key terms and definitions for measuring diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The PAS provides guidance and recommendations to Challenge Participants on the policies, practices, and approaches to support implementation of the 50 – 30 Challenge. Read the final document here.

For more information on the 50-30 Challenge click here.

BSAFE™, an online COVID-19 health and safety training program developed specifically for the BC tourism and hospitality industry, has been updated!

BSAFE is designed to ensure foundational health and safety knowledge for BC’s tourism and hospitality businesses to keep everyone — workers, guests and communities — safe as we continue to move through the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Organizations and individuals are able to sign up to take part in the BSAFE training. You can join the over 400 organizations who are already registered and working on becoming BSAFE Trained businesses. Upon full completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of achievement. Employers who have 75% of their workforce successfully complete the training course, will be recognized with a “BSAFE Trained” certificate. They can use this certificate in different ways to demonstrate their commitment to providing a safe environment for guests and workers, thereby increasing consumer confidence. go2HR will provide a communications toolkit for BSAFE Trained business to easily assist them in promoting this new designation.

To learn more or register for BSAFE, click here

To access social media and promotional materials for the #BELLYUP Campaign click here.

View the latest video series for the #BELLYUP Campaign here.

Sample criteria to qualify (visit propelcareers.ca for full list)

Join TIABC for their upcoming webinars.

Learn more here

On November 3 and 4, TOTA co-hosted the 2021 BCRTS Tourism Summit with the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). 

Mark your calendars! The 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference officially has a date. Taking place March 9-11, 2022, the conference will be an informative multi-day conference aimed at supporting growth and celebrating industry.

Safe Screen B.C. is offering info sessions to employers through this week. Please register to find out more about rapid testing in the workplace.

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 at this info session on 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 & Work Integrated Learning, this info session will feature Rachel George and Joe Baker from Propel, who will explain how the program works and how to apply.

This info session is free, but you must register for it here.

Want more information on hiring students? Visit the Talent MATCH webpage for more details or contact Project Manager Debby Reis at TalentMatch@acewilbc.ca.

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

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

Click here to view our program. 

BCHA members receive a 20% discount to WCLC by CLICK HERE!

The Westin Bayshore is also providing a special rate for attendees for bookings made until November 9th. You can reserve your room by clicking here. 

Imran Gill, CVP has been appointed as Acting Director of Industry Partnerships and Visitor Services at Destination BC, until March 31, 2022.

Analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE) report that, in the third quarter of 2021, Canada’s hotel construction pipeline stands at 257 projects/34,167 rooms. Pipeline projects declined slightly at the close of Q3’21, down 7% by projects and 5% by rooms, year-over-year (YOY). Read more

Hospitality Financial Leadership - The ROI for Financial Leadership Skills - By David Lund When it comes to investing in oneself many times people overlook the outcome and instead concentrate on the up-front cost. When we look at the opportunity to improve our own personal prosperity, we need to see the full picture. We need to realize in life we have a window that opens and closes on our career and its fortunes. Read more

Between the rising cost of labor, decreased demand and ever-changing COVID-19 protocols, hotels have taken numerous hits to profitability. Conditions likely are going to remain challenging for some time to come, but Chris Cylke, COO of asset manager RevPAR International, has a quintet of tips for hoteliers to manage costs more effectively. Read more

Franchise businesses are an essential and growing part of the U.S. economy, accounting for nearly 800,000 establishments, 9 million jobs, and $800 billion in output annually. The importance of franchising is particularly evident in hospitality. Hotel and restaurant companies often use franchising to expand faster than would be possible through company ownership alone. Read more

Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment - Week of November 1st - Destination Analysts How has the pandemic changed Americans and their relationship to travel? Different affinities to wellness and work, travel that is more sustainable and more about connection with friends and family. As we move forward, it is also clear travel advertising has the opportunity to be much more inclusive. Read more

Data is the architect of astute business decisions and the key to unfurling market strategies. High-quality data provides insights into the new reality faced by many businesses, such as understanding emerging trends, and quickly understanding changes in consumer behaviour. Some hotels have questioned the use of data in this current climate and are faced with a million-dollar question: is historical data obsolete? Read more

Travel Restrictions, Vaccine Mandates Continue to Curb Events Read more