October 5th, 2021
Now Published Tuesdays & Fridays

Insurance Survey Results Show Tourism & Hospitality Operators Very Concerned About Rising Premiums
 
In September, TIABC and a few of its provincial and territorial industry association colleagues (PTTIA) conducted a brief survey of members on the issue of rising insurance premiums that are hitting the tourism and hospitality sector particularly hard. While a more comprehensive study on the impact to businesses will be conducted later this year, preliminary results show several concerns that need to be addressed. A summary of survey results note:
 
  • 95% of respondents renewed their insurance since COVID began with 74% renewing at similar of full coverage
  • 87% of respondents saw an increase in premiums
  • 53% of respondents noted an increase in premiums by as much as 20% to over 35%
  • 83% of respondents said they would either reduce services or insurance coverage if premiums continue to rise
 
89% of the participants in the survey were from British Columbia with just under half representing accommodations (including hotels, campgrounds) and food & beverage. 77% of survey respondents were businesses with revenues up to $5 million.
 
TIABC, together with its PTTIA and TIAC colleagues will be meeting later this month to evaluate the survey results and chart a course of action to advocate for relief measures to help operators mitigate the rising cost of insurance. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
 
Thank you to those businesses that responded to the recent survey.
Proof of Vaccination for BC Public Service Employees

The B.C. government is supporting the effort to increase vaccination rates throughout the province by making COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for B.C. public service employees.

The BC Public Service Agency, in consultation with the provincial health officer, will require its 30,000 employees to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22, 2021.

As more employees return to their regular workplaces later in the fall, this provides an additional and reassuring layer of protection for workers who are continuing the vital work of serving British Columbians.

Public service employees working in core government or ministries will be required to provide proof of full vaccination using the BC Vaccine Card.

The effective date gives employees who are not yet fully vaccinated the time they need to comply. Details of accommodations that will be made for the few people who are unable to be vaccinated will be released by early November.

To date, more than 80% of British Columbians have been fully vaccinated.

To read the full announcement and learn more, click here.
BC Vaccine Card for Proof of Vaccination

The BC Vaccine Card includes a secure individualized QR code and image showing the holder is either “vaccinated” or “partially vaccinated.” People are now required to have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, and both doses by October 24, to enter these settings.

To learn more about the vaccine card and how to access yours, visit here.

Information for businesses, including step-by-step instructions, can be found here.
DEADLINE TO RESPOND
Impact of Vaccine Card on Your Business Survey

As you are aware, BC's vaccine card program began on September 13th. The program requires proof of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in order to enter restaurants, movies, ticketed sporting events and many other non-essential venues.

As of October 24th, those aged 12 and up will need to be fully vaccinated to access those same services and venues.

ABLE BC and our industry partners want to better understand how the Vaccine Card has impacted your hospitality business. We need to understand how the Vaccine Card has impacted your revenue, expenses, and interactions with customers. Your responses will give us the real-world information we need to advocate for the government support you need to succeed.

We know this is a difficult and contentious issue for many customers. If you or your customers continue to have concerns about vaccine cards, we encourage you to reach out directly to your MLA. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

If you have not already done so, please complete this survey created by ABLE BC in partnership with the BCRFA, BC Craft Brewers Guild, Craft Distillers Guild of BC, Wine Growers British Columbia, Restaurants Canada, and New Wave Wine Society.

Deadline to complete the survey: Wednesday, October 6 at 5:00 pm PT.
Moratorium on New Licensee Retail Stores

The number of licensee retail stores (LRSs) in B.C. wont grow for another decade under a moratorium extension meant to protect public health and providing certainty for the liquor industry.

Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, announced on October 4th the moratorium on new Licensee Retail Stores will be extended until 2032. The moratorium was originally set to expire on July 1, 2022.

Existing LRS licenses may still be transferred with approval of the LCRB. Excluded from the license freeze are existing Independent Wine Stores licensees that may choose to convert their license type to a LRS by March 31, 2025, to sell beer, cider, and distilled products in their current locations.

Read the government news release here.
BCHA September Pulse Survey

The BC Hotel Association is seeking your voice to inform advocacy work that is critical to the ongoing recovery of their sector. This survey addresses a number of key elements impacting industry including 1. BC Vaccine Card 2. Paid sick leave program 3. Federal benefit programs 4. Workforce issues

BCHA want to know how you have been impacted in recent months. Note: individual and business information will be kept confidential. The survey will close on Thursday, October 7th at 5pm (PT).
New Investments in BC Parks Create More Access to Nature

Millions of people headed out to B.C.’s provincial parks this year to experience the very best that nature has to offer.

The record number of visitors is resulting in new investments to make the future BC Parks experience even better.

More than 3.1 million campers stayed in provincial parks during the 2021 camping season, and more than 260,000 reservations were made on Discover Camping, marking the highest volume on record.

BC Parks is investing $21.5 million during the next three years to expand and enhance opportunities for outdoor recreation, including new campsites, trails and upgrades to facilities. The investment is part of an $83-million budget increase to the BC Parks operating and capital budgets, combined, to strengthen management of the parks system and provide a more enjoyable visitor experience.

Planning for several proposed projects is underway and includes:

  • Cypress Provincial Park
  • Garibaldi Provincial Park
  • Golden Ears Provincial Park
  • Stawamus Chief Provincial Park
  • Cultus Lake
  • Miracle Beach Provincial Park
  • Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
  • Sun-Oka Provincial Park
  • Babine Mountains Provincial Park
  • Lakelse Lake Provincial Park

Read the full news release here.
Conservation, Culture at Heart of Newly Protected Areas

A new provincial park on southern Vancouver Island will soon be established to protect a vital ecosystem important to the Cowichan people, honouring Indigenous cultural and spiritual history, and aiding in the conservation of threatened species.

Legislation has been introduced to establish a new 143-hectare Class A park near the Koksilah River in the Cowichan Valley.

Used by Cowichan people since time immemorial, the area of the new park includes pockets of old-growth Douglas fir forest, a sensitive grassland ecosystem, rare species of vascular plants, and limestone geological features. Cowichan Tribes have identified the name of the new park – Hwsalu-utsum (whSALA-utsum).

Boundary modifications to enable land exchanges and make administrative corrections would also be made at Elk Falls Provincial Park near Campbell River, Peace River Corridor Park, Moberly Lake Park, the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Park and Goat Range Park.

Amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act are regularly required to add land to parks and conservancies, modify or correct boundaries and improve boundary descriptions.

Read the full announcement here.
Comment on BC's Permanent Paid Sick Leave

British Columbians are invited to have their say on three proposed options for permanent paid sick leave shaped by their responses to the first phase of consultation.

The options paper has been posted on government’s engagement site and is available for comment until October 25. Three options have been developed that cover the minimum number of days: three, five and 10 days of paid sick leave.

In May 2021, amendments to the Employment Standards Act laid the groundwork for establishing minimum standards for permanent paid sick leave. Following the public engagement process, paid sick leave will be established through regulation and come into effect on January 1, 2022.
Carbon Prices On the Rise: How and Why to Measure the Carbon Footprint of Your Hotel or Tourism Business

Contributed by Angela Nagy, GreenStep Solutions

With the re-election of a Liberal minority government in Canada, carbon pricing, which is supported by a wide range of academic, public sector, energy executives, and other business leaders, is here to stay and it's on the rise. If you want to better understand the risks and opportunities that come with an increasing price on carbon, read on as we break down the how and why of measuring your corporate carbon footprint.

Since 2019, every jurisdiction in Canada has had a price on carbon pollution, and currently the federal price for carbon is set at $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). In 2022, this price will increase to $50 per tonne, and by 2030 it will reach $170 per tonne of CO2e. 

Measuring your carbon footprint is actually not that complicated, and similar to financial accounting standards, greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards exist. Most tourism related businesses will follow the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard published by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). This is the international accounting tool most widely used by global government and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage GHG emissions. 

Based on these standards, there are five key steps to measuring your carbon footprint:

  • Step 1. Determine Your Organizational and Operational Boundary
  • Step 2. Determine Your Reporting Year and Base Year
  • Step 3. Selecting Emissions Sources that Apply to Your Organization
  • Step 4. Identify Data You Need to Collect and How to Track it Over Time
  • Step 5. Report

Next Steps: Reduce and Repeat

Measuring and reporting on your carbon footprint is just the beginning, and is something that you should plan to do on an annual cycle.

The full article originally appeared on the GreenStep Sustainable Tourism blog here.
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How to Be an Ally for Truth & Reconciliation

September 30th marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the first-ever national holiday to honour the Survivors of Canadian residential institutions and those who never made it home. We hope you used this day as an opportunity to learn about the unique indigenous culture and history in your region, and that you will continue to learn and find ways to be an ally in the day, weeks and years to come.

Indigenous Tourism Canada offers resources and information about how to engage with organizations and associations in your province or territory.

Indigenous Tourism BC has also shared 6 ways that you can become an ally and affect change within your business and community here.
More than $1 Million Dollars Has Been Given to Hospitality & Tourism Workers

The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) announced today that it has given a total of over $1 million to hospitality and tourism workers facing financial crisis due to a health condition experienced by themselves or a family member. Beneficiaries of the charity include not only restaurant chefs and servers, hotel workers, and baristas, but many behind-the-scenes workers such as delivery drivers, sales representatives, writers, brewmasters, winemakers, and vineyard workers.
 
The BCHF was created in 2006 in response to the situation of longtime local wine agent Michael Willingham. When Willingham had a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, his friends and colleagues rallied around him, raising $50,000 to purchase a machine that would enable him to breathe at night. Willingham was deeply grateful for the assistance, but he also recognized that there were many others in the hospitality industry who needed help, so he requested that a charity be set up to assist those in need.

In the past 15 years the BCHF has provided financial assistance to 254 people. Over the years the BCHF’s mandate has expanded to include a scholarship program to foster the development of the next generation of hospitality industry workers and leaders.

Read the announcement here.
2021 TIABC MEMBERSHIP

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.
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TIABC is a not-for-profit membership organization. Our advocacy initiatives and efforts are only possible through the investment and support of our members. In this feature, we are showcasing those businesses and wish to thank them for either joining or renewing their membership and their continued support.

Our success depends on you.
Connect Media

Connect Media is a marketing firm that specializes in content distribution, social media marketing, and video marketing for the tourism industry. Their team will create strategies and content distribution plans to support your brand and build conversations around it.

They can manage, edit and distribute your footage as well as develop ways to use new social media trends.

For more information on Connect Media click here.

Moments of Levity

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.
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Foodservice Facts 2021:
Putting The Pieces Together

Despite the setbacks and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has been resilient, innovating, embracing new technologies, and exploring new revenue streams.

In this webinar, you will hear from Restaurants Canada's Senior Economist Chris Elliott as he takes a deep dive into the 2021 report and answers questions such as:
  • Where are we in the recovery?
  • When do we expect to see restaurants recover?
  • What does the industry look like after the recovery?
  • How will takeout and delivery change?
  • What are the top menu items Canadians are interested in ordering?
From forecasting to market research, you will learn how to reach your consumers and win in today’s competitive foodservice market.

Date: Thursday, October 7th - 2:00 - 3:00 pm (EST)

Click here to learn more and to register.
Tourism Recovery and Indigenous Resilience
in an Uncertain Time

The global pandemic has disproportionately affected Indigenous communities and Indigenous tourism. The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has been working diligently with a network of 50 Indigenous leaders and leading organizations as well as public and private industry champions for the past year to create a hemispheric collaborative that will address some of the most pressing issues needed to assist Indigenous communities to build back stronger.

As a founding partner in the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas, they are committed to working on meaningful initiatives that will make a difference.

Join ITAC for the official virtual launch of the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas.

Date: October 11th, at 11:00 AM ET / 2:00 PM PT.

Click here to learn more and to register.
Post-Election Priorities with TIAC

On Day 1 of the election campaign, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau made specific commitments to the hardest hit businesses.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) advocated throughout the election period for all parties to work with industry on;
  • targeted support for the hardest hit;  
  • delivery of a seamless proof of vaccination certification program; and,  
  • implementation of progressive strategies to address critical issues such as the labour shortage and traveller confidence.

Work on your behalf is far from over. We have a wide range of priorities we must tackle to bring the industry back to where it was pre-pandemic.

Please join TIAC President and CEO Beth Potter for a special Member TALK to discuss TIAC's post-election priorities and action plan, how you can engage and where additional support is needed.

Date: October 12th, 11:00am - noon (PDT)

Click here for more information and to register.
How to Create a Sustainability Action Plan

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

  • Analyze sustainability data to identify quick wins
  • Create a set of realistic and achievable goals to improve sustainability performance
  • Build an effective action plan to pursue your goals
  • Engage your team to integrate your sustainability plan in your daily operations 

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

Click here to register for this free event.
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Global Green Destinations Days 2021

Date: Tuesday October 5 - 7 11:00am - 7:00pm Daily
Hosted by: Green Destinations

The conference is the annual flagship event of Green Destinations to connect sustainability professionals, destinations, and tourism boards through good practices to support peer-to-peer learning and discover initiatives, practical tools, and solutions for sustainable tourism destinations. Whether you are a tourism professional, researcher, or just curious you are invited to to the online GGDD conference with interactive live presentations, discussions, and workshops.

DAY 1: National Strategies for Sustainable Tourism/Green Destinations Awards and Certification Ceremony
DAY 2: Nature, Culture and Overtourism/Unveiling the 2021 Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories
DAY 3: Reducing Tourism’s Impact on the Planet/Climate Workshop
DAY 4: New Tools & Regenerative Tourism/Reset&Recovery Workshop

Click here for more information and to register.
Northern BC Tourism Association AGM

Join Northern BC Tourism Association for the Annual General Meeting.

The meeting will include an update from CEO, Clint Fraser, on NBCTA's work and the state of the tourism industry in Northern BC. The AGM will take place virtually on zoom.

Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2021 - 1-2:30 pm (PT)

Click here to register.
Annual BC Liquor Conference

Hosted by ABLE BC, this year's conference will take place online and in-person. A portion of the tickets are available to attend in person at Soundhouse Studios in Vancouver. The remaining are available for virtual attendance.

Note: ABLE BC will be asking for proof of vaccination from all in-person guests.

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

Click here for more information and to register.
RE-IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF TOURISM:
Rebuild, Reframe and Rethink

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. The BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 is a joint virtual event. 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.

Attend thought provoking workshops and panels, learn from tourism leaders from around the globe and network with industry colleagues.

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.
2021 TIAC Tourism Congress

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:

  • Access to all sessions at the Westin Ottawa
  • Air Canada Hall of Fame Luncheon
  • Canadian Tourism Awards Reception and Gala 
  • Access to all online content
  • And much more

Click here to register and to view the programming being offered at this year’s Congress.
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2022 Tourism & Hospitality Conference
March 8 - 11, 2022
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.
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.