During my presentation at yesterday’s Wilderness Tourism Association (WTA) annual general meeting, I told members how much I appreciated Executive Director Scott Benton, who has led the organization for the past five years. Scott’s wisdom, guidance and commitment has served WTA exceptionally well, especially since the start of the pandemic given how hard he's worked to ensure his members received the kind of help and attention they needed to survive.

 

Last spring, Scott made a lifestyle change and moved from Victoria to Nelson to be closer to family and return to his beloved Kootenays. Most recently he’s decided to semi-retire and pursue those activities he put on hold while building a long and distinguished career in the public service followed by a few years of association management. I’m going to miss Scott at WTA…although thankfully he’ll still be working part-time with BC River Outfitters, as well as contribute his talents, skills and intelligence to the Adventure Tourism Coalition.

 

Similarly, next month I’ll be saying farewell to my counterpart in New Brunswick (Carol Alderdice) who chose to fully retire while at the top of her game to enjoy the rest of her days travelling and taking up new hobbies.

 

These are but two examples of a narrative that’s being played out across Canada and around the world. Tens of millions of people are leaving the workforce, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector, in what’s being called the great resignation. To be fair, layoffs and terminations due to the ramifications of COVID is one of the key reasons. However, according to research conducted by Tourism HR Canada (THRC), many of these workers have no plans to return to their tourism jobs even when things improve and if given the opportunity.

 

While some tourism and hospitality sub-sectors are showing positive signs with employment levels increasing, THRC data also shows there were 300,000 fewer tourism employees nationally overall in November 2021 compared with November 2019, just prior to the pandemic. In British Columbia, tens of thousands of jobs remain vacant as desperate employers struggle to attract workers, particularly on the hospitality side.

 

My friend Joanna Jagger of WORTH Association (Women of Recreation, Tourism & Hospitality) told me earlier this week that there is an exodus of senior women leaving our sector, resulting in a critical talent drain that BC’s visitor economy can ill afford. It was not news that I wanted to hear, especially considering how determined we are to see more female leaders in our industry.

 

Prior to COVID-19, the tourism and hospitality industry directly employed about 310,000 workers, or one of every eight British Columbians, accounting for more than 12% of total provincial employment. In terms of labour supply needed for expected job openings pre-pandemic, the BC Labour Market Outlook identified 108,026 vacancies between 2019 and 2029. Although updated data is not yet available, clearly that number has grown exponentially with more people leaving the industry over the past 22 months.

 

To tackle some of the workforce issues, last October go2HR convened representatives from tourism and hospitality industry associations (including TIABC), as well as destination management organizations and a few business leaders to help develop a solutions-based labour recovery framework that encompasses partnership opportunities with the Province of BC on various initiatives related to recruitment and retention, among other priorities.

 

From that meeting and thanks to go2HR’s leadership, a new BC Tourism & Hospitality Labour Recovery Framework will be introduced within a matter of weeks with a series of strategies and tactics to address this critical shortage of workers. In fact, delegates to the upcoming BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference will hear more about the framework, how it’s aligned with government priorities, and the path forward to meet the workforce needs of businesses and the industry at- large in the months and years ahead.

 

As an aside, we’ll share more about the conference including details on the workshop and plenary sessions, social activities and more shortly. We’re determined to host the event in-person two months from now, but we’ll need a lot of help and a bit of good fortune to make it happen.

 

For the time being, let’s hope we see the end of the great resignation and the start of a full and complete tourism recovery soon. After all, aside from the well earned right to retire, we need more people like Scott and Carol to stay in our industry to provide the leadership and skills we so desperately need.

Walt Judas

CEO, TIABC

Today, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport announced that eligible accommodation providers and tourism operators holding tenure and BC Parks permits will now have access to grants to alleviate fixed-cost pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As much as $15 million will be provided through the Tourism Accommodation and Commercial Recreation Relief Fund through three streams:

The Tourism Accommodation and Commercial Recreation Relief grants will help offset fixed costs for eligible large accommodation operators with property taxes, hydro fees for Indigenous-owned accommodation, or assistance for tourism businesses operating on Crown land and in BC Parks with tenure and park permit fees incurred in 2021.

Providing financial support for fixed costs was identified in the final report submitted by the Tourism Task Force as a recommendation for those businesses most affected by public-health measures restricting travel and gathering of groups. These supports are intended to help ensure the viability of these businesses through the 2022 winter and spring seasons.

Note: Intake will open at 9:00 am January 17th and will close at 11:59 pm February 14th. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

On January 12th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland announced changes to the federal government’s Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program. The repayment deadline for partial loan forgiveness of CEBA loans is being extended another year. The deadline has been extended from the previous deadline of December 31st, 2022, to December 31st, 2023. Highlights of the announcement are as follows:

This extension aims to support short-term economic recovery and offer greater repayment flexibility to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, many of which are facing continued challenges due to the pandemic.

Click here to learn more.

TIABC Director Michael J. Ballingall, Sr. VP of Big White Ski Resort was a guest of News 1150 Kelowna earlier this week. He spoke about the CDC advisory warning travellers to avoid Canada as the country was elevated to "level four: very high" amid rising COVID numbers, and how this could be another devastating blow to BC's fragile tourism industry, and in particular, BC's highly regarded ski industry.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

It’s now been 22 months that the meetings and events industry has struggled to survive through the COVID-19 pandemic. We have become experts in force majeure clauses, postponements, and contract cancellations. Businesses at all levels within the sector’s supply chain have navigated a new world of lobbying for support, applying for government subsidies, scaling back to skeleton teams, furloughing staff, terminating leases, selling off assets and closing offices.

Some have found new ways of doing business by shifting to virtual, (which we can all agree is not nearly as effective as in-person engagement). We have adapted in creative ways to apply specific talents and skills differently, all in an effort to drive enough revenues to keep the lights on. In some cases, the best business plan to weather this storm has been to shut down completely, at least until restrictions have lifted and demand returns in a meaningful way.

Regardless of the path taken, there is no question that the meetings and events industry is among the “hardest hit” sectors. Significant barriers remain, preventing businesses from taking the first critical steps toward recovery.

The mass exodus of workers from the tourism and hospitality sector to more stable industries is clearly having an impact on service levels and capacities. Restaurants and hotels are operating at reduced levels because they are simply unable to staff adequately to deliver at capacity. We are seeing this resonate throughout the entire meetings and events supply chain.

Much of the initial work has begun through advocacy groups actively raising awareness from coast to coast across Canada and around the world of the powerful impact that business events have on domestic economies, highlighting their importance in driving revenues and employment to host destinations, while at the same time, supporting innovation and culture. These awareness campaigns are critical to gain government support to invest in the survival of this sector, ensuring that infrastructure is in place to sustain a viable recovery.

Many hard-working advocacy groups in British Columbia, such as TIABC, the BC Hotel Association and the BC Meetings & Events Industry Working Group, along with supporting DMOs and national organizations, including TIAC and Meetings Mean Business Canada, have been advocating for much-needed government subsidy programs. Through this process, we have seen the creation of joint industry-government task forces working to identify the obstacles to recovery and develop strategic tourism and hospitality recovery plans. The meetings and events industry has realized a seat at the table in conversations with government, more than ever before.

In BC, the BC Tourism Ministry established a recovery task force and round-table of industry leaders to collaborate on recovery strategies. Most recently, a tourism and hospitality Labour Recovery Task Force was created to develop a labour framework proposal for the BC government. The BC Meetings & Events Industry Working Group has been actively involved in these initiatives as the voice of meetings and events. In addition, the BC M&EI Working Group has collaborated with the PHO, WorkSafeBC and the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery & Innovation to focus on lifting barriers and driving momentum toward restart.

Recovery will take time. Persistent uncertainty around the virus, health and boarder restrictions, labour shortages, and unprecedented weather disasters will continue to test the resilience of the industry as we continue to weather the storm in 2022. Our job ahead is to rally with the strength of our partnerships to find ways to rebuild consumer confidence and a sustainable infrastructure that will support a healthy return to business. I have no doubt that this year will be volatile and clunky. This sector must further our strides through continued advocacy and maintain the foothold that has been established with all levels of government, thereby amplifying the voice and value of our industry.

We’re asking members of the business events community to help prioritize the key issues that MMBC will communicate to elected officials and decision makers at all levels of government over the next several months.

Please take a few minutes to express your views by answering 5 quick questions. The button, below, will take you straight to the survey.

Spread the Word: Share the survey link with colleagues to help collect feedback throughout the industry.

A reminder that last week, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced an order requiring employers to re-activate their COVID-19 Safety Plans.

The COVID-19 Safety Plan supersedes the basic principles of communicable disease prevention during this period of elevated risk by incorporating more specific protocols for preventing COVID-19 transmission. These may include occupancy limits, physical distancing, and barriers.

The following information is available through WorkSafeBC to assist workers and employers with their COVID-19 safety plan.

Workers and employers with questions or requiring additional advice or direction can call WorkSafeBC’s Prevention Information Line at 1.888.621.7233 to speak directly with a prevention officer.

With new capacity restrictions and lockdowns being implemented across the country, Government of Canada support programs are available for tourism and hospitality businesses.

Note: If you applied for the Tourism & Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) for period 22 (October 24 to November 20, 2021), you may have been affected by an error in the calculation spreadsheet for wage and hiring support, which erroneously showed they were ineligible for the THRP when they may have been eligible.

Click here for more information on THRP.

The BC Hotel Association (BCHA) is pleased to announce their partnership with the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) and Western Community College to offer a 23-week “Hotel Operations Services Skills Training Program”.

This program is designed to train 30 candidates who are currently unemployed or under employed in the Metro Vancouver area and deliver them to industry trained and ready to work. The training is fully funded and will focus on readying the candidate for meaningful work in the hotel industry.

For registration and more information please contact:

Sharon Noronha sharon.noronha@pics.bc.ca 604 596 7722, ext. 230; OR

Gurjinder Singh gurjinder.singh@pics.bc.ca ; 604 596 7722, ext. 242

For hotels who may be interested in candidate recruitment during the final phase of the 23 week program, please contact Alison Langford at alison@bcha.com

Service Canada, through the Commissioner for Employers division haa launched ira inaugural, quarterly newsletter in an effort to keep employers informed about the latest news on Employment Insurance.

It will be distributed to all Employer representatives on the Business Liaison Group’s national and provincial list and is being provided to our readership to inform on:

Click here for a copy of the newsletter.

The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is pleased to announce an online lottery held in conjunction with the 2022 Dine Out Vancouver Festival. Lottery prizes feature top local food, wine, and accommodation, as well as events and entertainment.

Tickets will be available online from January 14th to 31st. This year’s luxury prize packages offer something for everyone:

1 for $5

3 for $10

8 for $20

25 for $50

Prizes draw will take place at 12 noon on February 1st.

The BCHF thanks the local businesses that generously donated the fantastic lottery prizes. Proceeds from the lottery will support the BCHF’s charitable work, which includes providing financial assistance to hospitality workers in financial crisis due to extraordinary health conditions experienced by themselves or a family member, as well as administering a scholarship program to foster the development of the next generation of hospitality industry workers and leaders.

Partial proceeds of this lottery will be allocated to the BCHF Scholarship program and will be awarded to a student focused on tourism and hospitality.

For details on the lottery package prizes and to purchase tickets, click 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.

Just weeks after the announcement of the $60-million Black Forest Residences project, Big White Ski Resort Ltd is excited to share that two new developments will be joining the Black Forest area.

Kelowna developer Marvin Dean partnered with investor Jordan O’Sullivan to purchase 7.5 acres near the base of the Black Forest Express.

Work on this new $58-million development will begin in fall 2022, and will consist of two projects: Blackhawk and Wild Wood. Blackhawk will be home to 16 townhomes and Wild Wood of 24 lots, for either single family homes or duplexes – with homes starting at $900,000. There will also be a few lots available for those with their own builders.

Dean has been in the ski business since the late 80s, and in development for about the same amount of time. In 2005, he was invited to check out Big White during the summer, fell in love, and before he even moved to Kelowna, he purchased 10 acres on the mountain – which eventually became the extremely successful Grizzly Ridge subdivision.

Congratulations to the Big White Ski Resort development projects.

A reminder, that due to the difficulties our industry has faced since early 2020, we will continue to extend various payment options to members this year, 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 or renew your 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 22-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.

Please join Royce Chwin, Destination Vancouver Team Member, President & CEO and members of the Senior Leadership Team, for an update on Destination Vancouver's 2022 Business Sprint which will guide activities and plans for the year ahead.

Date: Tuesday, January 25th | 10:00AM - 11:30AM | Virtual

Click here to register.

Export Navigator is offering a great seminar to kick off 2022 – Preparing for Travel & Tradeshows, that has understandably been on hiatus for the past while!

Date: Friday, January 21st from 9:30–11:00am

Join in for this FREE interactive webinar and learn everything you need to know about trade show preparation. From promoting your attendance at the trade show to creating an eye-catching booth, there are many factors that play a part in ensuring a successful experience. They will also cover upcoming BC and Canadian pavilions at trade shows around the world, and the funding that can take you there!

Learning Points:

• Learn how to prepare for a trade show, including travel and budgeting tips

• Find out how to develop trade show leads and have more successful interactions

• Learn about upcoming BC and Canadian pavilions at trade shows around the world

• Discover key etiquette and culture tips for doing business cross-culturally

Click here for more information and to register.

Join GreenStep Solutions for this informative webinar to learn about the technical side of carbon measurement. We will also cover carbon reduction tactics and how to offset what you can’t reduce.

By 2030 the price of carbon will increase fossil fuel-related operating costs by 30% to 100%, not including cost increases related to inflation. To get ahead of the carbon risk to your business, it will be important to understand your carbon footprint and make a plan to reduce it.

Measuring your carbon footprint is actually not that complicated, and similar to financial accounting standards, greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards exist.

Date: January 25th from 10am-11am PST / 1pm - 2pm EST

To register for FREE, please visit here.

If you have any questions related to the event or have any issues with registration, please do not hesitate to contact us. There will be additional time following the presentation for questions, which you may also submit in advance by way of the registration page.

Destination Canada invites you to join their upcoming industry webinar where they will delve deeper into the key trends outlined in their latest report, Tourism’s Big Shift: Key Trends Shaping the Future of Canada’s Tourism Industry.  

While these trends will have an impact on Canada’s travel and tourism industry as whole, this webinar will focus on the implications and opportunities for small and medium-sized tourism businesses specifically. There will be an opportunity for questions, and they welcome an open dialogue on these important new findings.

Date: February 1st at 10 am (PT)

Click here to register.

Destination BC has partnered with Small Business BC to offer free access for tourism business stakeholders across the province to online education supporting COVID-19 recovery.

Get Started with Email Marketing, Date: February 2nd

To access the webinars free of charge, register online here using coupon code DBC3034.

Join TIABC and the BC Hotel Association for the 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference as we 'Kickstart the Comeback' and gather in-person to learn, tackle issues, forge new relationships, and work toward resiliency in the face of one of the hardest years in our sector's history.

When | March 9-11, 2022

Where | Richmond Conference Centre, Richmond

This year's conference will bring together hundreds of tourism owner/operators, hoteliers, destination marketing and management professionals, educators, government representatives, industry sectors, and other stakeholders representing all regions of British Columbia.

Registration is set to open this month.

Visit here for more details including how to become a sponsor of the BCTHC!

Email us at info@bctourismandhospitalityconference.com

There are so many great reasons to hire a student! Access a talented pool of young enthusiastic professionals to bring fresh ideas and energy to your workplace.

Capilano University is hosting a "Lunch and Learn" to tell you more.

Over 100 Capilano University (CapU) Tourism Management students will be looking for work placements from May- September 2022. Many of the students can move into full-time positions at the end of their summer placement as they will graduate. The Cap U Work Integrated Learning team for the School of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation will be conducting an online information session.

Date: January 18th from 12:30-1 pm.

For additional information contact tourismwil@capilanou.ca

Click here to register.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held Wednesday, January 19th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT virtually – please note details for the virtual call will be sent shortly.

To access the proxy vote or nomination form, click on the following:

These documents and the link to register to the AGM require you to log in to your membership account with TIAC.

If you have forgotten your login information to access benefits or renew your membership, click here and input your email address and check your inbox.

The British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) is presenting its 2022 Annual BC Economic Summit in a virtual format with the theme of Reconciliation and Resiliency - A Future for BC.

Date: April 3rd 1:30 PM  to April 5th 2:30 PM

This is an opportunity to highlight success stories, lessons learned, share cutting-edge ideas, and engage your colleagues at the premier event for economic development practitioners in British Columbia.

The lineup of speakers includes leading economic development experts and peers, panel discussions and interactive discussion forums, exhibits, BC Economic Development Awards, and virtual networking opportunities.

Click here to learn more and to register.

The organizers of IMPACT 2022 Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference wish to thank you for your patience awaiting this update. They are pleased to announce that IMPACT 2022 will take place from May 9-11 with a special Day of IMPACT on Sunday, May 8th (for an additional fee).

If you are already registered for IMPACT 2022/Day of IMPACT, your registration will be honoured for the new dates.

If you are unable to attend on the new dates and would like to request a refund, please email info@IMPACTnational.ca.

For more information on IMPACT and to register, click 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 24-27

Learn more about Rendezvous Canada 2022 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.