A Message from BCHA President & CEO Ingrid Jarrett |
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Dear Accommodation Community,
Over the past year, we have asked you to participate in our monthly pulse checks and the information you have provided has been of enormous value in our advocacy work. During this time, an overwhelming majority of you identified the CEWS program as a key factor in your business's ability to survive.
Federal support programs have been a lifeline for businesses, particularly for small businesses. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB):
- 51 per cent of small businesses are using the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
- 48 per cent the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
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29 per cent the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS).
Currently, the CEWS program has only been extended until September 25th, 2021, with a gradual reduction of the subsidy rate beginning July 4th, 2021. Our position with the federal and provincial government is to ensure this program continues.
The next 11 months will continue to be challenging given that lack of predictability for business travel, conferences, meetings, events, tour travel, cruise and international travel to resume. BCHA and the Hotel Association of Canada have clearly continued to advocate on your behalf to ensure our hardest hit sector is offered necessary relief measures to ensure we do in fact recover.
On a positive note, we were extremely pleased by yesterday's announcement surrounding the extension of the Highly Affected Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) to December 31, 2021, along with new details on the Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CHRP). We have included details of how to determine if CEWS or CRHP is most beneficial for our sector included below.
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Offering a subsidy of up to 50 per cent for eligible hiring wages, hotels will be able to offset a portion of hiring costs while they are looking to reopen, train and prepare for the phased restart of our tourism economy.
We are also pleased to see that the vaccination numbers for our fair province reached 71% today, which is most encouraging. We ask all of you to get vaccinated so we can get back to the livelihoods we are so passionate about. Hospitality.
Stay well,
Ingrid Jarrett
President and CEO
BC Hotel Association
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Today's update includes:
- BCHA May Pulse Check | Complete the Survey Today!
- go2HR New COVID-19 Vaccinations In The Workplace – Toolkit For Tourism & Hospitality Employers
- InnFocus Summer 2021 Issue Out Now!
- Circuit Breaker Grant Deadline Tomorrow, June 4th| Apply Now
- DBC Messaging Guidance for Tourism Industry
- Promote Your Business Through Destination BC Member Portal
- Faster, Together Campaign Marks New Milestone in Vaccine Acceptance
- Sign Up for Ocean Wise Plastic Reduction Program
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Have You Heard? BCHA Has Launched a Buy, Sell, & Exchange Program
- Mark Your Calendars
- June is Free Education Month at Small Business BC
- New B SAFE Training for BC's Tourism and Hospitality Industry
- Indigenous Tourism BC Celebrates Indigenous History Month and Peoples Day with Workshop Series
- Free Webinar: What does BC's No-Fault Auto Regime mean for Liquor Liability?
- Canadian Hotel Investment Conference
- Tourism Vancouver AGM
- Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
- Congratulations to the Class of 2021! BCHF Announces Scholarship Winners
- Inn at Laurel Point Appoints Amy Pecorelli as Event Manager, Introduces Carbon Neutral Package for Planners
- In the News
- Globe and Mail | Federal government extends BCAP, HASCAP business loan programs to the end of 2021
- CityNews | Tourism Vancouver encourages locals to get out and #LoveVancouver
- Vancouver Is Awesome | How to celebrate National Indigenous History Month on the North Shore and beyond
- Travel Pulse | Travel and Tourism Roundtable to Trudeau: Change Quarantine and Travel Rules
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BCHA May Pulse Check | Complete
the Survey Today!
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If you haven't already done so, please complete our monthly Pulse Check survey.
Over the past month, our sector has been plagued by strict travel restrictions that have had a significant impact on your business. As we continue to advocate for relief measures for our industry, we require your input to help illustrate this impact and share our industry's story. The importance of gathering this data is significant.
Please take a few moments to complete the survey below!
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THE SURVEY WILL CLOSE TUESDAY,
JUNE 8, AT 5PM PST
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go2HR New COVID-19 Vaccinations
In The Workplace – Toolkit For Tourism & Hospitality Employers
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The vaccine rollout has also been creating some anxiety for employers, as they try to understand the impact of the rollout on their workplaces. Do employers need to have a vaccine policy in place? Can employers demand proof of vaccination from their employees? How can employers balance health and safety concerns with human rights or privacy ones? What do employers need to consider if they want to implement a vaccine policy?
go2HR’s new toolkit COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace – Toolkit for Tourism & Hospitality Employers contains practical information, resources and downloadable tools to help tourism and hospitality employers answer and address some of these difficult questions.
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InnFocus Summer 2021 Issue Out Now! |
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FEATURED ARTICLES
The LGBT+ Community
Understanding Traveller Behaviour
Financial Leadership
The Potential of Productivity
... and much more!
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Circuit Breaker Grant Deadline
Tomorrow, June 4th| Apply Now
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Please note that deadlines for the Circuit Breaker Grant is this Friday, June 4th.
If you have not done so already, apply as soon as possible. See below for further details on provincial relief measures.
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Circuit Breaker Grant
Who it's for:
- BC majority owned for-profit business that partially or fully closed to comply with March 31 PHO order or April 23 EPA order
Deadline:
- June 4th, 2021, or until funds are fully committed
Contact:
- circuitbreakerreliefgrant@gov.bc.ca
- 1-833-254-4357
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Please reach out to our BCHA team should you have any further questions or require additional support. |
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DBC Messaging Guidance for Tourism Industry |
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Following the May 25th announcement of the BC Restart Plan, Destination BC has developed and updated their key messages to support the alignment of our industry as we enter the next phases of reopening.
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Promote Your Business Through
Destination BC Member Portal
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Destination BC’s summer marketing campaign – which will launch once we are again able to promote travel, in accordance with the orders and guidelines of the Provincial Health Officer and BC’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General – will encourage British Columbians to explore their own province and open their minds to new places and experiences.
As part of the campaign, DBC will promote Travel Offers as a “hook” to encourage potential travellers to explore a variety of BC experiences, attractions, and
accommodations. Research shows that offers play an important role in moving the
consumer’s mindset from planning to purchasing and is also a great opportunity
for businesses to feature new products or experiences, drive website
traffic/bookings, and ultimately, acquire new customers.
To take advantage of this campaign and motivate travellers to book with you, we encourage you to post up to three offers on HelloBC today, so you are ready when we can all travel again.
This program does not require you to discount your experience or product. Destination BC provides an avenue to showcase the current offers and/or added value that you already have available.
Offers must incorporate one or more of the following:
- A package of experiences and services at a compelling price point (e.g. a deal including accommodation, meals, and an activity)
- A value-add (e.g. free night, meal or tickets included in price)
- Existing offer such as an on-going BC resident offer
- A discount (e.g. early booking, limited offer, % or $ off, special rate)
There is no minimum or maximum discount required, but significant discounts which clearly demonstrate value to the consumer tend to perform best.
Example offers:
There is no cost to participate and submitting your offers
is easy. What you’ll need:
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The offer name
- The offer details (maximum 120 characters)
- Start and end dates which the offer is valid
- A link to the offer details on your website
- One picture to display with your offer*
If you already have a user account for your HelloBC listing, simply log in to Destination BC's Tourism Business Portal, select your business name under “Manage My Listings”, click on “Travel Deals” then click “New”. You can promote a maximum of three Offers on HelloBC.com at one time.
If you do not have a user account, please create one here and allow two business
days for access to be granted. For more information about Travel Deals including offer ideas and photo requirements, click here.
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Faster, Together Campaign Marks New Milestone in Vaccine Acceptance |
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The BC Hotel Association is a proud supporter of the Faster, Together campaign aimed at increasing vaccine confidence to accelerate recovery.
According to a new study, the number of Canadians willing to be vaccinated is on the rise, and the number of people hesitant or refusing to take a Covid-19 vaccine is at a new low.
The latest data (collected through 2000 interviews nationwide) show that the number of people who've already had a shot or who will take one as soon as it is available to them now stands at 79%, up from 63% only a month ago.
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Sign Up for Ocean Wise Plastic
Reduction Program
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With more than 11 million tons of plastic litter entering the ocean annually, internationally recognized non-profit conservation organization Ocean Wise is recruiting Canada’s restaurant and foodservice industry to help tackle this growing environmental crisis.
Ocean Wise’s innovative new Plastic Reduction Program will support food businesses in reducing unnecessary plastic waste, thereby protecting the ocean and aquatic life. Upon joining the program, complimentary in its first year thanks to generous funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Vancity and VIVREAU North America, restaurant partner representatives will have a one-on-one onboarding session with the Ocean Wise Plastic Reduction Program team and complete a survey to measure current plastic use and identify opportunities to reduce, replace, refuse, re-use, or better recycle harmful and unnecessary plastics.
Within the first year of joining, participating businesses will be supported in eliminating single-use plastic bags, foamed plastic, plastic straws (except to meet accessibility requirements) and single-use food ware for onsite dining, if they haven’t already. The program will support partners in complying with the Government of Canada’s proposed ban on single-use plastics, as well as any future regulatory changes. Businesses will also be supported in setting their own plastic reduction targets and reporting their progress annually.
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Have You Heard? BCHA Has Launched a Buy, Sell, & Exchange Program |
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The BCHA is pleased to introduce the Buy, Sell, Exchange program which offers accommodators the ability to list their items or purchase items directly from other operators across British Columbia.
Have furnishings, fixtures, or equipment you are looking to get rid of or are in search of? Contact kelsey@bcha.com and we will help connect you with the rest of the hotel community in BC.
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CURRENTLY FOR SALE:
Prestige Hotels and Resorts has a selection of furnishings, fixtures & equipment available for sale from their acquisition in Kamloops.
Details:
- Prefer to sell in volume counts and/or packages of room.
- Items have not yet been priced so please make an offer.
- Pickup and moving not included
- Items ready to be picked up as of June 2nd in Kamloops
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If interested please contact Karoline Huber at:
250-860-5858 ext. 117
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June is Free Education Month at Small Business BC
Start your summer off on the right foot with a month of free education at Small Business BC.
Delivered in partnership with WorkSafeBC, June’s FREE Education Month delivers over 25 webinars and Talk to an Expert sessions, offering plenty of opportunities to upskill. Whether you’re looking to start or grow your business, our educational calendar for the month is stacked with informative and practical sessions that will put your business on the road to success.
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New B SAFE Training for BC's Tourism and Hospitality Industry
To help rebuild confidence in travel and hospitality, B SAFE is a new 90-minute, online course oriented toward staff in BC’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The training aims to provide staff with a strong foundation in COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and to assist them in understanding ever-evolving best practices. Upon successful completion of the course, participants (and properties with over 75% of staff completion) are awarded a certificate and decal that demonstrates their knowledge of and commitment to COVID-19 health and safety.
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go2HR's objective is for B SAFE to become an industry standard: a recognizable indicator of the extent to which health and safety is a priority for BC’s tourism and hospitality employers. B SAFE stands for BC Safety Assured For Everyone Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, B SAFE aims to build community and staff confidence in the health and safety protocols of BC’s tourism and hospitality industry as the province navigates and emerges from the COVID-19 era.
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Indigenous Tourism BC Celebrates Indigenous History Month and Peoples Day with Workshop Series
Indigenous Tourism BC is looking forward to hosting a series of free immersive and educational virtual workshops anchored by themes of food and beverage, arts and culture, and wellness.
Viewers worldwide are invited to join as the organization highlights Indigenous chefs, sommeliers, tour guides, culture keepers, and storytellers.
A TASTING OF INDIGENOUS CULTURES – TUESDAY, JUNE 15 AT 2 PM PST / 5 PM EST
An immersive exploration of the rich history and cultures of Indigenous cuisine and wine in BC. Learn how to make authentic bannock from home and learn about the history and practices behind Indigenous wine.
CELEBRATING LIVING INDIGENOUS ARTS & CULTURE – THURSDAY, JUNE 17 AT 2 PM PST / 5 PM EST
Learn about the history and cultural significance of Potlatches as well as the artistic practices of cedar weaving, song and dance. Enjoy stories about harvesting traditional foods, wildlife, petroglyphs and much more.
HONOURING WELLNESS – TUESDAY, JUNE 22 AT 2 PM PST / 5 PM EST
Restore your spirit through an exploration of Indigenous wellness rituals.
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Free Webinar: What does BC's No-Fault Auto Regime mean for Liquor Liability?
ABLEBC invites you to join us for a free webinar on Wednesday, June 16 at 10:00 am PST
BC's new no-fault auto regime creates a "disincentive" for a patron to sue you. Does that mean insurance should be cheaper and easier to get? Join Lorne Folick (Dolden Wallace Folick LLP) to discuss the impact of of the no-fault auto regime on your liquor business.
To learn more about the application of BC's no-fault auto regime to commercial liquor licensees, download this article by Lorne Folick and Ouran Li.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications): danielle@ablebc.ca
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Save the date!
Registration will open next week where we will announce our keynote speakers and sessions.
Are you interested in sponsoring? Please contact Stephanie for further details.
This is a milestone event you will not want to miss!
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Tourism Vancouver | Notice of 2021 Annual General Meeting
Tourism Vancouver Members: take notice that the 118th Annual General Meeting of the Metro Vancouver Convention & Visitors Bureau, doing business as Tourism Vancouver will be held:
- Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021
- Time: 3:30PM - 5:30PM
- Location: BC Place Stadium (Hybrid Virtual)
The following formal business will be considered at this meeting:
- Presentation and approval of the agenda and minutes from the October 29, 2020 AGM
- Presentation and approval of the audited 2020 financial statements & appointment of auditors
- Presentation of the 2021-2022 Board of Directors
- Reports from the Board of Directors and CEO
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Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
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Congratulations to the Class of 2021! BCHA is Proud to Sponsor these BC Hospitality Foundation Scholarship Winners and Leaders of the Future! |
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Vy Tang
Fairleigh Dickinson University
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Kevin Heller
Okanagan College
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Aliza Evangelista
Skelkirk College
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Yurina Takeshita
Vancouver Island University
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Grace Schranz
Thompson Rivers University
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Congratulations to all winners! |
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Inn at Laurel Point Appoints Amy Pecorelli as Event Manager, Introduces Carbon Neutral Package for Planners
Inn at Laurel Point has appointed seasoned industry expert Amy Pecorelli as Event Manager to collaborate, assist and oversee the initiation of the next phase of the property’s events program. Amy will help the celebrated hotel to amp up its hosting with a carbon-neutral package for planners and a series of signature events spotlighting community partners.
As Event Manager at Inn at Laurel Point, Amy oversees new and current initiatives that will amplify the property’s already widespread reputation as a coveted events venue. Congrats Amy!
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Federal government extends BCAP, HASCAP business loan...
The federal government announced on Wednesday that it is extending two emergency business loan programs until the end of the year, and outlined its rationale for the new hiring subsidy program that comes into effect this month.
Read more
www.theglobeandmail.com
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Tourism Vancouver encourages locals to get out and...
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) - Fall in love with Vancouver all over again. That's the idea behind Tourism Vancouver's "Attractions Month" and its "LoveVancouver" campaign. "It's designed to really encourage locals and residents to get out and enjoy all...
Read more
www.citynews1130.com
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How to celebrate National Indigenous History Month on...
Whether it's sampling some tasty Indigenous cuisine from the renowned Mr. Bannock food truck or paddling out to sea at Whey-a-wichen (Cates Park), there are many ways to embrace First Nations culture on the North Shore. As June marks National...
Read more
www.vancouverisawesome.com
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Travel and Tourism Roundtable to Trudeau: Change...
The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable ("The Roundtable") is urging the federal government to immediately release an implementation plan based on the recommendations made in the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel (Expert...
Read more
ca.travelpulse.com
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