A Message from BCHA President & CEO Ingrid Jarrett |
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Good Afternoon Hotel and Accommodation Community,
Today, the entire province joins our hospitality and tourism sector in breathing a colossal sigh of relief. There is hope. There is a plan.
Over many months, we have advocated for a restart plan to help prepare for recovery and the upcoming summer season. While the burden of hard costs has not been lifted, the promise for the future is brighter than it has been in months, with the surge in vaccinations, a decrease in case numbers and hospitalizations, and an actual phased restart plan. This is huge win that is fitting of National Tourism Week. Let's all help our industry prepare and recover by booking our summer travel ahead of time.
I would like to acknowledge and thank each of you for your part in advocacy – speaking with MLAs, media, and your communities – along with your commitment to supporting the Circuit Breaker restrictions. Without you, this day would not be possible.
Of course, as restrictions remain for cruise, international travel, domestic travel, and large conferences and events – which are all demand drivers for our urban and remote businesses – it is clear that we are not there yet.
Many businesses received their property tax bills today, reporting 30-35% increases in property tax over last year; at the same time, they are witnessing a decrease in property valuations between 15-20%. Frustratingly, many of these businesses are not eligible for relief programs neither provincially, nor federally. Recovery for our sector is dependent on these businesses staying in business, hiring back their workforces, retraining, and contributing to the marketing network to create demand at a time when it has never been needed more. The need for recovery investment to alleviate the burden of fixed costs remains a top priority. The billing cycle, the lack of relief, and the timing of the bills shows a complete disconnect between municipalities and the industry that supports them – most often as the highest tax payers in the community.
Indeed, there is hope from today’s restart announcement – but now the hard work begins. In the coming months, our work includes:
- Review and revise safety plans according to the phased reopening restrictions.
- Anticipate and prepare for an increase in business demand. That includes investments in hiring, training and dusting off operations in order to be ready for BC Residents to once again travel.
- The costs affiliated with this are significant. Please know, we are determined to ensure our accommodation sector receives recovery funds to support the reopening and recovery. We need businesses all over the province to stay in business in order for our multi billion dollar economy to once again thrive.
- Roll up our sleeves and do the work on each phase of the restart plan with WorkSafe BC and the BCCDC.
- Determine and coordinate a communications strategy for our industry, aligned with the Government, Destination BC, sector associations, DMOs, industry and communities – this is no small feat. We will start with BC residents, then Canadians across the country, followed by international markets.
- The key is to positively position British Columbia, rebuilding confidence among travellers. We must once again shine a light on British Columbia as a world-class destination in order to compete with other countries and destinations that are ahead of us in reopening their economies.
- Continue to advocate for relief measures for rehiring and training our workforces.
- Ensure the federal government is ready to reopen our international borders as soon as travel restrictions are lifted.
To further support our sector's quick recovery, we encourage you all to register for your vaccination. All British Columbians over the age of 12 are now able to register; click here to do so.
There is no doubt, the coming months will be busy for us all but never has there been more important work to do. We are almost there.
Stay safe,
Ingrid Jarrett
President and CEO
British Columbia Hotel Association
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Today's update includes:
- British Columbia Announces Phased Reopening Plan
- Keep Up to Date on Your COVID-19 Safety Plan | BCHA COVID-19 Resources
- Glow Green for National Tourism Week, May 23-30, 2021 | Take The Pledge Today!
- Mark Your Calendars
- TIAC's Tourism Town Hall
- Join ABLE BC for a Monthly Q&A with ABLE BC's Executive Director Jeff Guignard
- New B SAFE training for BC's tourism and hospitality industry
- TOTA Business Building In The Face Of COVID
- Canadian Hotel Investment Conference
- Tourism Vancouver AGM
- In the News
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British Columbia Announces
Phased Reopening Plan
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During a press conference today, Premier Horgan and the Provincial Government announced the launch a four step restart plan. The step-by-step plan will follow approximate timelines and will ease people and businesses slowly out of the pandemic. |
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The four steps are:
Step 1: May 25
- 60% of adult population with Dose 1
- COVID-19 cases stable, hospitalizations stable
- Maximum of five visitors or one household allowed for indoor personal gatherings
- Maximum of 10 people for outdoor personal gatherings
- Maximum of 10 people for seated indoor organized gatherings with safety protocols
- Maximum of 50 people for seated outdoor organized gatherings with safety protocols
- Recreational travel only within travel region (travel restrictions extended)
- Indoor and outdoor dining for up to six people with safety protocols
- Resume outdoor sports (games) with no spectators, low-intensity fitness with safety protocols
- Start gradual return to workplaces
- Provincewide mask mandate, business safety protocols and physical distancing measures remain in place
- Return of indoor in-person faith-based gatherings (reduced capacity) based on consultation with public health
Step 2: Mid-June (June 15 – earliest date)
- 65% of adult population with Dose 1
- Cases declining, COVID-19 hospitalizations declining
- Maximum of 50 people for outdoor social gatherings
- Maximum of 50 people for seated indoor organized gatherings (banquet halls, movie theatres, live theatre) with safety protocols
- Consultation process to prepare for larger indoor and outdoor gatherings with safety protocols
- No B.C. travel restrictions – check local travel advisories
- Indoor sports (games) and high-intensity fitness with safety protocols
- Spectators for outdoor sports (50 maximum)
- Provincewide mask mandate, business safety protocols and physical distancing measures remain in place
Step 3: Early July (July 1 – earliest date)
- 70% of adult population with Dose 1
- Cases low, COVID-19 hospitalizations declining
- Provincial state of emergency and public health emergency lifted
- Returning to usual for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings
- Increased capacity for indoor and outdoor organized gatherings, with safety plans
- Nightclubs and casinos reopen with capacity limits and safety plans
- New public health and workplace guidance around personal protective equipment, physical distancing and business protocols
Step 4: Early September (Sept. 7 – earliest date)
- More than 70% of adult population with Dose 1
- Cases low and stable (contained clusters), COVID-19 hospitalizations low
- Returning to normal social contact
- Increased capacity at larger organized gatherings
- No limits on indoor and outdoor spectators at sports
- Businesses operating with new safety plans
For Step 1 and Step 2, restaurants, bars and pubs, as well as indoor fitness facilities, are to return to the existing safety protocols that were in place prior to the circuit breaker restrictions. For other sectors, existing safety protocols remain in place for Step 1 and Step 2, including existing safety protocols at schools and daycares. In Step 1, hotels and other accommodation providers are encouraged to welcome guests from inside their region. In Step 2, the invitation can be extended to guests from throughout the province.
Prior to steps 3 and 4, sector associations, including the BC Hotel Assocaition will work with public health and WorkSafeBC to update sector guidelines to meet updated public health guidance.
All updated workplace safety plans should be ready by July 1 prior to shifting into Step 3. These plans will be based on updated sector guidelines.
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Keep Up to Date on Your COVID-19
Safety Plan | BCHA COVID-19 Resources
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We encourage each of our members to utilize our COVID-19 resources to ensure you are compliant with your safety plans. Cleanliness is the cornerstone of safety as it pertains to COVID-19, and failure to ensure that spaces are disinfected and clean will have lasting impacts on your business and the reputation of our industry as a whole.
We encourage you to also lean on resources from go2HR; the team has dedicated health and safety experts who will review your COVID-19 safety plan and provide recommendations and targeted feedback to help ensure ongoing compliance with current public health requirement. In addition, we urge all businesses in hospitality to utilize go2HR's new B SAFE training tool to support confidence and recovery when rehiring and training your teams.
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Glow Green for National Tourism Week, May 23-30, 2021 | Take The Pledge Today! |
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May 23 - 30, 2021 is Tourism Week in Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is leading the national campaign to recognize Canada’s tourism economy, and the impact it has on every community across the country.
How to get involved:
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Take the pledge, post your commitment through social media channels and encourage your followers as well as colleagues and peers to do the same.
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If you have a programmable lighting system, light-it-up in Tourism Week’s “Glowing Green” on your region’s day, or all week.
The BCHA and Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is asking hotels to participate in the following ways:
- Send us a photo/video of your hotel “Glowing Green” for tourism week (15 seconds or less!)
- Send us a quote about the resiliency of the hotel industry, or why the industry is special to you.
- Send us a video or quote about why Canadians should pledge to travel in Canada this summer – and visit your hotel! (15 seconds or less!)
To learn more about Tourism Week and access our branding toolkit, please visit TourismCounts.ca.
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TIAC’s Tourism Town Hall series is an event partnership between the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Destination Canada, and the local host partners.
Town Halls allow tourism operators to provide first-hand input on issues affecting their business and the tourism industry in this time of COVID and provide feedback on government policy for the recovery and rebuilding of our sector.
Register now for a Town Hall in your province!
British Columbia – Thursday, May 27
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Join ABLE BC for a Monthly Q&A with ABLE BC's Executive Director Jeff Guignard
Thursday, May 27 at 10:00 am PT.
RSPV here. A Zoom link will be provided one day prior to the meeting.
What to expect during this one-hour meeting:
- Catch up on anything you’ve missed over the last month
- Hear directly from our Executive Director about the state of BC’s liquor industry
- Get an update on our advocacy work and progress
- Ask questions about liquor policy, regulations, public health orders, and government relations
- Hear from ABLE BC’s Board of Directors
Special Guest: Lisa Houle (Manager, OHS Consultation and Education Services, WorkSafeBC) will be joining to provide an update from WorkSafeBC on vaccinations in the workplace, COVID-19 inspections and common issues inspectors see, COVID-19 safety plans, temporary patio safety controls, and more.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications): danielle@ablebc.ca.
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New B SAFE training for BC's tourism and hospitality industry
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 are awarded a certificate that demonstrates their knowledge of and commitment to COVID-19 health and safety. 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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Business Building In The Face Of COVID
10 Steps To Take Now For Short And Long-Term Success
In a time of great uncertainty, how can tourism & hospitality business operators plan ahead, prepare for the summer season, and take advantage of the available resources? During this free webinar including time for Q&A with Professor Mark Ziebarth of Okanagan College, you will learn 10 steps to take now to plan ahead for short and long-term business success.
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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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10 things you need to know about B.C.'s COVID-19 restart ...
On Tuesday, British Columbia launched a restart plan laying out a post- COVID-19 pandemic life. Here are 10 big things to look forward to: Effective Tuesday, a social gathering indoors can take place with one other household or up to five...
Read more
globalnews.ca
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B.C. tourist towns hopeful that eased restrictions will...
On Tuesday, health officials are expected to provide details on the future of travel, indoor dining and other restrictions after the latest "circuit breaker" restrictions end at midnight. Leaders in towns that rely on tourism are hopeful the...
Read more
www.cbc.ca
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B.C. Government announces 4 step restart plan - NEWS 1130
If all goes to plan, British Columbians will be able to go to the movies, have small indoor weddings, and go on a summer vacation anywhere in the province starting mid-June. As COVID-19 case counts fall in B.C., the province has outlined its plan ...
Read more
www.citynews1130.com
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