Message From President & CEO, Ingrid Jarrett |
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Dear Accommodation Community & Stakeholders,
Yesterday, the Federal Government announced that starting in early July, fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents returning from overseas by air will no longer have to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine. Instead, they will have to take a test upon entering the country and self-isolate at home until results are deemed negative.
While we welcome eased restrictions and are hopeful that this news signals the first phase of the US-Canada border reopening, the relaxation is highly problematic for our national accommodation and tourism community, as the relaxation only applies to Canadian citizens and not international tourists.
With no incoming tourism and the ability for Canadian residents to travel more freely internationally, our industry risks losing critical local business as BC and Canadian residents may pivot to book vacations south of the border.
The BCHA proudly supports the #OpenTheBorder campaign and recognizes that it is critical that a phased reopening plan be announced to give industry time to market, rehire, and prepare for international visitors.
I encourage each of you to take a few seconds to write a letter to your MP urging for the government to announce a reopening plan. It will take no more than thirty seconds.
The impacts of this 15 month US-Canada border closure have been devastating across the province as all communities rely on cross-border travel. If Canada continues to restrict international travellers they will simply go where they are welcomed. Our COVID-19 cases are low and are vaccination rates are getting higher. It's time we begin welcoming vaccinated travellers from outside of Canada.
Stay well,
Ingrid Jarrett
President and CEO
BC Hotel Association
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Today's update includes:
- Action Needed | Write Letter to Support Border Reopening
- BC Hospitality Foundation July G-ale-a | Request for Donations
- VHDA Launches Vancouver Patio Visa Gift Card offer on StayVancouverHotels
- Dont Miss Out! Vaccinations in the Workplace | Webinar and go2HR Toolkit
- Business Intelligence and Research | BC Residents Sentiment Study
- Global Payments Offering Cost-Savings on Card Processing
- TIAC | Cruise Sector Operators Urged to Participate in National Survey
- Call for Completion | Census Canada
- Mark Your Calendars
- Tourism Vancouver Webinar: Understanding Social Procurement and the Potential Social Enterprises Have to Support Tourism Sector Recovery
- 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
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Free Webinar: What does BC's No-Fault Auto Regime mean for Liquor Liability?
- The Path to Truth and Reconciliation Presented by Vancouver Board of Trade
- Webinar: Rebuilding Tourism in the region presented by Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
- Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
- Reflections: The Garden Terrace at Rosewood Hotel Georgia is now open.
- In the News
- CTV Vancouver | 'It's obvious there is no plan': Quarantine rules frustrate tourism, travel sectors
- Global News | Canada easing COVID-19 hotel quarantine, isolation rules for fully vaccinated: source
- Black Press Media (Abby News) | Tourism, hospitality sector digs in for 2nd COVID summer amid wait for border re-opening
- Western Investor | New hotel plans shows proof of life
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Action Needed | Write Letter to
Support Border Reopening
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The border has been closed since March 2020, restricting international travel which has had a devastating impact on operators across BC. A safe re-opening plan is necessary to allow tourism businesses to plan, ramp up and book business into the Summer and Fall. The BCHA is fully supportive of the #OpentheBorder Campaign.
Please add your voice to this campaign. Send a letter to your Member of Parliament today to encourage them to take action immediately.
It takes less than 30 seconds!
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BC Hospitality Foundation July G-ALE-a | Request for Donations |
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Meeting Planners International (MPI) BC Chapter is happy to announce that they will be hosting their Annual Gala this year with a unique twist to accommodate a safer, in-person, socially distanced event. It will be a joint fundraiser for MPI and the BC Hospitality Foundation. #gALEa21
This year’s event, July g-ALE-a, will be held simultaneously at over 15 outstanding craft breweries along the BC Ale Trail. The event will take place on July 7th, 2021 at 5:30 pm with each brewery hosting a table for 6 people. Early bird tickets will be $50 per person (table of 6 is $300) on sale June 15th. Anticipated attendance is 90 - 150 event industry professionals and their associates, family, and friends. There will be 6 people together at each brewery.
CALL FOR SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS
To support MPI BC Chapter and the BC Hospitality Foundation a virtual silent auction will be open for all British Columbians to bid from June 28th – July 9th, 2021. The goals of our silent auction are to showcase our province’s hospitality and tourism businesses AND get consumers out spending their money locally.
The MPI BC Chapter has partnered with the BC Hospitality Foundation and the BC Craft Brewers Guild to provide members and individuals with the opportunity to donate, support, and reconnect with locals in the industry. In hopes of raising funds for MPI BC Chapter and the BC Hospitality Foundation, the BCHF is kindly soliciting donations from your organization!
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Deadline for donations is June 24th, 2021
In exchange for your silent auction donation, you will receive….
- Donation featured on Givergy auction site
- Social Media support leading up to and during the auction
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A FREE business listing on guestadvisor.ca (valid until April 2022)
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This new interactive platform introduces your business to guest facing professionals.
The BCHF realizes that this is a difficult time to make a request for a donation. No thank you is a completely acceptable response always, however, please do hope that you may consider this request. Every donation, small and large, makes a huge difference.
Items can be held for the winner, and will connect you after the auction to arrange delivery to them.
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VHDA Launches Vancouver Patio Visa Gift Card offer on StayVancouverHotels |
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Take advantage of, or share, this great summer promotion that supports local patios and downtown Vancouver hotels! The promotion features the best of Vancouver’s Patios in seven (7) BIA neighbourhoods including downtown Vancouver, Gastown, Yaletown, Robson Street, West End, West 4th and Mount Pleasant.
- Get a $50 Visa PATIO gift card when you book a downtown hotel room. When you use your PATIO card in full at a participating PATIO restaurant, you will get another $20 credit against your bill. That is a total of $70 to cheer with, and it is available at over 70 Vancouver participating patios.
- This Patio promotion is limited so make sure you take advantage before it ends on July 31st!
- Flexible Cancellation Policy up to 48 hours prior to stay
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Check out the participating patio map
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Vancouver’s BIAs also want to hear what is your favourite patio? All you have to do is follow @patiovancouver on Instagram and fill out a quick survey to be automatically entered into the weekly prize draw. More details available on www.patiovancouver.ca
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Dont Miss Out! Vaccinations in the Workplace | June 15th Webinar and go2HR Toolkit |
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DATE & TIME
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 from 1:00PM - 2:15PM PDT
WITH SPECIAL GUEST
Ryan Anderson, Mathews Dinsdale & Clarke LLP Date
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Webinar Overview
- What does a vaccination policy look like?
- What are the key human rights and employment considerations surrounding the vaccine?
- Can employers mandate vaccine acceptance?
The BC Hotel Association (BCHA) in partnership with Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) and go2HR have engaged Ryan Anderson, Partner at Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LL P to help address these questions. Ryan will provide an overview of the requirements and key OH&S, privacy, human rights, labour and employment considerations for the potential implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination policy, mandatory or otherwise, where one is warranted.
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Toolkit
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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Business Intelligence and Research | BC Residents Sentiment Study |
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Destination Canada has released a new report on sentiment research, The first conducted since the BC Re-start plan was announced on May 25.
Highlights:
- Currently, 79% of BC residents feel safe travelling to nearby communities while 61% feel safe travelling within the province.
- When we look at inter-provincial travel, 62% of Albertans, 47% of Ontario residents and 52% of Quebecors feel safe travelling to other provinces in Canada. This is an improvement for all markets and is currently at the highest level for Alberta and Ontario since the beginning of this year.
- In terms of welcoming visitors, BC resident sentiment towards welcoming visitors from all parts of Canada has increased significantly from previous weeks.
- Specifically, 69% are currently welcoming of visitors from nearby communities, while 52% are welcoming of visitors from other parts of the province.
- Although the welcoming of visitors from outside BC is modest at only 30% at the moment, this level of sentiment represents a significant increase from previous weeks.
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Global Payments Offering Exclusive Cost-Savings
on Card Processing
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Understanding the challenges hotel operators have faced over the past year, Global Payments is dedicated to helping customers persevere and adapt to this challenging environment, by offering relief to customers in the form of cost savings on card processing.
The Company is pleased to offer:
- Interchange rates starting as low as 0.87% on qualifying MasterCard transactions.
- BCHA members a free, no obligation savings analysis which will precisely identify the savings we can generate for your business.
- Payment integration to your POS, ERP, or reservation softwares.
Additional benefits include:
- Robust suite of payment products: Includes the latest Desk/5000, Move/5000, and virtual terminals to offer you a choice of next-generation countertop, wireless, and online payment acceptance
- Streamlined payments: Acceptance for all major debit and credit payment types, including digital wallets
- Fast access to funds: Deposited to your bank account as early as the next business day
- Comprehensive industry-leading support: The support you need, when you need it—24/7/365
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TIAC | Cruise Sector Operators Urged to Participate in National Survey |
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With a federal ban on cruising until 2022, the Cruise Supply Chain is essentially “in lockdown” until Spring 2022. We need to collaborate to have the entire $4.3 Billion Canadian cruise supply chain of companies survive and thrive when cruise returns in 2022 through “product preservation’” including tour operators, transportation companies and experience providers.
If you are in or connected to the cruise sector, TIAC is asking that you complete a confidential survey by Friday June 11. They will use the survey results to provide information back to you, compiled at a provincial, regional and national level. If you are a cruise tour operator, we encourage you to send this email and the survey link to your major bus suppliers, major tour attractions and tour partners, so that we can have a complete picture of the impact of no cruise in Canada for 2020 and 2021.
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Call for Completion | Census Canada |
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Census collection started on May 3, 2021, and is now well underway! It's still not too late to complete your census and by doing this you help your community.
Census information is important to all communities and is vital for planning schools, daycare centres, family services, public transportation and skills training for employment.
Information from the 2021 Census will be even more crucial, because it will help all levels of government evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and better plan for the future. In response to the pandemic, the 2021 Census has been redesigned to ensure that Canadians and census employees are safe by limiting the amount of contact needed to participate in this important exercise.
Completing the census questionnaire online is the best way to stay home and stay safe while fulfilling the census obligation. Respondents without reliable Internet access can call the Census Help Line at 1-855-340-2021 to complete their questionnaire over the phone or to request a paper questionnaire by mail.
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Tourism Vancouver Webinar: Understanding Social Procurement and the Potential Social Enterprises Have to Support Tourism Sector Recovery
Thursday, June 10 | 9:00am - 10:30am | Online via Zoom
As we work to rebuild the tourism sector, social procurement is a tool that can help to meet labour needs and create positive impact in your community. Explore how you can look to your supply chain for opportunities to include social enterprises: purpose-driven business with diverse and inclusive hiring practices. By working with a social enterprise, you help create impact and you will be able to access new avenues for employees.
Participants learn how to consider social procurement as a way to create impact in their communities and find partners to solve challenges for their businesses.
Facilitator:
- Gwendal Castellan, Manager, Sustainable Destination Development, Tourism Vancouver
Speakers:
- Tori Williamson, Director of Education and Communications, Buy Social Canada
- Krista Bax, President and CEO, Go2HR
- David Greaves, Director of Opportunities, Mission Possible Enterprises Inc.
- Iris Ting, Manager Social Enterprise, Binners Project
- Sean Miles, Employer Engagement Manager, Open Door Group
- David Eddy, CEO, Vancouver Native Housing Society & Skwachàys Lodge
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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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The Path to Truth and Reconciliation Presented by Vancouver Board of Trade
Join for a conversation with Chief Terry Teegee, Regional Chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, as he addresses the business community to discuss the path to truth and reconciliation.
During the event we will also make space to remember and acknowledge the 215 children whose remains were recently found on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School as well as all those that suffered as a result of the residential school system. Every Child Matters.
Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 12:00 PM
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Webinar: Rebuilding Tourism in the region presented by Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Join to hear from leading industry experts to discuss:
- how the tourism sector will emerge post-pandemic,
- what needs to be done to recover, and
- what steps we can all take to support the tourism sector.
PANELLISTS:
- Royce Chwin, President and CEO, Tourism Vancouver
- Keith Henry, President and CEO, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
- Timothy Liu, Managing Director, Sales Planning and Effectiveness, Air Canada
- Tracy Redies, President and CEO, Science World
- Moderator: Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Monday, June 28, 2021 at 12:00 PM
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Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
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Reflections: The Garden Terrace at Rosewood Hotel Georgia is now open.
This elegant outdoor lounge, located in the inner courtyard of the hotel’s fourth floor, is known for its picture-perfect bar, light tapas-inspired dishes, and laid-back vibe.
Guests can look forward to lounging in this urban oasis while enjoying a summer menu of cocktails and share plates for brunch, lunch, and dinner.
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'It's obvious there is no plan': Quarantine rules...
B.C.'s tourism industry was hopeful the Canadian government's new plan to relax quarantine rules would jumpstart a much-needed recovery.
Read more
bc.ctvnews.ca
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Canada easing COVID-19 hotel quarantine, isolation rules ...
The federal government is set to announce Wednesday that fully vaccinated Canadian travellers will no longer need to spend 14 days in COVID-19 quarantine upon arriving home. A federal source familiar with the policy says the change will go into...
Read more
globalnews.ca
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Tourism, hospitality sector digs in for 2nd COVID summer ...
FILE - A view of Hudson Bay Mountain Resort and surroundings near Smithers, B.C., on Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. The trail makes for a bracing hike to Crater Lake (unseen). THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel Government decisions on travel will be the...
Read more
www.abbynews.com
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New hotel plans shows proof of life
British Columbia's hotel industry emergence from its most brutal year is showing proof of life with at least two major hotels planned, one each in Richmond and Coquitlam, and both by blue-chip developers. The pandemic-induced shutdowns which...
Read more
www.westerninvestor.com
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