C-19 BULLETIN - March 29, 2021
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Province Announces New Restrictions That Affect BC's Tourism & Hospitality Sector
To address rising COVID-19 case counts, protect people and communities and help break the chain of COVID-19 transmission, the provincial health officer is amending the provincial public health orders effective midnight tonight, March 30th. New and amended orders and guidelines are in effect through April 19th and include:
- For restaurants, bars and pubs, all food and liquor-serving premises must only provide take-out or delivery service. Dine-in service is prohibited, except for outdoor patios. People dining on patios should do so with their immediate household or core bubble.
- Travel continues to be limited to essential travel, work or medical reasons only. For those who have travelled outside their health region, if you or anyone in your family develops any signs of illness, you must stay home from work, school or daycare, and arrange to get tested immediately.
- Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort is closed through to April 19th to address and prevent community spread related to non-essential travel.
- Indoor, adult group fitness activities of any kind are also paused. Gyms and fitness centres are restricted to individual or one-on-one activities only i.e. one-on-one personal training.
- The previously announced class variance for limited indoor worship services has been suspended. Outdoor worship services under the current variance may continue.
- All workers are strongly encouraged to work from home, where possible.
- Public health guidance for schools has also been amended to support and encourage students down to Grade 4 to wear masks while at school.
Learn more at:
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TIABC CEO Walt Judas learned of the new amendments at the Province's Industry Engagement Table earlier today that included Dr. Henry, as well as Ministers Mark, Bains and Kahlon.
Although clawing back changes to the new provincial directives will not be considered for the next three weeks, TIABC will continue to advocate to government to find ways to help tourism and hospitality businesses manage through this latest setback.
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StrongerBC Investments
Support Tourism Communities
Thirty-two communities have received a combined $19.4 million through the Tourism Dependent Communities Initiative. The approved projects must be completed by March 2023.
A total of 46 new tourism-development projects were identified by communities throughout B.C. and include updated trails for e-bikes and adaptive trikes, signage, solar electric-vehicle charging stations, sea kayak touring and picnic facilities, water park construction, and creating an arts and culture stage.
This is one of three infrastructure investment programs for tourism as part of StrongerBC: BC's Economic Recovery Plan, which includes:
- the Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program;
- Destination Development; and
- the Regional Tourism Development Initiative.
BC communities that received tourism-dependent community funding are Fernie, Golden, Harrison Hot Springs, Invermere, Kimberley, Osoyoos, Radium Hot Springs, Revelstoke, Rossland, Sun Peaks, Tofino, Ucluelet, Valemount, Whistler, Barriere, Port Alice, Clearwater, Powell River, Squamish, Nelson, Parksville, Ladysmith, Gibsons, Port Hardy, Sechelt, North Cowichan, Grand Forks, Prince Rupert, Qualicum Beach, Smithers, 100 Mile House and Lillooet.
Communities have been identified as tourism dependent based on a combination of criteria, including:
- collecting the municipality and regional district tax
- having a population of fewer than 25,000 and located outside of Metro Vancouver or the Capital Regional District, and
- having a higher percentage of accommodation-sector wages in comparison to total employment wages.
For a backgrounder listing approved projects and costs, visit:
To learn more, visit:
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BC Business
Seeks Outdoor Event Re-opening Plan
Hoodoo Adventure Company wrote to Dr. Henry and copied the Premier, the Health Minister, and their local MP.
Dear Dr. Bonnie Henry and BC Leaders,
I am writing to you today asking for your support of the urgent but careful re-opening of our industry in the coming weeks. The industry I am referring to is outdoor adventure/sporting events. I understand that the word “event” has become a dirty one in recent times and any time we seem to use it these days we get shut down faster than we can speak of it. Unfortunately, all “events” have been clustered into one lump industry and for some reason event organizers have somehow been deemed not capable of safely operating using the same health guidelines as retail stores, restaurants, and schools through managing of their capacity and adapting policies and procedures.
I am not sure why this is, but I find it particularly hard to take for outdoor activities, which are actively being encouraged by yourself and all experts around the World. Only last week I read a quote from “Canada’s top doctor” Theresa Tam as she encouraged people to get outside and avoid enclosed spaces, stating “We got to really give people some of these kinds of activities to look forward to.” While at the same time we sent a Covid Safe Plan to Interior Health in hopes that we can run some small, local adventure racing events that would see no more than 10 people at a time starting a course, spread out over the trail or lake before another 10 people would start some time later. The response was of disapproval due to event organizers not being trusted to control people gathering before and after they start/finish the course.
I found this response extremely confusing as we are in fact mitigating this concern by allocating times for people to arrive and depart to ensure there is no gathering at any time, while keeping everyone outdoors, spread over many kilometers of trails during the event. To this logic, how are big box retail stores controlling how many people pull up in their parking lots at one time? Or how many people stand in a long line at the checkout at one time?
I am sure you can see how this would be confusing and frustrating. Outdoor events not only give people something to look forward to, but they boost our local economy. They provide options to keep people active for both their mental and physical well-being. They create purpose for people through participation, community volunteering and employment. If there is anyone that can be trusted to follow a plan, adapt when needed and always keep safety of top priority, it is event organizers. So, I ask you as we very quickly approach our outdoor event season, to please have equal confidence in professional event coordinators and consider the urgency in our industry within your reopening plan. We want to help you get people outside safely and hope that you can help us to ensure that our businesses also survive this pandemic.
Sincerely,
Lyndie Hill
CEO and Owner
Hoodoo Adventure Company Ltd.
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Vancouver 2030
Olympic Bid
On Wednesday March 31st, Vancouver City Council will be voting on the motion to continue discussions surrounding the feasibility of hosting the 2030 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games.
Learn more at:
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BC Tourism and Hospitality Conference
Recordings of Sessions
Thank you again for all those who joined us for our 2021 Tourism & Hospitality Conference.
Over the five days, we had over 800 industry professionals join us, 63 presenters from all facets of our industries, 29 paramount sponsors, and a full day of informative, FREE workshops. Each conference registrant was emailed a link to the recordings from each day of our conference. If you have not received your email or have questions, please send an email to: coordinator@bcha.com
It is still our expectation to meet in person a year from now, and we are really looking forward to being in Prince George for the Tourism & Hospitality Conference 2022 with a full lineup of excellent workshops, outstanding speakers, fantastic social events, a gala awards ceremony, robust sponsor exhibits, networking, pre and post excursions, and so much more.
Thank you again to all the sponsors of our 2021 event!
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Welcome Back to Victoria
The not-for-profit Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) is pleased to announce that the Welcome to Victoria flower garden on the south apron of the Inner Harbour Lower Causeway will be planted for the summer season thanks to the support of Horizon Nurseries and CHEK News.
With their help, the GVHA is also adding a short-term addition to the garden: “Welcome Back to Victoria!”
Look for that addition in the coming weeks.
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IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism
Wednesday March 31st
Today is the last day to register...
8:30 am (PST) - 10:00 am (PST)
Time is running out to register for IMPACT, presented virtually in 2021
Please join in for an impactful 1.5 hours, taking a deeper look at the tourism recovery opportunities ahead:
- Marsha Walden, President and CEO, Destination Canada
- Keith Henry, President and CEO, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and IMPACT Co-Chair
- Katie Briscoe, President, MMGY Global
Moderated by Paul Nursey, president and CEO, Destination Greater Victoria and IMPACT co-founder.
Welcome by IMPACT Co-Chair Marion Joppe, Travel & Tourism, Research Associate and Professor, University of Guelph.
Our dream to create a legacy for regenerative tourism in Canada is unchanged. Our path to achieving that legacy is currently “under construction.” Join us as we discuss strategies for recovery, review the latest research on traveller sentiment and address our new reality of higher expectations, for and of visitors.
Delegate Takeaways:
- Attendees understand the potential paths to recovery and the key milestones of which to be aware.
- Attendees have a better understanding of the key markets and types of travellers who will be the first to feel confident travelling again.
- New expectations of traveler social responsibility are understood.
- Setting clear expectations for behaviour of guests and the industry (key for building trust with communities and residents.)
- Discussion around how can Canada continue to position itself globally as a sustainable destination focused on a tourism industry that enables Canadian culture to thrive and place-based regenerative economies to emerge through travel and hospitality done exceptionally well.
Registration is free but all participants must register here by March 29, 2021.
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Moments of Levity
As an industry that continues to face enormous challenges during COVID-19, every once in a while 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. Feel free to share your photos, etc. with TIABC to be published in our C-19 Bulletin each week.
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FREE Culinary Tourism Webinars!
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada in partnership with TIABC is happy to offer free online Culinary Tourism webinars to tourism operators and organizations
Themed webinars will assist small and medium tourism operators and partners develop culinary tourism strategies to maintain their businesses and attract both domestic international visitors once Canada is ready to welcome them again.
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1 date remaining!
Exceeding Expectations Webinar
Wednesday, March 31st at 8:00am PT (9:00am MT)
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Global Meetings Industry Day 2021
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and as an industry, it’s time to take a future forward look at where we go from here.
Join MPI BC, FVEPA, ILEA and PCMA West for Global Meetings Industry Day where we’ll be broadcasting a very timely conversation on how we can proactively plan for and contribute to the restart of the industry in BC.
Thursday April 8th 9am to 10:30am (PT)
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Conflict De-Escalation for Frontline Staff
and Customer Service Professionals
Retail workers, receptionists, hospital unit clerks, customer service professionals, and others that interact with the public on a frequent basis often experience conflict in various forms from verbal attacks to violent, physical altercations. Their safety and security are a top priority, yet few are equipped with the proper tools and techniques to safely de-fuse these incidents. Mandatory mask requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic have heightened the importance of this topic, unfortunately, as some customers refuse to comply with these policies.
Course ID: MSCD 002
April 8th 10:30am to noon (online via Zoom)
$150 plus GST
To learn more and to register:
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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. |
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