Destination British Columbia
Destination British Columbia
24 July 2020
 
 
 

 Destination BC Bulletin 19: COVID-19 

#exploreBC
Destination BC Marketing Update and More—July 23 Industry Call
July 23 Industry Call - PPT screenshot

On our July 23 industry call, Maya Lange, Destination BC’s VP of Global Marketing, provided more details on our latest marketing activities. The update included: 

  • The Recovery campaign (BC) summary; 
  • A snapshot of campaign performance; 
  • An upcoming Alberta campaign;
  • Support for our urban centres; and
  • An exciting Explore BC beer, that's brewing!

Marsha Walden, Destination BC's President and CEO, also shared the latest research and high-level insights on consumer activities here in BC, some findings from Destination Canada, and a new global tourism dashboard from the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

We also heard from Assistant Deputy Minister Danine Leduc from the Ministry of Labour regarding the new streamlined process for temporary layoff variance applications, which is also outlined in the next story, below. 

Watch Recording →

New Online Tool Speeds Up Temporary Layoff Application Process
New Online Tool Speeds Up Temporary Layoff Application Process

A new provincial initiative will help keep workers and employers connected as British Columbia continues on the path towards economic recovery. As of July 20, 2020, employers and workers can jointly apply to the Employment Standards Branch to extend a temporary layoff period through a streamlined variance application process that includes an online form and additional resources.

Learn More →

BC Resident Sentiment Tracking Survey
BC Resident Sentiment Tracking Survey

Wave 5 of our Insights West BC Resident Sentiment Tracking Survey is now available. The report shows that BC residents’ intentions to travel within BC have increased after a slight dip in June. As of July 13, 89% BC residents anticipate taking a trip to a nearby community in BC, for a day trip, and 82% anticipate taking a trip elsewhere in BC, for an overnight trip, in the next 12 months.

Learn More →

China Market Update from Destination BC 

After China lifted a nation-wide group travel ban on July 19, search volume on Trip.com was up 500%. According to the Trip team, Chinese tourists’ travel confidence is gradually returning back to normal. While international travel restrictions have not been lifted, Destination BC’s China team continues to keep British Columbia top of mind and is seeing an upward trend on social media. A recent WeChat article featuring BC summer highlights attracted 11K+ views and high engagement rates. Destination BC's WeChat account ranks as 5th in total views and 2nd in average views per post among the 20 accounts in the WeChat Ranking for Overseas Destination Marketing Organizations.

New BC Destination Training Video!
New BC Destination Training Video!

To support overseas destination training, Destination BC has developed a virtual training presentation, which is available on Destination Canada's Canada Specialist Program website. The educational tool is designed to expand agents' knowledge of British Columbia and help them sell the province more effectively. In the episode, Shawna Calderwood of Destination Canada sits down with Sascha Bendt, Destination BC's Marketing Coordinator for North America, to showcase the beauty of British Columbia.

Watch the Video →

Salman Azam, BC's new Assistant Deputy Minister for Tourism
Welcoming Salman Azam as Assistant Deputy Minister for Tourism

A new Assistant Deputy Minister or “ADM” position has been created, specifically dedicated to tourism, within the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Join us in welcoming Mr. Salman Azam—we look forward to working with him to support BC’s vital tourism industry. ADM Claire Avison will now focus on the Arts and Culture portfolio, which has some exciting projects underway.

RESEARCH

April 2020 International Visitor Arrivals
International arrival volume continues to decline, with border closures significantly impacting visitor volume in April. Overall arrivals fell -98.7% compared with April 2019, with arrivals from Europe experiencing the greatest year-over-year drop (-99.6%), followed by US Overnight (-99.0%) and Asia Pacific (-98.7%). Learn More

April 2020 Provincial Tourism Indicators
The impacts of COVID-19 continue to echo across industry, with year-over-year hotel occupancy falling by -53 points in April 2020. BC Ferries passenger volume continues to decline, dropping by -77% compared to April 2019. Learn More

COVID-19 Research Roundup
Read our latest Research Roundup report, which rounds up relevant research and articles each week related to the travel and tourism industry and COVID-19—compiled on July 20.

Signals & Sentiment Dashboard
Easily stay up to date on what is happening in each of our core geographic markets, with our Signals & Sentiment Dashboard, designed to help BC’s tourism industry make strategic, data-driven marketing decisions in the coming months.

BC Parks logo
New Pass System in Select BC Parks

BC Parks is piloting a new, free, day-use pass system in select high-use parks to manage attendance and visitor and staff safety. As of July 27, a new day-use reservation system will be in effect for day-use access to certain trails in: Garibaldi Park, Stawamus Chief Park, Cypress Park, Mount Seymour Park, Golden Ears Park, and Mount Robson Trail.

LEARN MORE →

Latest Provincial Updates

The Provincial Health Officer (PHO) has issued a revised order for food and liquor service establishments in BC. This new order replaces the previously published PHO order, dated June 19.

Wholesale liquor pricing for restaurants, bars and tourism operators with liquor licences came into effect on July 20, 2020. The new measure allows hospitality licensees to purchase beer, wine and spirits at wholesale prices. It will be in effect until March 2021, when the program will be reviewed. 

BC has extended the provincial state of emergency through the end of the day on August 4, 2020 to allow government to continue to take the necessary actions to keep British Columbians safe.

The Province is making sure BC’s lakes stay healthy. Operated by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, the BC Lake Monitoring Program has been in place since 2014 to better understand and report changes to the water quality of lakes, which helps determine the best way to manage and protect them.

GOOD News

Destination Campbell River Unveils the “Campbell River Collection”
Destination Campbell River's New App

On July 21, Destination Campbell River unveiled the “Campbell River Collection” – a technology-enabled, passion-based travel program that encourages exploration and rewards participants. Accessed via the free Campbell River Collection mobile app, travel experiences have been thoughtfully curated by local knowledge experts to maximize a visitor’s time while introducing them to a larger number of tourism businesses.

Learn More →

A canoeist at Nuk Tessli Wilderness Experience | Destination BC/Kari Medig
A canoeist at Nuk Tessli Wilderness Experience |
Destination BC/Kari Medig
Latest BC Safe Travels Designations

The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, the Gold Rush Trail, and the Thompson Okanagan have been approved as a Safe Travel Destination by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The Safe Travels Stamp is an international designation that recognizes destinations and tourism businesses around the world that have implemented health and safety protocols in alignment with WTTC’s Protocols. The Safe Travels branding is available for all communities and businesses in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, along the Gold Rush Trail, and in the Thompson Okanagan region.

Learn More →

Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre Opens!
Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre Opens

Vancouver's Visitor Centre at 200 Burrard Street is now open. The Tourism Vancouver team is eager to once again be the experts that visitors and locals rely on to make the most of all that Metro Vancouver has to offer. The team is brushing up on changes to Metro Vancouver businesses and adapting to the shift in how visitors travel during this time. The new hours of operation are: Wednesday to Sunday 9:00am – 3:30pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Learn More →

The Chilliwack Sunflower Festival | Gardens BC/Daniel Mosquin
The Chilliwack Sunflower Festival | Gardens BC/Daniel Mosquin
Chilliwack Sunflower Festival Going Ahead

The Chilliwack Sunflower Festival will move ahead with physical distancing and stringent health and safety measures in place. The field’s capacity will be limited to 25%, and there will be no playground, picnics or lawn games this year. There will be directional, wide pathways to follow, and hand sanitization stations at numerous locations.

Learn More →

GOOD TO KNOW

SBBC's Back to Business Resource Hub
Back to Business Resources

To help small businesses across BC get back to business safely, Small Business BC has gathered together and created helpful resources, covering health and safety, strategy planning, and marketing communications. From rearranging your workplace to strategy planning and goal setting online workshops, promoting your business for free and staying competitive in the new normal to operations management, the Back to Business resource hub can help.

Learn More →

Destination BC COVID-19 Communications

Here's how to stay connected on the latest from Destination BC:

If you have questions that can't be answered through the various resources on our website and official channels, please send them to [email protected] and we will work to address them.

 
 
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"DESTINATION BRITISH COLUMBIA" and "HELLO BC" are trade-marks/Official marks of Destination BC Corp. 12th Floor, 510 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3A8

 
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