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Destination BC Bulletin 20: COVID-19
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Destination BC Industry Update Call—August 6
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On our August 6 industry call, we look back at how the COVID-19 crisis has evolved and impacted tourism since mid-March, where our industry stands today, and how we will move forwards. We discuss industry renewal, setting our sights on the horizon, and sharing what we believe may be some of the key trends and shifts that may shape our future. Plus, some of the latest traveller intent research, and level of welcome, amongst British Columbians and Canadians.
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New Denver Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre – a National Historic Site
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Japanese Canadian Historic Sites: Journeys of Home
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Read Destination BC's newest Feature Story, “Japanese Canadian Historic Sites: Journeys of Home” on our consumer trip-planning website: HelloBC.com. The article shares the story of Japanese Canadians from the family story of a third-generation Japanese Canadian, Laura Saimoto. It outlines easily accessible travel routes and describes where to discover and experience Japanese Canadian Historic sites throughout our beautiful province.
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BC Resident Sentiment Tracking Survey
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In Wave 6 of our Insights West BC Resident Sentiment Tracking Survey, released on July 27, 86% BC residents anticipate taking a trip to a nearby community in BC, for a day trip, in the next 3 months, with 60% of those being within the next 4 weeks. BC residents’ intentions to travel elsewhere in BC, for an overnight trip, over the next 4 weeks, have more than doubled since May from 15% to 32%. Intentions to travel to other provinces in Canada continue to be low.
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Tourism Richmond Kiosk with COVID-19 controls in effect
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BC Visitor Centre Health and Safety Grants
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70 Visitor Centre members have submitted their grant applications to support the implementation of health and safety measures at their Visitor Centre. Funding is for projects such as the installation of plexi-glass barriers, directional floor decals, stanchions, Personal Protective Equipment, and signage. Each visitor centre has access to $1,000 to put towards COVID-19 health and safety measures.
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Apply for Layoff with a Variance by Aug. 25
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The deadline to extend Layoffs with a Variance beyond August 30, 2020 is fast approaching. The application deadline is August 25, 2020, but you are advised to apply as soon as possible. The simplified online process, which includes an online form and additional resources, is designed to provide more support for employers and employees – please take advantage of it. The first step is to survey your employees, a process to get underway immediately.
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Latest Provincial Updates
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On August 7, the Provincial Health Officer released a new Public Health Order for gatherings and events. The order applies to persons who organize or attend events at vacation accommodation or other places; it does not apply to food service establishments or licensed premises.
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On July 31, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) issued a new Public Health Order for food and liquor primary establishments in BC. Important changes include:
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The use of the term “premises” will no longer refer to hotels. This terminology has been clarified to apply to restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, cafeterias and licensed premises, including bars, clubs, nightclubs and tasting rooms.
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The term “meeting” has been removed from the definition of events and the PHO does not apply to conferences held in hotels or elsewhere.
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Events may be hosted between 5:30 am and 11:00 pm on the same day. No more than four events may be hosted in one day on the same premises or in an area of the premises. There must be at least one hour between events during which there are no patrons present to permit cleaning and sanitizing.
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Guests do not need to remain seated in a premise with a manufacturer’s license (i.e. do not need to be seated during a tasting).
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Find all Orders, Notices and Guidance issued by the Provincial Health Officer.
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BC has extended the Provincial State of Emergency through the end of the day on August 18, 2020 to allow government to continue to take the necessary actions to keep British Columbians safe.
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BC businesses and organizations wanting to reduce air pollution and save on fuel costs can get rebates for electric vehicles through $2 million in additional funding for the CleanBC Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive (SUVI) program.
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On July 31, the federal government announced a new app to help notify Canadians of potential COVID-19 exposure. Canadians are encouraged to download the new COVID Alert app to help break the cycle of infection.
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On July 31, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) will be extended by one month. British Columbia continues to participate in this initiative to support small businesses in the province.
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Magnolia Hotel and Spa in Victoria | TripAdvisor
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BC Hotels Voted Best in Canada
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TripAdvisor has released this year's Travellers' Choice Awards and BC hotels have claimed 4 of the top 5 spots on the list of best hotels in Canada! Victoria's Magnolia Hotel and Spa took the top spot among Canadian hotels, with Vancouver luxury accommodations the Loden Hotel, L'Hermitage Hotel and Shangri-La Hotel taking the second, third, and fifth positions, respectively. Vancouver's Wedgewood Hotel & Spa came in sixth, alongside a number of other BC hotels in the top 24. Congratulations!
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Campers joined Keith and his team for a virtual ocean adventure |
Easter Seals BC & Yukon
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Accessible Tourism Operator Supports Easter Seals
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Keith Phillips and his team at West Coast Aquatic Safaris recently hosted a virtual wildlife tour for Easter Seals campers—a program for children, youth and adults with diverse abilities. Due to COVID-19, a scheduled one-week overnight, accessible camp experience was cancelled. West Coast Aquatic Safaris stepped in to deliver some educational and engaging content that the campers would not have otherwise experienced. West Coast Aquatic Safaris has transformed their equipment and operations in recent years to be an accessible tourism experience for all.
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Video: Accessibility in a New Light
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Watch 'Accessibility in a New Light'—brought to you by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), in partnership with Spinal Cord BC, Access BC, CRIS Adaptive, Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association (KASA), Access Revolution, and Accessible Okanagan. A heartfelt video about the importance of creating region-wide experiences for people with diverse abilities. By thoughtfully working to make our province more accessible, BC's tourism industry can enrich the lives of everyone.
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Leger COVID-19 Impact on Tourism Report
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In mid-July, Leger, the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company, released their new report assessing the impact of COVID-19 on Tourism in North America. As part of the report’s launch, a panel of experts joined a webinar to discuss the results of the report and provide insights and recommendations to help the tourism industry successfully move forward.
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Marketing Tips and Tricks
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Destination Canada are creating free online educational videos – “Marketing Tips and Tricks” – to help tourism businesses increase their digital marketing presence. Episode 2 in the series focuses on demystifying on-page search engine optimization and improving organic search rankings. You can also catch up on Episode 1, focused on creating videos for YouTube. If there is a topic you want to see covered, get in touch with Destination Canada.
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Thompson Okanagan Tourism Micro Loans
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The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is collaborating with Community Futures organizations in the region to assist in providing financial support to the tourism businesses as part of the Tourism Resiliency Program. The “Thompson Okanagan Tourism Micro Loan Program” is spearheaded by all nine Community Futures’ organizations located in TOTA’s region, which will offer micro loans to tourism businesses starting at $200 and up to $25,000.
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Destination BC COVID-19 Communications
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Here's how to stay connected on the latest from Destination BC:
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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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