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Destination BC Bulletin 21: COVID-19
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Richard Porges, Interim President and CEO of Destination BC
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Destination BC's Change in Leadership
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On August 18, Destination BC’s Board of Directors announced Richard Porges as the organisation’s Interim President and CEO, following the announcement of Marsha Walden’s appointment as CEO of Destination Canada. Richard has been an integral part of Destination BC’s executive team since 2011 and holds extensive knowledge of and experience working with BC’s vital tourism industry and economic development. As of August 20, Richard will take the helm to skillfully lead the organisation through the next few months as the Board begins the recruitment process to fill the position permanently.
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Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada
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Marsha was Destination BC's first permanent President and CEO. Since 2013, we have been fortunate enough to have her strategic lens and creative skills guide the organisation from its infancy to an internationally recognized industry leader in tourism marketing and destination development. Destination BC wholeheartedly congratulates Marsha on her new appointment and wishes her tremendous success at Destination Canada as we continue our productive and collaborative partnership with the organization as part of Team Canada!
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On Destination BC's latest industry call, Richard and Marsha walk through the change in leadership. Hear some final inspirational remarks from Marsha; a Board of Directors update from Dawn Black, Destination BC's Board Chair; and more from Richard as he takes the helm at Destination BC. In his words: "While our leadership has changed, our priorities have not." Listen here.
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The Explore BC Local series on Instagram.
Meet Judith Kasiama from Vancouver | @jujumil
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"Explore BC With Locals" Series
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We're nearly a month into our new Explore BC With Locals series, where BC residents share their favourite ways of experiencing the place they call home. Each week, we feature the top places and activities of local residents who are passionate about exploring BC, showcasing a variety of perspectives and experiences around the province to remind British Columbians how travel can connect us with the people and places we love. To date, seven local residents have been featured, with more to come! Follow along on our consumer social media channels.
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Outer Shores Expeditions is offering half day sailings on Passing Cloud | Aaron Saunders
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Travel Media on Destination Awareness
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Destination BC’s Travel Media team supports industry’s travel media efforts through the North American Visiting Journalist Program. Through the program, we partnered with Outer Shores Expeditions on a media visit to create awareness about the company’s new day tours. Outer Shores has had to pivot their business model during the pandemic to focus on day tours targeting BC residents. The resulting story was an excellent piece in the Vancouver Sun.
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Our weekly Roundup Reports summarize various research findings
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Destination BC Research and Insights
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BC Public Perceptions: To monitor British Columbians' current views on travel and tourism, plus track travel and tourism behaviour intentions, Destination BC has commissioned bi-weekly waves of research. Read the Wave 7 report here.
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Research Roundups: Destination BC is compiling research and articles each week related to the travel and tourism industry and COVID-19. You can find the latest report for the week beginning August 17, here.
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The article was published in Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine
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Last Fall, Destination BC along with partners, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Tourism Vancouver, hosted Australian writer Daniel Honan. The resulting piece in Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine, Australia’s leading independent drinks journal, features Daniel’s Okanagan experience in detail, including visits to wineries and interviews with local wine makers. The article also talks about roadtripping through the Okanagan and includes a suggested wine touring itinerary. The article is available in print and online.
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The six BC experience collections on HelloBC.com.cn
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Destination BC is gradually resuming some marketing activities in China. To support the Explore BC campaign and target the local BC Chinese community, a new landing page featuring the six BC experience collections is live on the HelloBC China site. While the international travel ban is still in place, we continue to focus on training travel trade partners, including via webinars, most recently for Tuniu.com and Meiyin Travel and 150 of their tour operator staff.
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In terms of social media, Destination BC’s China accounts have seen great performance in July, topping the social ranking of global destinations in the Chinese market for two weeks in a row. Two WeChat articles featuring Vancouver Island and Vancouver, have received record high views of 50K+ and 39K+, respectively. Given that many of our WeChat followers live in BC, we are also focused on sharing tips for exploring BC safely and responsibly this summer.
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IMPORTANT: New Regulation under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act
The BC Government has taken steps to protect people from legal proceedings for civil damages that result from transmission or exposure to COVID-19. This coverage can give comfort to people that they have protection from civil proceedings as BC restarts its economy and we collectively continue on the path towards recovery.
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The protection covers both paid and unpaid positions, and is available to businesses and non-profit services with a community benefit, such as community recreation or leisure activities. It is important to note, however, that the protection only exists if the person has followed all emergency and public health guidance, or reasonably believes that they have done so.
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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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BC has extended the Provincial State of Emergency through the end of the day on September 1, 2020 to allow government to continue to take the necessary actions to keep British Columbians safe.
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The US–Canadian border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least September 21, 2020
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On August 20, the federal government announced enhanced support measures. Changes include simplifying EI applications and extending the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) by an additional four weeks, plus intentions to introduce three new benefit programs to take the place of the CERB once it expires.
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Dining on the boardwalk at Hotel Eldorado in Kelowna | @miraecampbell
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Kelowna Most Searched Canadian Hotel Destination
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Google Canada posted a blog on travel-related search trends and three Okanagan communities – Kelowna, Osoyoos and Penticton – were among the top five rising hotel destinations in Canada over the past two months! Congratulations to these communities for their hard work and commitment, and to Tofino and Whistler who were 6th and 9th most searched, respectively. The Google Trends post also shared a spike in road trip searches over the past three months for Vancouver Island.
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The Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy shares their story of resilience
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BC Tourism Stories of Resilience
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The BC Tourism Resiliency Network (BCTRN) has launched a series called “Stories of Resilience” to profile tourism businesses in British Columbia who, in the face of adversity due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, have been able to adapt and are on the road to recovery and long-term resiliency. Through sharing these stories, the BCTRN hopes that tourism businesses will find shared connections with industry partners and their communities, and encourage participation in the tourism resiliency program.
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Tourism Vancouver Launches Dine Outside
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From August 21–September 21, Tourism Vancouver is enticing food and drink lovers to safely and slowly reconnect with friends and enjoy the views and vibes in the city. Over 160 restaurants in the City of Vancouver are offering menus, picnic2go packs and special offers to encourage Metro Vancouverites and visitors from across BC to enjoy Vancouver's delicious food and drink. Plus, over two-dozen hotels are offering room only and dine and stay packages.
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Celebrate AccessAbility Month
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September is AccessAbility Month at Small Business BC! Alongside partners, including AccessEmployers, Small Business BC will deliver 17 webinars from September 2–30, all with ASL interpretation and closed captioning. Help promote this month-long celebration of accessible business education, covering a variety of topics, from business planning, to financial management and market research.
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Leger COVID-19 Weekly Summary
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Every week, Leger surveys Canadians and Americans to explore their perspectives on COVID-19 and other current events. The surveys aim to help governments, businesses and residents better understand the attitudes and behaviours of Canadians in the face of the current health and economic crisis. The latest weekly summary, dated August 17, is now available. Leger is the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company.
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Tourism and Hopitality Webinar: Sept. 2
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On September 2, the Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) and the BC Hotel Association (BCHA) will be hosting a 1-hour webinar and open forum to outline key issues and provide a reality check on the tourism and hospitality industry, including key messages, and ways industry can coordinate and work together towards recovery. Complete the registration form and a Zoom link will be sent to you with the meeting details on September 1.
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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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