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Destination BC Directions: November 23, 2021
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Fall foliage gives way to snowcapped peaks at Green Lake in Whistler (Destination BC/Hubert Kang).
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Messaging will be updated as the situation evolves.
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Messaging Guidance for BC’s Tourism Industry
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Destination BC has prepared a Special Edition: Emergency Response to the BC Storm Messaging Guidance document that outlines key messaging, information, and resources for BC’s tourism industry, including guidance for regional and community/city destination marketing organizations, sector associations, and tourism businesses. Please refer to the guide for information on supporting your community, residents, visitors, and each other during this difficult time.
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Supports Available for Businesses Impacted by Disasters
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Supports for businesses impacted by disasters, including the recent flooding and mudslides, are available from the federal and provincial governments, community organizations and the private sector. See the list here.
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Small Business BC has also compiled a portal of resources available to business owners to help with managing the day-to-day situation, as well as planning for rebuild. You’ll also find answers to some of the most common questions business owners will face. Access the portal here.
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The flights are offered for $79 to $99 (CAD) all-in, between November 22 and December 15, 2021.
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Swoop Airlines Adds Flights Between Abbotsford and Kelowna to Aid in Flood Recovery
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Swoop Airlines has announced new flights between Abbotsford Airport and Kelowna Airport for travellers in immediate need of transportation, or those travelling to assist in recovery efforts and emergency response. The airline has also increased flights between Edmonton International Airport and Abbotsford.
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Canada Border Services Agency Announces Exemptions for Essential Travel To or Through the US
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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed that, given the current situation in BC, travellers and essential workers who must transit to or through the United States to purchase food and fuel, or get to their residence in Canada, are exempt from the COVID-19 pre-arrival test, the test in Canada, and quarantine requirements. CBSA is answering traveller questions via their official Twitter account.
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Share your stories of BC's winter bounty (Destination Vancouver/Suzanne Rushton).
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Call for Content: BC’s Bounty – A Guide to Winter Flavours and Festivals in 2021
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From festive menus filled with warm-your-belly delights, to cozy spaces for heartfelt social gatherings (and even some in-person events!), it’s time to celebrate the ways that winter’s food and drink offerings can help brighten our year.
Let’s showcase the ways in which BC residents and travellers alike can usher in the new season—together—over delicious food, drink, and holiday events.
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Destination BC Media Team Supports Travel Coverage in Globe and Mail
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Our media team supported an excellent Globe and Mail article that spotlights three places to view fall foliage in the Canadian Rockies, including Golden and the Kootenays.
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This program is free to members of BC’s tourism industry.
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Sign Up for January's Intake of the Tourism Digital Academy Program
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The Tourism Digital Academy is a free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses seeking to elevate their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level. Designed for business owners or marketing team members, this comprehensive program provides actionable guidance that helps build a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing and analytics.
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Introducing the Indigenous Tourism BC “Spark” Program
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The Indigenous Tourism BC “Spark” Mentorships and Grants Program launched on November 10, with the goal of “sparking” new tourism ideas and initiatives from Indigenous entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profit organizations. Presented by Destination BC in collaboration with Indigenous Tourism BC, the Tourism Innovation Lab and TD Bank, the program matches selected applicants with a tourism mentor and provides a $5,000 seed grant to help develop new tourism ideas. Interested applicants are encouraged to register for the upcoming information session:
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The Indigenous Tourism BC “Spark” program provides a seed grant and mentorship to help selected applicants bring their tourism ideas to life.
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The program is presented by Destination BC, in collaboration with the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, Community Futures, and the Tourism Innovation Lab.
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Introducing the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast “Spark” Program
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The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast “Spark” Mentorships & Grants Program launched on October 27, with ambitions to “spark” new tourism ideas in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast. The program matches selected applicants with a tourism mentor and provides a $3,000 seed grant to help develop innovative tourism ideas. Entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profits based in the area are encouraged to register for an upcoming information session:
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The Forum Series for Women Entrepreneurs in Tourism will take place January 2022.
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Introducing VCM and The Forum Series for Women Entrepreneurs in Tourism
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The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (VCM) team, managed by Destination BC, is collaborating with The Forum, a BC-based charity for women entrepreneurs, to create a tourism program tailored specifically for women-led businesses. The two-day virtual program will provide expertise and resources to support women in tourism, delivered by The Forum and other subject matter experts in January 2022. Click the link below to learn more about the free, application-based program.
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57% of BC Residents Plan to Travel to Nearby Communities within the Next Four Weeks
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Our latest BC Residents’ Public Perceptions report shows that 57% of BC residents are planning to travel to nearby communities within the next four weeks – an increase of +6 points from the previous wave.
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This report is released approximately every two weeks to track opinions and intentions, and watch how results trend over time.
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This report summarizes the various research findings from Destination BC, suppliers, other tourism agencies and associations.
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BC’s Occupancy Rate has Increased +18.1% Year-over-Year
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Our latest Research Roundup report shows that BC’s occupancy rate has increased +18.1% compared to the same period in 2020.
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CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM
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Visit our corporate website for more information, including the Program Guidelines (Local Wanderer).
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UPDATE: Co-op Marketing Partnerships Program Update for 2022-23
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Due to COVID-19, we recognize that our Community and Sector partners in the Co-op program continue to experience complications such as staffing issues, increased requests for your time, and losses in revenues from MRDT and stakeholder membership fees. We also recognize the additional complexity involved in working through another summer of wildfires.
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Given these challenges, Destination BC will continue to provide support through the Co-op Program so you can continue the strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts you have built over the past six years at a time, and in a manner, that is appropriate for you. After careful consideration, we have determined the best course of action to support our industry is to once again run a modified program intake process for 2022/23. This modified intake will continue to provide certainty to our partners, while reducing the administrative process normally required to access funds.
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All current partners in the 2021/22 year who have a signed Shared Cost Agreement with Destination BC do not need to submit an application by November 30, 2021. Destination BC will provide funding for up to 10 new projects only. Any new applications submitted will be limited to requests of up to $25,000. The deadline for new applications is November 30, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. PST.
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#SkiNorthBC Posts Tales about Ski Areas in the North
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#SkiNorthBC, a project funded by Destination BC’s Co-op Program and led by Tourism Smithers, has started posting the first of many compelling stories about ski areas in the north:
The stories are featured on SnowSeekers.ca.
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#SkiNorthBC is home to ski resorts big and small that fly under the radar.
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Indigenous Tourism Businesses Receive Additional Support to Facilitate Recovery and Foster Growth
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Through the BC Indigenous Tourism Recovery Fund, the Province of BC provided $5 million to Indigenous Tourism BC, which distributed the funding to Indigenous-owned tourism businesses across the province. The Province is now providing an additional $3 million for a second intake, helping more Indigenous businesses pay rent or employee wages as the industry moves through pandemic recovery.
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There are more than 480 Indigenous tourism businesses within the 203 First Nations in British Columbia.
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BC Registries and Online Services is also improving digital services by replacing outdated online applications (Christopher Gower/Unsplash).
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Modernized Registry Services Streamline Business Name Selection Process
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BC Registries and Online Services has made choosing a name easier through the new Name Request application, which allows prospective and current business owners to search whether potential business names are already taken. Previously, the process could take more than a month.
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New Program Provides Hospitality Skills Training to British Columbians in the Okanagan and Shuswap Regions
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Through the provincial government’s new Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP ) project, up to 30 eligible British Columbians will receive skills training to prepare them for jobs in the hospitality industry in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions. Participant recruitment is focused on immigrants.
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The program is recruiting eligible applicants living in and around Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and Revelstoke.
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Our Learning Centre provides access to resources and tools, best practices, workshops, and training programs for BC’s tourism industry.
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Destination BC’s Content Marketing Series, Featuring Think Like a Photographer – How to Curate Great UGC
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Today, nearly everyone has the power and ability to capture and create quality content right at their fingertips. As a business, you can harness User-Generated Content (UGC) – content created by other people – to help tell your story in an authentic and trustworthy way. Explore how to best curate visual UGC for your business by thinking like a photographer.
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Think like a photographer to curate compelling user-generated content for your business (Northern BC Tourism/Ryan Dickie).
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BC’s picture-perfect Pacific coastline and abundance of mountains and forests contributed to a coveted ranking as most desirable long-haul destination.
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ICYMI: Lonely Planet Names Vancouver Island Among Best Places to Travel in 2022
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Lonely Planet has recognized Vancouver Island as a top 10 region for travel in 2022 – no surprise, given the destination’s ocean-carved wilderness, historic towns and snug harbours. Congratulations to the tourism businesses and DMOs across the Island, whose commitment to remarkable experiences has earned them this well-deserved global recognition!
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Swoop Airlines Adds Eight Canadian Destinations to Summer 2022 Schedule
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Swoop Airlines has announced its largest expansion ever with eight new Canadian destinations added to its summer 2022 schedule. Daily flights to Kelowna will begin on May 5, while three flights per week to Comox will kick off June 9.
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Swoop’s ultra-low cost airfare starts at $49 per one-way fare to Kelowna and Comox.
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The Shipyards is one of six projects that earned an award in the “Transformational” category (Destination BC/Hubert Kang).
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The Shipyards in North Vancouver Earns 2021 Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Award
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The Shipyards in North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale district has earned a 2021 Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Award for its impressive redevelopment of a waterfront site that retains industrial character while balancing functions of a much-needed waterfront amenity.
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Upcoming Webinars from Small Business BC
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Small Business BC provides practical business webinars and online education to develop business skills and strategy.
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Destination BC has partnered with Small Business BC to offer free access for tourism business stakeholders across the province to online education supporting COVID-19 recovery. Upcoming webinars include 'Creating a Website for Your Business' (November 30) and 'Social Media for Small Business' (January 12). To access the webinars free of charge, register online using coupon code DBC3034.
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Judy Cameron became the first female pilot hired by Air Canada in April 1978 at the age of 23 (Air Canada website).
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Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships Open
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Air Canada is once again offering the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, established in honour of the airline’s first female pilot, to help the next generation of women follow in her footsteps to a career in aviation. Applications are open until November 30, 2021.
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Managing Mental Health in a Changing Workplace
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Our work environment has shifted over the past 19 months – whether new hours, new responsibilities or working remotely. Rather than letting the stress take over, you can control how you respond. Visit BC’s Hub for Workplace Mental Health to learn how to cope and prioritize your mental health.
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You can control how you respond to change (Unsplash/Nik Shuliahin).
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The Kootenay Rockies Tourism AGM takes place November 23.
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Register for the Kootenay Rockies Tourism Annual General Meeting
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The Kootenay Rockies Tourism Annual General Meeting will take place on November 23, 2021, between 2pm – 2.30pm (MT) via Zoom. Agenda items include approval of 2022 AGM minutes, auditing financial statements, announcement of 2022 Board of Directors and report from the CEO.
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Attend the Tourism and Hospitality Hiring Fair
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Are you eager to connect with employers in person and get hired before the holidays? WorkBC Richmond, BC Hotel Association and Richmond Public Library are pleased to connect job seekers and employers during an afternoon of engagement and networking at the Tourism and Hospitality Hiring Fair, taking place November 25, noon – 5.30pm at the Richmond Public Library (Brighouse Branch).
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Attend the Tourism and Hospitality Hiring Fair to find exciting jobs in tourism (Unsplash/Gabrielle Henderson).
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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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