Dear Hotel Community,
As the president and CEO of your hotel association, I was honoured to participate in the Premier's roundtable earlier today. I was encouraged to see the government was listening, their acknowledgement of the pandemic's impact on our industry, along with Minister James, Minister Beare and Premier Horgan’s commitment to work together on solutions for recovery.
We have significant challenges to face in Phase 3 in the restart plan. We are advocating for business loans to support reopening and recovery, with zero interest rates, government guarantee, 3 year pay back and 20% relief when repaid on time. We are working hard to determine the demand for different sectors and different regions, building out an education series on revenue management, cleaning protocols, sustainability and creating a greener industry. We continue to build these important partnerships to ensure our province can once again be internationally regarded as the safe, clean, beautiful British Columbia we are all so proud of. Until then, we are doing everything we can to support our industry and ensure we save as much of our summer demand as possible.
We had a significant win last week with the announcement of the temporary layoff extension by the Minister of Labour, Minister Bains. I keenly understand the importance of retaining the employer/employee relationship, for the long run, and would like to acknowledge Minister Bain's willingness to listen and act, and his ability to understand the impact this has on our industry. Without this extension, a significant number of businesses would have been deemed insolvent overnight.
Our industry has continuously been challenged by high levels of taxation. In the face of economic devastation brought by COVID-19, our concerns surrounding high taxation have been amplified. The BC Hotel Association is committed to advocating for short- and long-term solutions that will help to ensure fairness, equity, and sustainability in the assessment and taxation of our members' property. We hosted, in partnership with Altus Group a Webinar on BC Property Taxes last week – if you missed it, please
click here
for the recording and slide deck.
As part of our advocacy efforts, we are asking for all 2020 property taxes to be granted an extended payment period to the end of 2023 with zero interest. We are also asking the Province of British Columbia for a relief portion of 25% when the taxes for 2020 are paid by Dec 31, 2023. These important measures are being requested in order to protect our industry and its properties. It is better to keep our businesses in business and collect tax in the long run than force insolvency due to the burden of taxes. We understand that municipalities are also under financial pressure, but to see businesses fail, and unemployment soar as a result of property tax burden simply does not make sense. I look forward to meeting with governments around the province to ensure our hotel sector remains solvent during these difficult times.
Furthermore, I’d like to take a moment to thank those of you who have sent notes of gratitude, for those of you who have stepped up to support the work we are doing in the back ground for Phase 3 and 4, and for those of you who are remaining resolved to work together and find our way though this extremely trying time. You are our community, and we are incredibly grateful.
As we take time to celebrate Canada Day tomorrow, we wish each of you a wonderful and prosperous holiday. We look forward to continuing to advocate for, and inspire positive change within our sector when we return on Thursday. Have a safe and joyous Canada Day.
Stay safe,
Ingrid Jarrett
President & CEO
BC Hotel Associatio
n
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What to expect if you're booking a hotel in B.C. this...
If you're thinking about booking a B.C. staycation this summer, your hotel stay may look slightly different from usual. Many hotels have reopened in recent weeks after a dismal past few months in the industry that saw 60 per cent of hotels in the ...
Read more
www.cbc.ca
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Reopening B.C.: COVID-19 hits tourism hard, operators...
In anticipation another record year for tourism in B.C., one of the province's whale-watching tour operators took possession of a new boat in March. The delivery of the boat to Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures coincided with...
Read more
vancouversun.com
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Global News interviews Ingrid Jarrett, president and CEO of the BC Hotel Association. Ingrid explains why the organization is calling on the province for more action to help save the tourism industry.
www.msn.com
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UPDATED: Protocols for Returning to Operation
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As British Columbians move into Phase 3 of the provincial government’s Restart Plan, WorkSafeBC continues to develop industry-specific resources. These have been created to support businesses, their employees and their guest to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in B.C. workplaces.
Click here
for updated guidelines for the accommodation sector.
www.worksafebc.com
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B.C. Restart and Recovery Survey
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The government of British Columbia has launched the
B.C. Restart and Recovery Survey
, asking residents to have their say in decisions that are made in the coming weeks and months.
As an industry, this is our opportunity to collectively address concerns, frustrations, and hopes for the future. We implore each of you to take this important survey and make your voice heard.
The survey will be open until July 21, 2020 at 4 pm (PDT) and should take under 10 minutes to complete. Do not miss this opportunity to voice the concerns of your team and communities
.
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COVID Consideration: Pools and Hot Tubs
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Pools are allowed to open
in phase 3 with proper sanitation and physical distancing protocols in place. Regardless of size, no more than 50 people should be allowed in at a time.
Please check with your regional health authority to ensure your property is compliant with regional protocols.
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Member News:
Coast Hotels Expands
Presence on Vancouver Island
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The Sandcastle Inn Becomes Coast Parksville Hotel
Coast Hotels announced today that it has entered into a franchise agreement to convert the Sandcastle Inn, Parksville, BC to a Coast Hotels property – Coast Parksville Hotel. The hotel will welcome guests under the Coast Hotels banner starting July 1, 2020.
The 36‐room property, which underwent modernization, is ideally located in the beach-side community of Parksville. Guests to the property will enjoy a comfortable stay in the refurbished rooms as well as easy access to key Parksville attractions and amenities - within a couple of blocks.
“We’re really excited about this partnership, and the direction we’re taking the property, working with Coast Hotels”, remarked Shakil Adam, President Evergreen Hotels. "While we’ve always enjoyed strong summer occupancy, we’re looking forward to channeling the power of the Coast Hotels brand to grow our business success year-round."
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Breaking Travel and Tourism News
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Canada extends ban on most foreign travellers to at least July 31
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Ottawa plans to extend the sweeping travel ban that bars entry to all travellers who are not Canadian citizens, permanent residents or Americans for at least another month. The order, which was set to expire tonight, "has been extended until July 31...
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Webinar: Reigniting the Guest Experience
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In this webinar, experts from StayNTouch, ReviewPro and Fuel Travel layout instrumental guidelines, strategies, and tactics to help hoteliers transform their guest experience with contactless technology, targeted marketing, and enhanced guest communication.In this webinar you’ll learn about:
- New marketing strategies to understand new traveler behaviours and personas that are key target markets for recovery;
- Contactless technology to streamline the welcome and departure experience, prioritize guest safety, and let automation be the middleman; and
- Leveraging AI-driven communication and automation to deliver a great experience at all stages of the guest journey.
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BCHF Fundraiser: Reconnect 2020
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Live Auction Still Open
Organized by BC Event Management,
“Reconnect 2020”
was a hybrid event that included both an interactive live-streamed element and an in-person event.
Though the event took place on Saturday, June 27, the online auction is still open until June 30 at 6 pm. Proceeds from the live auction and Reconnect 2020 will
BC Hospitality Foundation to support our hospitality family. The hospitality industry has really come together by donating amazing prizes.
Many items have bids below their value which makes them really attractive in addition to supporting their businesses you will help us continue our work providing financial support to people in the industry struggling due to a medical condition.
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As part of our education pillar, BCHA continues to offer new courses and webinars from our education partners. Through our education series, BCHA members and hospitality professionals may access tools for continued growth within the hospitality industry at a significantly reduced price. We encourage you to take this time to explore the courses below:
Okanagan College
Kennedy Training Network
C
lick here
to sign up for any of the upcoming courses or webinars or
learn more
about all the education BCHA has to offer.
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