Dear Accommodation Community,
The Impact of Restrictions:
We continue to hear from many of our members about the severe impact that the recent round of restrictions has had on our employees, our guests and our business. From further constraints on meetings and events, to confusion over safe vacation travel please be assured that we are amplifying these concerns directly to government and to the media.
Advocacy Priorities Surrounding the Provincial Health Order (PHO):
BCHA is in continued discussion with government and advocating for the following. Please note, as soon as we have updates and responses from government, we will communicate them with you:
- We are seeking to broaden the list of essential meetings.
- We want our hotels to be confident in the type of business they can book and execute according to protocols. We require clear guidance on business meetings that are permissible as many are unable to be held virtually ie. safety training, project meetings, etc.
- The same message is being conveyed to media either directly by BCHA or via our industry partners.
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We are seeking to remove the stigma around family vacation travel.
- Confusion persists surrounding cross-community travel. While the recent PHO strongly advises against travel for leisure, government officials have also stated that a household is allowed to travel freely for ski vacations. Our ski industry partners have developed stringent safety plans, best practices and protocols and are ready for households to adhere to the safe travel rules, enjoying wide open spaces and few faces. Of course, it is so important that we stay in our household bubbles and keep each other safe, while at the same time, ensure we engage in safe outdoor fun.
- Our aim is to define the areas and regions in which travel for leisure is still permissible, particularly as we head into ski season.
Canada West Ski Area Association Best Practices:
The ski industry and our resort accommodation members are grappling with the reality of significant constraint as they head into what would be one of their busiest periods of the winter season. We applaud the leadership of the Canada West Ski Area Association for focusing the industry on what they can control which is the safety of their guests. We encourage our hotel partners in these areas to continue to lead by example as the industry has done since the beginning of the pandemic.
Tourism Task Force:
Over the past several months the BCHA along with industry partners have been honoured to be a part of the BC Tourism Task force. Yesterday, we shared our report detailed further below, outlining key asks for industry. With many hotels facing insolvency, we are committed to ensuring the businesses that are the hardest hit are given the necessary tools to survive.
Vaccine Roll-Out:
We applaud the news of the BC government’s vaccine roll-out plan. It is a beacon of hope for our industry as the calendar inches closer to 2021. We also look forward to hearing details on the protections the vaccine will provide our front-line workers in the spring and summer.
For any questions please reach out to us.
