A Message from BCHA Chair Bryan Pilbeam |
|
Good Afternoon BCHA Members and Stakeholders,
This National Tourism Week, our community has come together to celebrate the resiliency and tenacity of our sector, and on Tuesday, we marked the beginning of a new era in our recovery with the delivery of the BC Restart Plan.
Over many months, significant work has been undertaken by the BC Hotel Association and our partner organizations. BCHA President and CEO, Ingrid Jarrett, and her team aggressively advocated for the government to release a roadmap that would allow operators to move forward in a thoughtful and predictable manner, while at the same time, making recommendations that would support the best interests of our hotel, tourism, and events community. I would like to thank Ingrid and her team for the tremendous work that has gone into pushing this advocacy priority across the finish line and for their continued efforts advocating for our sector.
In light of Tuesday's announcement, British Columbians are now encouraged to travel freely within their own health authority, exploring attractions and activities to help bring much-needed revenue to local tourism operators—this will be especially important for urban centres that have seen the lowest occupancy rates compared to other regions in the province.
Now is the time we prepare for the upcoming season by rehiring and training staff, promote bookings and market for the summer, and continue to educate guests on COVID-19 safety protocols and travel information. Non-essential travel outside of one's own health authority continues to be prohibited until June 15. Similar to expectations surrounding the Circuit Breaker Restrictions, please know, that accommodators are not expected to cancel bookings but to simply educate guests on the restrictions that are in place in BC. The responsibility to abide by these travel restrictions remains with the travellers.
We look forward to when we can welcome all British Columbians, Canadians, and travellers from across the world to discover what every corner of our province has to offer. The BCHA continues to pave a path forward that will ensure our post-COVID tourism and hospitality sector will be stronger than ever.
Thank you,
Bryan Pilbeam
BCHA, Board Chair
Delta Hotels by Marriott Kamloops, Vice-President and General Manager
|
|
Today's update includes:
- Public Health Order Allows for Indoor Gatherings and Meetings of Up to Ten
- Deadlines for Provincial Relief Measures Fast Approaching
- ICYMI: Details on BC Reopening Plan
- Press Release | Government Announces Support of go2HR's BSafe Program to Help Build Confidence in Travel
- BCHA Buy, Sell, & Exchange | Prestige Hotels
- New Associate Member | Design Uniforms
- Glow Green for National Tourism Week, May 23-30, 2021 | Take The Pledge Today!
- Mark Your Calendars
- New B SAFE training for BC's tourism and hospitality industry
- TIABC Webinar | Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery & Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grants
- TOTA Business Building In The Face Of COVID
- Canadian Hotel Investment Conference
- Tourism Vancouver AGM
- Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
- Vivek Sharma, CEO, Fairmont Hot Springs and BCHA Board Members Elected on BC Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Named Most Trusted Hotel Brand in Canada
- Twenty-seven Coast Hotels Properties Honoured with Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards
- In the News
|
|
Public Health Order Allows for Indoor Gatherings and Meetings of Up to Ten |
|
Please note that we have received clarity on the the Public Health Order allowing indoor business meetings and events of up to ten as they pertain to indoor gatherings. Through our conversations with the Public Health Officer's office, some of the key takeaways include the following:
-
Business meetings are synonymous with indoor seated gatherings. This means up to 10 people are allowed indoors now and up to 50 after June 15th.
- Similar to last summer and fall, outdoor gatherings up to 50 people are also allowed if seated, no reception style, and with physical distancing measures in place.
-
Gradual increases to capacity sizes (over 50) both indoor and outdoor will come after June 15th.
We encourage the hotel and events community to please continue to send us feedback and questions on these amendments. We will work to have your concerns addressed and actioned in weeks ahead.
|
|
Deadlines for Provincial Relief Measures
Fast Approaching | Apply Now
|
|
Please note that deadlines for the Business Recovery Grant and the Circuit Breaker Grant are fast approaching and it is in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.
Business Recovery Grant
Who it's for:
- BC owned for-profit business with 149 staff or less (we encourage you to still apply even if you do not meet this criteria)
Deadline:
- August 31st, 2021, or until funds are fully committed
Contact:
Circuit Breaker Grant
Who it's for:
- BC majority owned for-profit business that partially or fully closed to comply with March 31 PHO order or April 23 EPA order
Deadline:
- June 4th, 2021, or until funds are fully committed
Contact:
Please reach out to our BCHA team should you have any further questions or require additional support.
|
|
ICYMI: Details on BC Reopening Plan |
|
During a press conference Tuesday, Premier Horgan and the Provincial Government announced the launch a four step restart plan. The step-by-step plan will follow approximate timelines and will ease people and businesses slowly out of the pandemic. |
|
The four steps are:
Step 1: May 25
- 60% of adult population with Dose 1
- COVID-19 cases stable, hospitalizations stable
- Maximum of five visitors or one household allowed for indoor personal gatherings
- Maximum of 10 people for outdoor personal gatherings
- Maximum of 10 people for seated indoor organized gatherings with safety protocols
- Maximum of 50 people for seated outdoor organized gatherings with safety protocols
- Recreational travel only within travel region (travel restrictions extended)
- Indoor and outdoor dining for up to six people with safety protocols
- Resume outdoor sports (games) with no spectators, low-intensity fitness with safety protocols
- Start gradual return to workplaces
- Provincewide mask mandate, business safety protocols and physical distancing measures remain in place
- Return of indoor in-person faith-based gatherings (reduced capacity) based on consultation with public health
Step 2: Mid-June (June 15 – earliest date)
- 65% of adult population with Dose 1
- Cases declining, COVID-19 hospitalizations declining
- Maximum of 50 people for outdoor social gatherings
- Maximum of 50 people for seated indoor organized gatherings (banquet halls, movie theatres, live theatre) with safety protocols
- Consultation process to prepare for larger indoor and outdoor gatherings with safety protocols
- No B.C. travel restrictions – check local travel advisories
- Indoor sports (games) and high-intensity fitness with safety protocols
- Spectators for outdoor sports (50 maximum)
- Provincewide mask mandate, business safety protocols and physical distancing measures remain in place
Step 3: Early July (July 1 – earliest date)
- 70% of adult population with Dose 1
- Cases low, COVID-19 hospitalizations declining
- Provincial state of emergency and public health emergency lifted
- Returning to usual for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings
- Increased capacity for indoor and outdoor organized gatherings, with safety plans
- Nightclubs and casinos reopen with capacity limits and safety plans
- New public health and workplace guidance around personal protective equipment, physical distancing and business protocols
Step 4: Early September (Sept. 7 – earliest date)
- More than 70% of adult population with Dose 1
- Cases low and stable (contained clusters), COVID-19 hospitalizations low
- Returning to normal social contact
- Increased capacity at larger organized gatherings
- No limits on indoor and outdoor spectators at sports
- Businesses operating with new safety plans
For Step 1 and Step 2, restaurants, bars and pubs, as well as indoor fitness facilities, are to return to the existing safety protocols that were in place prior to the circuit breaker restrictions. For other sectors, existing safety protocols remain in place for Step 1 and Step 2, including existing safety protocols at schools and daycares. In Step 1, hotels and other accommodation providers are encouraged to welcome guests from inside their region. In Step 2, the invitation can be extended to guests from throughout the province.
Prior to steps 3 and 4, sector associations, including the BC Hotel Assocaition will work with public health and WorkSafeBC to update sector guidelines to meet updated public health guidance.
All updated workplace safety plans should be ready by July 1 prior to shifting into Step 3. These plans will be based on updated sector guidelines.
|
|
Press Release | Government Announces Support of go2HR's BSAFE Program to Help Build Confidence in Travel |
|
The Province is launching a COVID-19 safety certificate program, called BSAFE, for workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors to increase consumer confidence as businesses start to return to more normal operations in accordance with BC’s Restart plan.
BSAFE stands for BC Safety Assured For Everyone.
“This program will empower employees, visitors and communities to have confidence a business is following health and safety best practices as we work to slowly reopen while following the rules and putting an end to COVID-19 restrictions in B.C.,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “The program was a call to action from the Tourism Task Force to clearly demonstrate to visitors that B.C. is a safe place to travel. BSAFE supports our restart and recovery efforts as we look forward to exploring our province again very soon.”
The Province allocated $640,000 to develop the program and provide the training for workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors. B.C. organizations participating in the training program will receive a decal to make it easy for visitors to identify that staff have taken BSAFE training.
|
|
BCHA | Buy, Sell, Exchange |
|
BCHA is available to support the hotel community in every way; this includes supporting operators who are looking to buy, sell, or exchange items for their property; click here for more info.
Prestige Hotels and Resorts has a selection of furnishings, fixtures & equipment available for sale from their acquisition in Kamloops.
Details:
- Prefer to sell in volume counts and/or packages of room.
- Items have not yet been priced so please make an offer.
- Pickup and moving not included
- Items ready to be picked up as of June 2nd in Kamloops
|
|
If interested please contact Karoline Huber at:
250-860-5858 ext. 117
|
|
New Associate Member | Portex Design Inc. |
|
ABOUT PORTEX DESIGN INC.
Portex Design Inc, was created in 2010. Founded by Tatiana Wensley. At first, the company created a line of sustainable cork accessories under the brand “love & cork”. In 2015, after seeing a demand for custom uniforms, they added a second line of business: “Design Uniforms”. The brand would be responsible for the designing and manufacturing of uniforms.
The Portex Design mission is to create a complete look for the brand that is both functional and unique so that the company can give a better uniform experience for its clients. They believe that consistent interaction with clients and users provides insight into their uniforms and allows for them to adjust the product to better suit our client's needs, with a wide selection of fabrics and designs for each customer.
BENEFIT TO MEMBERS
Designed in Vancouver, Portex Designs creates solutions for companies, and takes care of their clients, once the design process is approved, they create an inventory for each client in stock, controlling and managing.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Contact Portex Design Founder, Tatiana Wensley at
Or follow Portex Designs on Social Media:
|
|
National Tourism Week, May 23-30, 2021 | Have You Taken the Pledge Yet? |
|
National Tourism Week in Canada is in full swing and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is leading the campaign to recognize Canada’s tourism economy, and the impact it has on every community across the country.
Have you gotten involved yet? There's still time. Here's how:
-
Take the pledge, post your commitment through social media channels and encourage your followers as well as colleagues and peers to do the same.
-
If you have a programmable lighting system, light-it-up in Tourism Week’s “Glowing Green” on your region’s day, or all week.
- See below for operators who are glowing green.
To learn more about Tourism Week and access our branding toolkit, please visit TourismCounts.ca.
|
|
New B SAFE training for BC's tourism and hospitality industry
To help rebuild confidence in travel and hospitality, B SAFE is a new 90-minute, online course oriented toward staff in BC’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The training aims to provide staff with a strong foundation in COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and to assist them in understanding ever-evolving best practices. Upon successful completion of the course, participants (and properties with over 75% of staff completion) are awarded a certificate and decal that demonstrates their knowledge of and commitment to COVID-19 health and safety.
go2HR's objective is for B SAFE to become an industry standard: a recognizable indicator of the extent to which health and safety is a priority for BC’s tourism and hospitality employers. B SAFE stands for BC Safety Assured For Everyone Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, B SAFE aims to build community and staff confidence in the health and safety protocols of BC’s tourism and hospitality industry as the province navigates and emerges from the COVID-19 era.
|
|
Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery & Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grants
Wednesday, June 2nd - 9:30am to 10:30am (PDT)
Presented by TIABC together with the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, this information session will help operators through the process to apply for the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery and Circuit Breaker Business Relief grants.
Learn more about these fully funded grant programs available to eligible businesses in BC, to ensure you have the support you need during and beyond COVID-19.
Hosted by Liz Vickery, Executive Director, Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. Liz is leading the implementation of the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery and Circuit Breaker Business Relief grants.
The webinar will be 45 minutes in length with a 15-minute open forum for any questions.
Please submit any questions you have with your registration.
|
|
Save the date!
Registration will open next week where we will announce our keynote speakers and sessions.
Are you interested in sponsoring? Please contact Stephanie for further details.
This is a milestone event you will not want to miss!
|
|
Tourism Vancouver | Notice of 2021 Annual General Meeting
Tourism Vancouver Members: take notice that the 118th Annual General Meeting of the Metro Vancouver Convention & Visitors Bureau, doing business as Tourism Vancouver will be held:
- Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021
- Time: 3:30PM - 5:30PM
- Location: BC Place Stadium (Hybrid Virtual)
The following formal business will be considered at this meeting:
- Presentation and approval of the agenda and minutes from the October 29, 2020 AGM
- Presentation and approval of the audited 2020 financial statements & appointment of auditors
- Presentation of the 2021-2022 Board of Directors
- Reports from the Board of Directors and CEO
|
|
Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry |
|
Vivek Sharma, CEO, Fairmont Hot Springs and BCHA Board Members Elected on BC Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
After a nomination process that cast the net widely for new directors and returned exceptional candidates, and a voting process that began on March 29, 2021, closed on April 12, 2021, and resulted in the highest voter response, The BC Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome new and returning directors to the 2021-22 Board of Directors. Representing the Kootenay's is BCHA Board Member, Vivek Sharma, also CEO of Fairmont Hot Springs. Congratulations Vivek!
|
|
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Named Most Trusted Hotel Brand in Canada
The GBTI study found that consumers’ trust in brands is linked to authenticity and their belief that the brand reflects their own values. Category Leader: https://lnkd.in/d2hqs5T.
|
|
Twenty-seven Coast Hotels Properties Honoured with Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards
Coast Hotels is excited to announce that 27 properties within its portfolio have been honoured with Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice awards.
“Being a recipient of Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice is something our properties strive for, and value greatly. Being recognized as fulfilling guests’ expectations is an indication of trust in our people and our brand.” remarked Kelli Steer, Coast Hotels Vice President Hotel Operations. “This year more than ever, our properties have had to adapt to put the safety and wellbeing of our guests and Ambassadors ahead of all else. We're so grateful that the warmth and dedication of our Ambassadors still came across to our guests, from behind the mask.”
|
|
Tourism industry remains optimistic, despite ongoing...
B.C.'s restart plan was welcome news for many on Tuesday, but businesses that rely on travel and tourism will have to wait for travel restrictions to be lifted before they can begin celebrating and moving toward recovery. Travel and tourism...
Read more
www.cbc.ca
|
|
|
|
|
|
No Pressure to Open Border, Biden Official Says; Reports ...
May 27, 2021 Admin The United States hasn't made any decision about how or when to reopen the border with Canada, a White House spokesperson said today (May 27). A published report in Washington state quoted U.S. Border Patrol sources as saying...
Read more
canadiantravelnews.ca
|
|
|
|
|
|
Past 15 months 'incredibly difficult for many facets of...
We're just a couple of weeks away from B.C.'s travel ban being lifted as part of Step 2 of the province's restart plan. Mid-June can't come soon enough for many tourism operators impacted by the circuit-breaker measure that banned non-essential...
Read more
www.mycowichanvalleynow.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
B.C.'s tourism industry appreciates restart roadmap -...
VICTORICA (NEWS 1130) - Step One of B.C.'s reopening plan still restricts non-essential travel between health zones, so if you're itching to get away, you'll have to practice patience for a little while longer. British Columbians can only travel...
Read more
www.citynews1130.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
