As the summer winds down, we know that things will continue to change. As restaurant patios close and summer vacations end; our tourism, hospitality and retail industries will still need our support. More than ever, these businesses need us to continue to support them.
The tourism industry has been doing everything it can to re-gain consumer confidence; from incorporating enhanced cleaning protocols, to adding barriers between customers, to adding signage and reconfiguring their public spaces to accommodate social distancing.
MTEC developed Clean It Right with the main goal of assisting the tourism industry in Manitoba re-gain consumer confidence by providing a safe environment for customers and staff. It was a way for us to do something that could, in some way, assist the industry that we represent, in such a difficult time.
We had no idea that it would be so well received, and utilized! Since we launched Clean It Right at the end of May, we have had 4,300 register for Clean It Right, with 2,320 completing the training and 205 businesses becoming certified. * The certified companies are listed on the Clean It Right website.
www.cleanitrightmanitoba.ca
We will continue to offer Clean It Right FREE to the tourism, hospitality and retail industries. We will also continue to offer the program at a 90% discount to industries that fall outside of tourism.
After launching Clean It Right, we were approached by several other provinces wanting to deliver Clean It Right to their tourism industry businesses. We gifted a customized Clean It Right to them. Currently Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador are all delivering Clean It Right! We are currently working with the Yukon, who will also be delivering Clean It Right in the near future.
Companies in Northern Ontario, including Kenora and Rainy River are also taking our Clean It Right program and becoming certified. You can look for the Clean It Right logos in their windows!
We believe that Clean it Right will outlive COVID-19. It will be the new standard of cleaning that customers and employees will expect when they go into a business. They will also be watching for the certified companies to actually be living up to their commitment of providing a safe environment, in order to maintain their confidence.
As we go forward, MTEC will continue to support the tourism industry in every way that we can. This year because of people's reluctance to meet in larger groups, we will be having our 2019/2020 Annual General Meetings for the Manitoba Tourism Education Council and Manitoba Tourism Education College via Zoom Meetings.
We have taken the funds that we would have spent on a meeting venue and purchased $3,000 worth of Gift Certificates that will be drawn at the end of the meeting. This was another way that we could support 14 tourism, hospitality and retail businesses in Manitoba. There will be 26 draws, for certificates valued from $25.00 to $500.00.
As we continue in the recovery of the Tourism industry, MTEC will continue to assist the industry in any way that we can. We will continue to train people working in the industry and future employees for the industry.
Shannon Fontaine, CEO Manitoba Tourism Education Council
