Weekly Newsletter

Dear Members and Partners,

I was recently reading, “The day we will always remember from here on is the day the world stopped travelling”. These are challenging times for the global tourism industry and we are not the exception. Since I started as President of Tourism NOTL I have been talking of how essential the tourism value chain is for our town.

Now that the world has stopped travelling and we can “enjoy” the deafening silence of a grounded planet we will realize how crucial Tourism is to our economy and quality of life.

We should be soon preparing for the recovery because nothing lasts forever and together we will come out of this stronger.

There is a lot more to come from your Chamber and Tourism NOTL team. The value of our industry will be even more apparent in the recovery phase.

I have also read “travel is the most progressive expression of human curiosity”. I have no doubt that Niagara-on-the-Lake’s tourism industry will recover and we will bounce back once again as one of the best destinations in Ontario and Canada.

As a membership based organization we are not immune to the hurt everyone in tourism is going through.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by the coronavirus and we appreciate and thank the healthcare workers and communities that are on the front lines working to contain the COVID-19.

We acknowledge our members challenges for their businesses and employees. We also acknowledge our visitors stress that comes with the uncertainty of cancelling or rebooking existing travel plans.

It’s a difficult and stressful time for all of us.

At the Chamber, we have implemented measures to ensure that our operations and staff remain available to provide service to visitors and members, while respecting the hygiene and social distancing practices requested by the circumstances.

Technology helps and allows our team to work from remote, as the situation dictates. During this time, to get in touch with the Chamber or Tourism NOTL, please email tourism@niagaraonthelake.com or call 1-905-468-1950.

For credible information on how to protect yourself, what to do if you’re sick and how to recognize possible symptoms, check out: www.Ontario.ca/coronavirus or The Town of NOTL’s www.notl.com/COVID-19

While we all work together to contain this virus, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM NOTL will continue to support its members with information, direction, support and flexibility. We will continue to post any updates on our newsletter and website as they become available.

Thanks to all of you that have answered TIAO’s survey, the precious frontline information is crucial to advocate in the right direction. Please stay tuned to further surveys in the coming weeks.

Eduardo R. Lafforgue and The team of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and Tourism NOTL

COVID-19 INDUSTRY SURVEY NOW CLOSED

Thank you to everyone that filled in our COVID-19 Industry Survey. We've had over two thousand unique responses from every corner of the province.

Our team is now analyzing that information today to build up a briefing for provincial and federal governments.TIAO is already feeding back top line information directly through to both provincial and federal ministries on conference calls today.

In the coming days as the situation evolves we intend to commission further in-depth surveys, not only to continue to document the impact of COVID-19 but also to evaluate any recovery measures put in place.

We're in this together.

Thank you.

The TIAO team

Note from the Legion

Due to the current Covid-19 situation the Legion will be cancel their Thursday Fish and Chip Supper. Thank you

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Info-Line calls are being answered by a nurse 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

🔸905-688-8248 ext. 7019

🔸Toll-free: 1-888-505-6074

Please be patient - they are experiencing very high call volumes.

COVID-19 FAQs

Dear Colleagues,

The following information about resources you can tap into through Canada’s Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) has been forwarded to us from our colleagues at TIAC via Federal Minster Mélanie Joly.

The Minister’s office has also begun to disseminate this through their various networks and information channels. In particular, please note the following:

The six Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have been given more tools and flexibility to help local businesses deal with economic difficulties. They will help them deal with the immediate impact of COVID-19 on their operations by allowing, for example, deferred repayment, advance payments or reimbursement of legitimate claims.
The RDAs will reallocate marketing efforts to support local and regional tourism, taking into account the latest advice from health agencies. Destination Canada is also closely monitoring the global situation and adjusting its marketing strategy accordingly, a central part of which is promoting domestic tourism.
In collaboration with the Minister of Canadian Heritage, government is ensuring that grants and contributions awarded to local events, festivals or other initiatives are maintained and take into account the possibility of cancellations due to COVID-19.

Businesses affected by the situation are asked to contact their local economic development officer. The Minister’s team at Economic Development and Official Languages is also ready to assist if need be.

You can download the fact sheet by clicking here .

We hope you find these resources useful - we will continue to forward on any resources that we receive from our partners during this difficult time.

The TIAO team.

To help you prepare for and manage through a potential COVID-19 escalation in Canada, The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has prepared a guide to assist in business planning and continuity efforts. Their COVID-19 web page also has a number of other timely resources.

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