COVID-19
Tourism & Hospitality Sector Seeks $680 Million Recovery Stimulus Package from B.C. Government
On July 21, 2020 the BC tourism industry released a proposal for immediate and vital assistance for the sector hardest hit by COVID-19 and travel restrictions.
Download the full proposal here: Recovery Stimulus Package for British Columbia’s Tourism & Hospitality Sector
Read the media release and backgrounder here
On July 20, 2020, letters were sent to each MLA in British Columbia regarding this proposal. View a sample letter here
Read TIABC’s COVID-19 Bulletins: www.tiabc.ca/tiabc-in-the-news/newsletter
TIABC encourages all stakeholders to rely on official sources of information for updates on the coronavirus. TIABC, Destination BC, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, and TIAC are all actively monitoring the coronavirus situation and will respond accordingly with further direction to tourism stakeholders.
Phase 4 (TBD – conditional on at least one of: wide vaccination; “community” immunity; broad successful treatments)
July 20, 2020 – Industry Response to Minister of Labour re: concern with Bill 23, Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2020 – Click here
June 25, 2020 – Response from Minister James re: TIABC letter of April 20 (Proposal to fund DMOs) – Click here
June 24, 2020 – Response from Ministers Beare and Farnworth re: TIABC Letter of May 18 (Travel Deposit Refunds) – Click here
June 22, 2020 – Industry letter to Minister Bains requesting further extension of temporary layoff time limits under Employment Standards Act – Click here
June 8, 2020 – TIABC and Major Industry Partners Ask for Provincial and Federal Cooperation to Restart Tourism & Travel Sector – Click here
June 5, 2020 – TIABC, ABLE BC, BCHA & Restaurants Canada Provide Joint Submission on the Canada Emergency Wage
Subsidy Program – Click here
June 5, 2020 – TIABC joined 12 other organizations to write to Premier Horgan re: further extending the temporary lay-off provisions –Click here
June 5, 2020 – Response from Minister Beare re: TIABC letter of May 7 (Meetings, Conferences & Events Sector) – Click here
May 29, 2020 – TIABC Op-ed submitted to Vancouver – Click here
May 28, 2020 – TIABC joint media release re: Critical Support Still Needed to Re-Open Backbone of the BC Economy – Click here
May 27, 2020 – Response letter from Minister Beare re: financial assistance to Community DMOs – Click here
May 27, 2020 – TIABC submission to Minister’s Tourism Engagement Council – Click here
May 18, 2020 – TIABC letter Minister Beare re: Travel Deposit Refunds – Click here
May 7, 2020 – TIABC letter to Minsters Beare, Dix and Mungall re: Meetings, Conferences & Events Sector – Click here
April 20, 2020 – TIABC letter to Ministers Beare and James re: Proposal to fund DMOs – Click here
March 30, 2020 – Briefing Note: BC Tourism Industry Feedback on Federal Government Relief Measures, Gaps that Still Exist, and Suggestions for Further Assistance –Click here
March 23, 2020 – TIABC media release re: Tourism Industry Responds to COVID-19 Action Plan – Click here
March 16, 2020 – TIABC media release re: Tourism Industry Calling for Emergency Fund –Click here
March 16, 2020: TIABC letter to Premier Horgan re: Tourism Emergency Contingency Fund to Address Impact of COVID-19. – Click here
The following information is sourced from the Destination BC website: www.destinationbc.ca/news/coronavirus-update
What you need to know
We know this is a very difficult time for our tourism industry, and that COVID-19 is top of mind for travellers and businesses globally. Destination BC is here to support you, and we are doing everything we can in partnership with provincial and federal government, industry partners, and Health Authorities to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on BC and our tourism industry.
There is a lot of uncertainty around what our world will look like next month, next week, and even tomorrow; we want to assure you that we are all in this together. Now more than ever, we will leverage our collective power to align and support us through the times ahead.
To ensure we are doing our part in “flattening the curve” of COVID-19 in BC, Destination BC is following the direction of the Ministry of Health. With challenges ahead, the Honourable Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, pens an open letter to each and every tourism business and community across British Columbia.
Read: A message to Tourism from the Honourable Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture
Top 5 Resources Right Now
News and updates about COVID-19 is being served to us faster than we can take it all in, and with many new resources becoming available each week, it’s hard to know where to start. We want to help you find the information you’re looking for, so here’s a list of the Top 5 Resources For Tourism Businesses During COVID-19 we think you need to know about, now.
Destination BC’s COVID-19 response page: www.destinationbc.ca/covid-19/destination-bc-response/
Provincial response page: www.destinationbc.ca/covid-19/provincial-response
Federal response page: www.destinationbc.ca/covid-19/federal-response
Health & Medical page: www.destinationbc.ca/covid-19/health-medical
Industry Resources page: www.destinationbc.ca/covid-19/industry-resources
Travel & Transportation page: www.destinationbc.ca/covid-19/travel-transportation
WHAT SHOULD I DO IN A SUSPECTED CASE OF COVID-19?
If you have symptoms and may have been exposed to COVID-19, use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool, developed with the BC Ministry of Health, to help determine whether you may need further assessment or testing for the virus. You can complete the assessment for yourself, or on behalf of someone else, if they are unable to.
To arrange for further assessment or testing, call your local primary care provider or 8-1-1, or for deaf or hard of hearing call 7-1-1.
BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool
FAQs: Tourism businesses and accommodation
In partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, BC’s Ministry of Health, and other industry partners, we have created an FAQ. This will be continually updated, providing information from BC, national, and international partners to give you the information you need as it relates to travel and tourism. It will help you answer questions from your staff, visitors, and partners.
If you have additional tourism-related questions in regard to COVID-19, please contact us at covid19response@destinationbc.ca. We will be working with the appropriate officials to source up-to-date answers for you, so please be patient as we work to address your questions as quickly as possible.
Click here to view the Destination BC page (FAQs at bottom of page): www.destinationbc.ca/news/coronavirus-update
