COVID-19
BC Prepares to Safely Move to Step 2 of its Restart Plan
BC’s Restart is a careful, four-step plan to bring BC back together.
Getting vaccinated is the most important tool supporting our restart.
UPDATE!Beginning on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, British Columbia will take the next step in safely bringing people back together, transitioning into Step 2 of BC’s Restart plan, including lifting restrictions on travel within BC.
www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restart
Tourism Restart Step 2 Toolkit
For a quick guide on communications, health and safety, workforce, and marketing in relation to Step 2 of BC’s Restart Plan, BC tourism businesses and partners are encouraged to refer to the Destination BC Tourism-Sector-Restart-Step-2-Toolkit
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Joint statement on resumption of travel within BC
June 15, 2021 – Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport; Brenda Baptiste, chair, Indigenous Tourism BC; Walt Judas, CEO, Tourism Industry Association of BC; Ingrid Jarrett, president and CEO, BC Hotel Association; Anthony Everett, chair of the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat; and Richard Porges, interim president and CEO, Destination BC, released a statement on the resumption of non-essential travel within B.C. Read the full statement here
TIABC Publishes Know Before You Go Video Series
TIABC has published four videos highlighting the efforts that the tourism industry is taking to keep guests, staff and BC residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click on the images below to watch the videos about restaurants, attractions, pubs & bars, and accommodations.
Canadian and American officials have joined together to call for the U.S.-Canada border to reopen. Write your MP today to tell them that we need a plan to safely #OpenTheBorder! #TourismCounts #BCTourismCounts www.openuscanborder.ca
On December 9th, the Tourism Task Force presented its final report to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Hon. Melanie Mark, with a series of recommendations to support businesses and the workforce, and maintain confidence in travelers and communities.
View the report here
BC Government Announces COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan – September 17, 2020
Learn more at: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0052-001780
Find out more and download the full report at: strongerbc.gov.bc.ca
View the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Fact Sheet here
View the TIABC and Industry Partners media release here
TIABC Advocacy Report
As the Voice of Tourism for British Columbia’s 19,300 businesses and 300,000+ employees, we present this Advocacy Report on our efforts to date with the caveat that our job is far from over. As long as it takes for the visitor economy to pull through, TIABC’s number one priority will be to continue to advocate on your behalf.
Download the full report here
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
Providing positive guest experiences during the time of a pandemic can be challenging at times, especially when some guests are not following businesses’ established Health & Safety protocols.
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.
May 11, 2021 – Response from Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport re: request a collaborate on a restart plan for the tourism industry – Click here
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February 19, 2021 – TIABC wrote to Prime Minster Trudeau about cancellation of cruise season – Click here
January 28, 2021 – TIABC support letter re: Abbotsford International Airshow proposal for a “drive-in” event- Click here
January 21, 2021 – TIABC Formally Outlines Recommendations After Meeting with Premier Horgan & Minister Mark – Click here
January 15, 2021 – TIABC Submission re: Modernizing the Pleasure Craft Operator Competency Program – Click here
December 2, 2020 – Response from Hon. Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation re: Challenges to the Small and Medium Business Recovery Grant and Meeting with Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport – Click here
October 16, 2020 – TIABC, the BC Hotel Association (BCHA), Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) and Restaurants Canada wrote to the Deputy Premier re: Challenges to the Small and Medium Business Recovery Grant – Click here
October 22, 2020 – Response from Associate Deputy Minister re: TIABC letter of September 16 to Premier (Public Health Order) – Click here
October 7, 2020 – Response from Office of the Premier re: TIABC letter of September 16 (Public Health Order) – Click here
September 16, 2020 – TIABC/Metro Vancouver Task Force letter to Minister Joly re: extension of federal CEWS, RRRF and CECRA support programs – Click here
September 16, 2020 – TIABC/Metro Vancouver Task Force letter to Premier Horgan and Ministers re: Public Health Order on Pubs, Bars, Restaurants – Click here
September 15, 2020 – Joint response to Report on WCB Review – Click here
September 15, 2020 – TIABC/Metro Vancouver Task Force letter to Vancouver Mayor and City Council re: Extending Pop-Up Patios This Fall and Winter- Click here
August 6, 2020 – TIABC/Metro Vancouver Task Force letter to Minister Joly re: Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Program – Click here
July 21, 2020 – TIABC media release re: Tourism & Hospitality sector seeks $680 million recovery stimulus package from B.C. Government – Click here
July 20, 2020 – TIABC and Major Industry Partners write to Minister of Labour re: concern with Bill 23, Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2020 – Click here
June 26, 2020 – TIABC’s 2021 Budget Submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services – Click here
June 26, 2020 – TIABC joint media release re: BC-Yukon Border to Open July 1 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 – TIABC joint media release re: Businesses Province-Wide Call on Labour Minister to Urgently Act to Avoid More Employee Terminations and Forced Small Business Bankruptcies – 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 write to Premier Horgan to 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 Sun – 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
