BCHA Updates
We thank each of you for meeting with us to share your story and communicate your state of business, along with your priorities moving forward. We also are incredibly grateful to our industry members who hosted our team and made the journey to the Kootenay-Rockies so memorable.

This week, we also gathered virtually for our quarterly Board Meeting, which you will see in the image below. We spent two days reflecting and reporting on recent months while offering updates on our plans and priorities heading into the next quarter. Day two consisted of our strategy session, that allowed us to generate a more direct focus, helping us plan for the future of the organization. As always, we extend our thanks to everyone on the board for their tireless commitment to industry and to the BCHA.

In terms of industry news, we partnered with TIABC, ABLEBC and Restaurants Canada to equip you will the resources and tools needed for the upcoming election. You will find our election toolkit included in below. We urge you to explore this tool and share amongst your community in the weeks ahead. Given the dire circumstance the election was called in, it behoves us all to be informed, to engage with our MLA’s and ensure they understand the needs of our industry before the election on October 24. Also, it is important you all get out and vote, and encourage others to do the same. The recovery and solvency of our industry could well rest on the election outcome.

Finally, we have also published the results of our most recent industry pulse check. Again, we cannot thank each of you enough for participating in these surveys. they so greatly impact our high-level understanding of the current state of industry so it important that we have as many of you participating as possible.

We hope everyone enjoys their weekend.
Stay safe,
 
Ingrid Jarrett
President and CEO
British Columbia Hotel Association
Election Toolkit
TIABC, ABLE BC, BCHA and Restaurants Canada are among the largest tourism and hospitality sector associations in British Columbia, representing hundreds of thousands of employees and businesses throughout the province.

Together with our partners and stakeholders, we have been working with all levels of government, particularly at the provincial level, to address the enormous challenges our sector has faced since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.

With the unexpected variable of a provincial election in the middle of a pandemic, our individual and collective efforts become even more important. Informing, educating and questioning candidates of all parties on the issues and needs of the tourism and hospitality industry is paramount to government decisions on recovery efforts post- election.

This Election Toolkit is your guide to ensure our sector’s voice is both heard and understood by those running for office, and that each party is prepared to address the issues and opportunities to help tourism and hospitality rebound in the months and years ahead.
The BCHA has continued to work with all levels of government, along with our key partners and industry stakeholders, to support the needs of our industry. Below are the results of our most recent industry pulse check survey for September.

One of the most misunderstood aspects about the hospitality industry, is the value of working in hospitality, which can be determined starting with the hourly rate of pay.

As part of this Pulse Check, we asked you, our industry, to quantify the average hourly rate of pay, for all positions. As a result of those who participated, it was determined that the average hourly rate is $23.54. This does not include benefits or gratuities. It also doesn’t include the flexibility, the travel, the benefits of changeable positions, or learning on the job; nor does it include the opportunity to grow and develop in the industry and contribute by way of contribution to communities, volunteering and engaging with the students and leaders of the future.

Our industry is a social industry with many life skills that must align with the specific skills of different positions and different skill sets for various kinds of properties. We are proud of our teams, our industry and our value to the complex provincial tourism industry. We absolutely cannot afford to lose any of our workforce during this pandemic, having just been impacted by the greatest shortage in recent history. We do not support repurposing our workforce to other sectors, but we do support choice in determining what individual career paths and our future looks like.

We are determined to recover from this economic crisis stronger than ever before, with thoughtful travel and support for communities and our work families.  
Advocacy Priorities: 
1.Extending the Wage Subsidy
2.Property Tax Relief
3.Securing Liquidity
4.Insurance Issues
Monthly average occupancy across BC: 
September – 44%
October – 30%
November – 24%
December – 25% 
January - 25%
February - 28%
March - 32%
April - 33%
Many accommodators across the province are still operating with minimal staffing levels and occupancy. The number of employees laid off in September has significantly increased since August back up to 43,000. It is important to note that this increase includes any seasonal hires being laid off.
Have you recalled your team?
Vancouver and the surrounding area is still seeing stunted occupancy levels with the Caribou Chilcotin Coast region sitting at the lowest expected occupancy for the remainder of the year into Spring 2021. The following stats are the current forecasts by region until April 2021. 

  • Downtown Vancouver – Average Expected Occupancy - 30%
  • Vancouver Island – Average Expected Occupancy -  41%
  • Vancouver Coast and Mountains (Whistler) – Average Expected Occupancy - 32%
  • Thompson Nicola / Okanagan – Average Expected Occupancy - 31%
  • Northern BC – Average Expected Occupancy - 36%
  • Kootenay Rockies – Average Expected Occupancy - 37%
  • Cariboo Chilcotin Coast – Average Expected Occupancy - 15%
BCRTS: Measuring Canadian Travel Patterns & STR Report
The Measuring of Canadian Travel Patterns dashboard created by Environics Analytics helps the Canadian travel and tourism industry understand the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to Domestic Overnight Visitors within Canada, its provinces, territories, and tourism regions

With this dashboard we can easily compare visitors; travel patterns (to prior weeks in 2020 and year over year 2019). We can also compare different regions to assess the impact of the pandemic on Canadian travel patterns and identify when visitors start to return to BC's
tourism regions.
Destination BC Bulletin
As we head into our Fall season, Destination BC has released a number of Fall campaigns across the province, continuing to inspire BC residents to explore their backyard.
Business Council of British Columbia: The Long and Winding Road to Recovery
For both Canada and B.C., the 2020 downturn will be the deepest since the 1930s. As B.C.’s economy struggles to gain traction, it will become evident that many businesses face higher operating costs making some businesses unviable and prompt closures and insolvencies in the months ahead. An important feature of this pandemic-induced recession is the magnitude of job losses. Getting people back to work quickly is essential. But doing so will be hampered by partial re-openings, physical distancing rules in some sectors, and changes in consumer preferences and behaviour.
TOTA Updates
TOTA & SUNx Malta Announce Global Climate Friendly Travel Registry & Maurice Strong Climate Friendly Travel Youth Summit
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has partnered with the Strong Universal Network (SUNx), to develop resilient, Climate Friendly Travel, in alignment with the Paris 1.5 Trajectory and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Today, during Climate Week NYC 2020, TOTA, SUNx Malta, and the World Travel and Tourism Council announced the launch of the global Climate Friendly Travel Registry for 2050 Climate Neutral & Sustainability Ambitions, as well as the Maurice Strong Climate Friendly Travel Youth Summit.
"Reducing carbon emissions is not an option, it is a necessity," said Glenn Mandziuk, President and CEO of TOTA. "We are all understanding the tremendous threat that Climate Change is to the world and are honored to partner with SUNx as a charter member of the Climate Friendly Travel Registry for 2050."
The Climate Friendly Travel Registry for 2050 Climate Neutral & Sustainability Ambitions is linked to the UNFCCC Climate Action Portal and is open to all Travel and Tourism companies and communities, anywhere in the world. The idea of a Climate Neutral Ambitions Registry was built into the Paris Agreement as a way for businesses to transparently declare and progressively increase their carbon reduction ambitions through 2050, with the greater mission of stabilizing global temperatures at tolerable levels for human survival.
"We are delighted to have the award winning Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association as a launch partner for our Climate Friendly Travel Registry. Their commitment to sustainability is second to none," said Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of SUNx Malta. "We are doubly pleased by their agreement to host the Annual Maurice Strong Climate Friendly Travel Youth Summit, not only because it is a lasting legacy to the father of sustainable development, but it will highlight Maurice's intense climate activism nearly half a century before the Paris Agreement."
The SUNx System for Climate Friendly Travel recognizes the importance of placing Climate Resilience at the core of corporate and community planning decisions, with the Travel and Tourism sector as a major contributor and potential leader when it comes to human development and climate action.
To honour Maurice Strong’s legacy as a Sustainable Development pioneer, TOTA and SUNx are also partnering to launch the Maurice Strong Climate Friendly Travel Youth Summit. The inaugural summit will take place on April 29, 2021 as a virtual event, in partnership with the Malta Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection, and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.
Show your support for Climate Friendly Travel and join the Registry for 2050 Climate Neutral & Sustainability Ambitions: ClimateFriendly.travel
Apply Now: Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP) – Due October 29
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association recommends that you review the details of a new funding opportunity through the Province of British Columbia: The Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP).
The application window for the CERIP is very short with a deadline of October 29, 2020.
The Province of British Columbia has allocated up to $90 million to support community economic resilience, tourism, heritage, and urban and rural economic development projects.
The CERIP provides an opportunity for Indigenous applicants, local governments, tourism organizations, heritage leaders, and not-for-profit organizations to apply for infrastructure funding that supports projects and initiatives for public use and that benefit and create jobs, support economic development and recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.
 
Eligible applicants can receive a one-time, 100% funded provincial grant to support four key streams:
  • Community Economic Resilience supports initiatives through investment in short term, small scale public infrastructure meeting the economic recovery objectives of initial job creation in the community and ancillary job creation in other areas hard hit with COVID -19 such as local retail and services.
 
  • Destination Development invests in the development, conservation, repair, or rehabilitation of new or existing tourism infrastructure and amenities to assist in the re-emergence and resiliency of the tourism sector, creating jobs that will provide long term benefits for the tourism sector and local communities.
 
  • Unique Heritage Infrastructure supports projects focused on the conservation, repair, rehabilitation, and development of cultural heritage infrastructure to help communities safeguard and enjoy their heritage places while creating employment through the stewardship of cultural heritage.
 
  • Rural Economic Recovery improves the prosperity and quality of life in rural communities through projects that create jobs, develop economic infrastructure, support a vibrant local business sector, and accelerate economic recovery.

CERIP is designed to support projects that are construction ready in 2021 and can be completed by March 31, 2023. Projects must start by December 31, 2021. 
Indigenous and local government applicants are encouraged to consider partnering with not-for-profit applicants in local communities wherever possible for their consideration and applicability to CERIP.
Every grant application is assessed in the context of the program eligibility guidelines. The final approval of projects and funds will occur when a new cabinet is sworn in.
Program information such as application instructions and links to resource documents are available at gov.bc.ca/CERIP.
The ministries and their delivery partner contacts are available to provide advice as you prepare your applicatiotn. For information on the four streams, please see specific contacts in the table below:
Applications are now open. The application window for the CERIP is very short with a deadline of October 29, 2020.
HAV: CBRE Presentation on COVID-19 Impacts
CBRE Hotels recently shared their assessment of the impacts of COVID-19 on the Canadian accommodation sector. The presentation includes economic impacts and property performance with emphasis on the Lower Mainland Region. View their presentation below.
HAC Survey Reminder
The University of Guelph, a long-standing Educator Member of the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), is seeking lodging industry participation in an international research study. The study, encompassing data from more than 14 countries, will explore both customers' and hotel managers' perceptions of the use of robots in hotels. 
 
While we do realize that most hotels are focused on survival at the moment, research like this can and should be ongoing in the background so that it can inform decision-making in the recovery phase. Specifically, touchless engagement with guests will be top of mind as a key driver to build consumer confidence. In that vein, HAC is happy to support this effort.
 
Additional information on this study is outlined in the accompanying letter from the University of Guelph. We encourage you to support their efforts by completing their survey at your earliest convenience, and/or forwarding it to your owners and operators for their added input. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
 
If you have already completed this survey, we thank you for your time and valuable insights.
Upcoming from our Education Partners
Join us on Thursday, October 8, at 1:30 pm (Pacific) for our next panel discussion:

Marketing with Scarce Resources: Perspectives from Tour Operators.

Our panelists:


Link to Discussion: Free Access

For more information on joining the Tourism and Hospitality Resource Forum for free, please contact Dr. Geoff Bird at Geoff.2bird@royalroads.ca
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