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- DBC Provincial Health Order Messaging Guidance
Our industry’s rebuild is one that calls for deep collaboration. On May 25, the Province announced BC’s Restart: a careful, four-step plan focused on protecting people and safely getting life back to normal. The plan lays out key benchmarks and target timelines for moving through each step. Destination British Columbia has updated their key messages for industry to align our sector’s voices in support of the current provincial health orders.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS
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Invitation from ITBC to join Online Healing Circle
On May 28, 2021, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School.
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of these spirits. In our shared grief we reflect on the children in our own lives and try to comprehend the loss to the families and communities whose children never returned. We stand with Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation for sharing this most difficult Truth and opening this path to long-term healing.
We acknowledge the collective trauma and grief of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people as we come to terms with this Truth of Canada’s living history.
We call on all of you to join us as we host an online healing circle to be held on this Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 10 AM. We invite you to gather in ceremony, song, and prayer for the loss of these children, peace for all those affected, and strength for healing and action.
Invite - https://indigenousbc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqfuGhrzsoG9QGlcsjZQXHCuLJOZ7YgtF_
Please share this amongst your staff and networks, or to those who would wish to participate.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact: Samantha@IndigenousBC.com.
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Nature Inspiration Awards
Every year, the Canadian Museum of Nature seeks to recognize people and organizations that contribute to their global mission of ‘saving the world for future generations with evidence, knowledge and inspiration’. Do you or anyone in your professional network know of someone or of a business or NFP organization that is worthy of national recognition? It can be anyone involved with eco-tourism initiatives, indigenous or green travel, or simply projects that relate to conservation demonstrating respect for people and nature.
Potential candidates can include business, youth, adult of NFP (small, medium, or large). This year, a new category called "Community Action" has been created in support of those smaller not-for-profits that may have more of a regional or local focus.
For more information, please watch this vimeo.
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BUSINESS RESOURCES
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BSAFE Certification for Employees through Go2HR
The Province of BC has launched a COVID-19 safety certificate program, called BSAFE, for workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors to increase consumer confidence as businesses start to return to more normal operations in accordance with BC’s Restart plan.BSAFE stands for BC Safety Assured For Everyone.
B.C. organizations participating in the training program will receive a decal to make it easy for visitors to identify that staff have taken BSAFE training.
BSAFE course participants will be trained to:
- understand COVID-19 primary modes of transmission, high risk areas/activities and the importance of consistent application of controls and measures;
- be able to resolve conflict situations arising from non-compliance of safety protocols by guests, coworkers and employers;
- identify where to access relevant public health information and best practices for their workplace and community;
- communicate personal responsibilities in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and maintaining a safe environment;
- identify employer and employee responsibilities in ensuring a safe work environment during the pandemic, as well as principles to carry forward into the post-pandemic environment;
- explain the importance of empathy – the positive impact of respectful behaviour, tolerance and understanding toward others; and
- demonstrate high-quality safety standards that show a venue is safe.
Quick Facts:
- BSAFE is open to all businesses, but the program was specifically designed for the tourism and hospitality industry.
- Upon completion of the course, participants are awarded a certificate that demonstrates their knowledge of and commitment to COVID-19 health and safety.
- Early registration opened April 26, 2021, and the program launched May 27, 2021.
- go2HR is B.C.’s tourism and hospitality industry human resource and health and safety association.
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Small Business Resiliency Resource Guide
The BC Chamber of Commerce has aunched the pan-provincial Resource Guide for Small Business Resiliency - a live resource to support businesses across the province in their navigation and recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic and BC’s Restart Plan.
In partnership with the provincial government’s Sector Labour Market Partnership Program (SLMP) and funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, the Resource Guide for Small Business Resiliency was created with information collected in focus groups and consultations from all economic regions across British Columbia, capturing the voice and needs of varying sectors and industries.
Resources outlined in the guide tackle all aspects of pandemic recovery including:
- Health & safety;
- Government programming;
- Sector-specific initiatives;
- Legal and regulatory requirements;
- How to reopen, maintain, pivot, or expand your business; and,
- Additional small business tools.
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TOURISM VANCOUVER NEWS
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Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre Overview - May 2021
Our Virtual Visitor Centre team has been busy assisting visitors and locals through email, over the phone and through LiveChat on our website. Here are some insights and findings from May:
- The number of inquiries remained similar from April to May, as the circuit breaker and regional travel restrictions remained in place for most of the month. Inquiries increased slightly in the final week of the month once the BC Restart plan was introduced.
- Overall for May, most of the inquiries originated from within Canada (33%) with over half of those from Ontario; followed by US residents (29%); then residents of Metro Vancouver (27%); and rest of the world (11%).
- Primary inquiries from Metro Vancouver residents and those within Canada continued to center around:
- Attractions, Sightseeing, and Adventure Recreation suggestions
- Clarification on COVID-19 protocols/Health Orders in British Columbia
- Information on, and Transportation to, other areas of BC, outside of Metro Vancouver
- Over half of the inquiries from outside of Canada remain existing travel restrictions and an insight into when the restrictions will be lifted.
- For Canadian, the majority plan on travelling this Summer with arrival dates in 2-3 months.
- For United States residents, many were optimistic planning 2-3 months in advance of proposed arrival in Vancouver, with almost half still planning with travel dates unknown.
- Most potential visitors outside of North America have no travel dates in mind.
Notably in the final week of May, we witnessed not only the increase in traffic, but a higher percentage of inquires originating from within Canada, coupled with a a shorter planning window for these guests (3 weeks to month in advance) potentially signalling some optimism and clarity provided by the announcement of the provinces’ restart plans.
Please continue to keep our team up to date on what is going on at your business, and what is upcoming, so we can provide timely information to prospective visitors. You can send updates to visitvancouver@tourismvancouver.com
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MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Vancouver Sun
604Now
My Vancity
Travel & Leisure
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Canadians have long been known for coming together but this past year things have been different. Though much has changed, one thing remains the same — our desire to see each other again.
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As the weather starts to warm up and summer approaches, it’s time to hit the beach. Vancouver has lots of sandy shores to choose from including lots on the Pacific Ocean and a few on freshwater lakes. Here’s our list of 20 Vancouver area beaches to visit this summer.
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There’s a cool new pop-up food truck pod in town, just in time for summer! Fridays and Saturdays, 11am – 8pm, from June through Labour Day, local foodies will be thrilled to discover a rotating lineup of food trucks along West 10th Avenue by Fir Street in the South Granville neighbourhood.
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Situated at opposite ends of the downtown core and connected by our iconic seawall, our next two neighbourhoods in our #LoveVancouver series grew up similarly from earnest beginnings tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway that helped shaped so much of Vancouver as we know it.
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There’s something exhilarating about standing on a narrow suspension bridge, high above the ground. It gives you a bird’s-eye view of the forest canopy and lets you peer down into the depths of canyons.
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On Saturday, June 12th join Hawksworth Restaurant in celebrating a major milestone when award-winning Chef David Hawksworth will lead a live virtual cooking class, thoughtfully guiding guests through signature recipes between fun and engaging entertainment and appearances from special guests.
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TOURISM VANCOUVER WEBINARS & EVENTS
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SAVE THE DATE: Tourism Vancouver's 118th Annual General Meeting
Take notice that the 118th Annual General Meeting of the Metro Vancouver Convention & Visitors Bureau, doing business as Tourism Vancouver will be held:
Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021
Time: 3:30PM - 5:30PM
Location: BC Place Stadium (Hybrid Virtual)
The following formal business will be considered at this meeting:
- Presentation and approval of the agenda and minutes from the October 29, 2020 AGM
- Presentation and approval of the audited 2020 financial statements & appointment of auditors
- Presentation of the 2021-2022 Board of Directors
- Reports from the Board of Directors and CEO
A formal agenda along with an invitation to register will follow after June 15th.
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Meetings & Conventions – Generating Business in Today's World
PCMA GMC June Quarterly Education Webinar - Workshopping Your Business Plan for Hybrid Events
June 3 | 2:00PM - 3:00PM CST | Virtual
Join Lisa Block, as she leads attendees through a seminar on different hybrid models, staffing and vendor relations, and budgeting for the next normal in hybrid events. Lisa Block, EVP, Conference Strategy & Design, joined Velvet Chainsaw Consulting (VCC) in April 2019 after spending nearly 30 years leading and growing the conference and events team and portfolio at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She is an accomplished event innovator and change agent who strongly connects to organizational culture and mission. Her talent is in matching event and organizational purpose with event design and strategy and in the people practices that go along with making events work. Lacy Hawley will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
MPI Toronto Chapter - Decoding the Future: What Comes Next?
June 9 | 1:00PM - 2:15PM EST | Virtual
The future will find us, but will we find the future? On June 9th, 2021, the MPI Toronto Chapter presents a Professional Development session which will take a deep dive into the future of work, and how we can ride the wave of disruptive change instead of being swallowed by it. As we head into a period of “The Great Transformation”, failure to adapt will mean failure to exist. While scientific hyper collaboration is the new normal, so to is “remote everything” which will have lasting implications for the live events industry and far beyond. Tourism Vancouver is a sponsor. Michael Drake and Michelle Taylor will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
FICP Education Week 2.0
June 21 - 24 | Virtual
Financial and insurance industry meetings professionals and hospitality partners are invited to this immersive virtual experience that includes thoughtful insights from industry leaders, an exciting Speaker Showcase, and unique opportunities to connect with peers while test-driving virtual networking platforms. Lacy Hawley will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
PCMA GMC Annual Awards Ceremony and Celebration
June 24 | 3:00PM - 5:00PM CST | Hybrid
Save the Date! Lacy Hawley will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
MPI CAC Summer Knowledge Share
July 15 | 11:30AM - 12:30 PM CT | Virtual
Save the Date! Lacy Hawley will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
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