Tourism Advocacy Update – August 6-10, 2020
posted on August 10, 2020

August 6-10, 2020
Dear Tourism Stakeholders,

The TIAC Team is pleased to provide you with this update on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, including the steps government is taking to address the situation. We are working hard to make sure the industry’s voice is heard by government, and that you have the information you need to keep your business going in these uncertain times.

Please find the latest updates on official announcements and a recap of TIAC’s advocacy work on behalf of Canada’s Visitor Economy:

TIAC’s Advocacy Update
Earlier this afternoon, TIAC’s President & CEO appeared before the federal Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) to discuss with Members of Parliament the crucial need for liquidity support for the industry in the face of COVID-19.
This message was supported by several other travel sector organizations and strongly underscored the need for federal assistance for our sector.

Government Announcements
On Friday, FedDev Ontario announced an investment of $250,000 to grow microbrewery, cidery and winery tourism in Southern Ontario. Using the Canadian Experiences Fund (CEF), The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages released the funding as the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
Statistics Canada has released the July job numbers, highlighting numbers for the accommodation and service industry. “In July, as the continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowed Canadians to return to restaurants and outdoor patios, employment rose by 101,000 (+12.3%) in accommodation and food services, the third consecutive monthly increase. Despite these gains, employment in the industry was only 74.9% of its February level.”
The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau announced new measures to support essential air access to remote communities. These include 1) seeking bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to ensure continuity of service for at least six months, 2) establishing a $75-million funding program for the federal contribution for the first six months and maintaining these essential services through an investment of up to $174 million over 18 months, if needed.

In Case You Missed It …
Meetings Mean Business Canada and TIAC still need you to send letters to your MPs to support our COVID-19 advocacy initiatives! Please click on the following links to send a letter of support:
MMBC
Tourism Counts

Resources for Businesses
Tourism HR Canada offers a wide range of checklists and resources to help tourism operators and their teams rebound from the crisis and build a resilient workforce through their Tourism Workforce RecoveryToolkit. They also publish the latest tourism employment numbers and insights in their Employment Tracker.
TIAC Member Keepoint is offering members of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada a 10% discount on its products for a period of 60 days. You will be able to purchase our products from our website at www.keepoint.ca – click here for promo code.
The Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) is offering their “Clean It Right” program certification free to tourism, hospitality, and retail industry businesses in Manitoba until June 1, 2021 – click here for more details.
The certification is also available to operators in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador – please check with your provincial tourism association for costs and other information.
Our partners at Destination Canada are creating free online educational videos for tourism businesses – “Marketing Tips and Tricks” to increase their digital marketing presence. The first video in the series is available now.
TIAC member Tempest has created a free content platform called Rediscover Canada for destination professionals to share travel storiesand ‘hidden gems’ in their communities. You can check out and contribute to the initiative here.
The UNWTO has an online dashboard of international statistics on the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector.
MPI has created a coronavirus resource page that pulls together meetings and events information and also links to several other resources helpful to the Business Events segment in our sector.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has released a series of Global Safety Protocols for reopening with the ‘new normal’ in mind.
Go2HR has compiled a comprehensive list of resources for all types of sector businesses related to COVID-19.
For operators looking for information on how to prepare to safely reopen their operations, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has a series of bilingual guidelines available to businesses regarding COVID-19.
Google for SMEs has also launched a page dedicated to supporting businesses during COVID-19 including practical steps and free digital skills training.

Looking Ahead – COVID-19 Recovery

Several provinces have begun announcing plans for reopening economies. Timelines and actions vary, but can provide businesses and workers with information on what to expect in the upcoming weeks and months. TIAC is following up on measures announced by British Columbia to limit gatherings of more than 50 people and seeking a coordinated approach between provinces in the recovery phase. We have reached out to our provincial counterparts to work together in an effort to create an orderly recovery strategy that will address health concerns and support tourism businesses. TIAC will continue to add links to provincial recovery plans as they become available:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland & Labrador
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
The Council of Atlantic Premiers – Travel Bubble release
Maclean’s – Coronavirus in Canada: Reopening plans province-by-province
Canada’s Tourism Roundtable guide on travelling in Canada