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COVID-19 UPDATE & GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
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Prime Minister Trudeau announced today that the government will extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) until June. The wage subsidy will continue to provide up to 75 percent coverage to eligible employers, while the rent subsidy will remain at up to 65 percent. Government is also extending the additional 25 percent lockdown subsidy top-up until the same date for hard-hit businesses restricted by more severe public health guidelines.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS
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REQUEST FOR VIDEO SUBMISSIONS: Be a part of #LoveVancouver
Hello Tourism and Hospitality Industry! As part of our #LoveVancouver campaign, we want to feature people on your team who give Vancouver its heart. We are looking for a cross-section of people that impact the tourism industry (eg. Business owner, hotel concierge, restaurant server, YVR bag handler, farmer, fisherman, entertainer, artist, retailer, grocery store clerk, etc). Bring your best voice and submit a video of yourself in your place of work reading our love letter.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
For those lucky submissions selected to be in our final #LoveVancouver video, you will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 17, 2021
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Help Show Your Love for Vancouver
Tourism Vancouver's #LoveVancouver campaign is designed to celebrate what locals adore most about their beloved city. The new #LoveVancouver landing page, complete with a love letter to residents, highlights the best of the city, including specials for locals, The Arts and Exhibits on now, attractions and activities, places to stay, along with chances to win Vancouver prizes.
If you wish to be featured in the current #LoveVancouver promotion, you can do so by updating your member web listings (through the extranet) and your own business websites to ensure content is current, your status (open/re-opening soon) is clear, and to highlight whatever new or special offers are available.
This information will be pulled into the microsite from your member listing. Don’t forget to share the campaign with your own audiences, and refer to the Toolkit if you need tips for social, or image examples.
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TOURISM VANCOUVER NEWS
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Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre Information
While our Visitor Centre may currently be closed, our 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 January and February:
- Most inquiries originated from residents of Metro Vancouver (37%), followed by the United States (26%), Ontario and Quebec (13%), rest of Canada (13%), and rest of the world (11%).
- Primary inquiries from Metro Vancouver residents and those within Canada centred around:
- What is open
- Clarification on COVID-19 protocols/Health Orders in British Columbia
- Ideas and suggestions on what to do right now
- Top inquiries from outside of Canada: existing travel restrictions and an idea of when the restrictions will be lifted. However, there were quite a few potential visitors from within the United States who were unaware of travel restrictions/quarantine or had misinformation regarding exemptions from quarantine due to vaccination. Resources available at travel.gov.ca have been quite helpful in helping those guests.
- Within Canada many indicted they would be arriving in Vancouver within the month. The majority are still planning their trip with no specific travel dates in mind.
- For United States residents, many were planning 4-6 months in advance, with similar numbers still planning with travel dates unknown.
- Most potential visitors outside of North America have no travel dates in mind.
Please continue to keep our team up to date on what’s 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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#LoveVancouver Campaign Expands with New Public Exhibition - Dance Bubbles
Tourism Vancouver has launched a new free outdoor public activation for Vancouver residents to enjoy in a safe and distanced way throughout the month of March. In partnership with the Downtown BIA, Robson BIA and the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, this new unique passive outdoor experience, #LoveVancouver Dance Bubbles, will include light and dance performances projected and at a distance at various sites around the downtown core.
The exhibitions were created with the intention to spread love around Vancouver and bring some joy to the city after a dark winter. Residents can take in the outdoor light and dance installation experience this March every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5pm to 9pm at the following locations:
Thursdays: Lot 19, 855 W Hastings St. (between W Hastings St. and W Cordova St. at the foot of Hornby St.)
Fridays: Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Courtyard, 1000 Burrard St.
Saturdays: Bute and Alberni Plaza
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#LoveVancouver Contest for 31 Days on Global BC
As of this past Monday, Global BC Morning News has launched a month-long promotion in partnership with Tourism Vancouver and the #LoveVancouver campaign.
Each day on the Morning News the campaign is promoted with video vignettes and the contest is mentioned by on-air hosts and features a different member hotel, attraction and dining prize each day. There are some amazing prizes to be won. Thank you to all the members who reached out to contribute.
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BUSINESS RESOURCES
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FuturePace – Tourism Vancouver’s new Meeting & Convention Pace Report is now live on the member extranet.
Tourism Vancouver is very pleased to introduce FuturePace as our new Meeting and Convention Pace Report. The TAP Report has been discontinued by the company that owns the program. Tourism Vancouver is making past TAP reports available to members for comparison and historical purposes for the remainder of 2021. Click for more information.
The report is now live on the member extranet. Please click on the REPORTS section to view FuturePace.
For more information, please contact any member of the Tourism Vancouver Meetings and Conventions team
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Vancouver Economic Commission Economy Report
The Vancouver Economic Commission has released their latest economic report with timely data and analysis specific to our local economy. In this issue, Tourism Vancouver provided data and insights for their tourism industry profile.
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BC Tourism Businesses Keeping Visitors, Residents and Staff Safe – TIABC Video Series
TIABC has released the second in a series of sector-specific videos on the extensive protocols businesses have implemented to ensure the health and safety of guests, employees and other stakeholders. This new PSA provides insight into the Public Health Officer’s orders and direction to the bars and pubs sector. Please consider sharing the video on your channels to share this important message.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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BC Ferries launches new fare options for Vancouver - Vancouver Island routes
BC Ferries announced the launch of new fare options today on the three MetroVancouver –Vancouver Island routes. These new fares will benefit customers travelling for essential purposes only and once it’s safe to resume non-essential travel, all customers will be able to take advantage of more fare choices. Click for full news release.
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INDUSTRY EVENTS
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BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference 2021
Delegate Conference March 8 - 11, 2021 | Virtual
Industry Webinars March 12, 2021 | Virtual
Tourism Industry Association of BC and the BC Hotel Association have partnered to host the 2021 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference. The conference will take place virtually for registered delegates, followed by a day of free workshops/webinars for anyone in the industry to take part in on Friday, March 12th.
Presentations and workshops will be offered on a wide range of topics from industry experts. Keep an eye on the conference website for more details.
Registration is $99.00 per person (or $250.00+GST per company for up to four (4) people) + GST.
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Meetings & Conventions – A Fresh Perspective on Engagement
MPI Chicago Area Chapter NEXT 2021
March 8, 2021 at 1:00pm – 4:00pm CST | Virtual
Join MPI-CAC’s annual education and technology conference – hosted on Convene's virtual platform – which will include sessions, tools and networking opportunities. This year’s topics and speakers will be invigorating, engaging, and will inspire you to answer the question of “What’s NEXT?”
Tourism Vancouver is the CSR sponsor. Lacy Hawley will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
PCMA Canada West Educational Series: Experts @ Work presents Tyra Warner
March 25, 2021, 11:30am – 1:00pm PST | Virtual
Join Tyra Warner while she deep dives into “Contracts and Negotiations in a Post COVID-19 World”. COVID-19 is novel in more than just a medical sense. It has made us consider whether and how to modify force majeure and cancellation clauses. Foreseeability is the new buzzword about force majeure and insurance. New issues regarding cleanliness, service, and safety call for new contract language. Where we used to want clarity, now we need flexibility. In this session, we will discuss how to negotiate the best contracts for existing meetings and for future meetings, all with the spectre of COVID-19 and an unclear future.
Owen Chiu will be attending on behalf of Tourism Vancouver.
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