Tourism Advocacy Update – July 14-15, 2020 - Association de l'industrie touristique du Canada

COVID-19 Updates > Tourism Advocacy Update – July 14-15, 2020

Tourism Advocacy Update – July 14-15, 2020

Publié le 15 juillet 2020

July 14-15, 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

Thank you to everyone who participated in our latest industry survey on government programs. We received just under 500 responses, which we are tabulating now to assist in our efforts in advocating to government for extensions and improvements on COVID-19 support programs.
- We will provide a summary of results to the sector early next week.
Today, the President and CEO participated in a meeting with representatives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to discuss the status of international students who are registered to begin classes in the fall and advocated for permission to allow these students to enter Canada for their studies.
Yesterday, TIAC’s President and CEO spoke with Minister Joly about the state of the industry, the work being conducted by the tourism roundtable and other matters.
- She also participated in a regularly scheduled meeting with ISED ADM Paul Thompson where the CEWS, CEBA and Industry Council led by ISED were discussed.
The President and CEO also participated in the Canada’s Tourism Roundtable discussions yesterday concerning ongoing border issues.

Government Announcements

Today, Premier Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick announced that he is considering extending the Atlantic bubble to include the Gaspésie region of Quebec before the end of the week, but suggested opening up to the rest of Canada should be pushed back for at least another week.
New Brunswick also announced a 20% rebate (to a maximum of $1000) on overnight vacations taken by residents within the province. TIAC applauds these measures as a way to encourage and stimulate domestic travel
The government of Canada is expected to announce a continued Canada-U.S. border closure to at least August 21, 2020.
TIAC awaits details on the expected CEWS extension announced by the Prime Minister. Stay tuned for further details.

In Case You Missed It …

Destination Canada is looking for stories from tourism businesses that outline how these businesses have adapted to COVID-19 health and safety requirements but also still maintain a great guest experience. They want to showcase how Canada is ready to welcome visitors and demonstrating the innovation and creativity across the industry.
- All you need to do is send the name of your business with a short description along with any images or links to help round out the story. Deadline: July 17 Send to: Communications@destinationcanada.com
The latest edition of Twenty31’s industry dashboard is now available on the TIAC website
Thanks to you, we are closer to reaching our letter writing campaign goal to garner 1000 letters by the end of this week. If you haven’t already done so, please go to TourismCounts.ca and click “Send your Letter” to help us reach our goal!

Resources for Businesses

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.
Our partners at Tourism HR Canada have opened their Emerit coursesand created a resource hub for sector businesses.

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: