The apocalyptic trail left behind by the industry’s very own horsemen -  forest fires, SARS, global downturns and the war on terror -  have left operators to face one of the hardest insurance markets on record where high premiums, elevated deductibles, and lower coverage levels are the norm. Saying operators cannot keep up with the rising cost of insurance would be an understatement.  Marc Rivers, owner of the Kettle Valley Inn, a small hotel in Midway, British Columbia, was paying $2,500 for the ‘cadillac’ of insurance policies just 5 years ago.  This year he paid nearly five times that much.  The Inn counts as one of the lucky businesses who can get insurance.  A COTA survey found that 12 per cent of the 453 tourism businesses who responded could not access any type of insurance.  Given this and the high prices operators are paying, it is no wonder respondents rated insurance costs and availability as the top factor harming their business.

Over the last couple of months COTA and a steering committee of government and industry players including the Royal Bank, Insurance Bureau of Canada, COTA, the CTC and TIAC, have been guiding the development of a draft report that examines the current insurance dilemmas and presents some recommendations on how to deal with them.  The draft report will be the centerpiece of COTA’s Insurance & Financing Symposium in Vancouver on November 6^th.  Delegates have been lining up for a first look at the report and a chance to comment on the draft recommendations.  Insurers, financiers, tourism operators and representatives as well as government agents can register online for COTA’s Insurance & Financing Symposium at www.cotabc.com.

Tourists taking to the snow this winter can feel safer knowing the province has decided to continue funding the public avalanche safety bulletin.  The province has committed $125,000 a year for three years, partnering with private businesses and avalanche groups to provide mountain guides, backcountry ski tours and outdoor adventurers with the latest snow stability and avalanche conditions for many mountain areas of B.C.  Countries like Switzerland, which operate similar daily public bulletins, have reduced avalanche related incidences by 50%.  Right now, provincial services respond to about 750 calls for help a year to the tune of about $3000 per incident when emergency response units are involved.  COTA was a supporter of the campaign to have government match the funds raised by the Canadian Avalanche Association for the program.

Queen Victoria made an appearance in her most beloved Canadian city last Wednesday October 22 for a royal sit-down with Minister George Abbott and his Assistant Deputy Minister David Richardson to discuss the future of the historic Cariboo gold rush town of Barkerville.  The spectacle was launched by a coalition of community officials, volunteers and businesses concerned over staffing reductions and budget cuts - the most recent totalling $450,000 - to the already strapped museum and heritage site.  The royal procession of historically clad actors was informed that the provincial heritage ministry was committed to the cutbacks. Back in 1862 when Victoria was just being incorporated, the goldfields around Barkerville had already made the town one of the biggest cities in the Canadian West.  The Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services through its heritage branch manages 13 such historic sites in the province which draw vital tourist dollars into heartland areas struggling to diversify failing local economies.  A 1994 government study discovered that for its investment of $1.6 million that year, Barkerville generated $5.4 million in economic impact and 47 full-time equivalent positions.  Tourism saw steady increases in the six years after the study was completed leaving coalition members confident Barkerville’s contribution would be much higher today. 

North Americans will soon have the option to speed through the normal customs and immigration processes at select airports, promising to thin out customs and immigration line-ups greeting international visitors. In March 2003, Canada Customs will launch “CANPASS-Air” on international routes leading into Vancouver and Toronto international airports.  A photo ID card in conjunction with a quick iris scan gets returning Canadian and US citizens through customs more quickly.  Users can expect to pay CAD$50 per year for the service.  While exact details have not been made available, initial applications are expected to begin in January.  The move is important for Vancouver International.  The country’s second busiest airport welcomed almost 180,000 overseas passengers in July alone this year.  Eight other Canadian airports are scheduled for CANPASS-Air.  A similar program “NEXUS-Air” is being piloted in Montreal and Ottawa early in 2003.  COTA has long been advocating for such bi-national programs through its dealings with customs officials in Ottawa and BC, and its involvement as a member of the Perimeter Clearance Coalition.