A hundred years ago, few Islanders could have guessed that bleak pit left over from an exhausted limestone quarry would receive an official designation as a monument to Canadian history. However, on December 21, the hard work of two proud Canadian pioneers, Robert and Jennie Butchart, was recognized by the government in playing an important part in Canada's development. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recommended Butchart Gardens for designation as a national historic site because they represent the combination of aspects of Canadian gardening history. Indeed, the Butchart Gardens also holds a special place in the history of tourism in British Columbia. After several years of tending by the Butcharts, the gardens started to establish themselves as a visitor attraction. By the 1920's more than fifty thousand people were touring the grounds. "It is most fitting that the Butchart Gardens be designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. For a century the Gardens have been one of the premier attractions on Vancouver Island and a monument to Robert and Jennie Butchart's imagination and energy", said the Honourable David Anderson, Member of Parliament for Victoria. For more information on the Butchart Gardens, please visit http://www.butchartgardens.com.
The latest figures released from Tourism BC clearly show that tourism in BC has rebounded from the down turn experienced in 2003. In the first nine months of 2004, British Columbia hosted approximately 4.1 million international travelers, an increase of 4.8 per cent over the same period last year. With a 27.9 percent increase in Asia/Pacific and an 11.8 percent increase in Europeans visiting British Columbia has also benefited from a 6.2 percent increase in room revenue, year-to-date, over the same period last year. The provincial occupancy rate for September was 72.3 percent, 5.5 percent higher than September 2003 and both BC Ferries and the Vancouver International Airport have benefited from increased traffic as people move around the province. Year-to-date, increases have also been seen at two of the six visitor information centres, on Vancouver Island and at the Vancouver Coast and Mountain Regional Tourism, which saw a rise in visitation of 6.5 percent and 17.3 percent respectively. However, this increase may be in part the result of decreased hours of operations, and not a change to visitation to the region.
As a part of the $700,000 Circle Route Tour program, seven new circle routes have been recently introduced by the provincial government. This program will see signage and promotional efforts being made to encourage visitors and residents alike to explore varying parts of the province. The new signs feature the yellow, white and blue provincial logo, along with a blue tab at the bottom identifying the name of the circle route. The new routes include the Hot Springs Route, the Great Northern Route, The Heritage Dsicovery Route, The Coast Cariboo Route, the Mountains and Vineyards Route, the Lakes and Trails Route and the Ranchlands and Rivers Route. The route signs will be installed over the next two months as weather permits.
The Royal BC museum recently launched the first web resource that presents an integrated view of British Columbia’s human and natural history. The Museum’s Journeys & Transformations: British Columbia Landscapes, website highlights BC’s unique forests, mountains, waters, grasslands and cities. Each section includes topics relating to the geography, natural history, and historical development of British Columbia, focusing on transformations that have affected its people, land flora and fauna. This new site also provides accounts provided by First Nations. The on-line exhibit is part of the ongoing Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) project and can be visited on the Royal British Columbia website. (http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibts/journeys/english/index.html )
The Council of Tourism Associations of BC (COTA) and Tourism British Columbia are calling for nominations for the 2005 Tourism Industry Awards, which take place during the Tourism Industry Conference. The deadline for nominations has been extended until December 20th, 2004 for awards including, The Tourism Industry Leader of the Year, the Best Tourism Marketing Campaign, The Environmentally Responsible Tourism Award, The Tourism Media Award, the Outside of the Box Award, the SuperHost Customer Service Award, the Technology in Tourism Award and new this year, the Employees First Award. If you know of someone who deserves recognition for the hard work they have done to promote and develop the tourism industry the Awards form and criteria are available on the Tourism BC website (http://www.tourismbc.com/). This year’s tourism industry awards dinner will occur February 24, 2005 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel.
Victoria will play host to one of the industry’s largest trade shows on November 28th – December 1st, 2005. Established in 1989 the Canada’s West Marketplace® trade show is a partnership between Travel Alberta and Tourism British Columbia and represents the largest trade show in Western Canada. The marketplace brings together tourism suppliers and buyers in one location and has proven to be an excellent opportunity for tourism businesses to promote their products to tour operators, wholesalers and travel media representatives from around the world.
The provincial government recently announced the transfer of land to accommodate a new $2 million “Gateway to BC,” a provincial visitor information centre at Golden. Golden represents an entryway into BC and sees more than 4,000 car each day pass through. The new provincial information centre will welcome visitors, and guide them to the world-class destinations both in the Kootenay Rocky region, and throughout British Columbia. The province, represented by Land and Water British Columbia Inc., negotiated a land exchange with a private road maintenance company to acquire a site with highway access. The visitor information centre is expected to create up to 40 person years of employment during the construction phase. It is expected to welcome up to 150,000 visitors each year, and result in more than $2 million annually in additional economic benefits including as many as 30 direct jobs in the community. The total cost of the project is approximately $2 million, two-thirds of which is being provided through the Canada-BC Infrastructure Program. The remaining $700,000 is being provided by the community of Golden and surrounding area, and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort Limited Partnership.
Tourism Coquitlam’s passport program, which encourages visitors and members of the community to visit the many attractions offered in Coquitlam, has resulted in a remarkable story for the season. After visiting an event or activity visitors to Coquitlam have their passports stamped after which they can be entered in a draw to win the grand prize, the “Shop like a Celebrity” package which offers a $1000 shopping spree at Coquitlam Centre. . This year’s winner, Dorothy Flynn, is dealing with a tough living situation, dealing with a severely disabled daughter on a low income. Hearing this news, Barb Stegemann of Tourism Coquitlam called Cheryl McClintick of Coquitlam Centre, informing her that Dorothy would be callingand outlining how special this win was for Dorothy. After hearing Dorothy’s story, Cheryl doubled the size of the prize and will allow Dorothy to spend the grand prize at her leisure over the coming year, rather than over one hour as outlined in the prize. Now Dorothy can buy the things that her family needs at her convenience. This story is an excellent example of how the things that we do, whether they are the efforts we make in our work, or within our personal lives, can improve and change people’s lives. COTA would like to thank Barb Stegemann for bringing this heartening story of Christmas to our attention, and wish everyone a happy holiday.
In an effort to ensure that communities across the province will be able to share in the benefits of the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games, the province has committed $20 million to the Olympic/Paralympic Live Sites program. This program will provide funding for the construction or upgrading of facilities that leave a lasting Olympic legacy within the community and for the development of Olympic event viewing venues, such as theaters, multi-media or portable teleconferencing systems, dedicated media rooms and major equipment purchases such as overhead display systems. Local governments outside of the Lower Mainland, and the Whistler-Squamish corridor, including unincorporated rural areas, and registered non-profit societies, whose applications have been endorsed by local government, are eligible to submit an application.
The Ministry of Western Economic Diversification and the four Western Provincial Governments will be contributing $2.4 million in support for a Western Canada Tourism Strategy led by the Tourism Standards Consortium (Western Canada) Inc.. The Council of Tourism Associations is set to receive $45,000 to oversee the implementation of a financing and insurance business plan to resolve issues around the two areas and ensure the continued viability of the tourism industry. The plan will be used to boost employment opportunities in the tourism sector, particularly in rural communities severely impacted by the downturn in the resource sector. Also receiving grants; The West Coast Railway Association will receive $210,000 to improve its excursion tours across BC, the Resort Municipality of Whistler will receive $685,000 to develop a Best Practices Guide for Resort and Resort Communities, and the Destination Osoyoos Development Society will receive $30,000 will initiate a long-term tourism development plan for the South Okanagan Region.
For more information on the Resort Strategy and Action plan please visit the provincial government website.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia have announced the completion both the southbound NEXUS and Fast lane at the Pacific Highway border crossing. The Nexus lane is for low-risk users who have passed a rigorous security screening process by both the Canadian and US customs and the FAST truck lane is for registered commercial vehicles. The Pacific Highway border crossing is the fifth busiest in Canada, averaging more than 3,000 trucks crossing a day. By providing both the NEXUS lane and the FAST lane, vehicle passengers leaving Canada will be faced with fewer border delays as many frequent border users will be effectively taken out of the line. The funding for this project is a result of the joint Government of Canada, and Province of BC, Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, whereby each party has contributed $15.2 million for border improvement projects across the province.
A cross governmental count done three years ago, when the current government took office, totaled 382,139 regulations impacting British Columbians. Some of these regulations were out of date and not being enforced, others however created an overly burdensome and often difficult to navigate business climate.The Ministry of Small Business and Economic Development is reporting that more than 173,000 regulations have been eliminated and 30,000 added, for a net reduction of more than 143,000, a 37 percent decrease in regulatory requirements.Given that many tourism operators across the province are small business who are generally disproportionately affected by regulation, this initiative will result in less red tape and fewer headaches for tourism operators across the province.
A new Marine Tourism Authority pilot project has been established by the provincial government, in Ladysmith, to identify key marine tourism activities and look at infrastructure and administrative impediments to future development. The Authority will examine the essential features of marine tourism in the Ladysmith and Cowichan Bay area including, marinas, kayaking, scuba diving, pocket cruise ship development and hotel and pub facilities. The Martine Tourism Authority will build on the work done by the BC Resort Task Force, with a broader mandate to develop a local vision for marine tourism. For more information please visit the Marine Tourism Authority online.
The Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) has awarded two of its distinguished National Marketing Awards to Coquitlam for the city’s innovative and highly successful Ambassador Program and Passport tourism campaign. The awards were presented at the EDAC conference in Sydney Cape Breton. The award categories of Tourism Brochures and “Best of Tourism Brochures” recognized the Ambassador and Passport marketing campaign for its ability to engage both the businesses and citizens of Coquitlam to promote their city and province of BC to the rest of Canada and the world. The Ambassador Cards, now available on-line promote the activities, events and advantages of living, and vacationing in Coquitlam.
COTA is pleased to announce that it has launched British Columbia’s premier online travel auction which will reach thousands of bidders across North America and continue to keep the voice of the BC Tourism Industry strong. This on-line auction is being hosted through Go Bid, and internet auction service known for drawing thousands of people from across North America to its website. The BC Travel auction is being launched to support COTA’s ongoing advocacy and government relations program. Tourism businesses are being asked to donate products which will be featured in an on-line format. In return those businesses will receive valuable exposure and a chance to support their industry champion. For more information or to donate a product for the auction please visit the COTA website or click on the banner on the left hand side of this newsletter.
Due to business pressures, Eddie Wood of Mount Seymour Ski Resort has decided to step away from the position of First Vice President of COTA, and Jim Storie, owner of Vancouver Trolley Company will take his place. Mr. Storie’s term is complete at the end of February 2006. Al Baydala, representing West Coast Air, has been appointed by the Board as Treasurer of COTA. Mr. Baydala will complete his term at the end of February 2005. Eddie Wood will remain on the Board of COTA as Vice President until the completion of his term in February of 2006. For complete biographies of the COTA board please visit the COTA website.
Safe Streets legislation and amendments to the Trespass Act have recently been introduced in the Provincial legislature. Components of the Safe Street Act will make it illegal to solicit anyone in an aggressive manner, either verbally or physically, and will prohibit the solicitation of a captive audience whether at pay phones, automated banking machines, public toilets, transit stops or in their cars. The amendments to the Trespass Act will prohibit someone from remaining on private property after they have been asked to leave and will allow the prohibition of specified activities on premises to be given orally or in writing – for example a hotel owner or manager could prohibit skateboarding on their property. Similar legislation was introduced in the spring by Lorne Mayencourt, MLA for Vancouver –Burrard, and garnered much tourism industry support, most recently at the UBCM convention, where mayors from across the province voted 80 per cent in favour of a resolution endorsing a Safe Streets Act and Urban Trespass Act. More information about the newly introduced Safe Streets Act and the amendments to the Trespass Act can be found on the provincial legislative assmebly website.
Effective October 22nd, 2004, the provincial government will be offering purchases or leases of alternative fuel shuttle busses seating 14-29 passengers a PST refund of up to $5,000. Until now, these buses could only qualify for the $1,000 refund available for alternative fuel cars. Alternative fuel vehicles are factory-manufactured to operate exclusively on electricity, ethanol, methanol, natural gas or propane or as hybrid electric or bio-fuel vehicles. The Provincial government has taken a number of steps to encourage the use of cleaner motor fuels including this most recent announcement and the exemption of ethanol and biodiesel portions of fuel blended with gasoline and diesel from the provincial motor fuel tax. For more information on these and other alternative fuel exemptions please visit the provincial government website.
As of December 18, 2004, Air Canada will replace its Dash 8 service with an A320 jet on its 11:15 am departure from Vancouver to Kelowna. The Airbus will then return from Kelowna at 12:50 arriving back in Vancouver at 1:40 each day, enabling passengers to make easy connections to the South Pacific and eastern Canada, USA and United Kingdom destinations. Air Canada’s response to increase capacity means that problems of passengers arriving without their luggage will be resolved and will result in more and more people being able to enjoy the many attractions the interior of BC has to offer. The A320 holds up to 140 passengers with 20 executive class seats and 120 economy seats and provides all the comfort and speed of jet service. This new service has already been loaded in Air Canada’s reservation system and is available for bookings already. The number of visitors traveling to the interior has increased over the last number of years with the continued success of Big White Ski Resort, Silver Star Mountain Resort and an increased interest in argi-tourism operations such as wineries.
Tourism British Columbia’s, British Columbia Magazine, a quarterly publication that entertains and enlightens its worldwide audience of readers with inspiring profiles of B.C.'s beautiful places, intriguing journeys, and remarkable people, won five awards at the recent International Regional Magazine Association Awards. At the IRMA conference, British Columbia Magazine was honoured in the following categories:
September 24, 2004, Premier Campbell announced at the UBCM a commitment to increase Tourism BC’s budget by $25 million. This announcement represents a 100% increase to their budget and demonstrates the governments’ commitment to doubling tourism revenue by 2010. In addition, the Province is providing a one-time grant to the Union of BC Municipalities this year, to create its own five-year marketing plan to enhance tourism in BC communities. This will be local governments’ money to allocate, invest and leverage. The ever-increasingly competitive global marketplace demands that BC become more aggressive in its marketing approach, in order for it to attract export dollars to the province and increase spending within our boundaries. The industry is a proven investment resulting in a contribution of over a billion dollars annually over the years to government’s coffers. Increasing that investment ensures that British Columbia can continue to translate the investment into increased employment, income and tax revenue.
The provincial governments’ new Passenger Transportation Act brought into effect June 28th, 2004, allows carriers that currently have Motor Carrier licenses to operate under their old licenses until February 28, 2005. Operators are responsible for switching over to the new licenses and have access to an Expedited Transportation Application Package which they can use to apply for the new license any time prior to February 11, 2005. In order to allow enough time to process the application and issue the Passenger Transportation license the provincial government is asking that expedited applications be submitted as soon as possible and are offering a savings for doing so. For more information about the new Passenger Transportation Act please visit the provincial government website.
While the Tourism Industry in British Columbia has struggled through September 11, 2001, SARS, the war in Iraq, and two years with devastating fires, we are bouncing back in 2004. The first two quarters of 2004 have seen a 5.8 percent increase in Provincial Room Revenue for a total of $728,737,000. The largest gains are being seen in the Thompson Okanagan Region, with an increase of 8.2 percent to May, over 2003. Occupancy across BC is also up with Provincial Occupancy levels reaching 77.3 percent in July, a 6.1 percent increase over 2003. The first half of 2004 has also seen a rise in total passengers to the Vancouver International Airport. As a gateway for travellers, the 11.7 percent increase has an impact on operators across BC. The Kamloops regional airport and Comox regional airport have seen double digit gains this year, experiencing increases of 14.4% and 13.0% year to date, respectively. Declines have been recorded in the number of incoming calls to 1-800-HelloBC, however this has been more than offset by visitors to www.HelloBC.com, which saw a 107.2 percent increase in visitation in August over the same month last year.
CN recently named the Great Canadian Railtour Company (GCRC) successful in their bid to provide tourist trains throughout British Columbia and into Alberta. GCRC plans include the introduction of the Whistler Mountaineer that will operate between North Vancouver and Whistler along the BC Rail line. They will also be expanding the Rocky Mountaineer train service by running a new route from Whistler to Jasper, Alberta, utilizing Prince George as an overnight stop for many guests. The two new services are scheduled to begin full-scale operation in 2006. In the coming weeks The Great Canadian Railtour Company will be holding a set of Product Partnership Workshops in an effort to identify tourism products that would warrant additional stops along the route. The sessions will be held in 100 Mile House, Lillooet, Prince George, Quesnel, Squamish, Whistler and Williams Lake. For full information please visit the Great Canadian Railtour Company website. Dates for these workshops will be announced in the next 60 days.
In recognition of the value of tourism and the demand for skilled workers needed to support the tourism and hospitality industry, the province has designated Capilano College the British Columbia Centre for Leadership and Innovation in Tourism while the Vancouver Community College will now be home to the BC Centre for Leadership in Hospitality. Additionally, a new strategic advisory body called the British Columbia Tourism and Hospitality Education and Training Consortium will facilitate co-operation and planning among institutions, industry and government to ensure the education and training requirements of the tourism and hospitality industry are met. The province also announced that government will invest an additional $1.2 million in special one-time funding to enhance and expand hospitality and tourism training programs at post secondary institutions throughout the province.
The International Internet Marketing Association (IIMA) will be hosting “Successful E-Marketing for Today’s Travel/Tourism Industry,” September 22nd, 2004. This event will teach participants how to overcome limited web experience and understand new media, integrate traditional marketing efforts effectively with the web and what kind of promotions work best online. A panel of experts including John Mast, Director of Client Services for 1to1 Cruise Inc, John Hamilton, Director of Travel for BCAA, Michele DeRappard, Director of Marketing for Rocky Mountaineer Vacations and Peter Loyd-Jones, Director of Sales and Marketing King Pacific Lodge, will be sharing some of their winning strategies. For more information please visit the International Internet Marketing Association website.
The BC provincial government and community partners will invest $4.2 million to launch a new Spirit of 2010 Trail network that will link 18 BC communities through converted recreational rail corridors. The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, is providing $2.1 million through the Softwood Industry Community Economic Adjustment Initiative. This initiative helps forest-dependent communities that were affected by the U.S. softwood lumber tariff by helping communities create opportunities for economic development that will stimulate investment and job creation. The province and its partners, including Tourism British Columbia and four regional districts, will contribute a total of $1.658 million. The Trans Canada Trail Foundation is providing the remaining $415,000. Additionally, the Province in partnership with the Federal government has allocated $13.5 million for the rebuilding of the Myra Canyon Trestles that were destroyed in last years forest fires. The reconstruction is expected to begin in October on Trestle #18, and the reconstruction plan calls for all work to be complete in 2007.
As owners of the cotabc.com domain name COTA has recently updated their e-mail address to match their website. Now e-mails can be sent to info@cotabc.com to reach the administrator, for Will Harding, COTA’s Policy and Planning Officer wharding@cotabc.com, and to e-mail Cordelia Williams, COTA’s Industry Relations Officer cwilliams@cotabc.com. Mary Mahon Jones, COTA's CEO, can now be e-mailed directly at mmahonjones@cotabc.com. COTA will be retaining its old e-mail addresses for two months, in an effort to ease the transition to the new e-mail addresses.
Alberta’s tourism industry is about to benefit from a $42.4 million injection directed at tourism marketing and development. This 75% budget increase is the result of changes to the hotel room tax that are to begin April 2005. The current 5% Hotel Room Tax is a surcharge on accommodation which is slated to be eliminated March 31, 2005. It will be replaced by a 4% Tourism Levy with the funds collected going towards tourism marketing and development. Currently within BC, an 8% hotel tax is applied to hotel rooms, of which 1.65 % goes back to Tourism BC. While the Alberta government press release claims that Tourism BC receives $56.4 million in provincial funding, the actual number is far less. Tourism is one of BC’s largest and most dynamic industries, however, in order for this industry to remain strong and vibrant well into the future this level of investment needs to be encouraged.
The provincial government released their proposal for the Lillooet and Morice land use plans which will provide certainty for people living and working in the region. Talks between the province and First Nations are now in the final stages, working towards finalizing land use plans for the region. COTA Vice President, Deane Strongitharm, credits the province with “coming up with the best possible proposal to further sustainable growth opportunities and allow for ongoing balance of everyone’s economic, social and environmental needs.” The land use plans will add 15 new parks and protected areas to the region comprised of almost 180,000 hectares and open up new job and economic opportunities. Land and resource management plans apply to Crown Land which makes up 94 % of the province. When these plans are completed, 85 % of British Columbia will be covered by land use plans. The Lillooet Plan includes the South Chilcotin Mountain Park, a solution for which was enabled by the COTA/Mining Association of BC/and the BC Chamber of Mines Memorandum of Understanding signed in January of 2004. Also integral to the solution was the extensive work of the Wilderness Tourism Association and the many volunteers who spent years trying to bring certainty for all users on the land base.
The BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association (BCLCA) has reported that small operators such as motels, small resorts, RV parks and campgrounds, are experiencing a decline in business this year. In July a survey of BCLCA members indicated that 74% of the respondents had empty rooms over the July holiday weekend and close to 18% had occupancy rates of less than 50%. In the same survey, reservations for the month of July 2004 showed a decline of 45% from those in the same month in 2003. Tourism across the province has not rebounded to the extent that the industry had hoped. Though some of BC’s more popular destinations are doing well this is not the case in smaller communities such as Oliver, Penticton, Boswell and Sorrento. As tourism operators are facing a difficult year, the BCLCA is urging consumers to take a vacation or mini break in BC this year. The tourism industry is open for business and there are a great many travel opportunities to choose from and some great prices to be found.
Parks Canada’s unionized workers, represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), began job action on August 13th. Over the past year, Parks Canada, and the PSAC have been negotiating a new collective agreement for their 4,800 workers that includes making submissions to a conciliation board. On August 5th, the board submitted their report concerning the collective bargaining efforts and noted that, “the two parties were miles apart with respect to pay proposals.” PSAC rejected Parks Canada’s latest offer of a cumulative salary increase of 11 % for general labourers and continues to demand cumulative increases as high as 23 %. Work stoppages occurred over the weekend with and are expected to impact national parks as the strike continues. Parks Canada has set up a website and 24 hour hotline (1-888-773-8888) to ensure that the public has up-to-date information concerning service disruptions at the national parks, national historic site and national marine conservation areas in Canada.
The Ministry of State for Resource Development recently released recommendations from the BC Resort Task Force Advisory Group. Key areas covered in the recommendations include: greater certainty and efficiency in resort applications; increasing First Nations involvement; the support and involvement of resource communities; and addressing sustainability and regulatory concerns. For the complete report please visit the provincial government’s website. Minister Sandi Santori asserted that the government will review the recommendations and enact changes to the resort strategy over the next few months. Currently, British Columbia’s 700 resorts and lodges employ 26,000 people and contribute $178 million to federal, provincial and municipal government revenues each year.
Six marine campsites damaged in last years Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park fire re-opened on July 29th, almost one year after they were closed. The wildfire that burned through most of the 10,000-hectare park resulted in a number of safety hazards including fire-damaged trees that could topple at anytime. Due to the extent of the damage, much of the park will remain closed as assessments and repairs are continuing to be made. For residents of the Okanagan the re-opening of these six marine sites represents a milestone in the recovery for last season’s wildfires.
In an attempt to reach a new collective agreement with their more than 4,800 unionized employees, Parks Canada made an offer worth an estimated $28 million to the employees’ representatives during conciliation hearings. This three year contract would include a 2.25% pay increase for all Agency employees retroactively to August 5, 2003, an additional 2% increase to take effect August 5, 2004 and an increase of 1.5% to take effect August 2005. In addition, Parks Canada’s offer includes a 4% increase in the top level of its salary scales for employees in certain job categories, retroactively to August 5, 2003. Parks Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada began the conciliation board process on July 12, 2004, in an effort to reach a new collective agreement. Agency employees will not be in a strike position until the board submits its findings and both parties have had an opportunity to review the document.
The new Passenger Transportation Act came into effect June 28, 2004, replacing the previous Motor Carrier Act. This piece of legislation establishes a new regulatory structure for licensing commercial passenger vehicles such as taxis, limousines, hotel shuttles, and sightseeing or chartered buses. Passenger directed vehicle operators will continue to be required to meet both economic entry criteria as well as safety requirements, while general passenger vehicle operators must only meet safety requirements to obtain a license. This new Act will make it easier for some operators to enter the marketplace and respond to changing business needs while maintaining public safety. For more information about this Act and how it will impact your business please refer to the Ministry of Transportation’s Passenger Transportation Branch.
The first quarter of 2004 saw even more Canadians discovering what international visitors have known for years; Canada is a great place to be a tourist. The quarterly National Tourism Indicators report, released by Statistics Canada, indicates that $13.4 billion was injected into the Canadian economy as a result of tourism activities, a 1.5 percent increase over the previous period. Domestic demand played a large role in the gain, with expenditures reaching $9.2 billion, marking the 8th consecutive year-over-year increase. Tourism employment also realized gains in the first three months of 2004 with an increase of 0.5 percent for a total of 559,900 people employed within the industry. Job gains were widespread, with a notable 1.6 percent increase in the air transportation sector. The accommodation sector was the only area to experience a contraction in the first quarter of 2004, with receipts totaling $1,918,000 - a decline of 1.6 percent - and a 0.4 percent decline in employment.
The Ministry of Transportation is investing $2.4 million to improve more than 150 rest stops throughout British Columbia. The rest stop upgrade is meant to encourage motorists to take more breaks when they are travelling while providing a safe pull off area for tourists and truckers alike. The strategy includes funding for more than 150 students to act as ambassadors for their local communities by providing visitors with local information and performing vehicle counts. Washroom facilities will also be upgraded as well as two rest areas to enable year round operation. Tourism BC’s British Columbia Visitor Study, released in 2002, shows that 57 percent of non-residents enter British Columbia via our highway system and once here, 79 percent of vacationers explore the province using cars, small trucks, vans or motorcycles. The rest stop upgrades will improve the experience of many travellers and will ensure that our highways are equipped to manage and impress visitors during the 2010 Olympics.
Members of the Customs Excise Union demonstrated at the Peace Arch/Pacific Highway border crossing on June 26th. Approximately 30 BC customs officers took part in the protest, which caused hour long delays for travellers entering the country. The dispute has been brewing between border staff and the Canadian Border Service Agency since 2000, when the duties of customs officials were expanded to include Criminal Code enforcement activities. At that time the federal government assured the union that the added duties would be accompanied by a pay review. No such review has taken place. Similar protest lines have been waged across the country, with action at border crossings in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
In response to recommendations made by a local Task Force, the provincial government announced plans to provide $2 million in funding for the Barkerville Heritage site near Wells, British Columbia. The announcement, made July 1, offers $1 million in the first year and $500,000 in the following 2 years to assist Barkerville with the transition to community based management and heritage site maintenance in the near term. Members of the Barkerville Task Force are pleased with the government’s decision but fear that without long term sustainable funding Barkerville will face similar budgetary problems in years to come. The transition to the local governance model promises to give local operators more flexibility to promote Barkerville and will allow the heritage site to be more responsive to the needs of the local community.
What will you do for tourism? That question so far has drawn a blank from federal election candidates in B.C. who have yet to post quotes in support of tourism on COTA’s Web site. Silence is golden it seems as the country heads into the final weeks of the election. Federal hopefuls have been tongue tied on the subject of improving air service in Canada. COTA has not received a single reply to an air issues survey forwarded to over a hundred candidates last week. Only Conservative leader Stephen Harper has vowed to eliminate the $12 Air Travellers Security Charge. The only place where less talk seems to be working is foreign tourism destinations that keep putting their money where their mouth is. Canada continues to lose ground to competitors who are spending more and more on marketing their destinations. The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) meanwhile has seen its budget shrink $5 million over the last two years. With the election around the corner, tourism interests across the country are weighing in with some very clear demands. The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has released Call to Action 2004, which calls for a $25 million budget increase for the CTC, a funding increase for programs that target tourism infrastructure development, and better transportation access, particularly access that integrates different modes. British Columbia tourism operators are being asked to contact and encourage their local candidates to complete the air issues survey and forward their quotes supporting tourism to cotaadmin@telus.net.
A coalition of 30 business groups, including COTA, released a poll June 16th that shows nearly two-thirds of Lower Mainland residents feel that TransLink should accept the provincial government’s offer to allow the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) line to proceed by transferring the risk and responsibility for the undertaking to the Province. “TransLink board members have cited responsibility for financial risks as their primary concern,” B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said at a sudden press conference from the floor of the international arrivals terminal of Vancouver International Airport last week. “The offer we’re making will provide for the Province to assume overall responsibility for the RAV project, and also see $170 million of the Province’s total $540 million commitment made available for improvements in the North-East sector.” COTA and other business groups will be addressing the TransLink board at its next meeting Friday June 18 in hopes that all Translink board members can be convinced of the RAV project’s wide-reaching investment benefits, congestion relief and job creation.
Businesses and organizations looking to mop up on opportunities coming out of Canada’s successful bid for the 2010 Games are gathering in the host city of Vancouver May 3rd. What’s got most communities buzzing are the official plans to maximize the opportunities in trade, procurement, investment, human resources and tourism. The tourism industry is expected to be the largest beneficiary of the 2010 Games, as media coverage draws in new visitors and increased marketing revenues from the hotel tax amplify BC’s wave of international exposure. Businesses looking to surf this wave will be registering online for the event at www.spiritof2010-business-summit.com.
