The provincial government has made changes to the way that hotel properties and ski resorts are assessed and classed, which will affect the amount of property taxes these businesses will pay.
The assessed value of ski resorts will be established based on the number of lift tickets sold each year, rather than the present system which estimates the market value of the property based primarily on its expected resale value - which is difficult to establish for properties such as these which are sold infrequently.
Hotel properties will be assessed based on the actual occupancy of individual units in each property. Many hotels are a mixture of residential properties and commercial units that are rented throughout part or all of the year. In the past, these properties were assessed and taxed based on their ownership structure as opposed to their actual use, which presented some inequities. The new system will attempt to bridge that gap.
The changes result from consultations with tourism stakeholders and are part of a comprehensive review of property assessment and taxation by the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue.
COTA has also been involved in numerous discussions relating to property assessment and taxation with the provincial government throughout 2006 and 2007, and is hopeful that additional measures will be taken to assist the mounting concerns of tourism properties in other sectors – particularly commercial lodges and small resort properties.
To review the provincial government press release, click here.
Royal Roads University will be offering a new Graduate Certificate in Tourism Leadership in the fall 2007. The program is relevant to private, pubic and not-for-profit individuals. The three course program includes one internet based course. Read more.
Chief forester Jim Snetsinger has announced an increased in the allowable annual cute for the Williams Lake region from 3.77 million cubic metres to 5.77 million cubic metres. The increase is in response to the mountain pine beetle epidemic sweeping through the area. The cut will be focused on stand containing more than 70% pine trees. Read more.
The Government of BC is amending the Social Service Tax Act to establish an Innovative Clean Energy fund. The proposed amendment will allow a 0.4% levy on the sale of electricity, natural gas, grid propane and fuel oil that are not related to transportation. The levy is expected to be implemented by July 1, 2007. Read more.
According to an article published in the Vancouver Sun on April 19th, 2007 German and Dutch operators are threatening to stop selling packages to Canada in reaction to the cancellation of the GST rebate program. Moreover, 13 of 21 German tour operators and 6 of 11 Dutch operators have decided not to attend Rendez-vous Canada in protest. Read more.
According to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), there are a few tour operators from a small number of countries who are pulling out of Rendez-vous Canada over uncertainty regarding the FCTIP.
Concerns expressed by these operator vary and include issues over updating their prices and potentially violating consumer protection laws in their respective countries.
Rendez-vous continues to hold strong attendance levels.
For information on the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and the latest developments in the FCTIP, visit http://www.tiac-aitc.ca/english/welcome.asp
On April 17th, the Province of BC introduced Bill 24 into the BC Legislature establishing 41 new conservancy areas, three new Class A parks and additions to 16 existing parks. The three new parks total 933 hectares and are located in the Kootenays (Gilpin Grasslands Park and Boothman's Oxbow Park) and Skeena region (Anderson Flats Park). Read more.
The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands announced a $175,000 allocation of funds to the BC Association of Agricultural Fairs and Exhibitions (BCAAFE) to promote BC’s agri-tourism industry. Participating fairs and exhibitions will create display highlighting agri-tourism opportunities while cometpting for cash prizes. Read more.
On March 16, the Honourable Stan Hagen, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, announced the allocation of over $85,000 to Conventions BC for product development and marketing initiatives. In BC, the five major convention centres hosted 1,630 events including 274 conventions and conferences. Non-resident delegates attending these events spent over $235 million to British Columbia. Read more.
The March 19 announcement creating the Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program (FCTIP) has sparked confusion for industry and government alike. TIAC recently held meetings with Canada Revenue Agency and Department of Finance officials seeking clarification on eligibility requirements of the new program and how it is to be implemented. Limited FAQ information is now available on the CRA website and officials have committed to providing more detail after the Easter break. While there are many issues surrounding the implementation of this new program, TIAC and its partners delivered four key and priority requests in this week’s meeting with Finance officials. Read more at http://tiac.travel/english/GSTrebate.asp
As MV Mill Bay undergoes a refit, BC Ferries is temporarily suspending service between Mill Bay and Brentwood Bay for a month as of April 10, 2007. During this period, transportation between Mill Bay and Brentwood Bay is available via Highway #17 and Highway #1. Read more.
Tourism BC and partners have released a report on BC’s river outfitting industry. The 2006 survey identified 59 businesses offering river-related activities, with sector gross revenue estimated at approximately $15 million and the average business in operation for 14.8 years. Read more.
