Tourism Vancouver Island gratefully acknowledges that we live, work and play on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Coast Salish peoples.
Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP)
The program will be providing further financial support for the tourism industry. Applications for HASCAP will be available at major financial institutions starting February 1st, and applications at all institutions should be live by February 15th. These will be 100% government-backed loans and they will provide $25,000 to $1 million per legal entity, up to a maximum of $6.25 million for related entities, to be used for operational cash flow. The HASCAP application process will remain open until June 30, 2021.
To help ensure you are ready to apply and to make the HASCAP Guarantee loan request process faster with your primary financial institution, you can confirm:
If your business has received the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) or the Canadian Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) when you apply, make sure you have your Canada Revenue Agency attestation forms demonstrating a minimum 50% revenue decline, for at least 3 months, within the 8-months before the date of your HASCAP Guarantee applications. Your financial institution will require this information to process your request.
If your business did not receive CEWS or CERS and is eligible for it, you must apply for CEWS and/or CERS. Your financial institution will require this information to process your request.
If your business does not qualify for CEWS and CERS you must provide financial statements that reflect at least three months (which do not need to be consecutive) of monthly year-over-year revenue decrease of a minimum of 50% per month, within the 8-month period prior to the date of the HASCAP Guarantee application. Your financial institution will require this information to process your request.
Need help? Please reach out to the Vancouver Island Coastal Tourism Resiliency Program at TourismResiliency.ca/VICTRP or call us at 1-855-722-9036 (Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm).
As the first recipients of the BC Arts Council's new arts infrastructure program, ten (10) arts and culture groups in the Vancouver Island region will receive more than $440,000.
“Arts and culture groups operate vitally important spaces of belonging in communities throughout B.C., and this funding will help enhance their facilities so they can come back strong after the pandemic,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “We’re supporting arts groups to upgrade their spaces, improve safety features, increase accessibility or buy equipment so they can continue to offer virtual programming and contribute to B.C.’s economic recovery.”
In total, 50 arts and culture organizations across B.C. received nearly $2 million in grants to help improve arts and culture spaces and support the sector’s resilience. To see the list of recipients, visit: www.bcartscouncil.ca/funding/recipients/
ICYMI: Targeted Regional Tourism Development Initiative
Tourism Vancouver Island will receive $2.3 million through the BC Government's Targeted Regional Tourism Development Initiative to invest in regional tourism development. The projects that will be funded must be of regional scope, implementable within two years (2021-2023) and align with the identified objectives and priorities in the Destination Development Strategy for Vancouver Island.
Complete the Survey:
Please complete the following short survey to provide feedback on this important initiative. It will be open until February 10, 2021 and takes less than five minutes to complete. As we move forward with planning and engagement we are seeking your input to identify priority projects within the region.
Five (5) potential project themes have been identified:
Island Coastal Economic Trust Small Cap Partnership: Community Revitalization
Trails:
Accessibility, wayfinding and interpretive signage enhancements; and/or
Ancient forests and big tree experience development Interpretative
Gateway signage: Indigenous and responsible travel
Ocean friendly: Marine debris removal and visitor engagement
Other concepts: Mobile housing pilot, accessibility equipment, research
Questions? Contact Calum Matthews, Director, Destination Development at calum@tourismvi.ca.
The Vancouver Island Coastal Tourism Resiliency Program (VICTRP) would not be possible without our team of nine Program Advisors led by Program Manager, Lauren Semple. They assist tourism businesses on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast with dedicated, one-on-one support and we'd like to introduce you to the people behind the program.
Introducing Laurel Sliskovic
"I love where I live and I love riding my bike! Riding my bike is one of the simple pleasures of life for me on Vancouver Island. As Islanders, we have the beauty and abundance of wide open places and spaces, and we can choose to be part of helping one another (visitors and residents) enjoy the natural and cultural amenities that make us strong, diverse and resilient.
While I crave travel to places across the country and around the globe, the ocean outside my back door, forests and trails out the front, keep my mind and body healthy and inspired. In my home community of Campbell River, I volunteer my time to enhance and promote accessible recreational spaces, and in the volatile times of this global pandemic (and always!), getting to play and explore outdoors are key to our collective health."
Register for February!
Ideas Labs are part of the BC Tourism Resiliency Network's suite of programs to support long-term resiliency of tourism businesses as we collectively navigate the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is still room in the following sessions:
Evolving the Meetings & Events Experience (Feb 2)
Business Model Innovation for a Sustainable Future (Feb 3, 10 & 16)
Cultivating Customer Loyalty: A Visitor's Lens (Feb 4)
Building Back Better: Contributing to a Better Future for Tourism (Feb 17, 24 & Mar 2)
These 45-minute facilitated small group discussions are guided by a presentation from an inspiring Industry Topic Specialist. Each Ideas Lab has a maximum of 12 participants from across the province with a focus on sharing ideas and co-creating solutions to common challenges being faced by our tourism industry.
Tourism Vancouver Island has been actively monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry in our region through our partnership with the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat and other partners.
Travel Patterns Report This research tracks visitor activity across the province, region by region, including a snapshot of the Vancouver Island region. Please see the latest report to January 17, 2021here.
Tourism Impact Report This research provides both a provincial summary and data specific to the Vancouver Island region on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism businesses, which informs our advocacy work to government. Please see the latest report to December 20, 2020here.
Meet our Storm Riders
Kim Shaw, Chocolate Tofino, Tofino
"Locals were so happy when we chose to remain open during COVID. It brought a sense of hope to the community during uncertain times, and allowed residents to feel like they were part of something bigger when they bought a pint of gelato or a box of chocolates. Many residents expressed that we were one of the businesses that they chose to spend their limited funds at to ensure that we could stay open. We worked nearly every day, and often into the night, to make, package and serve the product that locals often joked was an ‘essential service.’ While we were stretched, and emotionally and physically exhausted, serving the community and bringing joy to as many as we could carried us through the really tough times.”
"I love to cook and entertain, and knew that I wanted to be a chef from a very young age. No two days are ever the same – ingredients, tastes and trends change. I really like to connect with our guests and I use food as an opportunity to tell stories about the diversity of Vancouver Island products and the people that live here and make this island so special.”
Erin Neely, Market Development Manager, Comox Valley Airport talks about co-creating the visitor experience with a commitment to local products
Island Good was created by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) with the vision of making local products more accessible to Islanders and travellers.
Comox Valley Airport adopted the program to support its mandate to be the gateway to the region and increase economic development. "Island good perfectly embodies and aligns with our goals," Erin says. "We want visitors to have a great first impression of Vancouver Island and be introduced to what is local."
From craft beverages to artwork, the airport's On the Fly Café and Mid-Island Gifts proudly offer quality products from Island producers, many of which are made in the Comox Valley.
On the Fly Café has also recently introduced “Pie on the Fly” offering locally baked sweet and savoury pies to build business while adhering to current pandemic protocols. The Comox Valley Airport Commission installed a take-out window, allowing customers to call ahead and receive curbside pick-up without entering the terminal.
Comox Valley Airport has been able to educate their suppliers on the benefits of Island Good. The airport's involvement has helped to build awareness of the program with small businesses that may not have considered it on their own.
"We want to grow local investment, particularly in the early stages," Erin adds. "As local businesses and producers come out of this pandemic, opportunities through Island Good can only serve to help. Thank you to VIEA for bringing this initiative forward!"
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has granted its Global Safe Travels stamp to both Victoria and Vancouver Island. Consider using this time to apply to use the stamp so that when the current Provincial Health Order and travel advisory is lifted, we can collectively encourage consumer confidence.
This specially designed stamp allows travellers to recognize destinations and tourism businesses around the world which have adopted globally standardized health and hygiene protocols so visitors can experience “safe travels.”
All tourism stakeholders in the Vancouver Island region can apply for use of the Safe Travels stamp through Tourism Vancouver Island. Eligible businesses will be able to use the stamp for their own promotion once they have met the health protocols outlined by the WTTC. It's quick, easy and free!
More information on the WTTC global protocols, and the list of destinations and associations around the world using the stamp, can be found here.
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