The British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) is thrilled to see the Government of Canada's new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, titled Canada 365: Welcoming the world. Every day.

This comprehensive strategy aligns with the BCHA's recommendations and highlights the crucial role of tourism in the Canadian economy. Last year, the BCHA submitted its Tourism Growth Strategy recommendation during the consultation phase, focusing on key areas such as international and domestic recruitment and retention, infrastructure investments, building a sustainable workforce, and event asset development. We are delighted to see elements of our recommendations incorporated into this substantial strategy.

Dear BC Hotel Community,
​
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of you who participated in our recent accommodation engagement survey. Your valuable feedback plays a vital role in helping us understand the pressing topics, issues, and resources that are most important to our industry. Based on the comprehensive review of all the feedback, we now have a clearer vision moving forward and confidence that we are on the right path already. Rest assured, we are committed to representing our industry and amplifying your voice and we owe it to each of you to be transparent with this. As a result, we have identified some of the results of the survey along with several areas where changes and/or improvements can be made. We will continue to refer to the feedback outlined in the survey in the months ahead and make changes that will best reflect your needs.

Our hospitality sector, comprised of over 2,300 hotels, motels, and inns, form the foundation of British Columbia's vibrant $22.3B tourism industry. These establishments, many of which are family-owned, play a crucial role in the social and economic fabric of our communities. With hotels alone contributing 3.5-4.0% to B.C.'s economic activity, their impact is far-reaching. Through collaborations with marketing partners and investments in destination development, hotel owners are catalysts for meaningful economic growth, driving the well-being for our entire province. Government support for the industry is critical as it helps stimulates economic growth, boosts tourism promotion efforts, and creates diverse employment opportunities across various skill levels. By addressing challenges, attracting skilled workers, and investing tourism dollars wisely, we can forge a thriving and sustainable future for British Columbia's hospitality sector, together. ​

​We have fantastic news that will greatly benefit your recruitment efforts during the ongoing workforce crisis. The British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) has successfully advocated for significant changes to the Francophone Mobility Program, and we couldn't be more thrilled to share them with you. Let's break it down in simple terms:

Private sector employers will be required to publicly post reports on their gender pay gap and adopt other changes under pay transparency legislation introduced today by the Honourable Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance. As of Nov.1 this year, all employers will be required to include wage or salary ranges on all publicly advertised jobs.​

On November 17, a series of changes were made to the BC Provincial Nominee Program’s (BC PNP) Skills Immigration streams.​

GENERAL INFORMATION: 
​
As announced in British Columbia’s Budget 2022 on February 22, 2022, effective July 1, 2022, certain marketplace facilitators must charge and collect provincial sales tax (PST) and the municipal and regional district tax (MRDT) on taxable sales and leases that they facilitate through an online marketplace.  This includes taxable sales of accommodation facilitated through an online marketplace by an online marketplace facilitator.