“Our awards program celebrates tourism businesses who collaborate, are innovative and go above and beyond to help grow tourism in the Vancouver Island region,” said Anthony Everett, Tourism Vancouver Island’s President & CEO. “The nominations received reflect the quality of experiences that visitors come to expect in our region, and this year’s winners have captured the essence of remarkable.”

© 2018 HA Photography

Sponsored by Tourism Café, The Remarkable Experience of the Year Award was presented to Spirit of the West Adventures and the award was accepted by Rick and Breanne Quesnel. The remarkable experience was for their Whales and Wilderness Glamping tour. The details and planning that went into this tour were evident in the glowing reviews from customers. This tour offers a wilderness and wildlife experience that appeals to those looking for a unique high-end experience while in an outdoor setting. Guests can sleep soundly in the comforts of a glamping-style tent while listening to the blows of the humpback whales in the distance.

© 2018 HA Photography

Sponsored by Eclipse 360, the Innovator of the Year Award recognizes a tourism stakeholder that has developed or renewed a tourism product, package, or initiative that captures the attention of visitors and increases the desirability of the Vancouver Island Region as a destination. This year the award was presented to the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa and accepted by Aaron Greasley, General Manager, and Linda Bridgman, Sales and Events Manager. The transformation of this property over two years has taken this resort to a new level. The Pacific Mist Spa, Ocean7 Restaurant and Aqua Bistro and Wine Bar have gone under extensive renovations to bring these amenities to a 5-star level. One of the most extensive renovations is the “Serenity Gardens” which encompasses the courtyard of the property and allows guests to relax in a serene setting while taking in the breathtaking view.

© 2018 HA Photography

Sponsored by Tourism Vancouver Island, the Tourism Employee of the Year Award was presented to Dan Brady. Dan Brady, President of the Nanaimo Hospitality Association, has put in countless hours to unite the tourism stakeholders of Nanaimo. Dan Brady has been supportive of open dialogue, articulating and working on shared goals. Monthly tourism meetings bring Tourism Nanaimo, Nanaimo Hospitality Association, Snuneymuxw First Nation, Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Vancouver Island University, City of Nanaimo and Visitor Centre staff together to discuss tactics, strategies, programs and activities.

© 2018 HA Photography

Sponsored by Fortis BC, the Tourism Sustainability Award recognizes a tourism business that has set out to minimize their environmental impact, conserve natural resources, respect local cultures and benefit local communities. Their commitment to environmentally responsible tourism and changing the way they conduct business serves as an example to the industry. This year Campbell River Whale Watching was presented this award and was accepted by Jack Springer, Steve Gabrysh and Tyler Bruce. This organization has incorporated a number of sustainable practices both on the water and in the office. The grizzly bear tour is their most culturally rich tour where bears are viewed in the traditional territory of the Orford Valley in Bute Inlet. Working with the Homalco Indigenous band has allowed them to offer grizzly bear viewing in an  environmental and sustainable way.

© 2018 HA Photography

The Employer of the Year, sponsored by go2HR recognizes a company that exemplifies best practices in all areas of operations and human resource management. This year, the award was presented to Inn at Laurel Point and was accepted by Ann Reeves. Inn at Laurel Point not only consistently offers its guests exceptional outstanding service, but ensures that their employees experience an exceptional work environment as well. By fostering an open corporate culture, staff is made to feel part of the team, and therefore is more invested in the success of the Inn. The Inn has found that when trust and respect are given to employees, team members not only rise to the occasion, but continue to raise the bar.

At the first meeting of the newly constituted Board of Directors, Ian MacPhee of Prince of Whales Whale Watching was re-elected to the position of Board Chair. “It’s a privilege to continue to Chair the Board of such a valued organization,” said Ian MacPhee. “2018 has been a year of change and growth starting with our new President and CEO, Anthony Everett, who has reinvigorated our relationships with island communities and stakeholders.“

Returning to the board and elected by acclamation for two-year terms are: Andrew Jones of Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures; Corene Inouye of Jamie’s Whaling Station Ltd.; and Lara Greasley of Comox Valley Economic Development & Tourism.

Serving out their second year of a two year term are Ian MacPhee of Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Janet Docherty of Merridale Cidery & Distillery, and Arthur Wong of The Beach Club Resort.

Raymond Chan of RCA Consulting and Leif Bogwald of Vancouver Island Expeditions have been re-appointed to the board for a two-year term, while Jim Owens of JTO Hospitality Group has been re-appointed for a one-year term. Dean Prentice of Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Lillian Hunt of Indigenous Tourism BC will serve out their second year of a two-year term.

A vacancy exists for a representative in the Gulf Islands region with the recent resignation of Janet Clouston of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce as she moves to the east coast to start a new adventure. Janet has served on the board since 2014 and has been a valuable asset. A request for expressions of interest will be distributed in the near future to fill the vacancy.

The Officers consists of: Ian MacPhee as Chair; Arthur Wong as Vice Chair (Chair Elect); Raymond Chan as Governance Chair; Andrew Jones as Marketing Chair; and Leif Bogwald as Secretary-Treasurer. Carol Ann Terreberry continues as Past Chair.

The brand refresh is the culmination of deep engagement and consultation with the community and research with customers. The process involved identifying who we are as destination – what values we possess, how we see ourselves and what sets us apart from other destinations and to the customer. The result is a brand that will serve Greater Victoria for years to come.

After a rigorous RFP process, Tourism Victoria engaged Destination Think!, an international agency specializing in destination promotion and development. Over the course of six months they led engagement workshops with Greater Victoria residents and businesses, as well as conducted sentiment analyses and consumer surveys in target markets. This work created a brand story centred on Greater Victoria’s timeless beauty, built environment and connections to the Salish Sea.

The decision to update the company trading name from Tourism Victoria to Destination Greater Victoria is due to the evolving nature of our business. Most tourism boards have incorporated a destination management function and their names reference this responsibility. Examples include Destination Canada, Destination BC and Destination New South Wales. Over one quarter of you, our members are located outside of the City of Victoria or District of Saanich. And focused marketing campaigns such as the Pacific Marine Circle Route encompass the south Vancouver Island region leave the customer wanting to explore further, visit again and visit more frequently. Read more.

A panel of industry experts intimately involved with cannabis industry R&D, government distribution, retail sales, and professional services will share the latest news on Canada’s precedent-setting legislation and the commercial impacts we can expect to see.

• Peter Guo, Enterprise Risk Services Leader, MNP, Moderator
• Philippe Lucas, VP, Patient Research and Access, Tilray
• Jeff Guignard, Executive Director, Alliance of Beverage Licensees BC
• Michael Tan, Executive Director, Cannabis Division, BC Liquor Distribution Branch

Register for the 2018 Summit.

How? Encourage your staff to take go2HR’s SuperHost Foundations of Service Quality, a practical introduction to the principles of providing a quality service experience. This online course takes students through a customer’s journey, where they can learn essential skills like service recovery, communications, teamwork, and more. Learn more and register at http://bit.ly/2P0EvOe  

The paper, Developing a Modern Approach to Short-Term Rentals in a Digital Economy, gives Canadian municipalities an analysis of regulatory developments worldwide and best practice approaches to developing a local framework.

This document is meant to be a tool for local governments to use in approaching the short term rental issue in their communities.

Click here to visit the BC Hotel Association page for more details
Click here to visit Fairbnb.ca 

A key component of the new program is that it allows communities to apply for funding to cover up to 100% of their wildfire risk reduction projects, as opposed to the previous cost-sharing requirements. The types of activities eligible for funding have also been expanded to include more activities covered by the FireSmart program’s seven disciplines.

As part of Budget 2018, the BC government committed $50 million over three years to help reduce wildfire risks around communities. Up to $10 million will be available in the 2018-19 fiscal year, with $20 million available in each of the following two fiscal years.

UBCM will administer the program in collaboration with the BC Wildfire Service, First Nations’ Emergency Services Society and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, assisted by the BC FireSmart Committee.

news.gov.bc.ca 

In order to mitigate this risk, and standardize sustainable practices, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced that amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II. The new rules for whale watching and approaching marine mammals, which are now in effect, will provide a minimum approach distance of 100 metres for most marine mammals to legally protect these animals from human disturbances.

To learn more about these regulations, and how they might impact your business, view the full media release here, and view the new regulations here.