Stakeholder Guide
on COVID-19

Tourism Burnaby has received the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).  The Safe Travels stamp is a signal to visitors that our destination is safe to visit.  The protocols behind the stamp will help rebuild traveller confidence so travel can resume as restrictions are eased.  It helps provide consistency and guidance on the new approach to health and in the COVID-19 world. Over 100 destinations across the globe have been awarded the Safe Travels stamp, including many in Canada.  Other BC destinations include Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, Tourism Victoria, Tourism Vancouver Island, Tourism Vancouver, Northern BC Tourism Association and Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.

Tourism Burnaby can grant the Safe Travels stamp to stakeholders who meet the global health and hygiene protocols set out by the WTTC. The stamp is available to the following sectors:

• Adventure Tourism
• Attractions
• Airports
• Aviation
• Car Rentals
• Cruise
• Convention Centres, Meetings and Events
• Hospitality
• Insurance
• Outdoor Shopping (retail)
• Short Term Rentals
• Tour Operators

Guidelines for these sectors can be found here.

Tourism Burnaby can only grant the stamp to non-WTTC members. WTTC members will have to contact WTTC at [email protected].

The Safe Travels stamp is based on self-evaluation, and it is not a certification. Users of the stamp have confirmed that they have implemented and will ensure ongoing compliance with the Safe Travels protocols.

Click on the button below to fill out the application form.

Want more information? Here are some links to resources you might find useful:

• Safe Travels Stamp Global Protocols
• Safe Travels Stamp Terms and Conditions
• Stamp Application

Feel free to contact [email protected] if you have any questions or comments.

Tourism Burnaby has developed a comprehensive resource detailing the Health and Safety protocols in place by our hotel partners.  By hosting all the information in one place and displaying it in an easy to use format, we will build consumer confidence that Burnaby is safe and ready to welcome visitors. We will be using this information with both consumer and business contacts.  Please regularly review your content and let [email protected] know if your policies have changed.

Tourism Burnaby is doing all that we can to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and to plan for the recovery that will follow.

To help prevent the spread of the virus, Tourism Burnaby has taken on social distancing policies.  All our staff members will be working remotely from home and will be taking meetings digitally- either through phone or video calls.  We will be evaluating this policy on a week-to-week basis.

Tourism Burnaby is also actively advocating for those affected by this downturn in business at a local, provincial, and federal level. Though the coming months will be challenging for many businesses and the industry as a whole, we must stay focused on our people and ensuring that we can find ways to provide support during this difficult time for those employees and families that face reduced hours and fewer gratuities.

In order to remain up-to-date on the latest developments, we suggest using the following sources of information:
Destination BC – For a comprehensive list of helpful links, including the World Health Organization (WHO) updates and information on industry events.
Healthlink BC – For up-to-date health alerts and information on the virus.
Health Canada —  For up-to-date information about the virus and federal policies around it
Skift Coronavirus Blog – For to-the-minute reporting on how Coronavirus is affecting the global travel industry and fact-based editorial on outlook.

BC Meetings and Events Industry Work Group – This group, comprised of industry experts is working towards expanding the allowable group size for meetings and events in a safe manner. The primary purpose of the Working Group is to collaborate with the industry to develop an effective restart plan for designing and executing meetings and events with safety and responsibility at the forefront, in adherence to government mandates that mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The secondary goal is to advocate collectively on behalf of our industry by streamlining our recovery efforts. We encourage all stakeholders to support this initiative by endorsing the guidelines HERE.

The Metro Vancouver Tourism Task Force  – Comprised of more than 120 tourism-related organizations and municipalities in the lower mainland, there are four working groups dedicated to the improvement and recovery of tourism in the region. Impact Assessment works in concert with industry, provincial and federal agencies to provide relevant up-to-date research to drive policy decisions. Government Relations is in weekly contact with the Provincial and Federal government to ensure that tourism remains top-of-mind, and to consult with industry stakeholders to assess the efficacy of efforts to date. Issues Management and Communications act as a communications conduit between the working groups and task force members to ensure that efforts are coordinated and informed. Sector Recovery handles the nuts and bolts process of recovery/restart of the industry.

The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia – Walt Judas, CEO of TIABC, has been tireless in the months since COVID  struck the province. He has been instrumental in ensuring the industry is well represented at a regional, provincial and federal level, as well as, importantly, ensuring that our industry receives regular, thoughtful and positive media coverage. A sampling of our industry’s struggle, shown in the media can be found HERE and  HERE.

Tourism Industry Association of Canada – This organization represents our industry at a federal level, and their efforts have been instrumental in ensuring initiatives such as CEWS will be extended until next summer to support hard-hit tourism businesses. Their weekly newsletters address such issues as securing funding for regional flights and extending rental assistance programs. They were also instrumental in launching the “Hardest Hit” initiative which is a collaboration of the hardest-hit industries across the country, advocating for federal assistance and more advantageous policies. Please check out the site: https://www.hardesthit.ca

Sport Tourism Canada – The task force at STC works with both federal and provincial governments and stakeholders to ensure we can see a safe return to sport during and after the pandemic.

Destination BC – Traditionally DBC has been responsible for marketing British Columbia to visitors from outside the province, but has pivoted to promote the various different regions of BC to encourage intra-provincial leisure travel, throughout the summer and into this Fall. If you haven’t already, I suggest you sign up for their bi-weekly industry calls to receive current marketing plans, forecasting, as well as traveller sentiment. Note there will be no new calls during this election month, but the most recent archives show the current plans for Fall/Winter season.

The Province of British Columbia – The province recently announced a $100 million dollar stimulus for the tourism industry. A far cry from the $680 Million proposals put forth by the industry in August of this year, it is considered a good start, with lots of work and advocacy required to get the industry on a sustainable path.

There are multiple other organizations including the BC Hotel Association, BC Restaurant Association,   BC Aviation Council and dozens of other organizations and companies working together to ensure a future for tourism in BC. We are fortunate to have impassioned leaders in our industry and aligned interests that allow us to present a cohesive message.