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Jun 16, 2021

TIABC Letter on Cruise to Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure

Advocacy

Re: British Columbia’s Cruise Sector & Request for Meeting


Dear Minister Fleming,


On behalf of the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC), I am writing to express
our concerns regarding the escalating cruise industry situation that has the potential to cause
further damage to an already reeling visitor economy.


As you know, the cruise sector is a vital part of British Columbia’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Absence of a second straight cruise season has led to additional business closures and/or further
hardships for many tourism operators. Although TIABC earlier this year appealed directly to your federal
counterparts to consider a partial season in fall 2021 dependent on a number of considerations (e.g.
increasing vaccination and declining COVID transmission rates), we’re now more concerned that there
are still no assurances for 2022. We suggest the current Canadian order vis-à-vis the ban on cruise ship
be rescinded in November (concurrent with the scheduled expiry of the CDC conditional sail order) to
allow cruise lines and the industry in BC to plan for next season.


On a related note, the threat of a permanent measure as the corollary to recent temporary U.S.
legislation that allows cruise ships to bypass British Columbia to sail straight from Seattle to Alaska, is
very real and deeply concerning to our sector. Suffice it to say, this issue must be addressed
immediately.


In spite of British Columbia’s advanced cruise infrastructure and resources, not to mention our appeal as
a desirable destination and port-of-call, we cannot afford to take our cruise industry and the benefits we
enjoy for granted, especially given American protectionist measures that have been applied to multiple
sectors of our economy and now also include tourism.


To that end, TIABC has joined together with a national coalition of businesses, sector associations and
other interests to appeal to the federal government to stand up for Canada’s cruise sector. We are also
working closely with our members at CLIA North West and Canada to support their efforts on practices
and policies that foster a safe, secure, healthy, and sustainable cruise environment.


Minister, I appeal to your leadership to resolve this impasse with your U.S. counterparts, and to
advocate to the federal government to not only make a firm commitment to the cruise sector in BC and
across Canada, but to actively lobby American decision-makers at the highest level to ensure that any
permanent bill allowing cruise ships to bypass our waters does not move forward under any
circumstances.


Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your support of British Columbia’s tourism and
hospitality industry during the pandemic. I respectfully request to meet with you at your earliest
convenience to discuss TIABC’s position and to learn more about the Province’s efforts on this file. I look
forward to hearing from you soon.


Best Regards,


Walt Judas
CEO, TIABC

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